10 quick links of the day:

475 G.I.s dead per Centcom.

Bush Administration proposes fuel economy Changes. Oil producers/automakers: 1 Earth: 0

'Nothing but devastation and debris' as earthquake strikes Iran 10,000 feared dead.

2004 shaping into a very Martian new year Red Planet 'Rovers' due to land next month.

Holiday e-tail watchers sing 'ka-ching' 'B to C' biz finally arrives.

Russian jets receive upgrades. New digs for MiGs.

GOP lead Congress Scuttled Meat Protection Measure Why is this getting play in the UK but not in the US? Nevermind.

Bush Gets a 'Can Do Better' From Terror Panel. A 'C' student..'needs improvement' probably a phrase with which dubya's familiar.

Scientists begin measuring pollution in human bodies Note: I know that this had been done in NYC on a select group of pregnant women. ALL were found to have varying levels and types of pollutants in their blood/tissue.

New Home Sales Unexpectedly Fell by 2.4% in November. Sales of new, single-family homes retreated in November for the third straight month amid rising mortgage rates.

Now, from the department of "We Sometimes Eat Our Own as Well," comes this:

Conservatives Dispute GOP Budget Claims
Figures Cited Are for Authorized Spending, Not Actual Outlays, Say Critics

After three straight years of double-digit increases in federal spending, President Bush and the Republican Congress say they have the situation under control. But a number of conservatives say actual spending this year will be triple the figures cited by the White House.

The two camps have simply chosen different kinds of budget numbers to bolster their positions. Bush enumerates the amount of spending that Congress authorizes each year. His critics cite the actual amount the government is spending. In effect, the president and his allies are counting the money put into the spending pipeline, while the others count the amount flowing out the other side, some of which may have been slowly trickling through for years.

The debate over federal spending has become politically charged, with both sides tossing out wildly divergent numbers. On Dec. 15, Bush said at a news conference that his administration and the GOP-controlled Congress had held spending not related to the military or homeland security to a 6 percent increase in fiscal year 2002, with a 5 percent increase last fiscal year and a 3 percent increase for the 2004 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

"We're working with Congress to hold the line on spending," Bush said.link to GOPork

Uh huh. Sure you are, George. This coming from a *cough* fiscal conservative *cough* that has never met a spending bill he didn't like. 3 years in office 0 vetoes on ANY bills arriving at his desk. Zero, none, nada, zip. You tell me which party is fiscally responsible.. :)