This is a five paragraph story,
http://www.rawstory.com/... but it's a wonderful proof of Republicon's contempt for even their base.
The key paragraph:
... [S]hortly before recessing late Friday, the House and Senate gave the Bush administration leeway to distribute the money [budgeted for the fence] to a combination of projects -- not just the physical barrier along the southern border. The funds may also be spent on roads, technology and "tactical infrastructure" to support the Department of Homeland Security's preferred option of a "virtual fence."
This quote above come from a Washington Post item. That article runs a lot more than 5 paragraphs, and includes
The loopholes leave the Bush administration with authority to decide where, when and how long a fence will be built, except for small stretches east of San Diego and in western Arizona. Homeland Security officials have proposed a fence half as long, lawmakers said.
"It's one thing to authorize. It's another thing to actually appropriate the money and do it," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.). The fine-print distinction between what Congress says it will do and what it actually pays for is a time-honored result of the checks and balances between lawmakers who oversee agencies and those who hold their purse strings.
In this case, it also reflects political calculations by GOP strategists that voters do not mind the details, and that key players -- including the administration, local leaders and the Mexican government -- oppose a fence-only approach, analysts said.
I'm sure their supporters will approve of being duped. BushCo has no doubts. Maybe the Democrats will pull an ad to ask them?
[PS, while reading the WaPo article, I remember that Hømeländ Security was first approved by the "Democrat" Joe Lieberman. Hmmm.]