White House ridicules Dems on farm bill snafu

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino on Thursday ridiculed House Democrats after a clerical error threw a wrench in their plans to override President Bush’s veto of the farm bill.

{mosads}“It shows that they can even screw up spending the taxpayers’ money unwisely,” Perino quipped to reporters aboard Air Force One.

A portion of the bill had been omitted from the version of the legislation that had been sent to Bush’s desk, where it was vetoed.

The error had Democrats scrambling and put the pre-Memorial Day schedule in a shambles.

As the House got set to override the veto, Republicans pointed out that the version of the bill the president objected to was not the same as the one passed in Congress.

Democrats now plan to pass the same farm bill today with a new bill number.

“I understand there’s a technical error and we’ll have to see what the Congress decides to do, but maybe it gives them one more chance to take a look and think about how much they’re asking the taxpayers to spend at a time of record farm income,” Perino said.

The White House objects to subsidies in the legislation and said it lacks needed reforms.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) office was quick to return fire.

“Veto proof majorities in both the House and Senate are committed to seeing this farm bill that focuses on nutrition, conservation and energy independence enacted into law as quickly as possible,” said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill. “Partisan sniping won't solve this clerical error that even the White House failed to catch.”

He noted that the president in his veto message referred to the omitted part of the bill.