E tu Barack? E tu?

Besides claiming that he is a "New Democrat," Obama is proving a disapointment to the Progressive Majority by issuing a signing statement following his endorsement of the Omnibus spending bill.

He ... issued a "signing statement" in which he objected to provisions of the bill that he said the Justice Department had advised "raise constitutional concerns." Among them are provisions that Obama said would "unduly interfere" with his authority in the foreign affairs arena by directing him how to proceed, or not to, in negotiations and discussions with international organizations and foreign governments.

Although to his (very minor) credit, he did issue the following statement statement

"There is no doubt that the practice of issuing such statements can be abused," Obama wrote Monday in a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies. "Constitutional signing statements should not be used to suggest that the president will disregard statutory requirements on the basis of policy disagreements."

It's all well and good until someone shreds the Constitution (are you listening, Mr. Bush?). Mr. President, I beg you to heed the Bard

Lear:
No, I will weep no more. In such a night
To shut me out? Pour on; I will endure.
In such a night as this? O Regan, Goneril!
Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all—
O, that way madness lies; let me shun that; No more of that.

Madness indeed.