[Miss Marple]

Well, gee, I went to bed early last night and missed all the fireworks. Darn.

Here is my take on this, for what it's worth:

Perhaps President and Mrs. Bush think that perhaps Shakespeare and symphonies for small towns and rural areas would offer a contrast to the MTV culture and would elevate the aspirations of kids in those areas. Perhaps they feel that this nation's commercial entertainment industry is destroying the public's appreciation of the great inheritance we all share in the arts of Western Civilization.

And just maybe they are doing this because it seems to them to be the right thing to do.

They can make up this money by cutting some other program, and probably will. Since the budget is essentially flat in all non-defense and security areas, I imagine that is what is was done.

[Texasforever]

OR, maybe it is a nefarious plot to finally send the uber-conservatives into complete and utter tongue swallowing seizures.

[anniegetyourgun]

Regardless of whether or not it is a budgetary wash, there is a principle here. They need to hear from supporters.

President@whitehouse.gov

[NittanyLion]

Since the budget is essentially flat in all non-defense and security areas, I imagine that is what is was done.

LOL! What numbers are YOU looking at? Apparently not the same as the rest of us...