We all know about the ways in which the White House has decided to trim "fat" out of the federal budget. Rather than reigning in some of their massive tax cuts -- perish the thought! -- they would rather penny pinch on programs like student loans, healthcare for veterans, and Social Security benefits for teenagers who've lost parents. It would be funny if it wasn't so deadly serious for the people being targeted. Continuing along on the pattern of shaking change out of veterans' pockets, the latest is that the Bush administration wants to tighten up the regulations on "Cold War-era nuclear workers who developed cancer from radiation exposure."

The document, obtained by The Associated Press, was written by White House budget officials and sent to the Labor Department.

It commends Labor officials for "identifying the potential for a large expansion" of a program aimed at compensating thousands of nuclear workers. Then, it states that the White House will lead an interagency working group to develop ways "to contain growth in the costs of benefits" the program provides.

The working group will discuss whether "administration clearance" should be required before groups of workers are deemed eligible for compensation, the document said.

As if these people haven't given enough of themselves to their country, now their compensation is going to be more heavily scrutinized? This is outrageous. There are certainly areas in the federal budget where waste can be eliminated. That's something I strongly support. But I cannot accept the very Republican idea that every single program that benefits those most in need, programs whose very budgets don't even begin to make a dent in the overall federal outlay, should be the first on the chopping block. Completely ignored is the waste, fraud, and abuse present in the contracting for Iraqi reconstruction or Katrina relief.

The Bush administration and Republicans in general will never get serious about combating serious government waste. The reason for this is simple. Real governmental waste, the type that actually cuts into the federal budget, is protected by armies of well-paid lobbyists whose job it is to suck up federal pork for their fat cat employers. Meanwhile, veterans who contracted cancer while working on this nation's nuclear program are targeted because they can't afford sufficient Washington representation. It's just so crass.