Pubdate: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 Source: Northwest Florida Daily News (FL) Copyright: 2000 Northwest Florida Daily News Contact: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/ Bookmark: MAP's link to Florida articles is: http://www.mapinc.org/states/fl FLIMFLAM IN D.C. Somebody should tell Republicans in Congress that the Constitution puts them, not President Clinton, in charge of spending taxpayers' money. Last Monday, the Republican-run House voted against a monetary flimflam that let other agencies slip $12 million to the Justice Department to fund lawsuits against tobacco companies. But on Thursday, the House reversed itself and OK'd the shift in funds. Where in the Constitution is such a lawsuit allowed, especially against a legal industry selling a legal product? In an even nuttier vote, on Thursday the GOP-run Senate passed legislation, which the House passed earlier and which was sought by President Clinton, sending $1.3 billion in military aid to the government of Colombia, supposedly to fight drug-running guerrillas. But the country already is so awash in drugs and weapons that the main result will be a lot more dead people in a country long torn by civil strife. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst