Des Moines Register

President Bush's 2008 budget proposal to Congress seeks to squeeze domestic spending while increasing funding for the Iraq war.

It would cut payments to doctors serving elderly patients, but seeks $400 million to replace two aircraft lost in Iraq . It skimps on the Environmental Protection Agency, while requesting more than $100 billion for research and development of weapons. If his request for spending in Iraq is granted, it would bring the total spent on the war to $500 billion - 10 times the total discretionary budget for the U.S. Department of Education.

This is a defense-friendly, domestic-unfriendly budget that reflects the priorities of an unpopular president.

Now it's Congress' turn to pass a budget that reflects the priorities of the American people.

Remember the American people? The ones members of Congress were elected to represent? The ones who tell pollsters they want out of Iraq . The ones who say health care and education are among their top priorities.

A president can ask Congress for whatever he wants - no matter how unrealistic or unreasonable.

Congress doesn't have to go along. In this case, it shouldn't.