Thanks, but . . .

That's the most Kentuckians should manage for Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has moved, as only he can, to box in the Defense Department on destruction of aging chemical weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

He has closed the door on this issue -- locked it, boarded it and posted "Do Not Enter" signs. He wants the chemicals eliminated safely, on site and on schedule, not hauled somewhere else.

He says that his changes in a supplemental spending bill will keep current plans for handling these dangerous materials on track, and that folks over in Madison County should feel confident. The good news is that he doesn't make idle predictions about legislation. He has the power to get what he wants in such a situation.

There is, of course, a bigger question here: Why should the Pentagon have such money problems that it would be looking for less costly, but perhaps riskier, ways to deal with the old chemical weapons in Pueblo, Colo., or at Blue Grass?

Yes, there's a war on -- in fact, two: a war on terror and a war in Iraq, which are hugely expensive. But the federal budget could handle those burdens -- without the pressure that Defense and other agencies now face to cut or delay spending -- were it not for (a) huge Republican tax cuts that mean billions more for the already-rich, and (b) endless earmarks, pork projects and other profligacies that the Republican-run Congress refuses to abjure.

If there's not enough money to keep the chemical weapons disposal on schedule at Blue Grass Army Depot, it's because Sen. McConnell, who is after all the majority whip, and his colleagues in GOP congressional leadership have squandered it, on benefits for well-heeled supporters and on spending to help ensure re-election.

Sen. McConnell and his party are in charge in Washington. On their watch, a federal budget that was in the black now is drowning in red ink. Recently, the Senate that Mr. McConnell helps lead voted to nearly double the value of tax cuts over the next five years, effectively gutting GOP deficit reduction efforts. And the House wants to save money by spending about $20 billion less on Medicaid, which helps children and the poor.

Financial pressures on the Pentagon are only one part of a budget crisis that was predictable, when a GOP Congress and a Republican president decided to (a) fight two wars without asking the American people for financial sacrifice, and (b) ensure their political future with out-of-control spending.

Thanks, but . . .