Bush tries to bury another flip flop in Columbia River

The flip-floppery continues:

Standing before enormous shipping cranes, Bush announced the administration will request funds to begin deepening 104 miles of the Columbia River channel from the Pacific Ocean to Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash.

"What I'm telling you is we're committed to keeping the Columbia River open for navigation and trade, and we're committed to keeping America's great ports open for business," he said.

Bush's announcement marked an election-year policy exception for his administration — a textbook example of the prerogatives of power. Since he took office, the White House budget office has opposed new projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not required by environmental laws.

Bush's announcement had implications beyond his own race.

Sen. Patty Murray (news, bio, voting record), D-Wash., was present for the announcement — and the White House also invited her rival for the Senate seat, Republican Rep. George Nethercutt (news, bio, voting record).

Murray's office released a letter she wrote Bush earlier this week noting her own efforts to secure funding for the project. "... Unfortunately, you have failed to step forward and support it. For two years running you requested zero dollars for channel deepening ...," she wrote.