The New York Times > Washington > Senate Budget Shows Signs of G.O.P. Strain With Bush: "WASHINGTON, March 18 - In its last-minute flurry of votes before approving a budget Thursday night, the Senate added $5.4 billion in education spending for 2006 - just one more sign, members of both parties said on Friday, that President Bush could not get all he wanted on Capitol Hill despite the strengthened Republican majority.

Mr. Bush had sought to impose strict spending restraints on lawmakers, and the weeklong budget debate was a test of his strength on Capitol Hill. The $2.57 trillion Senate budget resolution, which differs sharply from the budget passed by the House, gave Mr. Bush much of what he asked for: tax cut extensions, a provision allowing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, cuts in farm subsidies and reductions in the growth of some entitlement programs.

But on some key votes, enough Senate Republicans joined Democrats to defy the president."

(Via NY Times.)