From a reader:

Jonah,
In three years of battles with my wife over the Bush presidency she has
never said a single positive thing about him — until this morning.
Today she looked up brightly from the computer and said Bush is going to raise NEA funding.
My own reaction was “what a complete waste.” But in retrospect I think it’s a brilliant move. For a lousy $20 million he’s found a way to break through to women voters. He’ll never get my wife’s vote.
But he has cracked the animosity against him and that could pay big time returns down the road, especially with women closer to the center.
And even if the Democrats turn his flank and try to outbid the funding proposal, it’ll still be a hell of a lot cheaper than more environmental laws or those silly Amtrak subsidies.