Cass - you are so quick to tell others to "look it up" why don't you "look it up"??? You claim you did, but your sources must have been wrong. Here is a chart of which party controlled Congress and which party controlled the White House for every year since 1945. As you can see the Democrat's had control of Congress in 1945-46, 1949-52, 1955-80, 1987-94, and 2007-present. That is 44 of the last 64 years.But you are right - they haven't controlled Congress for 50 years - that is if you don't include any years before 1945. As for Government spending - the President submits a budget to the Congress; it is the job of Congress to pass the budget. Congress approves ALL spending and with no line item veto the President cannot take the "pork" out of the budget. So, if the Democratically controlled Congress didn't like what was going on in Iraq or anything else, they didn't have to include the money in the budget.

Year Congress President Senate (100) House (435)

2009 111th D D - 55*** D - 256

2007 110th R D - 51** D - 233

2005 109th R R - 55 R - 232

2003 108th R R - 51 R - 229

2001 107th R D* R - 221

1999 106th D R - 55 R - 223

1997 105th D R - 55 R - 228

1995 104th D R - 52 R - 230

1993 103rd D D - 57 D - 258

1991 102nd R D - 56 D - 267

1989 101st R D - 55 D - 260

1987 100th R D - 55 D - 258

1985 99th R R - 53 D - 253

1983 98th R R - 54 D - 269

1981 97th R R - 53 D - 242

1979 96th D D - 58 D - 277

1977 95th D D - 61 D - 292

1975 94th R D - 60 D -291

1973 93rd R D - 56 D - 242

1971 92nd R D - 54 D - 255

1969 91st R D - 57 D - 243

1967 90th D D - 64 D - 247

1965 89th D D - 68 D - 295

1963 88th D D - 66 D - 259

1961 87th D D - 64 D - 263

1959 86th R D - 65 D -283

1957 85th R D - 49 D - 232

1955 84th R D - 48 D - 232

1953 83rd R R - 48 D - 221

1951 82nd D D - 49 D - 235

1949 81st D D - 54 D - 263

1947 80th D R - 51 R - 246

1945 79th D D - 57 D - 242

Yellow years mark Presidential inauguration.

Sources: Senate, House, Janda

* There were 50 Ds and 50 Rs until May 24, 2001, when Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT) switched to Independent status, effective June 6, 2001; he announced that he would caucus with the Democrats, giving the Democrats a one-seat advantage.

** Independent Sen. Bernard Sanders (VT) gives the Democrats a one-seat majority.

** Two Independents and two vacancies (IL and MN)