Families are still huddled near the bridge but already Congressional Democrats are blasting the Bush Administration for failing to spend enough money on infrastructure. This is as indecent as it is stupid.

One briefing today declared there are 77,000 bridges in the same classification as the 35W. The problem is obviously the inspection process, not the expenditure --an inability to focus on and find those structures close to catastrophic collapse. The bridge was in fact undergoing a $9 million maintenance program, with many workers on the span when disaster struck. Would $9 million have been enough to repair whatever flaw it was that brought the bridge down? No one can know, but there certainly was enough money allocated to the 35W to at least inspect t it adequately, which clearly was not done. There isn't a whisper of an argument that increased spending would have prevented this tragedy, and those making this argument even before bodies are recovered are acting in a shameful manner to exploit an awful human tragedy.