Apologies to Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon an evening dreary, Congress pondered, bleak and bleary
O'er many a quaint and curious precept of forgotten law
While some nodded, nearly napping, others made a fuss of capping
Made a crazy fuss of capping, capping off the budget for
Reconstruction in Iraq, the aftermath of Bush's war
Such a thing not done before

Ah, when they began this farce, it was in the month of March
And the nuclear weapon search had swept support across the board
Eagerly they pushed the morrow - vainly now they seek to borrow
In face of Iraqis' sorrow, 87 billion more
87 billion for the ending of Sir Bush's war
Nameless here forevermore

As the warhawks did grow stronger; hesitating then no longer
"People," cried they, "Your permission for this we shall ask no more!
But instead while you are napping, quietly we shall be trapping
Saddam Hussein we shall be trapping, trapping Ba'athist rebels, sure
that you scarce shall see what happened - by the time we win the war
A couple weeks, 'twill take, no more!"

Though the protests were beguiling, they continued, only smiling
Faced the consequence they must have known would come before
Fighting this war unashamêd, oil it was, that they cravêd
Thought, perhaps, it could be savêd, for Halliburton and more
Though once begun, it seemed to them little but a dreary chore,
The citizens cried: "End the war!"

Yet, unheeding, they continued, flexing quick their steely sinews
Admitting that perhaps they might - perhaps they'd need a little more
Hopefully they push the bill, chancing that their Congress still
supports them, hoping that it will grant 87 billion more
Just a paltry sum they ask for - 87 billion more
Only this, and nothing more

And if Congress, now upstarting, gives them that, then they, departing
Shall be strong enough to once again UN ignore
They shall continue on undaunted, till Syria, Iran lay haunted
North Korea disenchanted - if that could be said before
And the world from out the shadow that lies waiting at its shore
Shall be lifted - Nevermore!