The President's 2006 budget calls for major increases in fees for airline travelers and crass old New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg won't stand for it. The AP's Lara Jakes Jordan reports:

A Senate Democrat blasted the Bush administration Wednesday over plans to raise ticket fees for airline passengers — a budget proposal that would pay for a host of homeland security programs.

The proposed White House budget, released earlier this week, would raise existing ticket fees by $3 to help finance a $2.2 billion increase in the fiscal 2006 budget of the Department of Homeland Security.

"I am one of the strongest advocates for more transportation security resources in Congress," Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., wrote in a letter dated Wednesday to President Bush. "But we cannot balance the budget on the backs of the traveling public and small business people."

"You campaigned on a message of fear that your opponent would raise taxes upon taking office," added Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "However, it turns out that the first act of your new term includes a proposal to raise taxes on millions of American families."

Launtenberg has done a magnificent job since returning to the Senate two years ago. A three-term Senator, Lautenberg had retired in 2000 after frequently clashing with junior Senator Bob Torricelli (also a Democrat). When Torricelli found himself in trouble in 2002, Lautenberg jumped in the race and was elected for a fourth term.

The 81 year old Senator, not thinking about reelection, has been willing to hit the administration when others have not. He famously called Dick Cheney a "chickenhawk" on the Senate floor. Kudos to Lautenberg for standing up to the administration again on this measure that would bilk airline travelers.