Instead of Democrats claiming they are being run over by a legislative steamroller, now Republicans are the ones making that argument, while Democrats suddenly are aghast at the thought that they are doing anything to squelch the minority.

That was the backdrop as the House started work on the first spending bill for the next fiscal year, as Republicans were out on the floor denouncing limits by Democrats on amendments to a $64 billion dollar measure for Commerce, Justice and Science programs.

"It's a troubling pattern which undermines deliberative democracy," said Rep. David Dreier, the top Republican on the House Rules Committee.

Back when the GOP ruled the roost, it was Dreier on the floor defending limits on amendments by requiring them to be preprinted in the Congressional Record.

Now it was Democrats - who used to rail against such limits - who were criticizing the GOP for offering "too many" amendments.

"Screw the minority until you become the minority," observed my wife, who has also watched both parties switch their arguments based on their majority or minority status.

Usually on spending bills like this one, the floor is open to any relevant amendment. But late on Wednesday night, Democrats decided to flex their muscles, and limit any changes to just 23 of the well over 100 amendments that were filed in the Congressional Record.

I would bet that the response from the GOP today will be to cause all kinds of procedural troubles to protest that move, which short circuits debate on a number of fronts.

As for some of those amendments that won't be allowed, were some serious ones, while others were intended to spark a more rhetorical battle, like one from Rep. Tom Price of Georgia.

"Page 78, line 17, after the second dollar amount, insert (reduced by $1.)"

In other words, it would cut $1 from the bill.

Another one that was scotched would have prohibited money in the bill to "be used for a project or program named for an individual then serving as a Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, or Senator of the United States Congress."

That bans what are known as "Monuments To Me."

Made in order were some GOP offerings that would cut the size of this first spending bill, but those have little chance of succeeding..

Among the other items left out:

"None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to adjudicate or assist in a lawsuit about the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman," was an amendment from Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN.)

"None of the funds made available by this Act may be used by the Woodstock Film Festival, Woodstock, NY, for the Woodstock Film Festival Youth Initiative/Youth at Risk," from Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) now is on the sidelines.

"None of the funds provided in this Act under the heading ``Department of Justice--General Administration--National Drug Intelligence Center'' shall be available for operations of the National Drug Intelligence Center," would go after a pet project of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) but that also was not made in order.

Also not allowed, an amendment taking aim at the Obama Administration.

"None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to pay the salary of any individual currently participating on the entity known as the ``Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry."

The Democrats did allow one debate on detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay:

"None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to implement Executive Order 13492, issued January 22, 2009, titled Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities," reads the amendment, which seems certain to be approved.

The award for most inventive amendment may go to Rep. Steve King of Iowa, one of many Republicans who have been on the tail of the community organizing known as ACORN.

Critics of ACORN constantly allege that the group is getting money in various spending bills, but when you dig deep, there is no direct appropriation for ACORN.

So what King has decided to do is to go after dozens of groups that are affiliated with ACORN, and get financial help from the national organization.

"None of the funds made available by this Act shall be made available to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Acorn Beneficial Assoc., Inc., Arkansas Broadcast Foundation, Inc., Acorn Children's Beneficial Assoc., Arkansas Community Housing Corp., Acorn Community Land Assoc., Inc., Acorn Community Land Assoc. of Illinois, Acorn Community Land Association of Louisiana, Acorn Community Land Assoc. of Pennsylvania, ACORN COMMUNITY LABOR ORGANIZING CENTER, ACORN Beverly LLC, ACORN Canada, ACORN Center for Housing, ACORN Housing Affordable Loans LLC, Acorn Housing 1 Associates, LP, Acorn Housing 2 Associates, LP, ACORN Housing 3 Associates LP, ACORN Housing 4 Associates, L.P., ACORN International, ACORN VOTES, Acorn 2004 Housing Development Fund Corporation, ACRMW, ACSI, Acorn Cultural Trust, Inc., American Environmental Justice Project, Inc., ACORN Fund, Inc., Acorn Fair Housing Organization, Inc., Acorn Foster Parents, Inc., Agape Broadcast Foundation Inc., Acorn Housing Corporation, Arkansas Acorn Housing Corporation, Acorn Housing Corp. of Arizona, Acorn Housing Corp. of Illinois, Acorn Housing Corp. of Missouri, New Jersey ACORN Housing Corporation, Inc., AHCNY, Acorn Housing Corp. of Pennsylvania, Texas ACORN Housing Corporation, Inc., American Institute for Social Justice, Acorn law for Education, Rep. & Training, Acorn Law Reform Pac, Affiliated Media Foundation Movement, Albuquerque Minimum Wage Committee, Acorn National Broadcasting Network, Arkansas New Party, Arkansas Acorn Political Action Committee, Association for Rights of Citizens, Acorn Services, Inc., Acorn Television in Action for Communities, Acorn Tenants' Union, Inc., Acorn Tenant Union Training & Org. Project, AWA, Baltimore Organizing Support Center, Inc., Bronx Parent Leadership, Baton Rouge ACORN Education Project, Inc., Baton Rouge Assoc. of School Employees, Broad Street Corporation, California Acorn Political Action Committee, Citizens Action Research project, Council Beneficial Association, Citizens Campaign for Fair Work, Living Wage Etc., Citizens Consulting, Inc., California Community Network, Citizens for April Troope, Clean Government Pact, Chicago Organizing and Support Center, Inc., Council Health Plan, Citizens Services Society, Campaign For Justice at Avondale, CLOC, Community and Labor for Baltimore, Chief Organizer Fund, Colorado Organizing and Support Center, Community Real Estate Processing, Inc., Campaign to Reward Work, Citizens Services Incorporated, Elysian Fields Corporation, Environmental Justice Training Project, Inc., Franklin Acorn Housing Corporation, Flagstaff Broadcast Foundation, Floridians for All PAC, Fifteenth Street Corporation, Friends of Wendy Foy, Greenwell Springs Corporations, Genevieve Stewart Campaign Fund, Hammurabi Fund, Houston Organizing Support Center, Hospitality Hotel and Restaurant Org. Council, Iowa ACORN Broadcasting Corp., Illinois Home Day Care Workers Association, Inc., Illinois Acorn Political Action Committee, Illinois New Party, Illinois New Party Political Committee, Institute for Worker Education, Inc., Jefferson Association of parish Employees, Jefferson Association of School Employees, Johnnie Pugh Campaign Fund, Louisiana ACORN Political Action Committee, Louisiana Acorn Fair Housing, Inc., Labor Neighbor Research & Training Center, Inc. Service Employee Int. UNION L100, Local 100 Health and Welfare Fund, Local 100 Political Action Committee, Local 100 Retirement Plan, Service Employees International Union L880, Local 880 SEIU Political Action Committee, Local 880 SEIU Power Political Action Committee, Massachusetts ACORN Political Action Committee, Maryland ACORN Political Action Committee, Mott Haven ACORN Housing Development Fund, Mutual Housing Association of New York, Inc., MHANY A/A/F Neighborhood Restore HDFC, MHANY 2003 HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND CORPORATION, Missouri Home Day Care Workers Association Inc., McClellan Multi Family Corporation, Minnesota ACORN Political Action Committee, Neighbors for Athelia Ray, Neighbors for Maria Torres, Neighbors for Ted Thomas, New Mexico ACORN Fair Housing, Inc., New Mexico ACORN Political Action Committee, New Mexico Organizing Support Center, New Orleans Campaign for a, New York Agency for Community Affairs, Inc., New York Acorn Political Action Committee, New York Organizing and Support Center, Oregon ACORN Political Action Committee, Pennsylvania ACORN Political Action Committee, Pugh Election Committee, People's Equipment Resource Corporation, Progressive Houston, Pennsylvania Institute for Community Affairs, Inc., Phoenix Organizing and Support Center, Inc., Progressive St. Louis, Referendum Committee for an Accountable Future, Rhode Island APAC, Sixth Avenue Corporation, San Jacinto Street Corp., St. Louis Organizing and Support Center, Inc., St. Louis Tax Reform Group, Inc., Service Workers Action Team, Texas United City-County Employees, Texas United School Employees, Inc., United Security Workers for America, Local, Volunteers for America, Inc., Voting for America, Inc., Washington ACORN Political Action Committee, WARN, Working Families Association, Inc., Wal-Mart Workers Association, 385 Palmetto or 650 Political Action Committee."

Even if it didn't make the cut, he gets points for using his imagination.

So the first appropriations bill gets off to a rough start in the House. It's probably a sign of things to come this summer.