Byrd ready to battle Bush's budget: ; Senate 'flying blind' as talks set to start, Democrat says

DAILY MAIL WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - If President George Bush is the new sheriff in town,the Senate this week will be the first big test of his style of lawand order. Lawmakers will spend the week debating Bush's budgetproposal, their first crack at officially taking a stance on the newpresident's fiscal and programmatic priorities, most notably a 10-year, $1.6 trillion tax cut.

Bush faces a feisty foe in 42-year veteran Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., who plans to use his knowledge of Senate rules and proceduresto trip up Bush's bill, which slid through the House on a party linevote, leaving Democrats there only to yelp in opposition.

Byrd and other Democrats …