American Notes THE SENATE

"The S in FSX stands for sucker," jeered Alan Dixon of Illinois. Decrying Japan's conquest of "industry after industry," West Virginia's Robert Byrd said, "We have to send a message to our own wimpy diplomats that we're not going to take it lying down anymore." Despite such rhetoric in last week's floor debate, the Senate approved the joint U.S.-Japan FSX jet-fighter project, provided the President agrees to an accompanying resolution that would clip its wings slightly. The Byrd amendment requires that U.S.-based General Dynamics get 40% of the estimated $6 billion project, the portion that includes confidential American jet-engine technology, while Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries would get the rest.

Bush thinks such caveats are unnecessary and could still scuttle the program. Republicans are calling the Byrd resolution a "sour-grape amendment" from those Democrats who lost the vote to kill the whole deal. But the Senate vote, 72 to 27, provided a large enough margin to override a veto. Whether the plane ever takes off or not, the Japan-bashing rhetoric remains in full flight.