Watch this brief video. You'll learn a little something about how laws get made! Because this may be the stupidest way possible to score political points: Borrow someone else's amendment, cross their name off, write your own on top. And it worked!

The background you need: The Senate is debating Defense appropriations. Senator Dick Durbin drafted an amendment calling for money for vets with brain injuries.

Senator George "Macaca" Allen asked to speak before him, and introduced an identical amendment. Word-for-word (almost).

Our favorite bit: Ted Kennedy asks, "how is this different from the Durbin amendment?" Stevens points out the important distinction between the words "will" and "shall." Allen adds: "I didn't consider that a major difference, however, the point is, it's nineteen million dollars and it shall be appropriated."

Then Stevens gets excited and asks to cosponsor!

Today, we received an email blast from Allen's office. It was headlined Allen-Durbin Amendment Passes Providing More Funding to Treat Soldiers Suffering Brain Trauma. Everyone wins! And the Webb campaign gets all pissy but no one notices.

George Allen Steals Durbin Amendment - Calls It His Own [Webb for Senate]