Waste, Lather, Repeat

Can somebody please explain to me why the Obama administration and Congress want to spend 13 billion dollars on "high-speed" railroads? I mean, come on, railroads haven't been profitable in years. And even with this supposedly faster version (which is only really slightly faster, by the way), transportation via the rails will still be significantly slower than air travel...............................................................I don't know, folks, wouldn't it be better to take that money and use it to fix bridges and tunnels that are presently under code (necessary infrastructure spending, in other words)? This, I'm saying, as opposed to picking winners and losers subjectively. I mean, think about it. If high-speed railroads were in fact a good investment, the private sector would have already taken clear advantage of that opportunity. And it hasn't..................................................................P.S. My conservative friends would probably suggest that the 13 billion be used to pay down the debt/reduce the deficit. I'm not necessarily opposed to that, either.....................................................................P.S. #2 By conservatives, I mean, honest conservatives - not people like Dick Cheney. Isn't he on the record as saying that deficits don't matter? I think he is.