It is our money. But, as Bill Clinton reminded everyone as he tried to woo Ross Perot voters in 1992, it is our debt, too. In our daily lives, fiscal responsibility means that we pay our bills on time. Now we hear good conservatives arguing that it is moral to return that money to taxpayers, while the debt festers a while longer. Clinton moved his party to the political center on economic issues.
Democrats have little reason to abandon that winning position now.
The election of fund-raising wizard Terry McAuliffe to head the Democratic National Committee indicates that national Democratic leaders think they have the right message already. They only need, in their view, to raise enough money to get that message out. It is also personal. Clarence Page is a columnist with the Chicago Tribune. His column is syndicated by Tribune Media.