Even if they weren't such clever accountants, they would still be shielded from the worst of any recession. The federal government's assistance to the states has always increased in times of greater need. At least up until now. As you're watching this debate unfold, I want you to keep a few more things in perspective. Over the past four years, we've made great progress toward a balanced budget.
Economists have an even better measure of our progress.
They like to compare the size of our deficit to the size of our economy. It's bad enough that Republicans in Congress refused to give the president a single one of their votes when he set this country on this path to deficit reduction four years ago. Let's not let them make things truly tragic. Let's encourage Democrats to defeat the balanced budget amendment once and for all. Thrash it out in Table Talk.