A note from a reader ...

There are $1.8 trilliion <$NoAd$> in U.S. Treasury securities in the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund. It is imperative that the Democrats ask Bush whether he intends to honor that obligations and force him to make a public proclamation of his steadfast commitment to do so. The Democrats must take the lead in committing themselves to honor those obligations.

The Social Security Trust Fund is in fine shape with that $1.8 trillion dollar surplus.

It's the taxpayers obligation to the Trust Fund, (and the rest of the accumulated national debt that is the problem).

The Federal government should be paying down debt (not running $412 billion deficits) so it will have the borrowing capacity to pay off the obligations to the Trust Fund.

PRN

Not a bad idea. And the point the reader makes in the last graf is something everyone who is sane and can use a calculator should agree with. Come to think of it, that's what we were doing before George W. Bush became president ...