[Texas_Dawg]

Since the costs of the largest new entitlement since LBJ are not yet being incurred, I am not paying more money. Yet. However, spending is only funded through taxes or deficits. Either way, they get my money by reducing my paycheck or inflating the currency reducing the value of my assets. There is no government spending program that I do not pay for. So, this entitlement is precisely "more money...from your paycheck for this hike."

Do you hate Ronald Reagan too? His deficits were going to destroy us all as well, remember.

With massive new entitlements like this for me to fund, I will have to work several additional years before retiring. That theft of my life is not acceptable. Ever.

Huh? Sorry, this is not true.

What I like about the program is that it was a smart political move to keep GWB in office and continue to move the political spectrum to the right (as it has in the past 2 decades). Once things are more conservative, the spending can be cut (as it was with a Democrat President having to pass welfare reform after years of Democrats hating this idea).

[hedgie]

I would cite the recent polling results in NY, NY, CA as good news for GWB. All three states have him polling around 50-52% approval. Considering that he is around 50-54% nationwide this is a sign that his support is becoming more evenly distributed geographically .

It puts the "Blue States" in play and from an electoral college standpoint it is better to be at 49% nationwide than 90% in half the states and 12% in the other half (Al Gore's problem).