What we have now proved over the years with a Democrat Congress and Democrat Congress, then a mix, then a Republican Congress and Republican Prez, is that ALL of them will spend every damn penny and then some. Too bad the simple little word VETO does not enter the Prez brain more ofte when spending bills cross his desk. Unfortunately, the last Republican prez [Bush I] who stood up to this was vilified in the press because it < gasp > closed gov't offices for a few days and upset tourists who could not get into the beltway museums. So I am not holding my breath for that to ever happen again.

>Now I think we can agree. Wouldn't anyone with a lick of common sense take a short term windfall and double up on a car/mortgage/credit card payment? Not our boys in Washington, whatever side of the fence. Once again, say no to incumbents.
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>>Sorry, but paying off interest is not paying of the debt [at least the principal] especially when the overall debt including interest continued and still continues to rise. That just means we could not pay the entire amount of interest that year. Your credit card company does not see it that way either. Geeze Visa, I had a $25 surplus this month so I used it to toward my balance of $3000. Never mind the interest on that alone is probably $45 a month if you're lucky. Only in the Beltway does paying part of the interest on the debt while the overall debt continues to rise mean "paying down the debt". Just like reductions in spending increases means "draconian budget cuts" when it is a Liberal pork project.
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>>Don't get me wrong, Bush II has missed a golden opportunity to use the Republican Congress to reduce spending regardless of the remifications of 9/11. I am very disappointed in him for that.
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