Republicans, and in particular the Tea Party crowd, like to beat their chests about the deficit. Well, what single issue is largely responsible for our national debt, both now and the future? Health care costs. And what is the first step to getting our hands around this problem? Passing health care reform. Imagine how much more effective this bill could be if nearly one half of the political spectrum spent all its energy lying about the bill.
We've literally never had a deficit problem this large before. And it's not the fault of the stimulus or the bailout — both of which were short-term costs that account for about 3 or 4 percent of the long-term deficit — or even any particular policy. It's mainly health-care costs — in the private and public sectors — with an assist from demographic changes. But however you slice it, it's going to require some really tough decisions from a Congress that shows no capacity for making such tough decisions. Inaction isn't an option unless you're comfortable with crisis being the outcome. Link
