The government is behaving more and more like a distressed borrower. My big concern is that within a few years neither the Republicans nor the Democrats will run the country. The debt will run the country. If you don’t think that’s possible, look at what is already happening in California. And witness the difficulties Congress is having now trying to do something everyone wants to do — prevent Medicare payments to doctors from being slashed so low that they won’t be able to take Medicare patients. The problem is that the Congress borrowed so much money earlier this year — 4 trillion dollars in six months — but, incredibly, didn’t spend it on their own priorities. Now, they can’t find a way to pay for things everyone wants to do. What legitimate philosophy of government, liberal or conservative, was served by burning the credit reserve of the country without even funding the urgent obligations that everyone knew would be coming due?”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/health/policy/22health.html