of this is we've lost the american way and if we don't find it soon if we don't replay what alexander hamilton and george washington gave us at the birth of our nation that nurtured us into an economic superpower then one day we're all going to wake up and realize at the age of the of america as a first world nation is over is that what we want to bequeath to future generations let's let allentown metal work serve as an example a rallying cry to bring back the american way before it's too late the fate of our nation thanks in the balance. that's the big picture for tonight for this week for more information on the stories we covered visit our web site at samarra and free speech dot org and archie dot com also check out our two you tube channels there are links of thom hartmann dot com and this entire shows available as a free video podcast on i tunes and we have a free tell martin i phone and i pad app and the app store you can so this feedback and twitter and tom underscore apartment on facebook or tom underscore are among our blogs message boards and telephone on that line and thom hartmann

pinckney was also good friends with that chief federalist, with alexander hamilton. and this is 1802, the federalists have, um, have been run out of office. this is the end of 1802. jefferson is soon to be president, and hamilton writes to pinckney, pinckney's got a big plantation down here. and says, my dear sir: regarding, as you know, as a disappointed politician, this is hamilton saying he's going to retire from public life which, of course, he didn't do. but he's asking pinckney to send him seeds. he had just bought a new plantation house of his own in new york. he was going to plant a garden, set up shop and forget about politics. we all know how alexander hamilton wound up, maybe he would have been better if he'd just retired to his garden. a few other things from the collection, let's see, there's, um, john craigton's view of carolina. we've got a lot of things from the early colonies that are of national importance, but it is a charleston institution, it's a south carolina institution, so there are some great documents. this is the original manuscript copy,

presidential papers, george washington, thomas jefferson, james madison, and james monroe, as well as alexander hamiltonjamin franklin, that had been collected. they were being preserved by the state department. >> there are the core of the modern manuscript division. >> amazing buildings have been billed for most the 20th-century presidents. but prior to that, the pride -- the library of congress is the largest presidential library, having in its custody 23 presidents. >> the papers range from george washington through calvin coolidge. washington papers include his diary, pocket-sized, but there are other diaries as well. christ when he became president he went on a tour of it -- >> when he became president he went on a tour of countries. he noticed that in the places he traveled the roles were not in good condition and the places to stay were not up to his standards. and he said something like these houses are just, you know, the entertainment is subpar. some 18th-century way of saying that. but the reason he gave is interesting. he said, the people who travel along the roads are moving from one place

george washington, thomas jefferson, james madison and james monroe, as well as some papers of alexander hamilton benjamin franklin that had been collected and were basically being preserved by the state department. >> those papers of early presidents are the core of today's manuscript division. >> i think people don't realize that, they hear about the presidential library system, amazing buildings built for mostly 20th century presidents. but prior to that, the library of congress is the largest presidential library, having in its collection 23 presidents. >> the presidential papers range from george washington through calvin coolidge. washington's papers include 36 diaries, pocket sized, like a farmer would carry to make records about the weather or plans for growing certain crops. but there are other diaries as well. the place is to stay were not up to his standards. at one point he said, these houses are just, the entertain is subpar, some 18th century way of saying that. but the reason he gave for that, an interesting reason, he said the people who travel along the road are people who are mo

wrong here you know here's and here's the simple incentive in seventeen seventeen ninety one alexander hamilton proposed that we start charging tariffs that we say if there's a dollar's worth under government yeah well in fact the terrorist paid for one hundred percent of the federal there was a little income taxes but at the end until the civil war was ready to put it in the sincerity of the federal government to world war one and probably one third of the federal government to world war two we have had from seven hundred ninety three until the one nine hundred ninety s. until clinton did away with it with the deputy oh and now after we have had an average of around twenty six percent import tariff on everything into the united states some things are higher some things are lower we are now our average tariff now is two point one percent you're actually that's why those companies are going you know what's wrong with that it's not that it's two point one percent but it is american exports or is the national champion in two thousand and eight in the u.s. national ticket for year i'll tell you wha

yes for ideas in the united states in the past you know alexander hamilton is model for building building modern industrial state for example that he put forward in seventy ninety one of the washington ministration and got largely ratified seven hundred ninety three and and held until the late one nine hundred ninety s. i'm curious as to what extent. the stuff that you're getting the ideas that you're getting and the direction the you're thinking about going or or suggesting or whatever might be inspired by things like hamilton or like franklin roosevelt or teddy roosevelt for that matter you know just busting up some of the too big to fail organization some of his old old ideas that that actually worked we have about three minutes left or right. well i think the ideas are really across the board ordinary americans are the ones who are going on and uploading ideas like us that we were hoping they will get by a hundred even a thousand ideas to look good our papers will probably get thousands of missions and we you know we have more than twenty thousand and i'm sure there's a mix the fundam

then on the 24th we will be screening the are read discovery of alexander hamilton. the pbs documentary and all of your questions can be answered because the producer and director will be in the house. turning your attention and two today with matthew algeo and his book "the president is a sick man" his second book harry truman's excellent it a venture which tracks his cross-country trip 1953 that got a lot of great press and in 2009 it was called the best book of the year and before that the war years and thus the goals which is a combination of the eagles and pittsburgh steelers. another interesting book. he has the eclectic background not just an author or journalist but he was a hot dog vendor at a traveling circus come at a halloween costume sales man, a gas station attendant, a convenience store clerk this will put him in a good position because in two months he is moving to mongolia with his wife who was a foreign service officer. that should be interesting. in a friend to the museum and it is my pleasure to introduce matthew algeo. [applause] >> you make it s

alexander hamilton, the black founders.we brought faith, hope and charity and did founding fridays and we did the stories of the founders and we did the african-american founders, did you even know any of this? i didn't. i didn't. i've learned along with you and here's the best part about this, i really feel -- and i always have -- i like live television. i don't like to be taped because i feel i can almost feel you at times. i can feel a connection when it's live. i know when you're saying yes! and history's played such a huge role. you and i have done a lot together. and we've learned a lot together. and you've taught me a lot. i want to show you two pieces of something that just came in to me today from a viewer. this is a report of the committee on fascism. an original copy of when congress was trying to figure out, okay this mussolini thing, hitler, what are they doing? what is it? i have viewers and listeners sending me things from all over the country because they know we can use it to teach people things. also they

alexander hamilton, among others, caused the new constitutional government after the passage of the constitution that raise -- that stunk to high heaven. a lot of people bought those bonds and they declined to almost no value and belonged to speculators who paid a nickel on the dollar. hamilton's point was, if we pay these debts the world is going to know our word is strong. the united states of america since that day, has never had a missed payment, ever. >> sean: dr. larry arnn thank you.

comes back to finish the letter and one more from pinkney who was a good friend of alexander hamilton. this is a keynote to. they have been run out of office. jefferson is in to the president. hamilton writes that he has a big plantation down here and says a garden is an unusual refuge for disappointed politician. this is hamilton saying he will retire from public life which he didn't do that he is asking to send him see the. he bought a new plantation house of his own in new york. he was going to set up shop and forget about politics. maybe he would be better if he retired to his garden. a few other things from the collection. john creighton's view of carolina. these are natural importance. the charleston institution of the south carolina institution. there are some great documents. this is the or original manuscript copy. we are open to conservation donations. this is the original manuscript of his view of carolina. john drake was one of the first governors in the early republican period much the same as thomas jefferson's notes on virginia. he drove all around south carolina by car

best minimalist way, hamilton's sense of -- >> it's important to hear from the genius rogue alexander hamilton. his view was there are going to be circumstances. he had the true vision of america. it was industrial and commercial power. hamilton said, what we meant by the general welfare in article one section eight and what we mean by the necessary clause of powers of government to make the enumeration happen is we cannot foresee what congress, not what the executive would do, what congress needs to legislate on. >> fareed what would happen to this nation if hamilton's vision hadn't won? >> it's impossible to invision. it was written by men in wigs who own property and slaves in a country that numbers 4 million. they did not know the existence of the cotton gin let alone the army like we know it today. hamilton saw a great industrial superpower. jefferson's vision was agricultural. i would add one more thing in terms of, if the constitution means anything, which is in some ways a strange term. the founders fought and disagreed. there was one thing they were all very impressed by. that was the

i'm most famous example, alexander hamilton. he understood that the government needed to run a debt in order to fund internal improvements. painfully, these arguments won out over the people like thomas jefferson who was worried about the centralizing powers. >> one of our biggest debates right now is, we had that coming out of the revolution. that is not new to america. it used to be you owed something on the order. we had debt after wars. then, as he said, we borrowed it for maternal improvement. now we have gone from darwin to using a credit card for ongoing finances, right? is that as healthy? >> well, we have a fundamentally different society than we did in the 17, 18, and 19th centuries. we have a much older and larger population. if we didn't have that sort of ongoing borrowing, incidence of poverty in this country would be much higher. it's hard to compare going back to a few centuries ago what exactly would happen, but i think the main issue that we have now with this government credit card is making sure that the inter

ruling groups which is to distract the people from their immediate problems and interests by, alexander hamilton made this point in federalist paper number six. said many a sovereign has -- how did he phrase it -- has conchereconjuredup a crisis abrt the people from their domestic grievances. i think that's what we have going today. this idea -- >> on purpose? >> of perpetual war. yeah, think war has been very good for george bush. it's been really good for him. >> but was it for bill clinton? i mean the intervention that he, when he sent missles over there in sudan and things like that? >> yeah, he, too, had to do his blooding and show he was a tough president and somehow that shows you are really a strong president. i don't know how it helped him. his bombing of yugoslav 'ya, i was in yugoslav 'ya a few weeks after the bombing and i saw the damage that had been done and schools that had been hit and apartment houses. i don't ee really, that doesn't make me feel proud to be an american when i see what's done in the name of my country. i was not terribly impressed by bill clinton. and -- >> what

on the 204th, tuesday, we will be streaming the rediscovering alexander hamilton. this is the pbs documentary that was recently released. all your questions about the movie can be answered because the producer, director will be in the house. now, turning your attention to today and matthew algeo and "the president is a sick man." this is matthews third book, his second, harry truman excellent adventure which traces his cross-country trip in 1953. tell a lot of great press. in 2009 the "washington post" called it one of the best books of the year. additionally before that he wrote a book about the war years and football and the steeples, which was a combination of the pittsburgh steelers and that philadelphia eagles during world war ii, another interesting book. he has a very eclectic background, not just an author, not just a journalist. but let me tell you some of the things he has done. he has been a hot dog vendor at a traveling circus. he has been a halloween costume salesman. he has been a gas station attendant, convenience store clerk. all this is going to pu

the "new york post," you can still pick up, starts because webster and alexander hamilton have a fight. hamilton writes, is aligned with webster in the 1790s. they have a fight in about 1800 that leads to a split in the federalist party and he starts his rival newspaper, the "new york post" which is continuously published daily. websters paper and various other names and stops her and 1920. 1798, webster has money coming in from his speller selling a lot and he decides to retire and he moves back to new haven, and he moves into the arnold house. yes, that's benedict arnold. he gets a good deal because the house is tainted by shame, and it's the classes' house in new haven. it's got fancy columns. benedict arnold was a merchant and he had a huge house on water street in new haven so he could see the ships. and webster moves in. i looked at the deep for that house, and it has all the fancy language including the second outhouse which translates into so many bathrooms today. so he moves into the arnold's house, and then he starts to work on the dictionary. samuel johnson, the great britis

its most lu--illustrious members are george washington, john adams, alexander hamilton. and, by and large, these were men who were conservative. they wanted to retain what they'd gained in the revolution, but they believed in order, and they thought that order was fragile. and they really wanted to have a great britain cleansed of the impurities and corruptions of great britain. now thomas jefferson wa--and--and i use him to stand in for other eople, but he was so far and away the important figure here--saw this is a--just a terrible loss if the revolution in america just stopped at being another great britain, and he wanted to see a revolution in the sense of creating a new kind of society that was thoroughly democratized, where there was political participation, where there was free speech. he wanted to animate the--the--the public. he--and he very much wanted religious toleration, and he was very interested in scientific speculation. but he had this idea that human beings--and he--we have to say he really meant white men had been shackled down, they'd been burdened by

hamilton, i don't think it's true but alexander hamilton supposedly said i deny franklin's petition because the united states of america will not be reliant upon any foreign power. [laughter] whether hamilton, whether hamblin said that are not i don't think he did but it's still a great line. but nevertheless it turned down because, not because they felt they should have a minister. were the reasons they turned down they didn't have enough money to pay the guy to come in and pray for them. but the point is here's franklin, a guy who, united states doesn't call upon god to intervene in some ways. so that's my argument at least. they weren't christians though by no means. most of them were not. at least the major fight. i don't think they were dios either that they occupy the middle ground. >> i've largely forgotten education but i remember, mrs. scott in seventh grade in history class, her discussion about number 17. my question is, well, since i moved to gods a good, that's a quote from a dios, isn't it? how were the virginian delegation, particularly mr. jefferson, able to convince, partic

. >> go back to alexander hamilton and those folks you need know how to build an economy. >> where'sand the part of the companies, people making the profits. they have to look at their shareholders. >> corporations. >> stop looking at them -- we have to stop being naive and looking at the corporations to act any other way than profit-seeking businesses. >> should pay a living wage. >> exact lil right. >> you're darn right. >> p.j., thank you. aren't you gad you came in. >> sure. >> good to have you. great piece. fascinating. i'd like to see more of that. an interesting conversation. it's more complicated. not black and white. you can check out the analysis in this past new york time's business section. coming up, republicans are hostage takers in the ongoing budget negotiations. pulitzer prize-winning columnist will be here. we'll be right back with more "morning you jo." [ grunts ] [ male announcer ] built like a volkswagen. the 2011 tiguan. [ grunts ] even if you think your mattresses is just fine, ask me what it's like to get your best night's sleep every night. why not talk to so

i wrote a lot of stories on alexander hamilton's fiscal policy and other pretty high toned topics, none which i understood very well. i wrote about crime. they kind of let me do what i wanted. host: the mission? what is it? guest: to produce interesting, newsworthy stories. we have no agenda or plans to supplant or replace some of the news organizations that we see currently dying. our day to day goal is really simple. what is interesting? what is on known that we can bring to life? the only paper that i get at home every morning is open quote the new york post." some people hate it. -- every morning is "the new york post." id is the most entertaining newspaper printed in the united states. completely over the top. they cover the worst crimes, the worst religious -- any kind of crime, they are on it. people bought them for that. but i read it. i love it. you know what? they do not assume you are going to read it. they know you are busy. it literally reaches out and grabs you by the throat and pulls you into its pages and holds it there until you are sated with filthy dwarf crime news. [

as well as the papers of alexander hamilton and benjamin franklin.hey were being preserved by the state department. >> those papers are the core of today's manuscript division. >> a lot of people just do not realize about the presidential library system. prior to that, the library of congress is the largest presidential library. >> the presidential papers range from george washington through calvin coolidge. washington's papers include 36 diaries, pocket-sized like a farmer would carry to make records about the weather. there are other diaries as well. >> he became president and he went on a series of tours of the country. he noticed that in the places where he traveled, the roads were not in good condition. the places to stay were not up to his standards. at one point, he said something like, these houses are -- the entertainment is very subpar. the reason he gave for that is very interesting. he said the people who travel along the roads are people who are moving from one place to another. they have all of their household goods with them and they d

its obligations, this great nation which always has from the days of the founding fathers and alexander hamilton. on this side of the aisle, we're working in good faith to reach a deal. over the past few months, we have worked diligently to identify more than a trillion -- that's a trillion with a t -- dollars in spending cuts, many of which are just as painful to our caucus as taking away tax breaks to millionaires are to the caucus on the other side. it can't be just one way. we have put these difficult cuts on the table, because on this side of the aisle we recognize that our deficit is unprecedented and that bold comprehensive action needs to be taken in. and let me say this. an agreement, a budget agreement cannot be considered bold or comprehensive unless it asks millionaires, billionaires and wealthy corporations to contribute to deficit reduction. they don't have to do the whole thing, but they have got to do their share. that's why we want to repeal tax breaks that serve no purpose whatsoever other than to bloat our budget deficit. we want to make sure that at this time of fiscal restra

a number of years ago, actually a couple centuries ago, a little more than that, alexander hamilton inaugurated another conversation and admittedly much larger with a series of short essays that have come to be known as the federalist papers. the federalist number one started in hamilton's words with a reference to the historic moment in which the soon to the nation found itself, it wasn't quite a nation yet. it has been frequently remarked it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country by their conduct and example to decide the important question whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and trace or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitution's on. of course the current process doesn't have the decisions made by we the people in the late 1700's the process is also on its way an effort not to depend on accident and for worse, but to promote good government by reflection in a place to. in that sense it is in its more modest way an effort to honor their example. thank you. [applause] .. it is

a number of years ago, actually a couple centuries ago, a little more than that, alexander hamilton inaugurated another conversation and admittedly much larger with a series of short essays that have come to be known as the federalist papers. the federalist number one started in hamilton's words with a reference to the historic moment in which the soon to the nation found itself, it wasn't quite a nation yet. it has been frequently remarked it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country by their conduct and example to decide the important question whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and trace or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitution's on. of course the current process doesn't have the decisions made by we the people in the late 1700's the process is also on its way an effort not to depend on accident and for worse, but to promote good government by reflection in a place to. in that sense it is in its more modest way an effort to honor their example. thank you. [applause] edify is

as well as the papers of alexander hamilton and benjamin franklin.y were being preserved by the state department. >> those papers are the core of today's manuscript division. >> a lot of people just do not realize about the presidential library system. they are amazing bill funds -- buildings built for 20th-century presidents. prior to that, the library of congress is the largest presidential library. we have 23 presidents. >> the presidential papers range from george washington through calvin coolidge. washington's papers include 36 diaries, pocket-sized like a farmer would carry to make records about the weather. there are other diaries as well. >> he became president and he went on a series of tours of the country. this is a tour for the southern states. he noticed that in the places where he traveled, the roads were not in good condition. the places to stay were not up to his standards. at one point, he said something like, the entertainment is very subpar. the reason he gave for that is very interesting. he said the people who travel along the r

it doesn't honor the legacy alexander hamilton started over 200 years ago. >> for markets out there youan, you can tell me there is a plan if the house doesn't come to some agreement on this? >> well, of course there is always contingency planning going on, but i will tell you, there is nothing that's not unthinkable. the only thing that is thinkable is the common sense compromise the president discussed. we have come so close. the president has been in bipartisan negotiations three times and had the republican leadership walk away abruptly. we have been very close. there is a lot of goodwill that i still believe exists in this country in washington and we just need a basic, a minimum amount of compromise, a minimum amount of not my way or the highway and we can get there easily this week. >> the president said, in fact, last night, he said, that his original plan which would reduce the deficit by about $4 trillion over ten years is bipartisan. in fact, he said there are many republicans in the senate willing to support it. how many? enough to get this passed? >> i think what the presid

it's been that foundation since alexander hamilton argued with thomas jefferson. and it served our country well. the awful example that it would set if america, this great land, the federal government said, well, i'm not going to pay the debt. we're not going to pay the debt unless abcd is done. what kind of example does that set to american families? to american young people. it's the opposite, frankly, of the conservative philosophy, part of which i agree with in this regard, that you pay your bills. that you pay your debts, and if you don't, you have a consequence, there's a consequence. so it is just amazing. this is the first time, i believe, check the history books, in american history where a large group in either house of this congress has said, has made it a campaign not to pay the debt unless they get their way on certain other issues, whatever they be. if every one of us did that, this country would be paralyzed. we wouldn't be able to do a thing. it is leading down the road that nobody should want to travel. >> i ask the senator -- if you could ask one

it's been that foundation since alexander hamilton argued with thomas jefferson and it's served our country well. the awful example that it would set if america, this great land, this federal government said, well, i'm not going to pay the debt, we're not going to pay the debt unless a, b, c, d is done, what kind of example does that set to american families, to american young people? it's the opposite, frankly, of the conservative philosophy, part of which i agree with in this regard, that you pay your bills, that you pay your debts. and if you don't, you have a -- there's a consequence. so it is just amazing. this is the first time i believe -- and check the history books -- in america history where a large group in either house of this congress, has said, has made it a campaign not to pay the debt unless they get their way onertain other issues, whatever they be. and if every one of us did that, this country would be paralyzed, we wouldn't be able to do a thing. it is leading down a road that nobody should want to travel on. i yield. mr. harkin: i ask the senator -- i'd like to ask one m

rationale for the structure of the appointments clause dates back to federalist number 76 which alexander hamilton explained -- quote -- "the sole and undivided responsibility of one man will naturally beget a livelier sense of duty and a more exact regard to reputation. he will on this account feel himself under stronger be obligations and more interested with the requisite to be fulfilled and to prefer with impartiality the persons who may have the fairest pretensions to them." close quote. pretty effective language. dilution of the president's sole responsibility for nomination and appointment is inconsistent with constitutional principles, given that constitutional concerns were raised by these scholars, it was at least arguable that we had proceeded -- had we proceeded with the original proposal, a judge could find that director mueller's appointment and term of service to be unconstitutional. if it were to be challenged by someone in court, and that was possible. particularly concerning was the suggestion that in a properly presented case involving an individual subject to a purported exerci

i wrote a lot of stories on alexander hamilton's fiscal policy and other pretty high toned topics, none of which i understood very well. i wrote about crime. they kind of let me do what i wanted. host: the mission? what is it? guest: to produce interesting, newsworthy stories. we have no agenda or plans to supplant or replace some of the news organizations that we see currently dying. our day to day goal is really simple. what is interesting? what is on known that we can bring to life? the only paper that i get at home every morning is open quote the new york post." some people hate it. -- every morning is "the new york post." id is the most entertaining newspaper printed in the united states. completely over the top. they cover the worst crimes, the worst religious -- any kind of crime, they are on it. people bought them for that. but i read it. i love it. you know what? they do not assume you are going to read it. they know you are busy. it literally reaches out and grabs you by the throat and pulls you into its pages and holds it there until you are sated with filthy dwarf crime news

it's been that foundation since alexander hamilton argued with thomas jefferson and it's served our country well. the awful example that it would set if america, this great land, this federal government said, well, i'm not going to pay the debt, we're not going to pay the debt unless a, b, c, d is done, what kind of example does that set to american families, to american young people? it's the opposite, frankly, of the conservative philosophy, part of which i agree with in this regard, that you pay your bills, that you pay your debts. and if you don't, you have a -- there's a consequence. so it is just amazing. this is the first time i believe -- and check the history books -- in america history where a large group in either house of this congress, has said, has made it a campaign not to pay the debt unless they get their way on certain other issues, whatever they be. and if every one of us did that, this country would be paralyzed, we wouldn't be able to do a thing. it is leading down a road that nobody should want to travel on. i yield. mr. harkin: i ask the senator -- i'd like to ask one

nothing new in this body or in american history, the earliest days in our republic it was between alexander hamiltonand the fellists on one side -- and the federalists on one side and thomas jefferson and his allies on the other. the enmity between these men was so obvious, much that occurred then would be considered out of bound by today's standards of political discourse. the debate raged on between the early parties with the drafting of the constitution. it seemed possible that the great american experiment would be over before it began. george washington at that time retired to private life, begged him to rescue america from the pending ruin. washington rose to the occasion the way a leader does. he did it for his country, his fellow americans. he showed leadership because it was the right thing to do. and in the end, a compromise was reached. yes, it was, a compromise. and to have the constitution drafted by "the federalists," but with the bill of rights which was drafted by the jeffersonians. later, after being elected our nation's first president, washington wag dismayed over the continuous b

it is a view that alexander hamilton and benjamin franklin would take issue with. but this is the political philosophy of the modern left. so when you hear tax hike proponents come to the senate floor and say we're giving these businesses and individuals all this money in tax expenditures, they're incorrectly assuming that the government has that money to give in the first place. the government does not have this money to give. that money belongs first to the people that earned it, those businesses and individuals that are american taxpayers. there are critical differences between spending and tax expenditures. for one thing, the government never touches the money that a taxpayer keeps due to benefiting from a tax expenditure, whereas with spending, the government actually collects money from the taxpayers and then it spends it. here's a more telling difference. reducing or eliminating a tax expenditure without lowering rates enough to reach a revenue-neutral level will cause the size of the federal government to grow. while reducing or eliminating spending causes

it is a view that alexander hamilton and benjamin franklin would take issue with. but this is the political philosophy of the modern left. so when you hear tax hike proponents come to the senate floor and say we're giving these businesses and individuals all this money in tax expenditures, they're incorrectly assuming that the government has that money to give in the first place. the government does not have this money to give. that money belongs first to the people that earned it, those businesses and individuals that are american taxpayers. there are critical differences between spending and tax expenditures. for one thing, the government never touches the money that a taxpayer keeps due to benefiting from a tax expenditure, whereas with spending, the government actually collects money from the taxpayers and then it spends it. here's a more telling difference. reducing or eliminating a tax expenditure without lowering rates enough to reach a revenue-neutral level will cause the size of the federal government to grow. while reducing or eliminating spending causes

it is almost as though alexander hamilton, who wrote these words in 1787, were sitting here today and from the bottom of my heart, i wish that he were. he closed "the federalist" paper number 30 with an admonition to idealogue writing that -- quote -- "such men must behold the actual situation of their country with painful solicitude and deprecate the evils which a ambition or revenge might with too much facility inflict upon it. as we have at other times in our history, we experience the kind of evils that hamilton anticipated on 9/11. we responded. and now at this extraordinary time it is left for us to get our house in order. and in truth, madam president, these are small decisions when we consider them in the context of what our founders faced. their greatness is measured by the large tasks they took on and conquered. ours is merely a junction between our own institutional impulse toward fecklessness and our individual love for our country and for our kids. when faced with similar decisions, families cut back, they sacrifice. and now we must do the same. and now, to paraphrase ham