we didn't need a deficit deal for three to five years and, frankly, it wouldn't even be wise to die tye a deficit deal to the debt ceiling. that's what they were saying a couple months ago. then we yoked them together and so they downgraded us. we did not act like a country you could be completely comfortable is going to continue to make wise financial decisions going forward. >> let me interrupt you there because i think it's crucial about who's going to be making those, quote/unquote, wise financial decisions. you just heard steve liesman saying one of the things that s&p and really investors around the world are going to look at is what this super committee in congress has to do. where is this going forward? >> so, the super committee could, of course, if it brings out an aggressive reduction deficit package, that will get us our aaa back. they said if we let some bush tax cuts expire we would get our aaa back, that would not require a large-scale agreement in congress. we could make these decisions again. that goes to the underlying point is the s&p downgrade in and of itself is not