without some restraint on health care spending, the choices that faced us were quite unpleasa. sharp lie higher taxes and deep cuts in programs and budget deficits that would begin to balloon and at some point explode and no one paid much attention to these dire warnings, is not surprising. we have a president who had no real interest in pushing for fundamental health reform. and, a deficit that, while unsustainable in the long run, appeared to be on the right path, in the short run. from 2004, until the economy tanked in 2008, the deficit was coming down, and people tend to forget this. by 2007, it reached a mere 180 billion dollars. or 1.2% of gdp. which is a lower figure than any that was experienced in the 22 years between 1975 and 1996. that the budget wonks were projecting fiscal disaster in 15, 20, 30 years fell on deaf ears because this number that counts in washington is this number of years until the next election. and by this measure the wolf was not anywhere near the door and the economy, while it wasn't great, was certainly okay. of course, the last year has seen a