Hank, fine, then we need the people who SAY they want deficit reduction to be the leaders of the charge on the BIG costs of our federal government:

* Downsizing our military (those "cut it by half and it's still 4x the budget of the next closest nation arguments e.g.)
* Hatcheting social security and medicare somehow

Because unless you're going after this stuff, then your deficit reduction above-all-else position just watercooler CRAP.

The real money -- if you truly want to go get it -- is there for the taking. You just have to be the guys who are comfortable scaling back military industrial complex and entitlements.

What *I* think is that the so-called "spending is out of control" crowd really wants is to be back in power. They have a compelling, scary story to tell, and it's working. But they have absolutely no chance of achieving their stated goals -- it's just good advertising.