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To be fair, Republicans are not blameless. The deficit began to spiral out of control on President Bush's watch.

I don't think the deficit of the country is a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. I think it's a country issue. I don't think worrying about the reindustrialization of America is a Republican or Democratic issue.

Both sides of the aisle - Republican and Democrat - have been unwilling and afraid to address the deficit, and someone's got to.

The biggest problem with the deficit is programs that are unconstitutional and wasteful.

Deficits are like putting dynamite in the hands of children. They can get out of control very quickly.

When done right - or wrong, depending on how you look at it - deficits remove liberal options from the table. Suddenly there's no money for building bridges or inspecting meat. Not surprisingly, running up a deficit is a strategy favored by the wrecking crew for its liberal-killing properties.

When the economy is growing, there's a lot that can be done to deal with the deficit.

Well, a deficit reflects an imbalance between spending and revenue, and so narrowing it requires acting on one, the other or both.

Deficits mean future tax increases, pure and simple. Deficit spending should be viewed as a tax on future generations, and politicians who create deficits should be exposed as tax hikers.

I have spoken about deficits, and I think deficits are important because they address broad economic and financial stability. We need to talk about that.