a pay-as-you-go program which funds itself and just isn't going to be there for you crybabies that think you ought to get something back from that money you paid into the system.

These people disgust me so badly there are no words. It's let them eat cake at its worst, and I really hope the public doesn't stand for it any more than they did when Bush was trying to sell us this nonsense.

Kay: I mean one other thing I will say in terms of the challenge is that people are concerned about the size of the deficit even more when they think that the spending is not working and if the White House had done either a better job on showing that the stimulus was bringing down the unemployment level and below what it would have done or just communicate that better, I think that’s a challenge for them too because people don’t believe that the stimulus bill worked and it’s quite possible that without the stimulus bill we would be up to 15% unemployment.

Brzezinski: Right.

Kay: But that message has not got out there.

Geist: Katy that’s a great point and you make it tougher when you hear the administration and others arguing for even more stimulus, Jonathan.

Capehart: Right. That’s a great point from Katy and there’s something interesting Mark said that the American people, you’re trying… a great thing that people are focused on the debt and focused on spending. Where I think the challenge is, will the American people be willing to make the sacrifices that will have to be made in order to deal with the debt and the deficits and to bring down spending. It’s one thing to support it in the abstract. But if you then say this program that you’ve been dependent on is now cut.

McKinnon: Well then all hell breaks loose….

Capehart: Right.

McKinnon: And then the deficit commission issues its report and then we’ll see.

Brzezinski: Because that’s the bottom line. And I do think we are learning. People are learning, they’re being forced to live without and I do think that this reset that we’re going through will ultimately perhaps open the door for a leader who says well we’ve reached that thing, but here’s the thing, you’re not going to have what you’re used to having and we’re going to have to cut some things, and they’re going to be things that you have been used to for decades and thought you would have for the rest of your life and you will not.

McKinnon: And it’s going to hurt.

Brzezinski: And it’s going to hurt. I don’t know. It’s much easier said than done.

McKinnon: We’ve got the example of Greece if we don’t.

Brzezinski: Exactly. That’s where we’re headed.