The question was asked:

>Just out of curiosity, where do you think the deficit would be if Hillary had
>succeeded in nationalizing health care at the beginning of Clinton's
>administration?

Since I'm a virulent anti-socialist, I'm the wrong guy to ask. One of our resident lefties would probably provide a more entertaining response. However since you did ask.... Hillary's health care plan was a prescription for national ruin (I will not vote for her in 2008 but she'll win anyway). If I was king, I'd phase out medicare and social security altogether. I'd do it over a 15 year period. Anyone born in 1937 or ealier gets full medicare and social secuirty benefits. Anyone born in 1953 or later gets nothing. I'd have a sliding scale for the years in between. I'd also put a no-socialism amendment in the Constitution that says something to the effect that Congress may not authorize funds to an individual citizen unless it is for some sort of service rendered or in exchange for something tangible, e.g. you're not entitled to a government benefit simply because you have no employable skills or you're over a certain age and didn't provide for your own retirement. I'd also include in this amendment an explicit prohibition against the federal government directly administrating retirement plans and any form of insurance scheme for individuals. The situation of the political process bribing voters with their own tax dollars is very dangerous and needs to be corrected.

Gary

p.s. I think Reagan was a smiling jackass and a national disgrace.