Everyone should live within their means

Outstanding letter in the Wall Street Journal in response to, "The Obama Fisc" Review & Outlook, Jan. 27:

You had me all hooked up with your bleak analysis of the careless spending and deficit buildup of the last year, until I came to the following sentence: "If this borrowing were financing defense investments or tax rate reductions to spur the U.S. economy, we wouldn't be worried." My fiscal discipline enthusiasm immediately melted away. I was reminded of an even bleaker analysis offered by a friend: "The bottom line is both liberals and conservatives are going to spend and spend until the country is ruined. The only difference is what the pet cause they are spending on is."

We are never going to get anywhere on deficit reduction as long as one side's "defense investments" are the other side's "shining war toys," and the other side's "investment in health and education" are the first side's "wealth transfers." Where can I find a politician, party or even a newspaper editorial that will unequivocally state that we have to live within our means, period, full stop, no ifs, ands or buts?

Michail Tsatsanis
San Diego