This disturbing paragraph from The Associated Press has me in a misery of indecision: If you economists could please tell me I am wrong and “stupid”,(ignorant, perferably), I would be grateful and free to endorse this canidate whole-heartedly.

“Democratic presidential contender John Edwards says it is more important to invest in universal health care and lifting people out of poverty
than to reduce the budget deficit.

The 2004 vice presidential nominee said in an interview broadcast yesterday that “there is a tension” between the two directions, but he has made his choice.
“If I were choosing now between which is more important, I think the investments are more important.” he said on ABC’s “This Week”.

Edward’s proposal, which includes tax cuts and a million housing vouchers for the poor, may place him at odds with Democrats in charge of the congressional spending committees.”

Have you any idea of how seductive this sounds to an unapoligetic liberal socialist? Especially when you have heard even fiscal conservatives state that the budget deficit “doesn’t matter”.

I don’t have to understand our complex economic system to disagree with that one. Common sense and observation is enough. In a micro economy, such as a household budget, if you don’t pay your bills you end up with the lights cut off, the car repossed, finally out on the street with no place to go. You can’t pay down your credit card bill, and you have no more credit. If the government does not stay within a yearly budget, they can’t very well pay down the national debt. Stands to reason that sooner or later, they will reach a point of no return, where no one will be willing to invest in us. Our T bills would be worthless and we would certainly be in no position to redeem them. And yes, I have no idea what I am talking about. Just a strong desire for my government to be in a better place than this. Just an uneasy gut reaction to being nationally in so much debt.

Reading one of Jim Webb’s books the other day, “To Die For”, admittedly fiction, one premise was that Japan held so much of our national debt in T bills that they were in a position to control and blackmail us with the threat of selling them off in large quantities. I don’t really think it would be in their best interests to do so, if that is a nugget of truth in a fictional story, but let me tell you, it is a very uncomfortable feeling to know that they could.

My conclusion is that if the Democrats should win in 2008 and retain a majority in Congress, I hope wiser heads prevail when it comes to spending money. Impliment limited, much needed social nets, accompanied by pay-backs from recipients as their salary rises, but stay with-in a doable yearly budget and start paying on the national debt, which is most likely in the bigillions by now. We would all sleep better at night.

Please tell me I am wrong and worrying over our debts without reason. Reassure me that someone is in charge who knows what he is doing, that I am just too stupid to understand how the system works, and that calamity does not wait just around the corner. Is the sky falling or not?

Then I can cast a happy and guilt-free vote for John Edwards.