During the Reagan years there was some screwball partisan talk about "budget trials" in the 21st Century to hold accountable those who allowed the federal deficits to get completely out of hand. I say "screwball partisan" talk because the Democrats controlled the House of Representatives for every one of Ronald Reagan's eight years in office. So you couldn't indict members of the Reagan aministration for the deficits without indiciting their "co-conspirators" in Congress.

Given the present circumstances, however, the prospect of deficit trials is neither screwball nor partisan. Indeed, this recent statement by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) may one day be entered as an exhibit for the prosecution in some future budget trial:

"At some point, we have got to stop this madness here in Washington D.C....The American people are as mad at us about driving this country economically off the edge as any one thing....What we’re doing to this country is almost criminal.”

"Almost" criminal? I wonder if Sen. Hagel would make a full confession if he were offered immunity from future prosecution.