>Bill Clinton never thought about balancing a budget until
>the Republicans won both houses of Congress and thus forced
>him to address the issue. It was the Republican Congress
>who proposed a plan to eliminate the deficit by 2002 back in
>1994.

That's one way of looking at it... of course the other way, or as I like to call it: "what actually happened" is better. Clinton's 1993 (note, 3 comes before 4) deficit-reduction plan raised rates in the top bracket and led to a decade of such fabulous prosperity that even its most affluent victims ended up better off. It also eliminated the deficit. This deficit reduction plan passed despite every single republican senator voting against it. Now republicans are trying to take credit for it?!