What are we doing and how do we get out of this mess? It seems like the debt we rack up for the next generation is NEVER ending. For some, that is OK. But, I have nieces and nephews I adore and don't want to see them burdened for their entire life. Will this election stop this spiraling? What will?

From BBC :

The US government's debts have ballooned so badly the National Debt Clock in New York has run out of digits to record the spiralling figure.

The digital counter marks the national debt level, but when that passed the $10 trillion point last month, the sign could not display the full amount.

The board was erected to highlight the $2.7 trillion level of debt in 1989.

The clock's owners say two more zeros will be added, allowing the clock to record a quadrillion dollars of debt.

Douglas Durst, son of the late Seymour Durst - the clock's inventor - hopes to replace the Manhattan clock with its lengthier replacement early next year.

For the time being, the Times Square counter's electronic dollar sign has been replaced with the extra digit required.

For its part, the digital dollar symbol has been supplanted by a cheaper version - perhaps a sign of the times for the American economy.

Some economists believe the $700bn bail-out plan for ailing US financial institutions could send the national debt level to $11 trillion.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7660409.stm

That is so sad.

To paraphrase Jay Leno: You know times are bad when you ask your boy what you can get for an extra $50 and he says another 100 shares of General Motors...