The next president will face some extreme fiscal challenges. The economy is in a major real and financial slump and recovery will likely require serious government expenditure. At the same time we are have already been running huge budget deficits, even during the years of the "Bush Boom" - yes folks those were 'air quotes'. Our national debt is too large and makes us beholden to nations like China which do not have our best interests at heart.

The next president will need to run deficits but it will be better for us all in the long run if he keeps these deficits to a minimum, spending money so as to get the most benefit possible out of every dollar.

Now we do know something about the spending habits of the two presidential contenders, thanks to an analysis of campaign spending records published in the NY Times.

The general message of this article is that Obama is a penny pincher even though he has collected a record $640 million dollars. Only two of the 15 highest paid campaign staffers are in Obama's campaign. The rest are working for John McCain, "and even though Mr. Obama has raised $400 million more than Mr. McCain, he has spent less on fund-raising consultants." To quote the article:

In the next years we will need someone who can think big and be cheap at the same time. Wonks Anonymous believes that we have someone.

Another reason to get out and vote.