Frasier fans out there might remember the episode from season 3 in which Niles’ wife Maris goes missing. Niles' father, Martin, a retired police officer, pools his resources and discovers that Maris is in New York shopping.

Yet even this self-indulgent woman couldn’t do the kind of financial damage with other people’s money that our government did in just one day.

For the first time in history our debt—thanks to this latest government borrowing binge—now exceeds $17 trillion—and with no debt ceiling, there’s no telling when—or if—the borrowing spree will ever stop.

Back in 2008, Obama blasted President Bush for our $9 trillion debt for being unpatriotic. Of course, President Obama has backed off that claim. Still, it’s worth considering that most Americans don’t have (or want) other people paying their bills.

Those of us falling into that majority shouldn’t have to pay for the excesses of elected representatives who refuse to live within a budget.