On Friday, March 1, 2002, the New York Times reported that: "Republican leaders in the House told the Bush administration that they did not have enough votes to increase the legal limit on the national debt and urged the White House to attach the measure to another piece of popular legislation, possibly a supplemental military appropriations bill."

On the same date, the White House Bulletin said much the same thing but suggested it might be attached to a bill to increase unemployment benefits and health care tax credits. But then they went on to report: "at the same time they consider an option to redefine 'national debt' that might allow them to avoid raising the ceiling altogether."

Now, what do you suppose that "option to redefine national debt" might be? Do you think they are going to simply declare that the Social Security money they steal should not be considered subject to the debt limit? That they will simply give up the pretense of borrowing. That they will suddenly become crooks with integrity and just steal it outright, no longer demanding that we pay it back again later, with interest added?

It's bad enough our representatives in Washington will try to piggyback a raise to the debt ceiling instead of voting on it outright. A raise allowing another $750 billion in entitlement money to be misappropriated. Just because they are lawmakers does it mean they can pass a law giving them a license to steal?

Aren't these the same people who are investigating Enron officials for much lesser offenses? Do we welcome and condone supreme hypocrisy?

Enron is accused of leading some 30,000 employees down the garden path to the loss of their company retirement money. How does that compare to cheating 141 million American workers out of payroll tax payments that are supposed to go towards retirement and health care? Who are the bigger crooks?

Don't let them do it folks. Don't let them sneak another raise to the debt ceiling across on us like they did in 1997 when John Kasich buried it unnoticeably in the popular Balanced Budget Act. Make them vote on raising the national debt. No piggybacking.

Write and call your congress critters and encourage them to stand behind the people refusing to raise the debt ceiling. It's a good cause and it won't interfere with the never-ending war that's costing us a mere $12 billion per year.