ktc,
"Let the family or the next guy worry about about paying it off."
That's why I like the part of weco's document that said 'vote them out.'
There are so few GOOD politicians, that losing them would be a small price to pay. Give them ALL the boot. No politician should remain in office for more than about 4 years or two terms, whichever is longer. If they can't get the things they wanted to accomplish done in that time, they aren't very good and should be kicked out anyway.
I've heard the argument that politicians only become effective after they've been around for a while. That's nonsense. Politicians become complacent, corrupt, arrogant and dangerous after they've been around for a while.

Gold is $1,581/oz today. When it hits $2,000, it will be up 26.5%. Let's see how long that takes. - De 3/11/2013 - ANSWER: 7 Years, 5 Months