And I want to thank all the committee chairs and members of Congress for coming up with a plan that is both bold and balanced enough to meet the demands of this moment.

CNN: Obama's remarks on signing the stimulus plan

At the moment, those new infections are almost balanced by 2.1m deaths.

ECONOMIST: Good news on treatment. Bad news on propaganda

For the moment, however, the big winners from the balanced-budget agreement are not ordinary Americans but tax accountants.

ECONOMIST: A fiscal failure

Even when pressed last Friday morning on the "Today" show about why he wasn't talking about his executive record, Gore didn't take the gimme moment in front of 6 million viewers about welfare reform, a balanced budget, free-trade agreements, low crime rates and newly protected wilderness areas.

CNN: The Lover vs. the Fighter

And while in theory there is bipartisan agreement on moving on balanced budgets, in practice, this responsibility for the future is often overwhelmed by the politics of the moment.

WHITEHOUSE: Weekly Address: Pay As You Go