hen the sonorous, deep-voiced Walter Cronkite, who personified the ideal anchor-man for an important network newscast, signed off saying "And that's the way it is", one felt far better informed about our world and the news than when we tuned in. Nowadays ABC, NBC and CBS with their early evening news broadcasts tell me very little more than superficially covering perhaps a half dozen news items in the half-hour broadcasts; they are usually entertaining mini-magazine shows, and frequently have no mention of the wars.

How can it be that we are engaged in two major wars at enormous cost to this country and to those who serve, and as a topic Afghanistan and Iraq are hardly mentioned. They are two of the longest and most costly of conflicts in this country's history. On the home front they are almost forgotten.

Vietnam almost tore the country apart, our current and continuing wars have become not much more than background noise.

I hope I'm misinformed, but frequently I think a majority of people have such personal and family worries that they give short-shrift to the wars at all. I think that the majority are concerned about their sports teams and what's going on in "Lost", or whose winning Biggest Loser or American Idol"

ot too many areas of agreement these days between Democrats and Republicans, "Bi-partisan" is a seldom accepted and used approach to tackle the nagging issues. The deficit is an important exception. A commission was established by President Obama's executive order. The commission has no executive power, but it has two fine men at the helm; Alan Simpson the former Senate Leader (Republican) and a Centrist Democrat Erskine Bowles of North Carolina.

Just a few days ago a nationwide poll revealed that 93% of respondents said that they are most concerned about growing deficits. Our representatives of the left and the right talk about getting the United States on a stable fiscal footing. How can they do this ?

How will we reduce our massive deficits without big cuts in some of the government run programs or gigantic tax increases. We have to find the way to take control of our economic future. Painful times are ahead. The politicians certainly have failed to explain how we are going to address the nation's future debt.

There are no fiscal rules nor, it would appear, political will to control spending, supported by lobbyists on Capitol Hill. They appear to be very well nourished.

Perhaps President Obama and the Democrats will succeed with the House vote on healthcare reform this Sunday - Maybe, just maybe one day soon, there will be far better healthcare for those who cannot afford insurance. That would be a good start.

More, soon,