"Some of the politicians talking about how to stop the spending crisis are the same politicians who, for many years, said there was no crisis. They're like forest creatures who denied there was a fire when everyone else could smell the smoke and hear the crackle. Then the flames roar in, and the politicians say, 'Follow me, I know the path out of the blaze!' It will be hard for them to win the trust that will get the American people to back a path out and through."