But Mr. Dukakis adopted more the tone of a Commander in Chief than of a Federal budget balancer.

"This is a budget balancer," Mr. Maddy said.

And yes, on paper, it took in $10.1 billion, and the budget balancers were glad.

Stalwart budget balancers from both parties quickly embraced revision of the CPI.

He presents himself as a budget balancer and a job creator, balancing the traditional Democratic concern with economic equity with a pledge of fiscal responsiblity.

Congress must act to reduce spending in future years to eliminate its reliance on the trust fund as a budget balancer.

This means the debate is no longer between budget balancers and the defenders of debt.

Every faction in the party can look to Reagan as its leader - the religious right, the tax cutters, the anti-regulators, the budget balancers, the defense spenders.

Americans in the second decade of the 21st century will not be happy when they look back at Houdini and his bipartisan budget balancers.

The budget balancer could explain that 'the necremental increase is such-and-such.'