美国人应该希望所有这些方面，尽管我对于能实现多少希望并不乐观。 更有可能的情况是美国采取得过且过的态度 — — 一方面为苦苦挣扎的学生和屋主提供不痛不痒的计划，一方面结束布什对富翁的减税政策，但又不进行全面的税收改革、不大幅削减防务支出，也不在全球变暖问题上争取重大进步。
Americans should hope for all of this, though I am not sanguine that they will get much of it.& More likely, America will muddle through – here another little program for struggling students and homeowners, there the end of the Bush tax cuts for millionaires, but no wholesale tax reform, serious cutbacks in defense spending, or significant progress on global warming.