Red ink : inside the high-stakes politics of the federal budget

**David Wessel, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter, columnist, and bestselling author of __In Fed We Trust__, dissects the federal budget: a topic that is fiercely debated today in the halls of Congress and the media, and yet is misunderstood by the American public.Now a __New York Times__ bestseller.**In a sweeping narrative about the people and the politics behind the budget, Wessel looks at the 2011 fiscal year (which ended September 30) to see where all the money was actually spent, and why the budget process has grown wildly out of control. Through the eyes of key people--Jacob Lew, White House director of the Office of Management and Budget; Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office; Blackstone founder and former Commerce Secretary Pete Peterson; and more--Wessel gives readers an inside look at the making of our unsustainable budget. David Wessel, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter, columnist, and bestselling author of In Fed We Trust , dissects the federal budget: a topic that is fiercely debated today in the halls of Congress and the media, and yet is misunderstood by the American public. Now a New York Times bestseller. In a sweeping narrative about the people and the politics behind the budget, Wessel looks at the 2011 fiscal year (which ended September 30) to see where all the money was actually spent, and why the budget process has grown wildly out of control. Through the eyes of key people--Jacob Lew, White House director of the Office of Management and Budget; Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office; Blackstone founder and former Commerce Secretary Pete Peterson; and more--Wessel gives readers an inside look at the making of our unsustainable budget. The Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter, columnist, and bestselling author of In Fed We Trust, dissects the federal budget in this New York Times bestseller. In a sweeping narrative about the people and the politics behind the budget--a topic that is fiercely debated today in the halls of Congress and the media, and yet is often misunderstood by the American public--Wessel looks at the 2011 fiscal year (which ended September 30) to see where all the money was actually spent, and why the budget process has grown wildly out of control. Through the eyes of key people, including Jacob Lew, White House In A Sweeping Narrative About The People And The Politics Behind The Budget, Wessel Looks At The 2011 Fiscal Year (which Ended September 30) To See Where All The Money Was Actually Spent, And Why The Budget Process Has Grown Wildly Out Of Control. Spending $400 Million An Hour -- How We Got Here -- Where The Money Goes -- Where The Money Comes From -- Why This Can't Go On Forever. David Wessel. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 193-194) And Index. Spending $400 million an hour How we got here Where the money goes Where the money comes from Why this can't go on forever Notes Bibliography Acknowledgements Index.