Ken Griffin

This is where we should be running a deficit of, you know, in the Clinton days we ran a surplus.

at this point in the business cycle.

We're now running a deficit of close to 6% to 7%, depending upon where a number of things land.

That is just completely irresponsible.

And so what's amazing is we're having a shutdown debate over, in the scheme of things, a relatively small amount of money.

And neither party is stepping up to the plate to deal with or grapple with the reality that the United States needs to endure a fair amount of fiscal reform to be on a path for long-term sustainability.

It's politically unpopular, and unfortunately, politics have gotten shorter and shorter and shorter in horizon.

Can you imagine that, like I said, in the Clinton days, they signed a budget with a surplus?

And yet, that was in our lifetime.

It's been a long time since we've seen that level of discipline in Washington around managing the affairs of the U.S.

economy.

I mean, you must also.

Like, we all have to worry about the level of debt we have in the United States.

The market is pretty cool about it.

The market is...

We'll look past it for a few years.

But if you go out with anybody to talk about what they worry about with respect to the U.S.

economy, the fiscal situation is almost always top of list.

So, you know, I think there's one thing to keep in mind, which is asset prices reflect a level of exuberance that we see today.

But I got to tell you, if you're out with anybody who's in the asset management business, top of list concerns...