1.   As a federal spending program, Medicare now ranks fourth behind Social Security, defense and debt service.

2.   And Democrats say interest payments of hundreds of billions of dollars each year will continue to sap money that should be available for discretionary spending programs.

3.   And Pakistan cannot afford big social spending programs.

4.   And while the budget deficit has been reduced by cuts in some federal spending programs, Social Security payments and other entitlement outlays continue to rise.

5.   And while the deficit has been reduced by cuts in some federal spending programs, Social Security payments and other entitlement outlays continue to rise.

6.   As for her spending program, Mrs. Whitman is frank to admit it involves pain.

7.   As he reeled off one big spending program after another, voters could not help being concerned that Gore would spend the federal surplus before much of it materialized.

8.   As governor of Arkansas, Clinton was not known for proposing massive spending programs.

9.   Big spending programs have never been my priority.