Scientists at NASA were quick to point out that the Moon, which has a diameter of over 2,000 miles, had only shrunk by about 200 yards and in any case the shrinkage is the result of cooling volcanic action and therefore has nothing to do with United States budget policy. Nevertheless, Congressman Podsnap and other members of  his deficit-reduction caucus insisted that Americans needed to follow the Moon’s example and learn to get by on less.

“Sure, if you want to get all hung up on the science,” the congressman noted, “Then the facts don’t really back us up. But cutting the deficit isn’t about the facts. If it was, we’d end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. The point is, if people can get by with a little less moonlight  then they can also learn to get by with fewer schools, firehouses, streetlights and paved roads.”

Mr. Podsnap said that his colleagues believed further cuts in celestial objects would be necessary before the economic downturn ended. “Sure everyone likes to look up at the stars at night, but do we really need all those constellations? I mean, when was the last time you really looked at Ophiuchus? And who says we need eight planets? We downgraded Pluto and nobody seemed to notice. Stars and planets are just two of the luxuries we’re going to have to give up, along with hospitals, parks, garbage collection and Social Security. Those folks over in Greece didn’t want to give up any constellations and look what happened to them.”

Representative Podsnap scoffed  when reminded that scientists say there is absolutely no relationship between deficit reduction and the number of stars or planets in the heavens. “Yeah, I know what the scientists say,” he told reporters. “But we know how to deal with them – we’re cutting back on science, too.”