A few years ago, Sen. Strom Thurmond called Sen. Kent Conrad the "numbers guy" from North Dakota. At that time, he was always somewhat conservative about the amount of spending and debt this country was cumulating. But as time changes, so do people.

Conrad has gone along with the FY 2009 appropriation bill ($410 billion), stimulus bill ($787 billion) and the FY 2010 proposed Obama budget ($3.69 trillion). So, over the years, being fiscally responsible works only when you oppose the other party that is in office.

The part that Conrad forgets is the conservative values of the people he is supposed to represent in North Dakota. This state is one of only four states operating in the black, and that is not by accident. It's because of the values and responsible people who are currently serving at the state level.

Conrad continues to push a liberal agenda that The Wall Street Journal titled "Kent for Rent." This piece noted Conrad's outrageous support of a practice called "reconciliation," whereby debate on contentious bills can be curtailed and the bill passed with only 51 affirmative votes, as opposed to the normal 60 votes. Conrad has signed in favor of using reconciliation to pass an additional $1 trillion on a health bill with no details about how this money will be funded.

Conrad no longer holds the trust and values of the people in North Dakota. To put this amount of debt on our kids, grandkids and their kids is not being fiscally responsible or being an adult.

The only numbers that we need to be counting at this time is the number of days until we can give him the same "goodbyes" as South Dakota gave Tom Daschle. It's time for change that we can trust.