And if that were not enough, America's love of the automobile has made proposals to tax gasoline a political nonstarter.

Inevitably, then, it appears at the moment to be a complete political nonstarter.

But what comes to mind for people like Mr. Love is a political nonstarter: imposing Canadian-style price controls.

But he acknowledges that this is a political nonstarter.

Professor Kotlikoff says that closing the fiscal gap entirely from income taxes is "a political nonstarter" and may be "economically ruinous."

Many say the proposal is a political nonstarter.

The suggestion - to cap deductions at $300,00 instead of $1 million - seems like a political nonstarter.

In any event, they insist, any welfare initiative that offers cash without strings is a political nonstarter.

"A political nonstarter," states Al Hunt ( Capital Gang ).

Discouraging belt-and-suspenders coverage by eliminating tax breaks for health insurance seems a political nonstarter.