A Modest Proposal or a Missed Opportunity?

Maybe Frank Rich is on a roll this morning. Or maybe I'm just particularly receptive to his column because it was the first thing I read today.
At any rate, towards the end of his column he mentions one of the key moves of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration when it entered World War II: Establishing the War Bonds program to pay for the war. As Rich described it War Bonds both helped to fund the military effort and gave stateside civilians the sense that they were participating.
This struck me as a wonderful idea for our times, but then I wondered if it is too late. I remember letting my daughter dial in to pledge $100 to the September 11 fund a few years ago, as we watched that first televised concert after the tragedy. I know that at the time, if there had been a bond program to fund the fight against terrorism, I would have contributed.
But now, after three years of cynical lies from the Bush administration, I would not donate to any cause it was touting. My suspicion would be that the money would be misused.
Is my own cynicism the problem? Or is it the fact that the Bush asministration has been so disingenuous. We may never know.