I agree that paying down/off any debt that charges you interest is generally priority #1, and is the responsible thing to do, although the current economy may dictate otherwise in some people's circumstances. If you have a family, significant monthly expenses (mortgage, etc), no savings, and for some reason you knew you wouldn't have a job in, say, 3 months, I could understand entering into surivival mode and just saving every dime you could during that time. Such action should be temporary, and one should learn/resume responsible saving as soon afterward as feasible.
One of my good friends had a severe slowdown in his business, followed by a medical emergency that still has him unable to work. He actually stopped paying his credit cards over 6 months ago, because he didn't have enough to pay both his mortgage and the cards. Obviously his credit is trashed, and at this point he's just hoping not to lose his house, which would probably destroy his marriage. He understands that people like him bear much of the blame for the current credit crisis, but he's just trying to weather the storm and rebuild as much of his life as he can preserve.
