Message to Dems and Repubs: Your politicians have not payed of their debts in full since 1958, Get themback to the Damned table. They have a long overdue job to do.

As someone who became "rich" through extraordinary effort, long work hours and no vacations for multiple years as a business owner, I am tired of people saying "tax" me more. All the while I rose at 5:30 am. while the majority of the universe slept, never purchased a home I couldn't afford, never ate enough to become 300 pounds, was honorable in business relations, and "made it."

I am extremely philanthropic and have handed out checks to friends in need, multiple organizations serving the underserved, donated to educational foundations trying to pull our kids up to compete, but guess what...I am tired of witnessing a society of sheer laziness.

The bottom line is...the US work ethic sucks, thus jobs are sent elsewhere, I see why. The buck has to stop somewhere, because the top tier can't and won't carry the load anymore. If you have an entitled hand out, please flip it over and put it to work instead...do something...building, creating, giving to others...healthy shame is a good thing.

Heya Mrs. Pelosi....where is the dad gum buget for the past two years while you were the Speaker of the House ?

Nah, don't answer.....you cannnot remember that far back.

Time to "drain the swamp", and I suppose you cannot even handle that.

You can't expect lower taxes after 2 wars,and unprecedented bank and corporate bailouts.

Over 50 years of American debt, You became rich while your country passed the buck on to yet another generation.

Pass the buck is no longer an option. Your grand-kids don't deserve this crap.

Both parties suck. My wallet isn't yours so get your hand out of it. Cut spending and live within a budget. We hired, elected, you to do a job so do it.

Independent thought-- where do you get off thinking you are the only one who worked hard. I got up at 5:30 in morning, worked two jobs, educated myself, raised three (tax-paying) kids. Just because I didn't get "rich," you have no right to feel even one bit superior to me. If you were lucky (yes, lucky) enough to have your hard work pay off financially, guess what, pay your taxes. Big of you to be philanthropic. So am I. But I also realize my obligation is not always giving what and to whom I choose. And Joe, the tax part of your wallet belongs to society. Get over it.

No surprise...typical rage.

Until these buffoons show that they can cut a significant amount from the federal "illegal borrow & spend plan" there is no reason to consider tax increases for anyone.

They receive more tax revenue than any time in history.

They are spending more money than any time in history.

They are amassing more debt quicker than any time in history.

STOP THE OVERSPENDING. Once that is in stone, then we can look at where tax increases might help without doing damage.

For you liberal idiots, the top 2% don't have enough to make the difference - the majority of tax revenue missing due to the Bush cuts came from the middle class. So if you want a tax increase, that is where the money is going to come from. Yeah, do a little homework before you spew your hate and BS.

You want a budget we can live with? Stop corporate loopholes and other tax dodges, stop corporate welfare, stop getting into wars--especiall two and three at a time.

AND DON'T FORGET

we want to be paid a percentage on the value of ALL precious metals & natural resources harvested or extracted from our soil, not ($1.00 a year "Lease Payments")by foreign corporations.

I think we & our Treasury deserve an extra 10-50 Billion that we have left on the table far too long.

@ Independent
Thought

I have a few
choice words for what you posted just there. But rather than sink low, I'll be
nice. yes you probably worked hard, yes you probably made smart choices. But
you also probably went for a career in business, finance or accounting. Guess
what? Those are choices, key word CHOICES, that can set you up to be wealthy.
But that doesn't mean that someone else who makes the CHOICE to be a teacher,
homemaker, coal miner, police officer, is lazy and deserves to be admonished
like children.

I personally
have worked extremely hard and made as prudent of choices that I could. But I
tell you what, I don't NEED to be wealthy, I NEED to be happy. And that means
that I am going to do what I damn well please for a career whether or not it
makes me wealthy. But my CHOICE does not mean that I appreciate you looking
down on me as if your money somehow makes you a better person.

You could, however, not complain when people ask you to chip in and help out in a time of
need. By definition of being rich, you are one of the few people left in this
country who can afford it! I'm glad you're so philanthropic,
good for you. But I can't stand to hear rich people whine about us
"punishing your success" when CHILDREN ARE STARVING IN THIS COUNTRY.
I would gladly punish your success if it means that all children could get 3
square meals a day. Hunger is on the rise. That is a fact. Google "hunger
in" if you don't believe me.

And yes, taxes can help pay for it because guess what? Just because you are charitable,
doesn't mean every rich person is. And even they have a responsibility NOT TO
LET CHILDREN STARVE whether they like it or not. Because Lord knows, the last
thing those children can depend on is the kindness of strangers. And yet, they
still need to eat. And so the government could (and should) tax all of you just
a little more. They should tax me more for that matter. I'm not rich, but I
make a decent living, so I would GLADLY pay more.

Moral of thestory? Grow up. Just be cause you are rich does not make you a good person.
Meanwhile people are actually suffering and your whining is not helping to
convince Conservatives to use our taxes wisely. Rather, they are CHOOSING to accommodateYOU rather than help these kids. Just think about that for one minute.

Paul, sorry, but your statements are inaccurate. Tax revenues in constant dollar values in 2010 are down 11% from what they were in 2005. Money is being spent on wars and bail outs that would not be necessary if tax cuts for billionaires and unfunded wars had not happened. Federal expenditures in 2010 were less than they were in 2009. (Information found in a chart produced by the Tax Policy Center.)

Independent Thought,

The American work ethic does not suck.

Your view of your fellow Americans that you claim to have gotten rich off of is what sucks.

You and your ilk are what is bringing this Nation down with your right-wing holier than thou attitude toward your fellow Americans.

The bottom line... if you don't want to contribute your FAIR SHARE as due in our progressive tax system, then get the hell out of here.

S

OMG! The Dems forgot to give the Republican Whiner's Party a bigger tax deduction FIRST along with all the cutback placed on the backs of middle class, poor, elderly, and disabled persons in order to accommodate the elite tax loopholes. You can't have tax deductions and cutbacks without the presence of revenue income. That is just plain simple arithmetic. If there is to be a balance in cut backs, a balance with income revenue, and no default on payment of a debt (started unequivocally by Bush's two unpaid wars, tax deductions, pharmaceutical breaks, etc.), then there must be an increase of revenue/monetary growth. We're sick and tired of the wealthy and Republicans' self-serving childish behavior with demands and walkouts. It's about time for the wealthy to start paying their way by raising their taxes accordingly, and to eliminate all the tax loopholes for the wealthy only. Documented results have shown those original Bush tax deductions were a complete 100% failure and did not create additional new jobs. But more jobs did go overseas and still are in order to hide from paying U.S. taxes as-well-as to accrue a much higher company profit without any taxes paid. The Top Twelve U.S. Fortune 500 Corporate Companies pay an effective -1.5 (notice that's a NEGATIVE folks) in taxes after all the loopholes, while the Wealthy Individuals on the average are paying out an effective 18% or MUCH LOWER in taxes after all their loopholes. THE TAX LOOPHOLES MUST BE CLOSED FOREVER. If the Republican Congress pulls this default stunt by walking out on responsibilities, there will never be one single Republican supported by my family and many others ever again. And this is not a dare or a threat. It is a promise! Furthermore, the Republicans need to stop their trite, rhetorical, diatribe about how the middle class, poor, elderly, and disabled people just want to steal the money from the wealthy elite. Because raising the taxes to a fair and balanced share without the elite loopholes is not stealing. Without the support of those last four groups, the big corps would not be where they are today, if it were not for the long, hard working efforts of the middle class and poor workers (earning low wages in an inflated and expensive economy) while providing huge profits for those big companies. So don't use the B.S. excuses about how many poor people hire workers or supply the paychecks. It just a bunch of B.S. for the elite to twist around saying otherwise. And finally, all of Congress should be required to pay into both the SS and Medicare programs while working in their political positions. No more double dipping by the upper Government management positions(locally, State, or National), either. All should be required to pay into their retirement pensions, health care, etc. If the active duty military can pay into SS and Medicare, then so too, can those in Congress. However, please note that military serving in war zones are not required to pay any income tax during their fighting overseas, which is the least we can do for their protecting us at home. Thanks to the many servicemen working hard with great sacrifice to truly serve their country with great pride, honor, and much respect.

And to both political parties, it's about time that you spend money for what you can pay for at the time. (Republicans: Bush and his Republican Congress sure didn't understand that concept, which is why we are in this current mess along with all the citizens holding unpaid duplicate, triplicate, etc. credit card holders. )

And to the Republicans and wealthy diatribe mantra (i.e. on paying their fair share of taxes, etc.):

An old cliche says, "You may fool some of the people all the time, or all of the people some of the time; but never all of the people all of the time!" Or try this: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice , shame on me."

Message to Barack Obama: You have 2 more years to fix the economy or YOU"RE "FIRED". No more excuses, no more and's, if's or but's.

Barack Obama said 9 days after sworn in as president that "if I don't fix the economy in 3 years, you should'nt re-elect me." We should all take him seriously at his word. That was his very promise.

And what about the do NOTHING GOP congress?

ALL spending bills must originate in the GOP controlled House of Representatives. States that little law in the US Constitution.

There is NO way to solve the budget mess by taxing the "rich"... it will not stop the madness by this administration... why tax them, just to throw more money away.... they can't even account for the money they have already spent... no budget.... no brains....the free rides over.. time to wake up!

Are you sure you aren't confused with GEORGE BUSH and the TARP PROGRAM which he used to bail out his cronies on Wall Street and in the Banking Industry????

Increasing taxes to fund your party's pet initiatives isn't serving the public interest. The federal government is bloated out of control and each party maintains individual party voter loyalty by spend, spend, spend. I am pretty sure this is NOT what the founding fathers wanted out of the federal government.

They are not asking for tax cuts - they are telling democrats NO TAX INCREASES - only a complete fool would raise taxes during a double-dip recession.

Of course the democrats are proving to be quite idiotic.

Paul, then how are you going to pay off the debt if you can't raise the revenue to do it with. The problem with the recession (besides the corporatists' unwillingness to pay taxes) is that revenues are down--because of the recession and the Bush tax cuts--and we are funding wars at two or three billion dollars a week for the last ten years. Cutting benefits in Social Security won't do anything because that is not part of the national debt and it pays its own way. Cutting medicare will take more money out of people's pockets than would be taken if we have to look at taxes. We need to increase revenues, we need to stop the billions going to the corporatists who are profiting from these two wars. Beating up the middle class will only make things worse.

"They are not asking for tax cuts - they are telling democrats NO TAX INCREASES - only a complete fool would raise taxes during a double-dip recession.

Only a complete fool would slash a trillion dollars of the federal budget in a single year during a double dip recession. Can you say massive increases in unemployment figures and loss of consumer confidence? Cause that's whats going to happen if the budget cuts go through. We would be lucky if people only rioted in the streets.

Besides. taxes are lower than they have ever been in 50+ years. Capital Gains tax and Estate Taxes are also at some of their lowest amounts as well. When you start slashing your revenue stream, then suddenly state that "Maybe we should cut spending to make up the shortfall", don't be surprised that people start saying to raise the taxes back to what they were before.

I'm sure that the poor ol' rich people can afford to pay their proper share of the tax burden, especially since these days, they pay even less taxes than a just graduated college student working on his first career job.

To Paul F:

To quote you:

"They are not asking for tax cuts - they are telling democrats NO TAX INCREASES - only a complete fool would raise taxes during a double-dip recession. Of course the democrats are proving to be quite idiotic."

So do tell, just what do you call those several tax cuts for the wealthy that were demanded first by the Republicans before approving of other critical items on the agenda this past Dec. 2010 (i.e. tax cuts on inherited properties, a continued 2 year Bush tax cut extension for the wealthy, new businesses tax cuts, etc., etc. All of which occurred during the Recession)??? I'd call that a very short memory on your part, or is it just another twisted mantra coming from a Republican. Also, where have you been when the Republican Congressmen have been calling for the Bush tax cuts to be made permanent for the wealthy ?? Then at the end of your comment, you are calling the Democrats idiotic!?!?! Reserve the plaque for Republicans with comments just like yours. "There are none so blind as those who won't see." OR, An old cliche says, "You may fool some of the people all the time, or all of the people some of the time; but never all of the people all of the time!" Or try this: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice , shame on me."

Bush tax cuts should be made permanent to everyone. It doesnt make sense when liberals say "Bush tax cuts for the wealthy" when in fact the tax cuts were for everyone. It would lend some credence to your posts if you guys would offer to increase the taxes on yourselves but its almost always tax someone else. Warren Buffet gets kudos for saying "I should be taxed more." But then again, in this situation, I am reminded that they are free to give Uncle Sam as much as they want. I doubt Uncle Sam will refuse it.

The liberals are absolutely obsessed with successful people.

Raise ALL taxes. Eliminate ALL loop holes.

Happy now. I've said the same thing for 3 yrs.

AZ, tax cuts for the middle or lower class don't amount to much individually. they might only get a few extra dollars every paycheck, maybe a couple of hundred dollars over a year. every little bit helps if you are counting your pennies, but the corporations and the rich get loopholes and tax cuts worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. W. took the surplus that Clinton left the country, and gave it, yes, to the rich. then he started two wars, one of them illegal. never in the history of this country have we gone to war without raising taxes. this is a part of the small price we pay when we go to war to help pay for it.

not raising taxes in a double dip recession might be a good idea, if we weren't involved in several wars, and if our economy was in good shape. republicans love to talk about how households cut their spending on other things if they have debt, but if given an opportunity to take in more money, they would do that also.

balancing a budget is not only about cutting spending, it is also about increasing revenue. the republicans have absolutely refused to put everythiing on the table. acting like children, they leave the room when the discussion turns to something they don't like.

i hope that all of you who want only to cut spending will be happy to give up social security and medicare, even if you are 55 and older.

Geez! Where we were you when Bush doubled the debt in one year in 2008? We could have saved this problem

Followed by BO... need I say more.....

Bush started with a national deficit of 56.4% and ended with a deficit of 83.4%

The fact is that the national deficit has been reduced by every single Democratic president since Roosevelt and Truman. The increases have come only from fiscally "conservative" Republican presidents, like Reagan (increased it by 20%), George HW Bush (Increase by 16%) and george W Bush (increase of about 28%)

This is what having a good propaganda outlet like Fox News does for you. The less people know about the simple facts, the more confused they are about what its true, and the better off the Republicans are.

Republicans ruin the economy. Democrats restore it. That is the historical pattern, again and again.

Bush? lol One liberal below says stop blaming the president (Obama) since presidents do not make the budgets. Then these liberals in the #3 thread says its Bush's fault. Do you guys at least agree that blaming Obama is bad and blaming Bush is good or something? Is that it? In 2008 the Dems controlled BOTH houses. You know, the ones that make the budget??

You mean that "imaginary" money that's paid in WELFARE to the rich and big business? And what about all that "imaginary" money that Bush spent? Good ol' Bush! And his partner in crime, Dick Cheney, "Deficits don't matter!" It's funny how conservatives conveniently "forget" who rang the bill in the FIRST PLACE!!!

@Sandy

Both parties suck, both parties are to blame and neither party is working in the public interest.

Actually, the increases you crow about are Democrat controlled congresses. Republicans may have held the White House, but Democrats made and passed those overspending budgets.

But nice try. I bet your idiot liberal friends believe you.

"Both parties suck, both parties are to blame and neither party..... "

Tell the rest of the truth as long as you started...

The ONE thing that unites the 2 party system is the real threat to their "captive audience" by a strong 3rd party & this 3rd Party has to have strength which is found in grass roots desire or demands unmet.

The Republican Party just showed the country how to Co-opt a rising threat to their power, they stole the name & deflated the movement thru fracture, divide & conquer

first it was the "NeoCon's" theft/purchase of the Rep. brand & then the "TEA Party, 12 yrs. later !

The other deception are the 2 realities of Taxation.

You & I are not concerned with how much we are taxed, what WE are concerned with is how much we keep AFTER taxes, not how much you pay.

By promoting propaganda that focuses on how much in taxes the rich pay in %, Republicans distract you from seeing how much they keep in $$$.

Pretty simple stuff people.... coalesce, put it together, WTFU

Really, Paul, are you forgetting that from 2001 through 2006 Republicans controlled both houses of Congress and the Presidency - and set records on deficits, and nearly doubled the National Debt! That's what uncontrolled "Borrow and Spend" conservatism gets you.

The real boom era was the late '90s, when Republican/Democrat rivalry in the House kept spending in check, and the threat of a veto prevented any rash tax cuts. It ended with a budget surplus - that was promptly squandered by an unfettered Republican rule.

Just put the Capital Gains taxes back to their previous levels - that would generate more revenue for the federal government and might put a dampener on the runaway speculation that we currently have.

To Paul F:

To quote you:

"Actually, the increases you crow about are Democrat controlled congresses. Republicans may have held the White House, but Democrats made and passed those overspending budgets. But nice try. I bet your idiot liberal friends believe you."

Now go back and check your history book 101 again as to what parties were in control of Congress during all 8 years that Bush was in the White House before you spout off like the idiot that you are so quick to call others. Republicans controlled all 3 houses for the first 6 years when the surplus was used up and the huge deficit began with the two unpaid wars, etc.

and if you look back in history, from nixon on, the republicans are responsible for the deficit.

Smartypants is right. The focus seems to be in the wrong spot if you are looking at the income taxes. The rich do not really have income, they have investments. And those are taxed at the capital gains rates, which I believe is currently 15%.

Independent Thinker....what surplus? Did we really have one or was that surplus a projection if the dot-com boom continued and 9/11 never happened? That was all accounting gimmicks. We were still $5T in debt at the time. If the wars were such a sore spot for you liberals, then why did almost half of the Dems in congress vote for the Iraq war?

AZC their was a surplus left. Bush let 9/11 happen. Repug are very good that accounting gimmicks. Iraq war was do to lie from Bush. Your need to get your facts right.

the democrats are more than willing to cut spending. but it is never enough for the republicans. you mention increasing taxes 100% like other republicans here have done. no one wants to take all of the rich's money.

you mention raising taxes 100% as if the democrats aren't willing to make spending cuts. the democrats have more than met their cuts. the republicans don't want to bring anything to the table. they want to get rid of unions, medicare and social security.

the debt that the republican party has put us in could be working in their favor.

Right because cutting grandma's SS pension and raising the retirement age is going to cut the deficit. That was the Commissions recommendations. Someone doesn't listen very well.

You guys all forget that it is not the President that comes up with a budget. It's the House and Senate that come up with them. The President tries to influence the budget, but it's the House and Senate that come up with them and the President who decides whether or not to vetoe. So, criticizing the President for not coming up with a budget is just pis- - g in the wind. If you want to criticize, then criticize your congressional representatives for not coming up with a budget. Sheesh!

I am tired of hearing the same old line, whatever goes wrong in this country, blame falls on President Obama. He did not walk out of a deficit reduction meeting, Republicians did!! How can anyone lead in an evironment, where the Repubicians are more concern about replacing him than reducing the deficit. The party of "No"!! Their mantral is not too negotiate on anything they don't like. It's there way or the highway. The haters which includes Cellisis, reflects the rampant Republician ignorance in this country. The racist jokes, emails by the Republician party and the lack of respect shown for President Obama. No previous president has ever been disrespected more than Obama. I don't approved of every decision made by President Obama but I respect what he has done to the present, considering the mess that past President Bush left the country. I am ashame to state that I was once a Repubician.

The issue is not about cutting. You can't cut your way out of a bad economy. If you don't have income, it does not matter what you cut.

US Corporations were given huge tax breaks under Bush in order to correct a minor recession, and they proceeded to send millions of American jobs overseas, anyway.

We need to restore those taxes, and we need to tax the very wealthy and reduce the huge gap in this country between the rich and the middle class. The middle class has born the tax burden for too long. The wealthy must assume their share.

The Republicans are the party of wealthy corporate America. They have been fighting for corporate interests and against the little guy for decades.

Wow! A lot of people here must have Doctorates in Economics, because they're as sure as they are dumb that cutting spending programs is the only way to balance the budget.

Everyone who's sticking to the line that spending cuts need to account for 100% of the negotiations, do us all a favor and pull your heads out of your a$$es.

The reality is that we need spending cuts and tax increases before the whole damn thing implodes. Some people in here are such Repiggie a$$ sniffers that they refuse to acknowledge that the full culmination of Bush's tax cuts and financial deregulation is our current financial crisis.

Go look in the mirror and ask yourself who should pay the price for getting us out of this financial quagmire? It sure as hell won't be me; I didn't put us in this hole.

Heck, I'm so innocent, I didn't even buy a home during the housing bubble because being the son of a realtor I knew what was coming. I'm not a banking executive, I don't work on Wall Street, I don't run a business, and I don't live beyond my means. I'm not an underwater homeowner who took on too much home without thought; I live in a condo that's worth $60,000 because that's what I could afford without sacrificing a lifestyle that I want to enjoy.

So why should I suffer? Why should I have to live in a country where we slash science spending because it doesn't fit someone else's priorities? Why should I have to live in a nation where we stop funding for Arts and Humanities projects? Why should I have to live in a country where we're cutting funding for national parks?

Why should I have to live in a country where I'm supposed to believe that cutting spending is the only way out?

Why should I have to have my lifestyle affected by spending cuts on things that I enjoy.

I pay taxes like everyone else here. IN FACT, as a single male I pay a larger percentage of my income to income taxes than people who make ten times as much as me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So for all of you, CUT SPENDING people. Blow it out your backsides!!!!!!

If I wanted to hear what you have to offer I'd bend over and fart!

SCHIP kid health care running at 95% fraud

Wow! Great statistics. I can also pull numbers out of a hat. Like, "that statement is 100% bologna."

@jpecorel

You are only partially correct. Congress passes bills that become law. It is the president's responsibility to propose a budget that funds running the government bureaucracy and fund the bills/laws passed by Congress. Congress often spends more than was in the budget request and combined with earmarks really screws up the whole budget process. Many laws are also unfunded mandates imposed on the sovereign states by the federal government.

While the GOP is doing a bit of grandstanding for their own benefit the message is correct. We can't go on forever spending and taxing. The problem is we have all gotten used to the federal nanny government. Nobody wants to give up their own government funded benefit but are happy for the other guy to do so. There may be no fixing it until we become the next Greece or Ireland.

I know some of you are thinking we can fix this in another election cycle or two but the reality is that both political parties are so entrenched new members of congress have little hope significant change. We'll continue to see Democratic and GOP posturing and in the end they will avert the crisis that will put us further into debt or raise taxes or maybe a bit of both.

This brings up the point that the founding fathers in the original Articles of Confederation and later in the Constitution, viewed the central government as a necessary evil, my slight spin, to make sure all the states played nice with each other and to provide for a common defense. The idea was always that the states maintain their individual sovereignty in the majority of issues. That makes so much sense because the feds can't ever come up with a one size fits all program and except for a few rare cases every one of their programs are costly boondoggles and failures.

Taxing the rich does not improve the middle class, it only empowers a completely irresponsible government and the dependent class.

for david k

You don't have to live in a country that needs desperately to cut unnecessary spending. You can leave and don't let the door hit you in the a$$.

Joe,

Yes you are correct and I was just trying to economize with the words. However, I agree with your conclusions. Spending and Taxes both need to be initiated to correct this economic mess. The problem is who is going to suffer the cuts and who is going to suffer the tax increases. That's what all the bickering is about. Congress doesn't want an equitable solution, and until they submit to the fact that only an equitable solution will resolve the problem, we are stuck.

Well, if you're serious about tackling the deficit, then how do you feel about a tax raise? That is one way to reduce the deficit. Or were you not serious?

Personally I'd like to see an end to 3 wars (I don't know what we're doing there anyway), close corporate tax loopholes, raise taxes on the top 2%, cut military spending, start switching over to green energy and institute major infrastructure jobs programs. Then after all that we could talk about middle class tax raises. Hopefully they will have enough jobs to where they could afford it by then.

Everyone seems to have conveniently forgotten that the deficit commission was unable to publish an offical report because they could not reach a majority consensus on the recommendations. The ones who agreed with the plan they came up with put it out there as if it had been passed, but the ones who did not agree did not sign on to it, so the plan that was released was not ever the "official plan".

To Cellisis:

Some on this site need to grow up with both eyes open! Just where does your expertise come from?

Jerry-450071

To quote you:

"Obama doubled the food stamp budget and with the SCHIP kid health care running at 95% fraud Obama doubled the budget and Schumer increased the qualification to $88,000/year to take care of his constituency."

Please get your facts straight. It was not $88K as you stretched it out to be. How about $64K for a fact? Read the article:

"Millions in middle-class could get Medicaid - Health - Health care" on the web site:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43490650/ns/health-health_care/

Be careful that some day that you aren't homeless walking around without shoes, or some serious health issue. There's an old saying: What goes around, comes back around.

They get it. They're helping themselves and their wealthy donors to an ever bigger portion of the pie.

@Say

Childish games the republicans and democrats play. They have been posturing like this for decades and they are both at fault.

So let's look at that.

The top-earning 5 percent of taxpayers (AGI over $159,619), however, still paid far more than the bottom 95 percent. The top 5 percent earned 34.7 percent of the nation's adjusted gross income, but paid approximately 58.7 percent of federal individual income taxes.

So you are 100% wrong about the un-taxed status nonsense.

Next - if it isn't the wealthy who provide jobs, can you explain all the millionaires created by Microsoft, Google, Facebook and the myriad of American companies employing Americans?

Paul F: You seem to have bought hook, line, and sinker into the drivel that is trickle down economics. Demand drives the economy, and without a healthy middle class there is no demand for products that American companies produce. Furthermore, it is small businesses, not the mega-corporations, that are the backbone of the American economy.

You need to go to a psychiatrist with that fetish.

I fantasize about her all the time.

But you supported the Wisconsin 14 when marched out of state and threw their hissy fit?

Well toasty you now know what they think, LOL. They are not the brightest bulbs in the pack.

Yes, return when sanity again reigns!

Please quit whining dems. When you had the presidency, and both house and senate you couldn't pass a tax hike because you couldn't get enough dems to vote for it. What do you not understand, we have enough revenue coming in, we need to cut spending in all areas including waste in medicare and defense. Nancy Pelosi go get another botox injection and shut up.

Pelosi got $20 million richer last year while the rest of us peons went through a recession. She can afford more botox.

AZChzhd, you are a case in point when it comes to the impact of propaganda.

Nancy Pelosi and her husband are business owners who pay their taxes. In 2009, Pelosi made about $100,000 in book sales and about $223,000 salary as speaker of the house. She and her husband own vineyards valued anywhere from $5 million to $25 million, and a home that has been valued from $1 mil to $5 mil. Paul Pelosi owns stock that also fluctuates greatly in value.

Her net worth and the changes in it are nothing but guesstimates, and that figure of $20 million is what you call BS. If you look at the range that the Center for Responsive Politics uses to estimate her wealth, they put it at between negative $7 million to $158 million. In other words, they don't know.

I really don't care how much someone makes. What I care about is, are they paying their fair share of taxes. These Tea-partiers are a bunch of rich people who don't want to pay. They bought their way into Congress, their campaigns paid for by other rich people who also don't want to pay.

And yahoos like you think they have your interests at heart. They could not possibly care less about you and your problems. All they care about is how easily they can manipulate you. The answer is, pretty easily.

Yahoo's like me? You dont know a damn thing about me. All that you wrote was all fine and dandy and I really dont care. I was simply stating that she could afford more botox. Whats your problem? I didnt call anything BS in there.

The thing about yahoo's like me is that we dont expect the government to care for us. And we dont want them too. I am for less government, less taxes,and very little government interference so how could it manipulating if I already agree with what they are peddling?

Pelosi got $20 million richer last year while the rest of us peons went through a recession. She can afford more botox.

^^^ A stab about the rich getting richer from someone who apparently supports the camp that thinks raising taxes on the rich is wrong. Who's the peon?

Actually it was a stab at the hypocritical rich like Pelosi who spend taxpayer money on six-figure bar tabs while she gets richer and richer, and then vilifies rich people.

If you look at the net worth of Dems vs Reps you will find the Dems are doing just fine, and Obama is good buddies with the GE CEO, who slipped out of paying very big tax bills - liberals providing tax breaks to their richie rich friends, Pelosi providing waivers to that great Obamacare, etc...

Pelosi is a drunk and a hypocrite. I think that was his point.

Wrong again 47% don't pay income taxes, that does not mean they don't pay any taxes what so ever. The 47% pay property tax, sales tax and every other tax but because their income is so low their income isn't taxed. I am so tired of that right wing lie. Oh and btw, they also still manage to pay more taxes then billionaires.

So, because some people don't pay taxes, it's all right for the mega rich not to pay taxes? Where is the real problem? Get real.

English isn't your first language is it or do you lack reading skills? The only ones not paying taxes are the rich, everyone else pays taxes including the poorest of the poor. The poor are only exempt from paying an income tax because their income is so low, that does not mean they are not paying taxes. Income tax is not the only way government raises tax dollars.

The tax code is definitely in need of revamping. I would be totally in favor of a flat tax as long as it absorbs the SS and Medicare taxes as well.

Well, that drew out the typical socialist lefties. Throw a few facts at them and let them start with the name calling and broad statements without a single piece of evidence to back 'em up.

The great myth that the socialists like to throw out there is that the rich pay no taxes. Hah! Tell you what, why don't you step up and volunteer to trade tax bills with Mr. Soros, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, or any CEO in this country? Wait, why not? Oh, because you couldn't pay the $1M plus that they pay? Ok..

From a US treasury memo CIRCA 2005: "...[A] small group of higher-income taxpayers pay most of the individual income taxes each year. In 2002, the latest year of available data, the top 5 percent of taxpayers paid more than one-half (53.8 percent) of all individual income taxes, but reported roughly one-third (30.6 percent) of income."

Sounds like Fair Share to me.

Cy they don't paid (53.8%) they pay (17 %) that is the facts.

Cy they don't paid (53.8%) they pay (17 %) that is the facts.

Hey Palmquist - I don't know where you get your 'facts' but please post some links.

Here's mine:

usgovinfo(dot)about.com/od/incometaxandtheirs/a/whopaysmost.htm

ntu(dot)org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html

npr(dot)org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125997180

If you will notice with Greece, the emphasis is to privatize as quickly as possible all government services. That is what the repugs have been trying to do here. Greece is at risk of defaulting, so privatize. Guess what. If Congress puts us in the same place as Greece by putting us a risk of defaulting because they can't come up with a budget that treats all parties (Corporations and individuals) the same, then you will see the same outcome--privatize all government services a quickly as possible: Social Security, Medicare, Food and Drug Admin, Armed Services, emergency aid, etc, etc. Privatization will make us all poor and will make the multi-national corporations even richer than they alreay are. Will that make you happy?

Ah no Obama don't have the power, the presidents power is very limited by the Constitution. What happened with Bush was he had enough GOP senators and congress to allow him more power then he had as stated in the Constitution as well as the Supreme Court stacked with Republican sympathizers that refused to take cases against Bush. If Obama tried what Bush did he would be facing impeachment charges.

whomitmay what planet are you on, the dems have been in charge of congress since 2006, both houses. Obama has tried do you not remember health care (obamacare). How about Libya if you are dropping bombs or firing missiles that is hostile acts yet no going to congress to state his case per the War Powers Act. Talk about disregard to the constitution. But I guess you don't see it that way.

Again another one that doesn't know civics. The Democratic party had a majority in both houses, in the senate they needed a super majority of 60, there were 58 Democratic members there were 2 independents who can choose which side they vote on. To break a filibuster 60 votes are needed.

The rest I'm not commenting on because all the facts are not in on the subject. All we know right now is the GOP is crying foul and the media is offering opinions but until more comes out about whats going on I'm not playing that game.

they were able to get enough idiots in the Senate to vote for Obamacare, which will bankrupt the US.

Is anyone here intelligent enough to offer up something fruitful? Things like "Obamacare" and some bull$hit about "War Powers Act" make you sound two bits short of a byte.

This is what's truly wrong with American politics. People who are given a voice, but not intelligent mature enough to use it productively.

Flat tax is an even bigger tax give away then what is already in place. It also hurts the worker because with all the taxes on The workers pay check the flat tax would further cut into his pay check meaning he would have less spending dollars then currently.

And you never will. . . .

Yeah, right. . . bills that help the working class, that help get the recovery going. You forget, in spite of the severity of this recession, the economy is still growing--sluggisly, but nevertheless still growing. Pretty damn good if you ask me. Don't forget the old business axiom: you have to spend money to make money. If you want to stop growth, then don't spend anymore money. If you want the economy to recover and grow, you need to spend money. Simple.

But when you run out of other people's money to spend, you are back at square one only deeper in debt. I saw the "charts" showing wonderful growth using artificially inflated stimulus in 2009 to prop up the economy. Now all that money is drying up and here we are again, on that slippery slope down. Just how long do you think we can throw money at the problem before we realize we are broke and we have to pay the piper? Funny thing is, our administration is giving China stimulus money just so they can lend it back to us with interest. This is the kind of crap our tax dollars go to.

Because of no jobs bill pass. State Government are lying of people because they don't want to tax the rich. China didn't get stimulus money but a good lie your spin. Your want Obama to fail. Middle class are waking up and they are mad the GOP are distroying them.

This is what the GOP are up to:

List of Your
Republicans Leaders in the new 112th Congress sign to Grover Norquist’s
Controversial Americans For Tax Reform Pledge

Posted by FREDERICA CADE ⋅ December 29,
2010 ⋅ 26
Comments

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. Grover Norquist group American for Tax
Reform and the United State Commerce both oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.

“Chamber president Thomas Donohue has turned the organization into a key ally of the Bush-era corporate agenda that has
empowered Big Business at the expense of workers. The Chamber has made
opposition to the Employee Free Choice
Act its top priority.”

Alliance for Worker Freedom is an arm of American for Tax Reform. American for
Tax Reform is a group that seeks to limit the federal government’s ability to
protect workers and consumers and ensure economic fairness.

“We’re going to crush labor as a
political entity.” –Grover Norquist, founder and president of ATR

American Tax Reform is a group that
opposes all taxes and promotes limited government. Grover Norquist, President
has a questionable history with this group. ATR group calls themself a 501
(c)(4) group. This means they are a
non-profit lobbyist organization in which all donations made to the group are
considered tax-deductible but wait a second the The Americans for Tax Reform
Foundation is a 501(c)(3). Supposedly under 501(c)(3).

The ATR Foundation is used for research and educational organization, and
all contributions to the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation are tax-deductible
as allowed by federal laws.

Americans for Tax Reform’s mission statement: “ATR opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle. We believe in a
system in which taxes are simpler, fairer, flatter, more visible, and lower
than they are today. The government’s power to control one’s life derives
from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized… ATR serves as
a national clearinghouse for the grassroots taxpayers’ movement by working with
approximately 800 state and county level groups.”

Would you be surprised that I could find very little on the American Tax Reform
Foundation.

Well I did find a complaint: Norquist used either or both ATR and ATR
Foundation as commercial enterprises by laundering money derived from Indian
casino clients of former lobbyist and convicted felon Jack Abramoff.

The casinos made contributions to
ATR, which then skimmed a fee off the
top before passing the money on to former Christian activist Ralph Reed and
other anti-gambling activists. In this way, Norquist, Reed and Abramoff were able to disguise the fact that the
money used to fund anti-gambling activities was generated through Indian
gambling. The point of the anti-gambling campaigns was to prevent competition
to the Indian casinos.

Americans For Tax Reform Pledge, Which Requires Signers To

Vote Against Tax Increases. [Americans For Tax Reform, Accessed 10/8/10]

2010 Vote

To Close Tax Loopholes For Companies That Ship Jobs Overseas Seen

As Violation Of Pledge. Signers of ATR’s Pledge are Committed to
Supporting

Tax Breaks for Companies Outsourcing American Jobs.

Americans for Tax Reform has stated that it is a violation of their pledge
to support ending tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas. [Americans for Tax

Reform, 8/9/10; Washington Post, 8/5/10; Washington Post, 6/9/10]

2007 Vote To Close Tax Loopholes For Countries Shipping Jobs Overseas Seen

As Violation Of The Pledge. In 2007, the
Americans for Tax Reform issued a

[ATR Legislative Alert, 7/25/07]

The Taxpayer Protection Pledge Signers

112^{th
Congressional List}

235
Representatives and 41 Senators

ALABAMA

AL-Sen Jeff Sessions (R)

AL-Sen
Richard Shelby (R)

AL-01 Jo Bonner (R)

AL-02 Martha Roby (R)

AL-03 Mike Rogers (R)

AL-04 Robert Aderholt (R)

AL-05 Mo Brooks (R)

AL-06 Spencer Bachus (R)

A

LASKA

AK-Sen Lisa Murkowski (I)*

AK-AL Don
Young (R)

ARIZONA

AZ-Sen Jon Kyl (R)

AZ-Sen
John McCain (R)

AZ-01 Paul Gosar (R)

AZ-02 Trent Franks (R)

AZ-03 Ben Quayle (R)

AZ-05 David Schweikert (R)

AZ-06 Jeff Flake (R)

A

RKANSAS

AR-Sen John Boozman (R)

AR-01
Rick Crawford (R)

AR-02 Tim Griffin (R)

AR-03 Steve Womack (R)

C

ALIFORNIA

CA-02 Wally Herger (R)

CA-03 Dan
Lungren (R)

CA-04 Tom McClintock (R)

CA-19 Jeff Denham (R)

CA-21 Devin Nunes (R)

CA-22 Kevin McCarthy (R)

CA-24 Elton Gallegly (R)

CA-25 Buck McKeon (R)

CA-26 David Dreier (R)

CA-40 Ed Royce (R)

CA-41 Jerry Lewis (R)

CA-42 Gary Miller (R)

CA-44 Ken Calvert (R)

CA-45 Mary Bono Mack (R)

CA-46 Dana Rohrabacher (R)

CA-48 John Campbell (R)

CA-49 Darrell Issa (R)

CA-50 Brian Bilbray (R)

CA-52 Duncan L. Hunter (R)

C

OLORADO

CO-03 Scott Tipton (R)

CO-04
Corey Gardner (R)

CO-05 Doug Lamborn (R)

CO-06 Mike Coffman (R)

F

LORIDA

FL-Sen Marco Rubio (R)

FL-01
Jeff Miller (R)

FL-02 Steve Southerland (R)

FL-04 Ander Crenshaw (R)

FL-05 Richard Nugent (R)

FL-06 Cliff Stearns (R)

FL-07 John Mica (R)

FL-08 Daniel Webster (R)

FL-09 Gus Bilirakis (R)

FL-10 Bill Young (R)

FL-12 Dennis Ross (R)

FL-13 Vern Buchanan (R)

FL-14 Connie Mack (R)

FL-15 Bill Posey (R)

FL-16 Tom Rooney (R)

FL-18 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)

FL-21 Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R)

FL-22 Allen West (R)

FL-24 Sandy Adams (R)

FL-25 David Rivera (R)

G

EORGIA

GA-Sen Johnny Isakson (R)

GA-Sen
Saxby Chambliss (R)

GA-01 Jack Kingston (R)

GA-03 Lynn Westmoreland (R)

GA-06 Tom Price (R)

GA-08 Austin Scott (R)

GA-09 Tom Graves (R)

GA-10 Paul Broun (R)

GA-11 Phil Gingrey (R)

I

DAHO

ID-Sen Mike Crapo (R)

ID-Sen
James Risch (R)

ID-01 Raul Labrador (R)

ID-02 Michael Simpson (R)

I

LLINOIS

IL-Sen Mark Kirk (R)

IL-06
Peter Roskam (R)

IL-10 Robert Dold (R)

IL-11 Adam Kinzinger (R)

IL-13 Judy Biggert (R)

IL-14 Randy Hultgren (R)

IL-15 Tim Johnson (R)

IL-16 Don Manzullo (R)

IL-17 Bobby Schilling (R)

IL-18 Aaron Schock (R)

IL-19 John Shimkus (R)

INDIANA

IN-Sen Dan Coats (R)

IN-03 Marlin Stutzman (R)

IN-04 Todd Rokita (R)

IN-05 Dan Burton (R)

IN-06 Mike Pence (R)

IN-08 Larry Buschon (R)

IN-09 Todd Young (R)

IOWA

IA-04 Tom Latham (R)

IA-05 Steve King (R)

KANSAS

KS-Sen Jerry Moran (R)

KS-Sen Pat Roberts (R)

KS-01 Tim Huelskamp (R)

KS-02 Lynn Jenkins (R)

KS-04 Michael Pompeo (R)

KENTUCKY

KY-Sen Mitch McConnell (R)

KY-Sen Rand Paul (R)

KY-01 Ed Whitfield (R)

KY-02 Brett Guthrie (R)

KY-04 Geoff Davis (R)

KY-05 Hal Rogers (R)

KY-06 Ben Chandler (D)*

LOUISIANA

LA-Sen David Vitter (R)

LA-01 Steve Scalise (R)

LA-03 Jeffery Landry (R)

LA-04 John Fleming (R)

LA-05 Rodney Alexander (R)

LA-06 Bill Cassidy (R)

LA-07 Charles Boustany (R)

MARYLAND

MD-01 Andy Harris (R)

MD-06 Roscoe Bartlett (R)

MASSACHUSETTS

MA-Sen Scott Brown (R)

MICHIGAN

MI-01 Dan Benishek (R)

MI-02 Bill Huizenga (R)

MI-03 Justin Amash (R)

MI-04 Dave Camp (R)

MI-06 Fred Upton (R)

MI-07 Tim Walberg (R)

MI-08 Mike Rogers (R)

MI-10 Candice Miller (R)

MI-11 Thad McCotter (R)

MINNESOTA

MN-02 John Kline (R)

MN-03 Erik Paulsen (R)

MN-06 Michele Bachmann (R)

MN-08 Chip Cravaack (R)

MISSISSIPPI

MS-Sen Roger Wicker (R)

MS-01 Alan Nunnelee (R)

MS-03 Gregg Harper (R)

MS-04 Steven Palazzo (R)

MISSOURI

MO-Sen Roy Blunt (R)

MO-02 Todd Akin (R)

MO-04 Vicky Hartzler (R)

MO-06 Sam Graves (R)

MO-07 Billy Long (R)

MO-08 Jo Ann Emerson (R)

MO-09 Blaine Luetkemeyer (R)

MONTANA

MT-AL Dennis Rehberg (R)

NEBRASKA

NE-Sen Mike Johanns (R)

NE-Sen Ben Nelson (D)

NE-01 Jeff Fortenberry (R)

NE-02 Lee Terry (R)

NE-03 Adrian Smith (R)

NEVADA

NV-Sen John Ensign (R)

NV-02 Dean Heller (R)

NV-03 Joe Heck (R)

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NH-Sen Kelly Ayotte (R)

NH-01 Frank Guinta (R)

NH-02 Charlie Bass (R)

NEW JERSEY

NJ-01 Robert Andrews (D)

NJ-02 Frank LoBiondo (R)

NJ-03 Jon Runyan (R)

NJ-04 Chris Smith (R)

NJ-05 Scott Garrett (R)

NJ-07 Leonard Lance (R)

NJ-11 Rodney Frelinghuysen (R)

NEW MEXICO

NM-02 Steve Pearce (R)

NEW YORK

NY-03 Peter King (R)

NY-13 Michael Grimm (R)

NY-19 Nan Hayworth (R)

NY-20 Chris Gibson (R)

NY-26 Chris Lee (R)

NY-29 Tom Reed (R)

NORTH CAROLINA

NC-Sen Richard Burr (R)

NC-02 Renee Ellmers (R)

NC-03 Walter Jones Jr. (R)

NC-05 Virginia Foxx (R)

NC-06 Howard Coble (R)

NC-09 Sue Myrick (R)

NC-10 Patrick McHenry (R)

NORTH DAKOTA

ND-AL Rick Berg (R)

OHIO

OH-Sen Rob Portman (R)

OH-01 Steve Chabot (R)

OH-02 Jean Schmidt (R)

OH-03 Mike Turner (R)

OH-04 Jim Jordan (R)

OH-05 Bob Latta (R)

OH-06 Bill Johnson (R)

OH-07 Steve Austria (R)

OH-08 John Boehner (R)

OH-12 Pat Tiberi (R)

OH-14 Steve LaTourette (R)

OH-15 Steve Stivers (R)

OH-16 James Renacci (R)

OH-18 Bob Gibbs (R)

OKLAHOMA

OK-Sen Tom Coburn (R)

OK-Sen Jim Inhofe (R)

OK-01 John Sullivan (R)

OK-03 Frank Lucas (R)

OK-04 Tom Cole (R)

OK-05 James Lankford (R)

OREGON

OR-02 Greg Walden (R)

PENNSYLVANIA

PA-Sen Pat Toomey (R)

PA-03 Mike Kelly (R)

PA-05 Glenn Thompson (R)

PA-06 Jim Gerlach (R)

PA-07 Pat Meehan (R)

PA-08 Michael Fitzpatrick (R)

PA-09 Bill Shuster (R)

PA-10 Thomas Marino (R)

PA-11 Lou Barletta (R)

PA-15 Charlie Dent (R)

PA-16 Joseph Pitts (R)

PA-18 Tim Murphy (R)

SOUTH CAROLINA

SC-Sen Jim DeMint (R)

SC-Sen Lindsey Graham (R)

SC-01 Tim Scott (R)

SC-02 Joe Wilson (R)

SC-03 Jeff Duncan (R)

SC-04 Trey Gowdy (R)

SC-05 Mick Mulvaney (R)

SOUTH DAKOTA

SD-Sen John Thune (R)

SD-AL Kristi Noem (R)

TENNESSEE

TN-Sen Bob Corker (R)

TN-Sen Lamar Alexander (R)

TN-01 Phil Roe (R)

TN-02 John Duncan (R)

TN-03 Chuck Fleischman (R)

TN-04 Scott DesJarlais (R)

TN-06 Diane Black (R)

TN-07 Marsha Blackburn (R)

TN-08 Stephen Fincher (R)

TEXAS

TX-Sen John Cornyn (R)

TX-Sen Kay Bailey Hutchison (R)

TX-01 Louie Gohmert (R)

TX-02 Ted Poe (R)

TX-03 Sam Johnson (R)

TX-04 Ralph Hall (R)

TX-05 Jeb Hensarling (R)

TX-06 Joe Barton (R)

TX-07 John Culberson (R)

TX-08 Kevin Brady (R)

TX-10 Michael McCaul (R)

TX-11 Mike Conaway (R)

TX-12 Kay Granger (R)

TX-13 Mac Thornberry (R)

TX-14 Ron Paul (R)

TX-17 Bill Flores (R)

TX-19 Randy Neugebauer (R)

TX-21 Lamar Smith (R)

TX-22 Pete Olson (R)

TX-23 Francisco Canseco (R)

TX-24 Kenny Marchant (R)

TX-26 Michael Burgess (R)

TX-31 John Carter (R)

TX-32 Pete Sessions (R)

UTAH

UT-Sen Michael Lee (R)

UT-Sen Orrin Hatch (R)

UT-01 Rob Bishop (R)

UT-03 Jason Chaffetz (R)

VIRGINIA

VA-02 Scott Rigell (R)

VA-04 Randy Forbes (R)

VA-05 Robert Hurt (R)

VA-06 Bob Goodlatte (R)

VA-07 Eric Cantor (R)

VA-09 H. Morgan Griffith (R)

WASHINGTON

WA-03 Jaime Herrera (R)

WA-04 Doc Hastings (R)

WA-05 Cathy McMorris (R)

WA-08 Dave Reichert (R)

WEST VIRGINIA

WV-01 David McKinley (R)

WV-02 Shelley Moore Capito (R)

WISCONSIN

WI-Sen Ron Johnson (R)

WI-01 Paul Ryan (R)

WI-05 Jim Sensenbrenner (R)

WI-06 Tom Petri (R)

WI-07 Sean Duffy (R)

WI-08 Reid Ribble (R)

WYOMING

WY-Sen Mike Enzi (R)

WY-AL Cynthia Lummis (R)

Bob that won't work Republicans would win that battle, democrats want to take away our gun rights. They don't want anyone to have guns.

That is the goal of Milton Freedman's "Liberal economic theory". After the smoke clears and the dust settles and the dead are buried, the conditions are ripe for the corporatists to take over and impoverish every last person who is not among the priviledged few (2%).

I don't think "gun rights" will fix the economy. Just sayin'.

typical liberal B S..... liberals have NO social fiber of decency if they are not getting something out of it... hands out... that's about it.... that's all you care about ... not the country or the people that really need it.... you all want a piece of the pie at someone the expense of someone else... spoiled children with temper tantrums.... and the above is actually funny...but, you gotta pass the bill to know what's in it.... hey, liberals are really smart...NOT!!

Bob, you are absolutely correct! Forcing a one-term presidency is more important than anything else--including the economy--to the repugs. But also, the number one agenda item is the privatization of all government services. Repugs have always thought democracy as being inconvenient obstructive to private economic objectives. Now that the repugs and an activist Supreme Court have been bought lock, stock and barrel, by the corporatists (aka the Chamber of Commerce and their minions) we are at a crossroads of just what this country is going to become for the future. I fear democracy is in danger as I watch Congress and the repug governors fight to take away individual rights, voting rights, collective bargaining rights, social security, medicare, and the right to existing as dignified human beings in the interest of serving the interests of Corporate greed.

Bob - great post!

Ubetcha - it's clear the dot dot dot means you can't finish a coherent thought

That's right, ubetcha, the past five years is not enough time to undo the damage of the previous seven years of serving corporate interests at the expense of the common good.

Absolutely! Outlaw corporate greed, end corporate welfare, end corporate priviledged tax status now.

I'm not a banking executive, I don't work on Wall Street, I didn't buy a home that I can no longer afford, as a single male I didn't enjoy much of the Bush Tax Cuts, and I'm not in debt up to my eyeballs.

I'm a normal guy trying to live a happy life. I don't think it's fair that Repiggies want to cut social services, science and technology spending, arts and humanities spending, public parks spending, and many of the other things that I directly (or indirectly) enjoy.

I'm cynical enough to suggest that Bush and his neo-conservative cronies spent us to this point on purpose with the intent on attacking Government spending, Medicare, and the mother of all programs Social Security.

I don't deny that there are some adjustments that may need to be made to protect the solvency of said programs. But swinging an ax at everything is not the way to go.

No sadly the teapublicans still think they will get trickled down on as Reagan promised, they are really slow at learning.

This relies on the idea of whether or not you believe that the President creates jobs.

If the question is whether or not Bush created jobs by loosening banking regulations and letting the housing market catch fire and turn into an inferno...

Well then, yeah, he created jobs. He created a flood of jobs on borrowed money that we're all suffering the on the hangover from now. Many people are either too stupid, or too ignorant to figure that out on their own. You can pick which category you fall into.

Do yourself a favor and pick up an economics book. Do us a favor and stay home on voting day!

Tyac - Someone once told me if it feels good don't say it!

Now for you, you hide behind an alias or a made up name, so you feel good calling women names, so nobody can see you or call you names, but you feel you have the right to denigrate a former Speaker of the House and a Rhodes Scholar with your regurgitated non-facts

No solutions just following the bullies on a playground, what a miserable specimen you are - notice no name calling because I can't see you, nor do I know your sex, but I do know your species - subhuman and pretty uninformed and a waste of good oxygen

P.S. That felt good!!!

Bush did not cause this mess!! The Dems were in charge of Congress, thus spending. Not a dime can be spent without Congress.

Read the Constitution!!

The Dems were in control, they spent the money and put us in debt now they want to further tax those who do pay taxes and create jobs. Did you ever get a job from a poor person? You need to ask Botox Nancy if she read the OB health care bil yet. After all you "have to read it to find out what is in it" The dumbest statement ever uttered by anyone in Congress. Why are there over 1400 waivers given so far? The dems caved to the big Unions etc. Typicall BS by Dems.

Oh please. Bush is responsible for a larger part of this mess than any of you Repiggie hind sniffers will ever admit to.

Banking regulations began to loosen under Clinton

>> They continued to loosen more quickly under Bush.

>> Interest rates were lowered to historically low rates.

>> Borrowing skyrocketed, debt mounted.

>> Mortgages were given for ungodly sums of money.

>> The entire economy heated up based on billions of dollars OF DEBT.

Housing bubble bursts, tax revenues decline with recession, and it must be the Democrats fault because they took power when the whole thing was sliding down the @!$%# slide.

- - - - - - - - -

"Cut spending," the morons say.
"It's Welfare, Medicaid, and minorities," the morons say.
"Democrats spend and tax," the morons say.

For Republicans tax cuts are like corn feed at the zoo.

>> You borrow a few cents from yourself in the future,

>> get some corn out of those little machines,

>> feed it to the sheeples and the piggies,

>> and watch the sheeples and repiggies eat.

The only difference is that sheep and pigs turn corn into useful manure. The conservative voters... well... they turn all that talk of tax cuts into something more foul and toxic than $h*t. Lies and more lies.

SHOCKING FACTS: The total debt was $8.2 trillion when Barack Obama took office, it now stands at 14.2 trillion and counting, which means Obama is responsible for about $6 trillion. A 73% total increase in just TWO SHORT YEARS. Unbelievable !!! It took 235 years to rack up the first $8.2 trillion and that includes George Bush's contribution to the deficit while serving 8 years in office.

Barack Obama's motto "I HATE THIS COUNTRY, I WANT TO DESTROY IT". Speaking as a disenchanted liberal like most democratic voters are, I'm absolutely SITTING OUT THE 2012 ELECTION.

How much was in surplus during theClinton administration? Add that to the 8.2 trillion. Was the WARS included in the 8.2 trillion? Add that to Bush and deduct from Obama. Instead of destroying country why don't you just LEAVE. Go to IRAQ or AFGHAN....... Good bye.

You said: expose Boehner, Cantor, McConnell etc as the spineless scumbags they really are. These guys have proven over and over again that they have no interest in doing what is right for this country. They are only interested in making you look as bad as possible before November of 2012.

You said: expose Boehner, Cantor, McConnell etc as the spineless scumbags they really are. These guys have proven over and over again that they have no interest in doing what is right for this country. They are only interested in making you look as bad as possible before November of 2012.

NYC you are out of touch with reality. These guys are saving us from "read the bill Later Nancy the Botox queen and her spend "Dems" READ THE Constitution. Presidents cannot spend money ONLY Congress can.

I dunno. Sounds pretty solid to me. Boehner, Cantor, and McConnell are spineless scumbags scared to let go of the teet from which they suck.

Tyac, come up with some original thoughts and arguments. Nancy the botox queen is getting a little old here it's starting to look like spam.

Let us know when you've actually read of the constitution. I'll listen to you once you can repeat it verbatim from memory, Amendments and all.

At that point, then, you will have something of value to bring to the table.

Hey, at that point, I would even respect you. **Not that respect from me holds much value in this world. But is should.**

Tyac, how are they saving us from anything? How is bringing nothing to the table and storming off when you don't get your way productive at all? Boehner and his crew cried bloody murder when Medicare was off the table. So fine, the President put it on the table and asked what they were willing to compromise and they got up and left. My main point is this. With the situation we are in EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE! Neither side really has the right to say they aren't willing to compromise or aren't willing to make concessions on. No matter how you try to spin it it's not right. I don't care who made the mess. It's all hands on deck to fix it.