These MORONS need to be kicked down that road along with that can come this election, the only thing that will get results is hand all these guys their PINK SLIPS that way the new bunch will know NO more BS will be tolerated by the American people .. Then they can experience how the real Americans are living .........

Again, no mention of any help for the "millions" of homeless citizens. Sick thought: MILLIONS...

And again no mention of any help for those unable to find work but not able to collect unemployment.

But of course the once great U.S.A. will find a way to continue foreign aid to help other countries.

Thank God 2012 is just around the corner; the Republicans have sealed their own fate.

The article does not say what the Republicans demanded for these needed actions.

What we really need is a budget for 2012. The congress needs to support the promise of the President and make sure that the 2012 federal deficit does not exceed 229.27 billion dollars. To do that they must cut spending by more then 1 trillion dollars in just one year starting now. With our current debt over 15 trillion dollars, I estimate that if will cost the tax payers more than 2.06 trillion dollars to repay money borrowed in 170 years. The federal government needs to start running a surplus which will be applied to lowering the national debt. We need more than deficit reduction. We need debt reduction

Hmmmm, lemme see, where's that can?

Oh, there it is!

KICK!

See ya all in 2 months.

The Teapublican rat bastards have done it again!They have taken things down to the wire, nearly shutting down government to get what they want. Have these GOP/TP douche-bags learned nothing from the S&P downgrade of our credit rating? Have these GOP/TP hypocrites not learned a damn thing about "uncertainty" in our economy?

What these Teapublican losers haven't learned is that this short-term emergency measure is going to keep their treasonous behavior in the news. You right-wing jagoffs, don't you realize this will allow for another two months of exposing you for being the anti-democracy and middle class arseholes that your are?

Have at it Dems -- crank it up. Let's talk non-stop about how the Teapublicans are protecting the 300,000 rich folk from a measly 3% surtax AFTER the first million of income, instead of helping the struggling middle class in this time of crisis. YES let's keep this in the news every single day for the next two months! And NO, I don't wish congress a Merry Christmas. I hope Teapublicans choke on their Christmas dinner while poor children go hungry in this once great nation of ours.

@ Will

What this country needs is investment for the future. THAT is priority one. Only then can we address your republican talking point of debt reduction. Simple as that. Proper investment will take care of the debt. Obama has persued this but the unhonorable republicans obstruct it. Shameful.

Doem,, this legislation will allow them to go home for the holidays. They should forfeit their pay until a permanent bill is passed.

I think after the elections the CURRENT House & Senate will be able to go on a PERMANENT vacation. With all the garbage they have been heaping on "We The People", I think it's time for a huge replacement.

Come on folks. We need to chip away at this mess.

http://sanders.senate.gov/petition/?uid=f1c2660f-54b9-4193-86a4-ec2c39342c6c
http://www.americanoverhaulact.org/
http://www.americanselect.org/
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/take-back-the-power-of-the-vote/

Rick and Just, you seem to forget about the Constitution in your remarks.....only ONE-THIRD of the Senate can be replaced in 2012. You will have to wait until 2014 to replace another 1/3 and 2016 to replace the last 1/3. But of course, even more damage and grid-lock can occur in the next five years (or more if the electorate is stupid enough to elect the WRONG and possibly worse candidates to the offices.) Make sure you know who those opponents are and what they REALLY stand for before you cast a vote to replace the incumbents. You may find yourself really upset by who you have replaced them with.

government shudown

What's a government shudown?

They just need to just multiply this bill and move on, or let the across the board cuts happen. Enough of this crap already.

Yep, Can't replace a whole bunch of MORONS with a BUNCH of New MORONS, I guess we would probably be a little worst off than we already are ......

Probably the only reason the congress finally did something is because if they hadn't they may not have received their paychecks. Hell, the should've cut out the entire emergency foreign aid package of 11 whatever billion. And while they were at it, they should've cut all aid to all foreign countries and that includes Israel, Egypt, etc.

Why is it that we allow them to take time off at their leisure and give them selves pay increases again? I say we strip Congress of the right to police itself in those regards. If the American people do not think they are doing their job right, no vacation for them till they behave.

Can't seem to agree on a necessary bill? Cut their pay. I think if the populace held the strings to their benefits bag they would be more inclined to do their damn jobs instead of bickering over who wears the tightest spandex pants.

This is the absolute worst written article I have ever seen... Paragraphs are repeated and the article is unfinished.

Republican blackmail, Democratic back peddling. Middle class Americans held hostage and we will see this three ring circus, played again. Now we all know who are in the first and second rings but Congress needs us to tell them the third strategy. LET THE TAX CUT EXPIRE FOR EVERYONE!

When the Democrats take over the house in 2012, they can initiate a tax cut for the middle class. I am one of the 99% but I would rather lose the Bush tax cuts now and have the rich 1% pay their taxes. While their at it, the Democrats can close all those corporate loop holes!

It is the only way to stop the Republicans for ruining our economy and make the rich "Pony up!"

They argue over frickin light bulbs and allow Pakistan $850 million? What a bunch of losers this Congress turned out to be. Why are we giving the Pakis anything but a good by card? They cut their office staff 6% after giving themselves how much of a raise? Not one incumbent in 2012!!! Not one Nancy Pelosi or Boehner to continue making millions on insider trading while the middle class turns into the working poor--those that even have jobs. They all make me want to puke. Bickering over light bulbs for heaven's sake. What has this great nation come to? The rich taking care of the rich and getting richer.

I wish they'd all go home for Christmas and not ever get back to DC, repub's and dem's alike. Hire some real people to handle the real problems WE face as Americans.

Here is what laughable about the David, Charles and Karl. With all their money, one would think, they would have been able to afford a better choice of candidates. The Republicans have paid big bucks for a handful of elitist, lying crooks. That pretty much tells me the combine I.Q. of the Kochs and Rove.

Really? republicans would have shut down the government over light bulb standards?

They wouldn't dare let the government shut down. We might discover how much better off we would be without it. Then they'd all be out of their jobs!

Those Mean Republicans!

They are blocking a "tax cut" that further defunds SS and Medicare!

They are blocking a "tax cut" that specifically targets funding for SS and Medicare!

They are blocking a tax cut that the CBO has shown 60% of the benefit will go to people making 100k per year or more!

Those Bastards!

Lol, get a grip you Obamanites, face it, Obama is a cheap charlatan who is perfectly will ing to play games with our SS and Medicare JUST TO GET VOTES!!!!!!

I swear you blind party Obama people are so funny, half the time you don't even know what it is you're blaming the Republicans FOR.

Obama is a DISASTER and so is his "payroll tax". Don't worry, we'll just replenish FICA with borrowed Chines money. Everything will be good, right? Right?

Why can't we just agree that both sides suck and we need to start over with a new set of people that actually want to represent what the people want rather than what some lobbyist pays them to do...These people come into politics with some money and after a few years suddenly they are millionaires?? billionaires?? Anyone can see something is wrong.

More of what is not going to help the middle class in AMERICA. Environmental needs - check, African needs - check, War in MIDDLE EAST needs - check, Top 2% tax breaks still in place - check, Health Care that is killing what remains of middle class still in place without public option - check, WASHINGTON GRIDLOCK STILL IN PLACE AS THOSE IN POWER WOULD LIKE IT - check. But what is unfortunately not being noticed is the demise of a ONCE GREAT COUNTRY - THE GOOD OLE U.S. of A. Just like the Roman Empire - check, Just like the Egyptian Empire - check, Just like the FRENCH REVOLUTION - check. History shows that any country that tries to go it without a strong middle class is a country destined for failure. So far, I don't see anthing helping me maintain my middle class standing, that is even if I can still consider myself there! Lost home ownership due to no fault of my own -check, job pay cuts - check, spending power being killed - check, Health Care EATING MY FAMILY ALIVE - check, gas prices killing my budget - check, grocery bills killing my budget - check, daycare for kids becoming un payable - check, WATCHING A COUNTRY I PROUDLY SERVED FOR IN THE ARMY IMPLODE (ALONG WITH MY FAMILY'S HOPES FOR A BETTER FUTURE) - unfortunately CHECK, AND GETTING CLOSE TO CHECK MATE.

Take That Back, I agree We can pay more now and get rid of this extortion for once and for all ....

$662 billion. think about it. just think about it. we are all ready in debt to china. so i guess that we will be sending more work over there to help pay them back. i think once it get's so high. we will drop a few bomb's on them to pay them back,,,lol

Is there NOTHING the Democrats won't cave on??? Is there NOTHING Obama says he will veto that he actually VETOES. Schmucks!! Grow a pair!!!

Both Parties messed it up all the years both parties were... Ron Paul what say you ?

Colorblind-2498596

They argue over frickin light bulbs and allow Pakistan $850 million?

Let's not forget the other Draconian changes our government is concerned with more than our economic survival.

Banning cell phone use while driving.

Tanning bed laws.

Yep, the priorities are all fu**ed up.

Maybe Barrack can create another "Committee" to evaluate these dramatic issues.

“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.” ~ Ronald Reagan

Hey FREEDOMRINGSLOUD, you obviously are one of the problems with this country. Just reading your comment "you poor dysfunctionals". Hmmm....well you have the money now for sure, but your view is what is some day going to land your future family members and maybe even yourself in the same boat as those from the collapse of the Roman Empire and the French Revolution and all those hoping the USA doesn't go down this way (including myself) with them. Your, I AM BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, attitude is the greatest problem we face today. An upper class who feels priveleged and that they DESERVE TO BE PRIVELEGED without any effort to maintain a strong, loyal, middle class support for the country or for FELLOW COUNTRY MEMBERS. Totally complacent with what you view as YOUR MONEY. As if you earned it in a vacuum or something. Perhaps it was your GOD GIVEN WEALTH OR SOMETHING? DIVINE WEALTH? Who knows, either way, so we get it, you have money, AND you are exactly what this country needs to rid itself of: One who didn't PERSONALLY EARN ANYTHING, BUT WHO UNLIKE THOSE WHO EARNED YOU THAT MONEY, THROWS HIS ELITIST VIEWS AROUND LIKE A BULLY. Well, got news for you, yes you have a small you know what, so stop compensating with your bravisimo AND START ACTING AND/OR PROPOSING SOMETHING USEFUL TO TRULY SUPPORT THE STRONG MIDDLE CLASS THAT WILL INSURE YOUR FAMILY HAS THE MONEY FOR YEARS TO COME. Or then again, you probably already "KNOW" your family will have the money for those years to come (or as you surmise, at least as long as your alive, and screw the future).

@FreedomRingsLoud,

The rich have been living off the backs of the middle class for DECADES. If not for us, they wouldn't even have their billions. If the middle class stops purchasing their products, or using their services, the hammer falls on their entire company. Let's see how long they will survive once all their products (mostly made in China) are boycotted, because that's exactly what's going to happen if this trade war with China ever comes to fruition. Right now, it's merely a p***ing contest, but I can see it getting worse.

@FreedomRingsLoud, because there is one point in the current tax code that has people making over 1 mil actually paying a higher tax rate versus those making 50-75k...OOOOO. WTF about 76k to 999k? Where is the figures for that? Is that with the Bush era cuts still in place as well or are you just reciting somebody's work because you fail at math.

Let us try this let us look at Viacom where the CEO got himself a 50 mil raise not to long ago. The company only has 11,000 workers and they make an average of 50k a year. How much of a raise should each employee have gotten? 50 mil divided by 11k equals $4545.45 a year raise. WTF did they get as a raise, less then $500 on average, close to 1% instead of the 10% it should have been. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. How do you think the CEO even got to make as much as he did before that raise, F***ING his employees.

Had the 11,000 employees made more money they would have paid it in taxes. Instead now the CEO has to pay their taxes on the money he took from them. What is worse is that the a$$hole then complains about how the employees are a bunch of lazy worthless people, that he has to "pay" money to, and how they want a bunch of entailment programs. Had you given your employees a fair raise we would not be having this discussion. Instead the CEO joins the Republican party or the Tea baggers and spends that money on lobbyist, PACs, ads, etc. just to hold onto that money causing STAGNATION. the exact thing Capitalism was supposed to prevent.

According to math if I increase the tax on the rich then the government has more money to pay back its debt. WTF are the rich crying about...money, what do they lots of...money, STFU and sell your cool air somewhere else.

Let me explain it for you since you are slow. Taxing the rich LIMITS GREED, it encourages them to do the right thing and not horde the money. It encourages them to pay their employees their fair share since they cannot keep it. It encourages them to reinvest into the company since they cannot keep it.

1 in 2 Americans are poor while taxes are the lowest in history for the rich and corporations. Our debt is the highest it has ever been and we have idiots like you spreading B.S. about one point in our current messed up tax code. I feel like I am living in Israel or Germany before WWII with how things are going.

Ron B, I totally agree with you. Both parties (and the upper class in general) have screwed the American Dream Up. Unfortunately, they too, having all the money and power, AND HENCE are the only ones who can fix it. If it is fixable at all. I am worried, genuinely worried, seeing comments like those from FREEDOMWHATEVER above. I don't think the upper class today has the where with all of those who fought to get their families to the upper class once had. Greed has dealt a very tough blow to our country, but I hope for my kids sake, those in the upper 2% will come to the realization that in order for them to hold their wealth and standing for their future generations, they will need to stop the bleeding and start encouraging politicians to "DO THE RIGHT THING". And I don't mean hand outs, I mean start passing some legislation to repeal things like so called "FREE TRADE" agreements that just encourage businesses to ship jobs over seas. Terrifs on imports from country's like China, where child labor is rampent but robs our citizens of jobs. Break up the Wal Marts of the world, like we once responsibly did with Standard Oil and Ma Bell. The middle class can't do this without the upper class coming to the realization that their very existance is also in the balance here. WE NEED JOBS, CREATING THINGS AND BUILDING THINGS TO BE SOLD HERE AND ABROAD. REPEAL NAFTA AND LIKE LEGISLATION. INACT LEGISLATION TO AT LEAST START THE BALL ROLLING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR AMERICAN WORKERS AND A STRONG MIDDLE CLASS. WHY CAN'T TV'S BE MADE HERE? STOP THE LAWYERS FROM MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A BUSINESS FROM OPERATING HERE. ENOUGH OF THE "FOR THE PEOPLE" SPEACHES BY LAWYERS WHO REALLY ARE ONLY FILING LAWSUITS TO PAD THEIR OWN POCKETS. FACT IS, ONCE A LAWSUIT IS FILED, IT IS FINANCIALLY LESS DAMAGING TO SETTLE FOR A NUISANCE VALUE LIKE $5000 OR SO EVEN IF THE COMPANY DID NOTHING WRONG. BUT THOSE LAWYERS WHO TOUT "FOR THE PEOPLE" ON RADIO AND TV AND BILLBOARDS DON'T TELL YOU THIS. SO BUSINESSES ARE FORCED TO SHIP JOBS OVER SEAS. WE ARE A MESS, BUT WE NEED TO START SOMEWHERE. NOT WITH JUST BITTER IN FIGHTING EITHER.

@FreedomRingsLoud,

I also notice that you fail to mention the millions of American workers that were laid off over the past 10 years in exchange for foreign workers without work visas, let alone green cards.

Also, know that I'm continuing to pay for your over-privileged arse to send lobbyists to Washington DC to get your Repugnican friends to loosen consumer protection laws, block Obama's new consumer protection agency, and get more tax breaks. I was fired from Verizon a few years back so their CEO could send more lobbyists to Washington DC a few days later, courtesy of the American consumer - which also includes YOU, by the way. ;)

It's comical in a way - you defend these greedy twits like you're one of them, yet they continue to ram you up the tailpipe while feeding you BS figures.

What happened to the jobs, jobs jobs. promised from the 2010 Republican party? Explain to me how jobs, jobs, jobs suddenly took the back seat to the almighty deficit once deemed " Deficits don't matter" by their almighty Darth Vader,Dick Cheney . How do you do a 180 from the very policies you once supported with fervor?

You are liars. You are hypocrites. You are fools sworn to Fox News because of your inability to think for yourselves. Rush, O'Reilly, Hannity, and Coulter appeal to your animal nature to toss your less fortunate brothers aside. Their promotion is solely dictated by an Australian dictator known as Rupert Murdoch. Why would you abandon your own nation to support a Monster that abandoned his own country to overtake ours? You are a pitiful excuse for a pawn of fools.

That ugly Australian monster may believe his evil deeds have placed him in control of the greatest nation on earth. The real American patriots will rise against him as they struggle with his misguided followers. Rupert, you are a condemned man exactly like Hitler,

BTW, I do have my differences with Obama. I don't like where his health care plan is headed, nor did I agree with his stimulus package, and quite frankly, I do not hold well with some of the members of his cabinet - especially Nancy "You can't look at it till you sign it" Pelosi. But by a large, he does a good job with the cards he has been dealt. I would like to see him take on a slightly more hard-lined stance against his opponents in the GOP, but the economic bills he has put in the works are a start.

TES -2640989 TruePatriot You blame the Teapublicans because they didn't cave in to the Democrats!! The Teapublicans should fold and give the Democrats everything they ask??!! Why is there no blame for the Democrats? They held the country hostage because they didn't give the Republicans everything they wanted. If it works one way, it works the other. How transparent and onesided can a person be?

Reason is that the Democrats, if you havent been reading, have been caving in on their side. They call it bipartisan though. Republicans have not given anything on their side, therefor they are to blame.

klyonh, Robert Pappas-3810282, Tired-2176559

Now, now.

Don't let your panties get all bunched up on you. I know it hurts when one of your own propaganda machines, ABC, disproves the lies and delusion our Imposter-in-Chief has been filling your heads with. What I find more pathetic is that you don't research anything on your own, you just listen to the class-warfare BULLS**T that the Liberals/Progressives feed you because you think the wealthy owe you something.

IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HOW MUCH ANYONE ELSE MAKES OR IS WORTH!

Let me ask you a simple question. Do you know anyone who, when they were growing up, said "I just want to be a middle class citizen"? I doubt it. Everyone wants to grow up to be rich. But guess what? Most can't, and most won't. There are multiple reasons why not and some have to just accept their place in life. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you constantly pi$$, moan and whine about the inequality in CEO's incomes compared to yours -- which by the way the highest disparity was in the late 1990's, I don't remember you complaining then -- you sound petty and envious.

80% of the rich are first generation. They weren't born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Mommy and daddy didn't hand them a business or some incredible inheritance. But they do have some very common characteristics which many don't.

There's a very interesting article by another of your favorite propaganda machines, the New York Times, from a few years ago that you may be interested in. It's a long read, and I know you Libbies don't like to read much -- just ask Nanny Piglosi or John Conyers -- but it may help resolve some of your hate and envy for those that have worked hard to become wealthy. Maybe.

When you get to the part of the article that deals with PAW's, AAW's and UAW's maybe you'll understand what it takes to be wealthy, or at least above average. If you realize you are incapable, and still need to come on here and berate the American Dream you claim has been stolen from you, maybe you can show it to your children and allow them to succeed in life.

It's the least you can do.

nytimes.com/books/first/s/stanley-millionaire.html (copy and paste in your browser)

Good luck

commonsense @ 1.31,

I am just as chaffed about that bill as you are however please realize even if Obama vetoed it it was going to be passed. over 3/4th of Congress voted yea on it, that is more then enough to override a veto.

Should Obama have vetoed just to make a point? Yes. Is this going to cause him some problems during the election? Yes. However the Other candidates will face the same problem. None of them spoke out against this bill.

Sooner or later it will be repealed though. Once people actually find out about the bill and what it is going to do there is no way it is going to stand up to a proper supreme court hearing.

Commonsense101, I realize your attention span is short, but let's try this again...

The Obama administration is running the country, not the House. The House has passed a great

number of bills that the Senate leader refuses to bring to the floor.

Rupert Murdock has no influence on the Obama administration and as such, no influence on how the country is run. If you must compare someone to Hitler, please at least make the comparison to the one who is destroying the country.

Hint: He lives in a big white house.

Great another "BANDAGE" on a gushing open heart surgery......Congress just wanted to be home for Christmas.....spineless butt heads........when will all "AMERICANS" join together and vote these A-holes out???

@FreedomRingsLoud

A couple of points. First, your arguments might receive a better reception and consideration if you thought you could get through a post without using derogatory terms and/or creative (supposed to be ironic, I'm guessing) misspellings of some individual's names. Most every American is irritated and fed-up with the partisan circus that is currently Washington, D.C. But when you attempt to strengthen your argument, or show some sort of superiority over those you're writing to and about, it tends to do just the opposite. And the direct insults, like liberals not liking to read much, are not only not based in any sort of fact, but rather reveal much about the type of person that you are.

Second. It may be true that the percentage of wealthy who pay lower tax rates than is their class average is very, very small. However, what is not shared in your post or the IRS data is the amount of money that small percentage of Americans are reporting. I'm guessing that it's a rather substantial amount. That's a reasonable assumption when just 2% of the wealthiest Americans control approximately 50% of this nation's wealth. Something also to be noted is that in your post the tax rates you shared you also indicated that those numbers reflected their total tax liability; ie. income, payroll (FICA), etc. If that's the case, the numbers provided obviously do not indicate their income tax liability, and once the other taxes are subtracted from their total tax liability, leaving just their income tax rate, it would be lower (in some cases substantially so) than those you have provided.

I do agree with you on one point, which is that every American is entitled to make an earnest attempt at achieving some measure of wealth. There's nothing wrong with that. However, there is something wrong when, on average, American CEO's earn more than 200 times what their average employee does. Those same workers who are doing the lionshare of any real work being done, the ones who are creating the profit which each company seeks, have seen their median income over the last decade decrease.

What many fail to understand is that while there is nothing wrong with becoming wealthy, it should not be on the backs of those creating that wealth in the first place. That's not to say that every employee should be a millionaire. That's a ridiculous presumption. But there is no reason that more Americans should not be able to earn a living wage. There is no reason than nearly 50% of Americans live in or near poverty. Fifty percent!

Part of the reason many Democrats are calling for a return to tax rates which would come closer to actually paying what the government spends is because higher tax rates tends to encourage greater investment in companies by their CEO's/owners. In the 1950's when income tax rates were at 91% for the most wealthy Americans, and the middle class grew exponentially in size, the most wealthy would spend a greater percentage of generated profit in order to lower their reportable income, thereby lowering the amount of their tax liability. They would spend that profitability on such things as higher wages for employees, increased construction/expansion of facilities, even increased dividend payouts. Anything to get below the income line where the 91% kicked-in. As a result of this investment, employees had more disposable income, and companies were expanding at levels only seenpreviously during World War II. And yet, the wealthy of America were still living very comfortably; still able to afford a lifestyle that the majority of Americans could only aspire to.

And finally, returning for a moment to the issue of tax rates. If taken at face value your statement that those earning $1 million paid, on average, 29.1% in taxes, that would leave them roughly $700,000 with which to live each year. I suspect they can (and do) live fairly comfortably on that. Whereas, those earning $50,000 and paying roughly 15%, will have approximately $32,500 to live on. And while I know that many Americans do just fine on $32,500 per year, and many also do alright on less, noone can dismiss the fact that the millionaires living on their $700,000 have it decidedly easier. Yes, people making less pay less in taxes. But that is entirely because they simply have less to begin with. And any tax liability has a much greater impact on those 'average' income earners than the rates the wealthy face. Most Americans, including those in the middle and lower incomes, do not resent anyone's success. However, many Americans resent when many of the wealthy have realized their success through little in the way of real effort. They resent when many of the wealthy adopt this mindset that because of their financial success that they are, in some way, entitled to being excused from living by many of the rules the rest of us are required to abide by. They resent when many of the wealthy seek to "buy" elections through unlimited spending for political ads. And they resent when many of the wealthy fail to understand and appreciate the fact that were it not for those in the middle/lower class, their wealth could very well disappear.

What JTR said.

Lets get O'bama back in there, give the Dems back the house, and put that bullet in our pathetic heads.

As for the two-month version, he said, "We'll only do that if what we're working on doesn't work out."

Yeah, like I will fix that leaky sink during the Super Bowl honey. But if I don't, here is my pledge that I will do it the next morning!

The "party of NO" almost shut our government down, AGAIN! They are willing to destroy America (our credit rating was severely damaged the last time they did this) to ensure that millionaires (i.e. them) don't pay 3% more on taxes. Unbelievable, the sick part is that the democrats supposedly "caved" to this demand. That is because our legislators are almost all millionaires. They mainly become wealthy after they are "elected." There should be restrictions on how much money a legislator can obtain (not earn) while in office.

The tax rates for the wealthy are at all time lows in America, while the distribution of wealth is is also at an all time low. ONE HALF of Americans, survive BELOW THE POVERTY LINE. Those statistics are worse than most third world countries. America spends more money on "Defense" than all of the other countries Combined. This money mainly goes to private contractors. They pay their employees crap compared to what they "earn" and most keep their employees at part-time so they do not have to furnish benefits.

F.D.R. wanted to introduce a "Second Bill of Rights" before he died. That would have guaranteed universal health care, living wage jobs and much more. We could easily pay for all of that IF we stop throwing money away to wealthy private contractors, other countries (who already have universal health care) and restore tax rates for the wealthy to levels of even the Reagan (yuck) era. We have become serfs, owned by the wealthy who have an entirely different set of laws to live by. This is Fascism not Democracy. Our health industry is owned and operated by Wall street as are most major industries. America has gone to hell.

GO OWS!

md must stand for mentally disturbed...you, and way too many Americans are completely brainwashed. Congratulations on the indoctrination.

After the 8 Years of BUSH I don't think most would like another repeat of a GOP lead government, I know I don't that's for sure ..... That's the reason we are in this mess in the first place ...

You know, I find it odd all the finger pointing going on. Let me tell you the truth here, it is not just Rep or Dem problem here. When the Dem's had full control, did they cut the budget, no they did not. Did Bush to do it, no. Face it everyone, congress is not friend of average American. They are only a friend to those who have money and those special interest group that support them. Look, I am signed up as a Rep, but I agree with tax on those making $1million or more, hell I would support $500k or more. What I cannot understand is why those in congress do not (both Dems and Reps). We as a people need to get over ifyour a Dem or Rep and need start selecting leaders that will vote for us. The system has us infighting to the point that it appears those in congress are playing us against each other. This is what I wish would happen, put up the vote to tax the millionaires, and those in congress who do not vote yes, well
we vote no on there next election. Simple fix.

mike, they dont cut the budget because doing so would ensure their collective defeat. In order to do the things that need to be done, one must commit political suicide. There is not one ligitimit set of testicles or ovaries among them...So kick the can down the road, business as usual, is what we shall get.

At least the Republican constituents are attempting the consideration of a non establishment candidate. I doubt one will get past the primaries, but at least there is some life there. Liberals on the other hand, want business as usual, or even worse, more entitlement spending. Tax the rich all you want, until spending gets under control, we all lose.

Commonsense101 & jpeg -

jpeg beat me to the jobs issue. Google the info regarding bills to promote an environment conducive to business growth (thus jobs generation) bills passed by the Republican controlled house. That party of "no" as some call them has been very busy. Problem is, when those bills get to Harry Reid's desk, he doesn't even pass them to committee for consideration. They lay there in a state of inactivity as though nothing was ever passed.

Then the guy goes before the cameras and goes on about the Republican's holding this country hostage. Complete & utter CRAP!

The Republican's who were elected last time around are doing the business they were sent to Washington to do. The obstructionist is Harry Reid and the DNC agenda. You want jobs, jobs, jobs, get rid of Reid, change tax policies that make doing business in foreign countries less appealing, and help ME in working together to make this happen. End the insanity that WILL destroy this country.

jtr the last study showed that CEO's and upper tier stockholder, boardmembers where 350% and climbing in 2011 over the average median workers wages. i wish it was only 200%.

the US corporate tax rate is ranked # 17 in the world while our education system is ranked at #21. all these people that say we are paying the highest corporate tax in the world are idiots, hell even china's corporate tax rate and education is ranked ranked higher then ours. i wish people would start to see how these things go together in a society.

eric1964 - As long as China gets away with currency manipulation, their corporate tax rate doesn't mean a dang thing. Just ask yourself... If their taxrates are higher than ours, why is it cheaper for their products to be sold in the USA than products we make here ourselves? Why does General Motors and other "American" car makers have parts made in China, shipped to the "North American" assembly plants, then sold to you and I, if doing business there didn't save them a few bucks? Chinese corporate tax rates on paper may be worse, but peel away the outer skin & the truth is sitting right there.

I DO agree with your education comment!

Do your research pin head, it started long before that by the democrats!!!

It is interesting that the threat of a 'government shutdown' always happens under a democratic President that likes to spend more than it needs to do or can budget for? With our community organizer this is even more routine than in the past! Do we see a pattern here? The next step has always been to remove the guy who can't hang on to a dollar and replace him with a fiscal conservative. That's always been the remedy in the past.......

Will Haas What we really need is a budget for 2012.

A budget for 2012??!!! How about a we get a 2009, 2010 & 2011 Budget! There hasn't been a budget passed since Obama took office. Congress & the President have been kicking things down the road since 2008 and been totally defianct not to mention a collective failure to comply with the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Anyone that votes for anybody who is holding office in Washington are friggin crazy!!

JTR, good post. I agree that we should raise taxes for ALL. The Bush tax cut lowered the tax rate for most Americans. This is necessary to get our debt problem in order.I also think our gvt is overextending itself in too many areas (although conservative, I do agree with govt's involvement with environmental issues, even if it means $10/gal for gas) for the reason they have yet to demonstrate the ability to manage effectively most programs (however noble) when it comes to cost.

Once question I have for you... If the wealthy and cooperations do pay hirer taxes and then use Corp profits to investing instead of paying taxes; would they be restricted to invest globally or does Govt. have the right to hold a gun to their head and say spend it here? Will the argument that it profits made by American workers have to stay in America?

Free markets at one time was much freer, but as it becomes a battle of "haves" and "have nots" and rules and politics have changed.

I have no issue with changes, I find watching the results of change always very interesting. We live in a great time to see the consequences of social and political decisions made decades ago.

He who has eyes should see (but not everyone with eyes see)

he who has ears should hear (but not everyone with ears will hear)

This too is ok, for it was foretold.........

have a good week.

miked and clb, good points both...

Obama hates budgets is obviously anti-business (go over the background of his 36+ anti-business Czars)! We do know he spends money recklessly (bank bailout/nationalization and Auto bailout / nationalization) . He supports taxing the job creators and increasing big government. All things considered he is like a festering sore on the economy of the U.S. that needs to be sutured (replaced) with fiscal responsibility! Otherwise the patient will die! And Congress is acting like it has a concussion, dazed and confused!

JTR55408

First of all, spare me the civility lecture. I must have missed your admonishing all the Liberal vitriol posted here and other threads. Let’s see, “Teapublican rat bastards”, “Teabaggers”, “Repukelicans”, “Kochsuckers” and on and on. I have a list if you would like more. Yes, we are sick of the partisanship in Washington but we are just as sick as the incessant whining of Liberals about “fairness”, a “level playing field”, “paying their fair share”, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Let me ask you this, who will be the omnipotent arbiter of “fair”? Washington? Obama? A “Fairness Czar”? As far as Liberals not liking to read is well documented. Nancy Pelosi’s claim of having to pass the bill so we can find out what’s in it was idiotic, but of course the Lamestream Liberal media gave her a pass, as usual. It was substantiated by John Conyers not reading the 2,700+ pages of the Health Care Reform bill saying, “What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?” He’s a lawyer AND Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee! Not to mention Obama, Holder and Napolitano admitting they never read Arizona’s SB 1070 but obviously having formed opinions against it. That wasn’t idiotic, it was criminal. The only assumption we who actually did read the HCR bill and SB 1070 and many other bills is that they don’t like to read.

Enough of the obvious.

Now, your, and many other Liberals complaining about the “unfair” tax rates is a product of your own progressive tax system. As I have posted in other threads ad nauseum, you get what you pay for, or don’t pay for. Historically, regardless of the upper tax bracket, our tax receipts have stayed consistent at about 18%+/- of GDP. Income tax receipts have stayed right around 8.6%+/- of GDP. The question is why? Because we have a 72,000+ page tax code that changes daily and 1,200+ different forms to fill out. There have been about 4,428 tax code changes in the last 10 years. There were approximately 580 changes in 2010 alone. Between 1986 and 2005 Congress passed over 14,400 amendments to the tax code, this equates to almost 3 changes every day for 19 straight years. Herein lies the problem. And if you think any “unfairness” is all the Republicans fault, prove it. I have researched quite a few of the authors of these bills and I think you’d be surprised with the results.

It is estimated that taxpayers pay $431.1 Billion annually, or 30% of total income taxes collected, just to comply and administer the tax code. A reduction in tax code complexity would help reduce the National Debt by $1.4 trillion over a decade. Over 6.1 billion hours are spent by individuals and businesses complying and completing their taxes.

Our corporate tax rate is an embarrassment. A 35% (at times over 40% rate with State and other taxes) corporate tax rate makes us completely uncompetitive in the global economies. Demonizing the engines of the greatest economy in history and punishing them in the name of “fairness” is why we are here today. Our envied economy was built on the shoulders of domestic exportable manufacturing industry, NOT GOVERNMENT! Unfair trade agreements, ridiculous taxation, irrational regulations, union corruption and refusal to expand PROVEN industries, such as energy, are reasons why we have nearly 25 million American’s under/unemployed. Thank you Big Government.

As far as your claim that CEO’s earn more than 200 times what their average employee earns, where was your outrage in the 90’s when that ratio was well over 500 times? In 1992, 1995 and 1998 the top 1% held 37.2%, 38.5% and 38.1% of the wealth respectively! The highest since the 1920’s.

Your poverty concerns are valid. But, in 1960 our poverty rate was 14%. After 50 years and $12 TRILLION Dollars (estimates range between $12 Trillion and $19 Trillion dollars) our current rate is 14.3% (it’s actually 15.1% adjusted for the current economic collapse). How many more TRILLIONS of dollars do we redistribute to correct this? Who determines who is more worthy of that wealth redistribution? Who decides if someone gets more or less than the other poor person? Again, do we assign a fairness czar or create another useless government committee that no one pays attention to?

Your claims of the 1950’s 91% rate are unfounded. Actually the revenue generated when it was 91% was about 15% of GDP. When it was 70% revenue was at 17%. When it was 50%, revenue was 18% and when it was 30% revenue was 18% again. The reason the nation prospered is because we were the ONLY remaining industrial nation post WW II. Europe, Japan, Africa and other nations were in shambles after the war. We transformed the “war machine” into the greatest exportable manufacturing economy in history. The world needed rebuilding, and rebuild we did. Remember the old mantra, “30 and out”? Thirty years of hard work and you could retire. This is no longer the case in today’s global economy. In the 60’s our economy was built around a 53% manufacturing base, today it is 9%. We no longer have the luxury of high school graduates getting a job at Ford, U.S. Steel or other conglomerates and earning a decent wage. The above reasons are why we are here today.

Finally, your last paragraph exposes the true Liberal mindset. It’s NOT about tax bracket rates or fairness, it’s about envy. Your delusion is that someone earning $1 million dollars and having $700,000 left AFTER taxes (it’s actually less, but we’ll use your numbers) is unfair compared to the average wage earner with $50,000. Even though the rich DO pay more, according to YOUR progressive tax system, that’s not enough. You want that wealthy person to have LESS money after they pay their taxes to feel better about yourself. I imagine if the millionaire paid $967,500 in taxes, leaving him with the same $32,500 as the average wage earner you’d be as happy as a puppy. The question is who will be so benevolent? Who will take the risks associated with succeeding, the time, effort, dream and ambition to create wealth and then just redistribute it to you and others to be fair? This statement is the most ridiculous you liberals pull out of your hat.

However, many Americans resent when many of the wealthy have realized their success through little in the way of real effort.

I hope you’re kidding! Your delusion is overwhelming you. 80% of the millionaires in this country are FIRST GENERATION!!!! You have NO IDEA what it takes to become successful. The risk, time, sweat, ambition, 16 hour workdays, and then they most likely will still fail. You Liberal’s have to realize that success takes work and effort. The rich do not just sit at home and all of a sudden a few million dollars fall in their lap. Grow up. If you think it’s that easy, GO DO IT! If it takes no real effort why aren’t you wealthy? Because you DO KNOW what it takes and you’re just envious because you’re incapable of doing it. There are over 27 MILLION firms in this country, over 21 MILLION of them are non-employer firms. Why can’t you and the others be one of them? Why can’t you be one of the 6 MILLION that employ between 5 and 10,000+ workers? Because you don’t want to or are incapable of doing it, that’s why. STOP the pity-parade and get out there with the other millions who HAVE DONE IT. This is America, if you want it, you can do it. Stop sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and demand that someone else do all the heavy lifting and then just GIVE you their hard earned money.

Finally (thank God):

They resent when many of the wealthy seek to "buy" elections through unlimited spending for political ads.

First, if a politician can be bought, it’s not the wealthy persons fault, it’s the politicians fault. We honor them with our vote to represent us NOT lobbyists or the wealthy. Second, if you are so easily influenced by a political ad, that’s YOUR problem. Read, research and then make an intelligent decision.

My previous link in my above post (1.35) doesn’t work unless you subscribe. If you Google “The Millionaire Next Door – New York Times", you can learn more about the mean, nasty, rich people you so despise. I think you’ll be surprised how little you actually know.

Good luck!

Great Post FreedomRingsLoud! Thank you!

Kornfed, this is one of the few times that I actually agree with you on political discussions. No one in DC on either side has the balls to do what they need to, to help us get out of this mess.

How much of this 1 trillion is going to find it's way in Boehner's and other politicians pockets is what we all should be concerned about. This is why they fight so much when it comes to a budget. Thy want their extra-large cut of the 1 trillion before it gets passed for the rest of us, and even then, we don't get a piece of it either as they continue shutting down homeless shelters and programs for the poor in need of help.

From the politicians in the WH to the governors running the state's, and what's left over are pennies for the rest of us.

Yep, it's the only way congress can justify their jobs and ignore their constituency. If they don't plan to do something 2 months from now, they won't have anything else to talk about, oh, say unemployment, our education system, deficit, debt, etc. They know if they come home to town meetings they will get yelled at again; as well they should, they are behaving like toddlers.

Get the special interest money out of congress. No more lobbying. That right there would drop the price of goods and services. End the subsidies as well. Are you sure the corporation you buy stuff from is giving their money to the 'correct' candidate? That's the only way to open congress' eyes; until then we are ignored.

havelinaz,

America is SUPPOSED to be a Democracy, yet almost none of the legislation "they" pass is supported by the majority. We have on-line banking, yet we cannot have a fair election? Our country was taken over by Fascists, we can argue exactly when but not the fact that it has happened.

Yes, the wealthy should be taxed at the same rate that they were 30 years ago, and that money should be spent on the non-wealthy. We have the worst wealth distribution of any 1st world country and almost the the worst in the entire world. As it stands, America has failed as a Democracy and is a Fascist police state. A modern day Roman Empire. IMO, OWS is our only hope. Elections do not work, they are bought and paid for as are the candidates that we are allowed to vote for.

GO OWS!

Elections do not work, they are bought and paid for as are the candidates that we are allowed to vote for.

Funny no one gave me any money to vote for any candidate and the wealthy are the minority not the majority. It is us the American people who choose to elect in the candidates we do. Even though there has always been a write-in vote and third parties we the American people choose to be swayed by ads, tax breaks, and kick backs to our community. Then we cry victim that there is nothing we can do when there is something we can do.

I wonder about you if you don't understand how elections are bought ... You figure that one out get back to us ...... LoL

taking do we really choose the politicians running for office? i know over the last 20 years or so i have not liked any of them. the people that choose who is running for office is not us. you really need to look at how the democrat and republican parties run the campaigns. they put up the people who will look after their interests. when anyone else runs that is not part of their agenda they pretty much shut them out.

what we really need is a none of the above option to check off on the ballots. i for one am tired of voting for the least evil. i would like to finally be able to vote for the best one.

md-414241

America is SUPPOSED to be a Democracy,

No, America is a Republic.

MD-414214....Are you really that ignorat....Ill answer that..YES..It something to read post by liberal Democrats that don't even know were a republic....If they didn't have Google they wouldn't know the three branches of Government.....They think they have a "right" to vote in a presidential election.....you don't...The education of the dumb masses continues...

@scott,

Help me out here, who are 'They' in "They think they have a 'right' to vote... "? Last time I read the USConstitution and Amendments the right to vote is constitutionally guaranteed. Unfortunately, SCOTUS gave corporations a voice in that process as well. My comment from above is repeated, "Are you sure the corporation you buy stuff from is giving your money to the 'correct' candidate?"

I understand the challenges to the problem. I am disgusted by the maneuvering to keep a third party from even getting on the ballot. The political smearing and propaganda wars drive me crazy. However what I do not understand is people who always vote for one of the two major parties when they do not like the candidate. If you do not like the candidates then go to the polls and write-in "None of the above, try again". I also do not understand why 40-60% of the population that do not show up to vote even if it is a write-in "try again". By not voting or voting for the lesser of two evils you say I am OK with the bought elections.

Now I am waiting for some Democrat or Republican to start screaming that I am a Republican or Democrat in disguise trying to reduce the numbers of my opponent, or that I am crazy, or that if I vote for someone other than their a party I will be far worse of.

My no confidence vote will not decide the current election, but maybe if enough people actually voted for no confidence instead of staying home the 2 major parties would get the message that if they did things differently the next election they could actually get more votes.

My one small vote is the only control I have so I would rather use it instead of complaining about how I am a victim of the system.

ron carson, well hello again, rereg! Still got those bags packed for Costa Rico? Bon Voyage! ;-)

Those two especially, have played footsies with the dems one time too many.

Quotes like these makes it impossible for an independent like me to vote Republican. "Footsies" is your code word for "compromise". Without compromise, NO RELATIONSHIP ever truly works.

So true... so true. The word compromise has become a dirty word for the right leaving independents who see the need for people to come together no reason to ever vote Republican. When they start talking about coming together with the democrats and addressing some of the major problems facing this country, then maybe I will listen to them.

Ron,

you and the people like you that voted in politicians that think like you are the ones destroying the country. Government does not work with out compromise, you cannot just send your Rambo team in there and blast everyone away to get your way; it does not work like that.

The only good thing out of this is that no one will ever vote for non-compromising pols again, if they are smart; I can see where that could be a problem.

The problem with an extortionist (GOP) is they will always be back for more, so here we are having to face the same damn problem that is why OBAMA needs to grow a pair and take a firm stance ...

The President and Congressional Democrats stated from the start that they sought a clean bill for the payroll tax cut extension; a bill with nothing else attached, particularly if it had nothing to do with taxation (like a proposed pipeline). Where Democrats wanted to work toward a compromise with Republicans was how the tax cut would be paid-for. Not only did Republicans not want to negotiate on how to pay for the tax cut, but they also wanted to dump other stuff onto the bill, in hopes that they could get Republican-supported programs/policies through by piggybacking it on tax relief. The only reason Republicans piggybacked the pipeline amendment onto the tax cut bill was because the pipeline was/is fairly unpopular among many members of Congress (particularly Democrats) and many of the residents' living in the states over which the pipeline is proposed to run. They felt it was sure to get approval if they could tell the President, give us our pipeline and you can have your tax break. That's what you call compromise? That's what I call extortion. Sure ... they dress it up to make it sound like a better deal for the country ... but, as Ms. Palin once said, "You can put lipstick on a pig; it's still a pig."

With respect to the net neutrality bill, the President supports the Internet remaining a free and open place where individuals and companies alike can express themselves for their own, personal reasons. Republicans attached an amendment to the tax cut legislation that would bar the FCC from using government money to implement new regulations which made it illegal for Internet-access providers to limit the content it allowed to pass through from the Internet to the end-user. Companies like Comcast were seeking to change the new FCC rules because they wanted to be able to limit or not allow content from companies like Skype or Netflix to pass through their servers and then on to their customers. Again, this is an example of the Republicans attaching an amendment that has been soundly criticized by the American public and many who produce web-based product. And because of its unpopularity, it was not likely to pass on its own. So ... they sought to piggyback it on the payroll tax bill, hoping that Democrats wouldn't sink the entire tax cut just to thwart their (the Republicans) attempt at censorship. The reason Senator Reid said the bill was dead-on-arrival is that the Democrats and the President had stated time-and-time again that they sought a vote on the tax cut, and only the tax cut. They knew that if allowed, the Republicans would toss-in one or two overwise unpopular (amongst most Democrats and a majority of Americans) pieces of legistion, since Dems were strongly in-support of continuing the payroll tax rate reduction.

Call it compromise if you'd like. But the facts bear-out something much, MUCH different. It's too bad the Republicans cannot get their own legislation passed. But then, they might have done a bit better had they been a little more open to working with Democrats in the past.

i was just wondering but shouldnt the states be the ones saying whether they want the pipeline to run thru them or not. what happened to state rights. i mean if the state doesnt want the possibility of contamanation from the pipeline they should be able to say no to it, or if they want the increase in jobs they should be able to say yes. the federal govt should not be the one telling the states whether they can or cannot allow a business within their boundaries, it should be up to the state and the citizens that live in it.

Funny how Democrats now want to negotiate......during the so called 1 trillion stimulus, or the heath care fiasco not one democrat came to republicans to compromise. In fact they controlled the House and Senate and scoffed any idea the republicans came forward with...That's because we lost the elections and paid the price...Now the losers want the winners to negotiate...Where in life do the losers dictate policy to the winners? Winners don't negotiate with the losers. There is another life lesson brought to you by a person that strives not to be part of the moocher class...

Jtr..You say the democrats are against the pipe line......their environmentalistbase don't like it period...So your saying the democrats don't want to work toward energy independence...they don't want 20,000 jobs...No it's a political...The president is putting party over this countries best interest. Wow, none of us have figured that out.......If...big if Obama wins in 2012....he will go forward with the pipe line within a week....TRUTH....If it's good for America, it's bad for Democrats..If it's bad for Democrats, it's good for America...Obama proves it everyday..

JTR

Is there not an UNEMPLOYMENT EXTENSION in the Payroll Tax Cut Bill? Doesn't building the Pipeline CREATE JOBS at NO cost the the American Tax Payer. Isn't CREATING JOBS related to Unemployment by lowering the number of Unemployed??

And this comment of yours just proves my case. Where is the COMPROMISE?

"The reason Senator Reid said the bill was dead-on-arrival is that the Democrats and the President had stated time-and-time again that they sought a vote on the tax cut, and only the tax cut."

I hope President Obama appoints all his nominees while congress is NOT in session. Recess appointments!!!!

Hopefully they will last less than a year when he gets voted out!!

Reb,,, you seem to forget that it was a Republican put this legislation forward. This is 100% a republican kick it down the road so they can go home for the holidays. That's the fact.

ron carson, tic, toc, tic, toc......Bon Voyage, rereg! ;-)

Riiight REB and ron carson, the GOP/TP are showing themselves yet again as obstructionists on behalf of the 1%. We'll see YOU at the polls.

These right wing hacks have no sense of reality. This congress is the worst in American history, and it's the tea party that's driving it. Keep listening to Fox "news" and AM radio. I predict a HUGE surprise in Nov 2012..The American people are sick of this BS.

Yeah, and Boehner wants to get back to his scotch and water

Your right Lady Sam. He's turning the same color as his scotch. Alcoholic boozehound, thats all, nothing more, boozehound alcoholics, yesiree.

They cannot think that far in advance, it is a physical impossibility because they have to check with Norquist, the business that fill their pockets, and the Koch monarchy before they do anything. Dems cannot do so either because it takes a majority to pass any legislation, however some of them also suffer the same fate as the Rep side but to different higher powers.

Most folks have been reduced to living week to week or month to month. It appears that our political leaders can do no better.

The police crackdowns on the Occupy protests are looking to get ahead of the curve and prevent that violent revolution from ever happening. But I feel it's coming, and sooner than we think.

1930's about to repeat?????? World War III coming in less than a century? Remember (for those in their 50's or older) that it was predicted a few decades ago that Korea and the Middle East would have us in WWIII in less than a century after WWII.

Hehe, I left NW OH 16 years ago to get away from the nasty winter weather. Now I enjoy the wonderful tropical weather of the Caribbean, even though I no longer have any say in national politics.....oh wait, I do. I've been promoting the Popular Amendment Movements petition drive (www.faircampaignreform.us) for the Election/Campaign Finance Reform and Term Limits constitutional amendments since July 2010. Why haven't any of you gotten involved yet?

Let's see, when was the last Congress to actually pass a budget AND all necessary appropriations bills. I believe it has been at two, if not more. They just keep passing "Continuing Resolutions" instead of passing the required appropriations bills. The budget was supposed to have been passed by last MAY (and remember that the budget is exactly that....a budget or guideline for the expenditures that Congress then votes for or against.) All appropriations bills are supposed to be passed before the end of the fiscal year (September 30) for the upcoming fiscal year (beginning October 1.) We are 2.5 months into the 2012 fiscal year already. What appropriations bills have passed and been signed into law so far? Just more continuing resolutions.

Yes Fred it STARTED there it's ongoing in the here and now, time to start owning y'alls shortcomings don't ya think?

A 3rd Party..... coming to your state and America soon!

Weasel's on both sides cutting up $$$ while the rest of America sits "with baited breath".

Here is a taste of Friday on CSPAN... Just switch some word's with budget and NOT going on vacation, and you get this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmfwklFM-M

PLEASE Tell me that this isn't the case. Squinting as to the response

doem309; That picture you have up along side of your post, reminds me of someone, its like I know the guy. For some crazy reason it reminds me of Dubya , lol. I hate to put the guy from MAD down like that, because I had a lot of fun reading that magazine for years growning up. Still funny, even now, when he's representing Dubya. I would of never thought that guy would of gave me so many laughs back then. Thanks

Really Joe, the ears and stupid grim are a dead giveaway for the current resident of 1600.

and last year and the year before, how's that abolishing the patriot act coming along?

will darlin I have seen you write this more than once I think I'm the only one listening ;)

Will,

Instead of balancing the budget on the backs of the elderly and poor, it makes MUCH more sense to create revenue to do that and to reduce the deficit. By returning the tax rates for the wealthy to the levels that they paid 30 years ago, we would be fixing America in the only fair way possible.

What is this never-ending bull$hit about "balancing the budget on the backs of the elderly and poor" ?

I mean, it's like that same, tired old, worn-out, "repeat it repeat it till somebody believes it" crapola straight from the Chuckie Schumer playbook of demmie tricks. Our country has a huge SPENDING problem genius ! Reduce government instead of GROWING it at every opportunity. Government is like a person with cancer .... as the cancer grows, it consumes its host, slowly but surely. Government does not increase revenues, it sucks it away like a sponge.

What is this never-ending bull$hit about "balancing the budget on the backs of the elderly and poor" ?

I mean, it's like that same, tired old, worn-out, "repeat it repeat it till somebody believes it" crapola straight from the Chuckie Schumer playbook of demmie tricks. Our country has a huge SPENDING problem genius ! Reduce government instead of GROWING it at every opportunity. Government is like a person with cancer .... as the cancer grows, it consumes its host, slowly but surely. Government does not increase revenues, it sucks it away like a sponge.

yay you double posted jim that let me give you a up vote twice!

md, The President said that taxes should not be raised during a recession. This President is trying to spend our way out of this recession but it has not been working. The President said that if the stimulus bill were passed, unemployment would not rise above 8% but that did not happen. The problem has been poor spending choices and our balance of payments. The money has created demand for more goods and services but since so much is generated in other countries, new jobs have been created but just not here. The money has just been flowing out of the country and all we are left with is the debt. It is not just the fault of this current administration but this trade deficit problem has been going on for decades. Anyway our President promised that the 2012 deficit would not exceed 229.27 billion dollars and our congress needs to help the President keep his promise. We sould not want him to look bad for the coming election.

there's a lot of dummies in this country..

sometimes dummies unwittingly elect dummies to represent them..

Dummies!!!!

Wow, ron carson is a super hack. Do you even have a clue what was in this bill. The only party putting BS in it was the GOP, trying to tack a pipline onto a budget bill. Those guys are pathetic and it seems you are their biggest cheerleader.

D-Nice---and what is wrong with tacking a pipline onto a budget bill; it will create a job; and maybe bring energy prices down a penny; not much;

Ron, I see you are back...still a troll, though.

beabet the only reason they are tacking the pipeline on to the bill is they want to force it through by any means necessary the pipeline will create few if any jobs because if you go to cspn web site you can read the bills they have on the floor and within the pipeline bill is a proviso that allows only for the canadian oil company to supply workers that are fully trained in this profession. now see that not everyone is a skilled oil pipe professional very few jobs though passing the bill will line the pockets of those pushing it through

Sad part is the Repukes give up nothing. We need revenue increases and spending cuts, say put both back to Clinton-Gingrich era levels when both parties used to work together. If they don't I hope the dems. go to the negotiating table armed next time and take out the Teabaggers and I pray Berry sends CIA or a Navy Seal team to take out the Koch brothers, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Grover Norquist, (what the hell kind of name is Norqist? I doubt he is an American with a name like that.) and the rest of the right wing fascist nazis that destroyed my Republican party.

Dan-4536159---house can only stay for two terms; so they can not stay till they drop dead; only dems can do that in congress; good example harry reid and nancy polosi; who r they dems or reps; but i sure know they been there for a very long time; what about barney frank dem or reps trick question ha;;; the banking system; bubble; i can go on; on both sides and not just reps dems also have a lot to blame; what about kerry from ma;; edwards; how about naming a few ur self; that held the bubble; i like to name a few in the federal reserve if u may; please;

@beabet

There are no term limits for members of either the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. They can serve in either body indefinitely provided voters continue to support them and re-elect them. In the federal government, only the office of the presidency has a two-term limit. That is why you see some members of Congress who have been in-office for 20-30 years ... or more in a few isolated cases. It is true that members of the House of Representatives are elected/re-elected every two years, while senators are on the ballot every six. But again, there are no limits to the number of times they can run and be elected.

With respect to your notion that there aren't any Republicans who have served for long periods in Congress, that's just plain silly. Bill Young, a Republican congressman representing a district in Florida, has served for more than 40 years. Several others, including one of the senators from my state of Iowa, who are Republican, have served for more than 35 years. Longevity of service is not something that any one party dominates.

And yes, Barney Frank is a Democrat. A very good Democrat, in the sense that he has worked hard for his constiuents in Massachusetts. And you are also correct when you say that both parties bear some responsibility for the most recent recession and all of the related problems many Americans are facing. The key difference between the two parties is that the Republicans have it in their heads that if they just remove all of the regulations, let business run however they would like, that all of our countries' problems would disappear. What they fail to realize, or simply do not want to, is that it's because so many regulations over the financial sector were done away with by the Republican-led Congress of the late 90's and throughout most of Bush's terms that have been determined to be the root cause of the collapse of the housing market and the destabilization of not just the U.S. banking system but that of the entire world.

I'm not sure what beef you have with John Kerry, other than that he's a Democrat and he's from Massachusetts. And as far as Edwards ... I'm assuming you mean John Edwards ... he was in the Senate for one term, and then ran for Vice President. While in the Senate he was responsible for two pieces of legislation that could be considered important: one was seeking additional funding for research into the disease responsible for the majority of mental retardation in humans, and the other was his introduction of the first anti-spyware law which was designed to make it illegal for individuals/companies to hack into a person's/company's computer(s) using malicious software programming. While not ground-breaking, his legislative efforts certainly don't deserve more scorn than they do appreciation. After he left Congress and began running for President ... well ... he pretty much stopped being the sort of politician I (and many other Americans, especially Democrats) would support when he decided it was 'just fine' to have an affair (and a child by the same woman). That he did so while presenting himself to the American people as this "really great guy who cares about the poor", and while his wife was dealing with terminal cancer ... well, there's no excusing that. Period.

And the federal reserve ... it is a private/public corporation that oversees the 12 Federal Reserve Banks. Those who serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors are appointed by the current-President of the U.S., and confirmed by the Senate. Governors are eligible to serve one 14-year term, or part of another term (should he/she be appointed to fulfill the balance of the term of a predescessor) and another full 14-yr. term. The Chairman/Vice-Chairman of the Board are also appointed by the President, and confirmed by the Senate; they are chosen from the then-current seven governors on the Reserve Board. They serve independently from the federal government. Their only required duty to the federal government is to submit to Congress/President an annual report. They do not receive their funding for operations from the Congress. Therefore, they are left to conduct operations as they feel appropriate. President Obama re-appointed the current Chairman, Ben Bernacke, who was originally appointed by George W. Bush. While some may try to make the Federal Reserve into a partisan issue, they can only try, since it is largely one of the few areas of government that operates without any real oversight/influence from Congress or the President. Anything that the Fed should be blamed for lies completely and squarely at their feet.

Oooops, I meant to say recess............

nevermind the FACT that yesterday, your president obuma called for exactly what they did, a short term extention.

but, it's all the republicans fault, right...

RIGHT