So the choice is, higher taxes on businesses or less money for preventive health care. I don't like either option. What else is there?

Stafford loans are made to low- and middle-income students.

All students are 'low to middle-income'. But many of us don't qualify because our parents make a ton and want us to pay our own way through college (as they should).

So the choice is, higher taxes on businesses or less money for preventive health care. I don't like either option. What else is there?

How about ending oil subsidies? Cleaning up Medicare fraud? Taxes on imports from China (tariff?)?

I'm sure I could think of a few more.

Lower taxes means more revenue, always has.

Uh...what? Is that why supply-side economics under Reagan and Bush 2.0 were complete and utter failures?

Tell me, where are the jobs?

Lower taxes means more revenue? I want to live in lvingbarefoot's world! We've lowered taxes for 30 years...there aren't more jobs and there isn't more revenue. Trickle down does not work. Stop drinking the kool aid.

Wages trickle up! Remove the artificial bottom and every worker gets a raise and takes money from the rich the proper capitalistic way, in the form of a bigger paycheck!

Am I reading this right? Remove the minimum wage and workers will get a raise?

Because if you remove the minimum wage, those currently making minimum wage will have their wages plummet. More people will get jobs, but that's because corporations will expand and hire people for a dime a dozen (literally). However, the quality of life for those people will be nill. The economy will actually suffer because those people can only afford the bare necessities.

You follow?

The GOP already passed a student loan bill which the President Threatened to Veto. The Senate is supposed to pass their version of a bill so the two Bills can be sent to Conference where the differences are worked out.

If the White House is going to Complain about it not getting done then go Complain to Dingy, I'm not going to allow the 30 Bills the house passed, to be voted on or pass our own versions.

Remove people who are illegally taking jobs from our citizens! I thought libs were for wage protection? I guess if it can't buy votes, it is ignored. The biggest wage protection it this country is not enforce our immigration law. But that is no good for the class warfare crowd. Less poor people means less votes and that is a disgusting philosophy!

You know they tried this experiment in Alabama right? They made it easier to 'crack down' on illegals. However, the harassment of legal Hispanics was so intense, that most just packed up and left. Now the farmhand jobs there sit empty, as no "real" American wants to do it.

That is bull, anyways I want a registered worker program in agriculture with a clear path to a regular work visa and eventual citizenship.

I would not target illegals, I would fine and arrest anyone who hires them.

That is bull

Actually it's not. There were articles a few months ago on this site detailing the very effects I described. Look them up if you don't believe me.

Nothing like trying to justify more pathetic legislation by blaming Bush. Funny but I thought Obama was supposedly our president. Hard to tell as Obama and his supporters spend more time talking about Bush then getting anything positive done for the country.

As if student loan interest rates are more important then going after the real problem which is the skyrocketing cost of a college education. Just more of the smoke and mirrors and bandaid approach we have come to expect from Obama and the Democrats. Fix nothing, solve nothing.

Must be the democrat job bill.

"We need to create more jobs! Hey, let's raise the taxes on the folks that create the jobs! That'll make them hire more!"

Idiots.

How democrats can even say they are trying to create jobs is beyond me.

"We need to create more jobs! Hey, let's raise the taxes on the folks that create the jobs! That'll make them hire more!"

As opposed to cutting their taxes which has worked so well, right?

Why would the dems raise SS taxes and medicare taxes to pay for this? Are they trying to piss off the seniors? Why don't they just quit with all the labels and put all the taxes together and label them Fed taxes. No sense in having a SS tax if it going to be used to pay for other things other than SS. Same with the medicare tax. Then again the theives in washington would only have on tax to raise instead of three.

lvingbarefoot

Okay, Bush sucked, but Obama is worse.

Exactly right.

Hmmmmm... Why the big deal? The Senate blocks legislation from the house all the time...won't even allow votes on thier bills. Personally, I think the House should block ALL bills from the Senate until they start doing their jobs and voting on the bills that the house passed in the pass 2 years that have been tabled.

They don't have to pass the house bills, but they should have the courage to at least vote on them. Cowards...

Take note, Wall Street takes priority over the future of our society.

Signed,

A recent Civil Engineering graduate

Lower taxes means more revenue, always has.

No matter what the rate is right at this moment, correct?

Um ok so... if we lower the tax rate to zero, revenue will become infinite!

Your critical thinking skills are non-existent.

So the repugnants want to help students, they would just rather take the money from the old and needy as opposed to the rich and well off. Got it.

You all do realize that by taxing the everliving crap out of the "job creators" you actually force them to create jobs just so that they can avoid the taxes on their profits?

You do understand that labor expenses are a TAX SHELTER by definition? (EBITDA is what's taxed, not revenue)

You do realize that by giving the "job creators" more tax cuts, they can just sock away their profits in the bank without needing to create a single job?

You do realize that in the single greatest economic BOOM this country saw (in the 1950s) we had an effective Montgomery GI bill, effective Social Security, and among the highest taxes in U.S. history? (Roughly 90% for the top bracket).

You didn't see the UberWealthy stop creating jobs during that time - but creating MORE.

Time for the Replutocrats to own up to the fact that their Trickle Down philosophy does nothing but erode their customer base to enrich their own wealthy while conning their blind followers into believing that the "job creators" have their own best interests at heart. Eventually, when the ultra-tax-cuts have bankrupted the country and we're 99% poor and 1% wealthy, they'll see what the wages of such thinking is: China in the forefront, and the U.S. relegated to 25th place academically.

@ThatGuy & Ebeneezer....

So let me ask you. What is a "fair" tax rate? 20%, 30%, 40%, 80%?

How much of what a person earns should they be able to keep?

there are a majority Democrats in the Senate

not exactly sure how minority Republican Senators could block majority Democrat Senators.

Instead of Student Loan Bill, it should be called "Liberal Tax Increase Bill".... any old reason for Libs to piss away my tax money is a good reason....

Honest Jo: By Filibustering anything the dems want to pass. They need 60 votes to close debate on an issue to allow a simple majority vote - otherwise, debate is essentially "endless"

Jess: The wealthy should pay more than the poor as a % of their income. Someone making $25,000 or less a year shouldn't have to pay a higher absolute/actual rate than someone making $1,000,000 per year.

If they pay 20% that would amount to $5,000 - leaving them $20,000 to live off of. If you made $1 million - that same rate would leave you with $800,000. I guarantee you it's easier to live off of $800,000 than $20,000.

Your next statement will be "then lower taxes for everybody" - and my next statement will be: "then who pays for the Army, Navy, Highways, Schools, Fire Departments, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps (because I do like feeding the poor), EPA (because I like clean air and water), FAA (because I don't like plane crashes), National Parks (because they're worth it), Border Patrol, FBI, NTSB, NHTSA, etc."

You then will say "Everybody needs to pay their fair share - even the poorest" - to which I say to the wealthy: "Can you spare a few dollars so that the poor can pay their bill?" to which the wealthy say "@!$%# you, get a job." to which the poor say, we want a job, do you have one? To which they say "What do I look like? A Charity?"

The Fair Share the wealthy should pay is the amount it will take for them to either start paying people better, start creating more jobs, or giving the government enough to do that on their behalf.

The lower that rate is, the better - but to date, all the tax cutting has netted us a Bugger's Worth of jobs.

You guys talk like we have a functioning government. We haven't have had one for twelve years or longer. The multinational corporations own our government, what ever they want our government will accept. The military-industrial complex wanting the middle east wars and got them. The banking industry wanted zero regulations on their dealing with each other and got them, almost causing a world wide financial catastrophe. We all would like to change the dysfunction that passes for our government but the powers that be and our own lack of understanding of the divisions that are dividing us, reveal us moot. As long as we are so divided, our country is dead in the water, on a lee shore.

The democrats are the ones that lowered the interest rate on student loans when they had complete control of Congress. They are the ones who are responsible for the rates going back up at this time, they wrote into their bill. We have seen for the past 3 1/2 years that their whole concept of making government work is raising taxes. When are they going to quit playing games and get something done? The republicans are trying their best to keep taxes as they are and stop spending but the dems don't want to have anything to do with that. I am a small business owner who would be affected with this increase. I believe it would cost me about $30,000 more in taxes per year. That is money that I need to continue doing business the next year. If the dems get their way I will be giving out far less money in bonuses to my good employess. How does that help? Why should I and my employees pay for anyones education? Can anyone out there actually tell me why??? And please don't tell me that it will help get better future workers. If that's the case, can I specify what classes my money can be spent for? I don't want to pay for basket weaving classes because it won't help me with future employees.

Ruken..."Uh...what? Is that why supply-side economics under Reagan and Bush 2.0 were complete and utter failures?"

Uh no, that would be Economics 101. Here are a few quotes from a Democrat that make the point crystal clear:

http://www.wnd.com/2004/07/25640/

It doesn't work unless you think in the long term, unlike most politicians who only think in terms of the next election cycle.

JH - Do you like having working electrical grids, highway systems, sewers, hospitals, snow plows? Do you like having a working military?

Then you need to PAY for the people to do the jobs. If you don't have people trained to do them, we can outsource or EDUCATE them.

So next winter, while your employees are snowed in because nobody is trained or educated to fix the plows that clear the streets to your business - or when your sewer backs up and nobody knows how to keep it from doing that, or when your local power station breaks down because nobody knows how to engineer enough capacity to provide your plant with power... Talk to me about why we should pay to educate people.

More to the point - while you're getting mugged by the kid that didn't get a decent education, so he can't get a better job that would keep him from knifing your ass - talk to me about why we shouldn't educate people.

If you want the moral arguement: "What you do unto the least of these..." WWJD? Telling people to get a job, and go to college and figure it out would likely NOT be one of the things he'd do...

Acts 4:34

Jesus Christ!!!! What a bunch of I've got mine but you can't have yours idiots in here. JH...bet you were sent to a private school as well as your spawn???

Start paying for the freeways..the public libraries.. use FedEx/UPS for your mail. Double dipping conservatives want it both ways.

Looks like the conservative way of dumbing down the electorate is a huge success. Keep the kids out of college...WE NEED CANNON FODDER!!

This country is screwed!!!! So go back to your bunkers...rub yourselves all over your "guns" roll up in your flags and beat your brothers with the Bible you self centered conservatives.

Now it's time to go puke and take a shower. I feel dirty even reading the rhetoric spewed by the likes of you cons.

Trickle down IS a failure, and that stupid 'job creators' moniker the republicans made up is bull. All you have to do is look at the last 3 decades and see what has happened with those policies.

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2007/10/the-great-lie-o.html

http://www.epi.org/blog/supply-side-abject-failure/

http://veracitystew.com/2010/11/22/warren-buffett-trickle-down-economics-failed-more-taxes-for-the-rich/

Ebeneezer and eggberta

I do pay taxes, plenty of them. Did I complain about it? NO. What I am saying is the dems want to tax people to pay for others COLLEGE education. College is not mandatory for a person to get a job in this country. I didn't attend college and I am doing pretty well. I employ peole and pay good wages with benefits. My business probably creates over a half million in tax revenue every year when you consider all taxes, not just income taxes. I am doing my part for my country. And yes eggberta, my parents sent me to private school (catholic). My parents weren't rich but wanted me to have that education. And al the time they were paying for 6 kids orivate education they were also paying taxes to educate American children in public schools.

Ebeneezer - If I am getting mugged by some punk who didn't get an education he will be very sorry. I will defend myself with lethal weapons when necessary. It is my right as a tax paying American citizen. Screw you and you attitude, I don't owe ANYONE a college education.

Yes, JH - let's to the lowest level of acceptable education - No College is not mandatory - but it SHOULD be (as should military service or civil service). Do we really now aspire to make our citizens the bare minimum of what they could be?

Shouldn't we aspire to make Americans the best educated, best prepared, most industrious and most prosperous/well-off citizenry in the world?

Isn't THAT what the American Dream was?

And I'm happy your parents sent you to Catholic School (which is heavily subsidized by the local parishes, in most cases, by the way - I know, because I've been trying to get my own children in Catholic School through my parish).

Finally - there was once an educated person who developed those lethal weapons and then taught the police force to arrest criminals and the lawyers to prosecute them.

And, yes - you do owe people college educations. Every time you move a truckload of goods over the FREE roads, or have your business protected by FREE police, and FREE fire departments and FREE EMS, and the list goes on.

We ALL owe people educations. Right now we're only giving free High School. But College should also be free.

"The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance." - Benjamin Franklin

Ebeneezer,

I think this quote of yours is my root disagreement:

Shouldn't we aspire to make Americans the best educated, best prepared, most industrious and most prosperous/well-off citizenry in the world?

I don't want government to try and "make" me anything. I want government to ensure I have opportunities...not make me into whatever it decides I should be.

I realize college is probably a good route for you, but it's not for everyone. In fact, it's not the preferred route for most people. Also, for a society to function we need more blue collar workers than white collar workers. We need trade schools and other avenues for those that choose not to pursue college.

As to the earlier comments about income tax rates and the economy in the middle of last century, I have 2 statements.

First, nobody paid an effective tax rate of 90%. From what I've read, the effective tax rate maxed out slightly more than it is today due to tax shelters available at the time (in fact, some of the top end earners paid no taxes due to tax shelters).

Second, the economy boomed then because the US was the only industrialized country whose industrial base hadn't been literally destroyed in WWII. Of course our economy boomed...we had no competition.

Ebeneezer

What the hell do you not understand?? I do not owe anyone a college education. PERIOD!! And those FREE roads, police, fire departments, etc... are NOT FREE. I help pay for them. I gladly help pay for them. But if you want me to pay for anyones college eduction you can STFU. The dems in Congress just want to start trouble when it isn't necessary. And it is obvious that they have you on their side. Thank god for the republicans in Congress.

Worked just like they said it would, 5.4 million students now hate Republicans

lvingbarefoot

That is bull, anyways I want a registered worker program in agriculture with a clear path to a regular work visa and eventual citizenship.

now I know you are full of it. Work visas are not a path to citizenship or at least not a very common way. Unless you are marrying all the immigrants, you are making $hit up.

The EB-5 visa program provides a clearly defined process for foreign investors to gain permanent resident status. THAT'S FOR INVESTORS and I doubt that all your workers are "investors."

The H1B is for specific occupations - in your case: Agricultural Engineering Occupations & H2B visas are for temporary jobs (seasonal).

So unless you are marrying them or calling them "Engineers" you are full of crap.

BTW, if you are so against Illegals, start doing something about the companies hiring illegals to increase their profit margin. Don't blame some poor person who is doing what he/she has to to feed their family. Blame those who benefit from hiring illegals - they could give up their 3rd yacht or the 5th house.

,

Lower taxes means more revenue, always has.

I am still amazed at the ridiculous ideas of some people (and parties). I hope that this person demanded a 50% pay cut so that he or she could make much more money, just to prove how right they are.

grumpy_jon

Lower taxes means more revenue, always has.

I am still amazed at the ridiculous ideas of some people (and parties). I hope that this person demanded a 50% pay cut so that he or she could make much more money, just to prove how right they are.

Both extreme comments are wrong. When taxes reach a certain point, people lose incentive and produce less (or leave) - which can result in negative tax revenue. We can see recent examples of this in certain NE states that saw tax revenue decreases after implementing new/additional "millionaire" taxes. However, tax cuts when the rate are not at the point they retard growth, will likely just reduce revenue since they are not really encouraging additional growth.

Tax rates are always a balancing act. Tax too much, productivity suffers and you actually get less tax revenue. Tax too little and you not only get less money, you don't get any offsetting productivity gains (and you can get long-term productivity losses by not providing needed societal infrastructure to support future growth).

Great post Ron. See New Hampshire cigarette tax for a small example of this. Lowering the tax resulted in higher revenues from the tax as more people quit crossing state lines to purchase cigarettes.

@Livingbarefoot:

"Lower taxes means more revenue, always has."

That's absolute garbage...it's an old wives tale created by the Re-tard-licans...and it's PROVEN that lower taxes do NOT increase revenue!

If it was true....why don't we just drop taxes to 0%!! (Um...let's see 0% X $1 trillion is...um...gee..hmm...NADA!)

Stu,

If taxes are so high they discourage economic activity, then lowering taxes will increase revenue. However, if we are not at that point, lowering taxes will just lower revenue.

Exactly where we are on that tax scale is up for debate.

I know for me personally, I have no desire to work harder or longer because - for me - I've reached that point where I don't think the cost in my time is worth the benefits. (btw, I'm considering both the current and rates and what I think they will be in the future when I want to stop working)

JH, if you are ever in an operating room or in a courtroom, would you want the person responsible for your life, the doctor or the lawyer, to have had a good education in their field? Would you want to have had any part in making sure they knew what they were doing?

Ron, granted, college may not be the right path for everyone. But until employers stop insisting on college degrees for even the most basic jobs, colleges will continue to be a requirement. Even if degrees were not required, I would still want people to be educated so that the country and the society would continue to advance and flourish.

Are both of you so selfish that you would withhold education from someone else?

JH, Your posts are magnificent. They are so opinionated and selfish. The people that are going to use those low rate college loans (though cost of education is still though the roof) isn"t just anyone they are your fellow citizens. Citizens of this great country. There future is our future. So do yourself a favor, take your own advice, STFU. Your whats wrong with this country, Leave, Goodbye, Get lost, Adios.

Is that like the old argument for higher minimum wage laws. If seven dollars is helpful, why don't we make the minimum wage $100.00? You are wrong, every time income taxes are lowered, the net effect is more money to the government in increased economic activity. I know a liberal doesn't like that, but those are government figures.

fielden,

I never said I would withhold anything from anyone. I just said I don't think we should pay for everything (because the reality is, we can't). Also, I don't want to try and force my lifestyle on everyone else. College worked for me, but it's not for everyone.

Also, if you read my posts, I said I was fine with using my tax money to pay for alternatives such as trade schools.

I'm also not sure where you got the impression I didn't think education was important. I think it's key, and I think it's grossly mismanaged in the US. We spend far more per student than any other country, but we are not close to the top...to me this indicates throwing money at the problem is not the solution.

I'd go longer, but I have to hit the road...good luck!

You notice Republicans control the Southern states. What does that tell you? They like to keep the population as ignorant and poor as possible. We're easier to control that way.

@AlexM-3929653

Must be the democrat job bill.

"We need to create more jobs! Hey, let's raise the taxes on the folks that create the jobs! That'll make them hire more!"

Idiots.

Rich business owners do not "create jobs". If a company makes more profit, due to lower taxes, they do not decide to hire people because they have extra money sitting around and love helping people by "creating jobs".

The main consideration for them is demand. Is my product/service selling? Is my product/service selling at the level where hiring new employees will increase my profit? There are no jobs "created" merely because the wealthy "job creator" has more money in their bank account.

Consumers(the middle class) are the "job creators". Our spending, determines when and in which sector, jobs are "created". Wherever there is demand, jobs follow. Supply side economics has been a failure and is completely illogical.

Making the wealthy, wealthier, does not inspire them to create jobs with the extra loot. It will simply pad their retirement accounts.

Making the middle class stronger creates demand, creates jobs, and even improves the bottom line of the wealthy business owner, who should realize that if all the money resides at the top, there is no one left to buy goods & services.

republicans are scum of the earth.

Ron, I didn't mean to mischaracterize you. My apologies. It seems we are actually close together on this.

Thanks!

@You Enjoy Myself

Well put.

@lvingbarefoot

"Remove the artificial bottom and every worker gets a raise and takes money from the rich the proper capitalistic way, in the form of a bigger paycheck!"

You remove the bottom and many companies will take advantage of it. They can hire workers for pennies on the dollar and people will be resigned to take those jobs - we do live in less-than-ideal economic times, after all. What results is a undervalued, underpaid, and ever expanding working (poverty) class. Removing illegals won't change this. Sure, unemployment would drop but they might as well be unemployed because they wouldn't be making enough to live in modern times. You wouldn't be able to tell someone earning $3-6 an hour to tighten their belts and live within their means, obviously.

If would be interesting to find out how many of these obstructionist Republican Senators attended state universities with low interest student loans. We know very few of them used the GI Bill. Republicans don't join the military.

This is typical, the GOP refuses to raise taxes on the wealthy because they are the wealthy!!!

The GOP wants to keep the population uneducated. It produces more redneck FOX watchin mindless morons. You betcha!!!

Im paying for Medicare advantage, a war in Afghanistan and a war in Iraq that was supposed to be paid for with Iraq oil. Im paying for tax breaks for the rich and 4 billion in tax credits to the oils companies. So why not!!

Are you also paying $52 billion for the Union bailout? Are you paying for Solyndra.

The wars go on because libs do not allow us to fight them to win. We are releasing our enemies right now. Who does that?

The wars go on because libs do not allow us to fight them to win. We are releasing our enemies right now. Who does that?

We cannot win. It's Vietnam 2.0.

As soon as we leave, albeit 20 years or 2 months, they will just resume blowing each other away. It's time we accepted that fact and just left.

If you can't win, don't go. My way, Iraq would have been over in months and currently secured.

This liberal Harvard learned COIN crap kills way too many of our troops!

If you can't win, don't go

But we did go, which is why we need to focus on the present (and leave the region), not dwell on the past.

If you want to leave the region, then you better drill here.

So you are saying this administration gave money to unions, but the senate holds the purse strings. Re-think your comment when the Senate holds control of the money. So the Senate gave money to Solyndra , the unions(I dont know where u got this), and all of the Haliburton no bid contract!! Whats your point the president does not control the money so how did he give it away?

When did the unions get a bailout? If you are talking about the Car companies , we made money off of that!! We did not make money off of Haliburton so that was a waste .

Im payng for all of that!!!

Solyndra ? Whats your point? trying to start an industry is hard! Fox might not have told you that. Please look at the definition of Liberal, its a nice label to have. its Christian sharia law you should be worried about!!! These wingnuts are trying to turn the bible into law.

When will you realize that the bible is a comic book about a fictional "god" that created everything. How many religions are in this world? Which one is the right one?

If you want to leave the region, then you better drill here.

We already get more oil from Canada than Iraq.

And FYI, oil prices are set on a global market price. The USA doesn't have enough oil to sway the global price of oil. Any oil we produce here at home is set at the global price.

All subsidies must go, not just the GOP's friends, liberal cronyism, one of the reasons student loans are so high, must go to.

Governments job is not to start industries! It is supposed to supply a lvel playing field so industries can thrive.

Governments job is not to start industries!

Actually it is. The government often gives loans to power companies to build power plants, for example. We just need to actually see who could use the assistance and who is just using it to pad their profit margins (like Exxon Mobil).

Without any government assistance our economy would be nowhere close to where it is now.

So you are saying this administration gave money to unions, but the senate holds the purse strings.

It was called the 800 Billion dollar Stimulus which was passed in 2009 when the Democrats had control of the House, Senate, and White House and not a single Republican voted for it. Where did all the Money go?

To pay for Teachers Salaries which are, wait for it, Unionized. To pay for Police, firefighters, etc. wait for it, Unionized. To pay off Obama's Green Energy Buddies Like "Solyndra", Wait for it, "Solyndra" was not a startup and neither was "Evergreen Solar", "SpecraWat", "Mountain Plaza", etc. which all received bailout money and then went bankrupt.

Jan 2009 unemployment rate was 7.9%. 3.5 years later and 800 Billin dollars in Stimulus spending, 1.7 trillin dollar HCR, 4 years of record setting deficits, 16 trillion dollars in dept, and the unemployment rate is currently 8.1%

Lets especially not forget this payback to the Chinese;

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40565987/ns/business-going_green/t/wind-their-backs-powerful-democrats-help-chinese-energy-firm-chase-stimulus-money/

Wind at their backs: Powerful Democrats help Chinese energy firm chase stimulus money

Sen. Reid and Obama donors back company seeking $450 million in U.S. money

WASHINGTON — Top Democratic fundraisers and lobbyists with links to the White House are behind a proposed wind farm in Texas that stands to get $450 million in stimulus money, even though a Chinese company would operate the farm and its turbines would be built in China.

The farm’s backers also have close ties with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who, at the height of his hard-fought re-election bid this fall, helped blunt congressional criticism over stimulus dollars possibly going to create jobs in China by endorsing a proposal by the Chinese company to build a factory in his home state. Although his campaign received thousands of dollars in donations from the wind farm’s backers and Reid stood on stage with them at a campaign event they hosted, his office declined to answer any questions about the wind farm’s organizers or their plans for Nevada.

You can whine and complain all you want about Romney investing in foreign companies. It is his money to do with as he Pleases and there is no law against investing in foreign companies.

Is it right to be spending $450 Million dollars of TAX PAYERS money to enrich the Chinese and Create jobs in China especially when you're running around the country claiming your spending 800 billion dollars of Tax Payers money to create Jobs in America and Talking about how we need to in-source jobs and making American Companies sound unpatriotic when they ship manufacturing oversees?

Wow you sound just like FOX talking points. If you say it enough times you still wont change history!!!

I love all the liberals that still try and suggest we should go to war for noble reasons. We are in Iraq for no other reason then our presence could be justified. It gave us a base of middle east operations that could never have risen out of Saudi Arabia for as unstable as that alliance remains. We are also now on the doorstep to Iran by being in Iraq. Our intentions are simple, protect the investments of large politically connected corporations which is in fact how our foreign policy works.

We are in Afghanistan for the mineral deposits. There are politically connected corporations that see the trillions from the mining rights and since they own our politicians, they can make it happen. Once the dollars start flowing in Afghanistan it will become a country with streets paved in gold, and a US military presence to make sure it all lines the right pockets. Obama only talks a good game when it comes to those two wars, ending them or our presence is never part of the real conversation.

con·serv·a·tive

   /kənˈsɜrvətɪv/ Show Spelled[kuhn-sur-vuh-tiv] Show IPA

adjective

1.
disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

Im Glad Im a liberal because these guys were scared of planes lolololololol Back to the 1900's!!

Wow and liberals solution for green is cho cho trains, wow that is real cutting edge 1800's technology.

Wow and liberals solution for green is cho cho trains, wow that is real cutting edge 1800's technology.

Yea, because the electric high speed trains today are totally like the 19th century steam powered coal burning behemoths.

God, there's no point in reading comments anymore. It always goes back to bipartisan politics. Truth is, Bush is to blame for everything and GOP like to pretend that Obama has been president for the last 12 years. Get real, people. If education was free like in Europe, Americans would be a lot smarter. But then again, you can't teach common sense.

Don't you people realize that articles likes this create such a huge drift between political parties??? "GOP this... Dems that..." It's so effing stupid and all you dumb@$$e$ are buying into it.

Conservative: Head shoved deep in the sand exposing their big hind ends.

Pissedoffperson

Wow you sound just like FOX talking points. If you say it enough times you still wont change history!!!

The same is true for right AND left talking points. For example, you said:

When did the unions get a bailout? If you are talking about the Car companies , we made money off of that!!

We have not been fully paid back, and we also gave away about $14 billion in tax credits to GM & Chrysler that will never be paid back. As to the union bailouts, it wasn't just the car companies...it was also for teachers unions and others that received stimulus money.

Eggberta & pissedoffperson: why don't you try to bring something to the table other than childish name calling....I come here to read where both sides are coming from....I am a conservative, but I'm always open to learn about different points of view. I don't buy in to everthing I read on either side of the political spectrum. Your immature comments don't help anyone.

Hugh,

I suggest you try and truly listen to some alternative viewpoints. Just because someone has a different solution to a problem, doesn't mean they are not trying to solve the problem. I know a number of Republicans, and they care for the poor, women, etc. - just like my Democratic friends do...they just have different opinions on how to solve the problems.

I notice how when the cons talk about the stimulus they never mention the third of it which was tax cuts which put money in everybodys' pockets. Any reasonable look at the stimulus versus the economy clearly, definitely, shows the negative economic growth growth turning to positive growth right in line with the stimulus coming online, as any non-faux economist would tell you and was worth about 2% of GDP growth. As for "paying off the unions" another third of the stimulus was in grants to states to keep them from having to lay off public workers and keep schools open. The final third is paying for roads bridges, light rail and other infrastructure projects.

It is very important to understand the Republican response, much like it was in 1930, seems intended to destroy the middle class, as the economy would've created it's own economic weather in a downward spiral through it's own negative inertia. Will the real Republicans please stand up. You do know the US Chamber of Commerce, that left wing socialist group, was all aboard for the stimulus. The results are clear, before the government intervention, the economic news was all bad and destined for a deep deep depression, after the intervention the stock market recovered, the auto industry recovered, the job losses stopped, and GDP growth has been restored. We live to fight another day.

I've come to the conclusion that people like Ron and Livngbarefoot, just post to piss people off. That truly can't believe what they post?

Kimposibl

God, there's no point in reading comments anymore. It always goes back to bipartisan politics. Truth is, Bush is to blame for everything and GOP like to pretend that Obama has been president for the last 12 years

I guess that when Bill Clinton repealed Glass-Steagal to protect his buddie's (Sandy Weill) investment in the Citi Corp/Travelers Group illegal merger that had nothing to do with the recession. http://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/07/news/07iht-citi.t.html

I guess that when Bill Clinton and his CEA ignored the warnings of Brooksley Born that had nothing to do with the credit crisis and the financial meltdown.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/interviews/born.html

I guess that the deflation of the dot com boom had nothing to do with the disappearance of Clinton's "surplus"
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/24/the-dot-com-bubble-how-to-lose-5-trillion/

And I'm 100% certain ALL YOU LIBERALS will ignore this because it is definitely what you don't want the electorate to know.

Republican don't want college graduates. Rick Santorum called them "snobs." Republicans need stupid people. That's how they get votes.

The Republican poison pill is just as deadly as the Democratic version. Neither bill can pass.

Hope they put pressure on obama. Go ahead and veto it, I dare you. obama does not care about compromise.

Why should he when he is facing the party of No!!

Keep using your same old saying. Its getting old. You think that Republicans are the party of NO.

Yes we are. NO more free checks to spend, No more compromise, NO more classwarfare, NO more stomping on religious freedom, NO more senate of nothing, NO MORE OBAMA.

NO more stomping on religious freedom

Indeed, we just reserve our stomping for the freedoms of others that don't share our beliefs.

You forgot...

No more women working.

No more birth control.

No more Gay marriages.

No more minorities voting.

You will fight for free handouts to the oil companies but not to everyday Americans. You complain about religious freedom but you want everyone to follow your Christian Sharia Law. Its not my problem you follow a comic book!

Wow,

Christian Sharia Law! It is separation from church and state, not separation from church and everything. You want the church to go and stay inside its walls and have say or do anything christian outside its circle. That is what you want.

The war on women is the left's manifestation.

Birth control, you can make no point here. You should not force it on taxpayers. Birth control is not the issue, never was. You would like for it to be.

No gay marriage. I say no to that. But it could be legalized. We live in a free country. I believe it is wrong.

Have no idea what you are talking about with minorities, I live in a town with 75% Hispanic population. They are majority christian and our town has had the highest voter turnout in our state the last 2 elections.

We live in a free country. I believe it is wrong.

There you go. People are voting for it because of their religious "morality". Therefore denying others rights must be okay because your religion said so.

Ruken,

You are being hypocritcal here. Read what I posted. They can get married, if this is the will of the people. Does not mean I have to agree with it.

It's not JUST about birth control, you dumb freaks. Its about WOMEN'S HEALTH!!! The issue is whether or not to INCLUDE birth control as part of WOMEN'S HEALTH!!! Your mothers should be ashamed. In fact, I BET THEY ARE!

Birth control does more than prevent pregnancy, it manages polyps that can grow on the ovaries which can BECOME CANCEROUS. Ignorant fools need to be wiped off the face of this planet.

Kim,

Please know I mean you no disrespect. My wife has had to take the pill for years for medical reasons. I understand where you are coming from. But, please research the position of the church on this. It is not (from any source that I have seen) let medical application for the pill not be covered.

MRWSR: Actually the Catholic Church's position opposes ALL birth control regardless of medical necessity. It's why they excommunicated an entire hospital for performing an abortion needed to save a mother's life (or both would have died).

The one exception would be if the pill was being used not for personal comfort, but in dire medical need (hemorrhaging , etc.). So even to regulate a period, or relieve menstrual cramping, or control abnormally long periods is disallowed.

Of course, under some personhood laws - even THAT would be illegal because they don't have a "double effect" standard in place.

Ebeneezer,

I know the stance of the catholic church on contraception. But have still have not seen one policy that does not cover the pill for medical use. I read what you are saying. But have not seen it. My insurance is through religious organization, and my wife's needs have been covered. We pay our premiums and follow the guidelines.

MRWSR: you must not live in OK or AZ (I forget which state) which will allow the EMPLOYER to make a decision on whether or not your wife is able to get a medication covered in the insurance plan, based on whether or not the medication is contraceptive. So if your wife works for a McDonald's franchise, the franchisor gets to decide whether or not the health insurance plan will cover contraceptive. Not you & your wife, not your wife and her doctor, but she has to go to the owner of the company and request that he have the insurance cover contraceptives.

Of course, the medical plan must cover your erectile dysfunction drugs. That's a decision between a man and his doctor.

Also, the GOP budget plans to make severe cuts to: planned parenthood, food stamps, pell grants and Medicaid. Since all of these are used mainly by poor women (more than men) they affect WOMEN.

Under no circumstances will there be any increases in taxes, which would quite easily cover the costs that GOP plans to cut. Taxes are paid by men, who genrally earn more than women.

Now do you understand why many people say the GOP has a war on women ?

Dirp,

I understand that you are bent on the progressive agenda. You would not accept the truth on this if it were paved in gold. The left has been creating this to take away from the failure of their messiah.

Hope it is ok to celebrate Mother's Day this Sunday or will that violate your feminine cause of rage and hate crusade?

The ONE thing that is apparent is that the present RADICAL RIGHT wants is no education for the masses. And PS: Certain radical right Governors are against any Public Education. They want Private and Secular Schooling only for those that qualify. Eventually only the ELITE will be able to obtain a proper Education.

Their aim is to kill Public K-12 and eventually all Higher Education BECAUSE they are all afraid of the masses being made aware of the World. With a SERF type world they will control the workers similar to China, Nigeria, and other third World Countries.

WHY? FOR PROFIT AND CONTROL in the New World Order.

Damn SC, you caught us.

Their aim is to kill Public K-12 and eventually all Higher Education BECAUSE they are all afraid of the masses being made aware of the World. With a SERF type world they will control the workers similar to China, Nigeria, and other third World Countries.

So calling for the Government to not run education is going to lead to more control of workers? Tell me, who controls education in China? N. Korea? It definitely isn't left up to the local governments.

How on earth did the US ever advance prior to the Dept of Education?

kimposibl

It's not JUST about birth control, you dumb freaks. Its about WOMEN'S HEALTH!!! The issue is whether or not to INCLUDE birth control as part of WOMEN'S HEALTH!!! Your mothers should be ashamed. In fact, I BET THEY ARE!

Birth control does more than prevent pregnancy, it manages polyps that can grow on the ovaries which can BECOME CANCEROUS. Ignorant fools need to be wiped off the face of this planet.

And if Planned Parenthood and their supporters get their way the ignorant fools will be wiped off the face of this planet. And it will be almost worth it if they start with those like you and Sandra Fluke who use the misfortune of others so you can cabbage on to a few dollars of free birth control because you are sluts.

You think everybody is at least as dumb as you and you have fooled yourselves into thinking that we don't know that the health plans of institutions like Georgetown University's provide those pills if it is for health reasons other than birth control.

if anyone has any questions as to rep views on education , just look at Wisconsin . Screw the teachers and then ask them to educate our next generation . They want public education to end so they can control the content in private schools .

All this came about...this austerity bullpuckey when that mulatto gained office...right? Where were the concerns when bush was on spending spree? Oh but I forgot....in the words of Cheney..
"DEFICITS DON'T MATTER"!!!!!

It sounds like you want the government to make decisions about what a person should or should not be studying. If the only criteria was the possible availability of jobs to pay off the student loans, the only people going to college would be doctors and lawyers. There is no guaranteed jobs for business students... or anyone for that matter.

The inflated cost of college education has a multitude of causes. States used to provide a larger portion of the operating budgets of the state schools. The also provided a large pool of scholarship funds available to both state and private schools. Much of that money has dried up, requiring ever increasing tuition. Likewise, scholarship and grant money from private sources is not as available with the downturn.

Student loans are an alternative. Not everyone has been able to set aside every year the thousands of dollars required to have the money for tuition.

The reality is, the GOP is blocking this just in order to prevent any kind of progress being made. They truly don't care about student loan debt.

eggberta

We could see an end to it under Bush and if you will get your head out of your arse you will see where deficits in relation to revenues were headed to a zero difference in 2007 until after the democrats took over the congress and the economy tanked.

Now we only see deficits going into the future forever.

Your name is correct by your drivel posted. Unions do have apprenticeship programs, and they have on the job training that is part of the apprenticeship program.

You really need some work on your deflection problems.

Hmmm sounds like banks loaning money to people who couldn't pay for their $500k home loans on an income of $40k/year.... HMMMMM Question is, who is going to bail the students out?

The Gov't can use OUR money to bailout banks but not our own children?????

LoL at Stupidita, there are federally funded job training programs...

@stupidita

Are you saying that all the free passes should go away? I think we should start with all the free passes that are going to big business and the rich folk. I am all for paying your fair share. These free rides the government has been doling out needs to stop. And that included all these tax breaks for the rich and big business'.

People want an educated society but don't want to do what it takes to make it affordable. If people aren't making enough money to support themselves then how are they going to afford an education?

I really don't get how people are against the rich paying their fair share of taxes, which would cover the cost of keeping loan rates low for students. But are for taking away from the preventative health care fund and other needed services. It's like everyone is mesmerized and totally against the wealthy paying their fair share. I think there should be a flat tax, that way everyone pays a certain percentage of their income.

Stupidita. Please post the direct correlation (big word, sorry...I'll try to keep it simple) between unions and the fact that Republicans insist that, to maintain current interest rates on student loans, the money must be taken from a health care fund instead of raising the payroll tax on those who can afford it. Please show me how the unions are responsible for that and, not that we don't already know where you get your information, please quote your sources.

If the purpose behind your post is to make teabaggers look ignorant and illiterate, then you have succeeded. If not, than connect the dots and quote the source of your information.

MRWSR: Wonder when will the Catholic Church and the Evangelists and the Radical Republicans come to realize that this small Planet called Earth cannot continue to have a rapidly rising population. At some point there will not be enough food, nor fresh water, nor natural resources to feed, clothe, and sustain the population. Everything will be required to be rationed, even living space. As an example to living space merely look up Hong Kong as an example. Then it will be to late. At the rate of population growth world-wide, that scenario is just around the corner.

stupidita is as stupidita does. No wonder that the U.S. Education rating has dropped to below many Third World Nations Education Ratings. Bad thing is that we are the ones (working masses) that will suffer under SERF-like conditions.

SC,

Well if we could just get rid of the likes of you then we will start on that trend. Leave the killing of babies out of the equation.

Employers are the ones who have eliminated the apprenticeship programs . There is no need to train American workers when you plan on making your product in china .

Cheryl

First of all, calm down and take your meds. Read the article again. The GOP wants to eliminate a preventative health care fund to pay for keeping the interest rates where they are. That's GOP talk for womens health.

Uh, Cheryl, what am I getting for free? Please explain. Do you know anything about me? Or for that matter, anything about Sandra Fluck? Oh yeah, that's right....she's a prostitute and a slut because god Limbaugh said so, and that's good enough for you. What she testified to was that a friend of hers had a medical condition that contraceptives helped to control. You rightwing lunatics haven't a clue. Really...every time you speak you show your total ignorance of the facts. But he, don't let that stop you. It hasn't up til now.

Dee, I recommend you just ignore Cheryl. She doesn't live in a place that we like to call reality.

Ruken

Thanks for the recommendation. I know it's useless, but these rightwing crazies are frustrating, to say the least.

I agree. I totally don't get how people are for taking away needed medical services but against the rich paying their fair share. Totally befuddling.

Well Onesoul, to you commies, paying their "fair share" is just code for confiscation of all wealth... that's your end game. Oh, and just because you "NEED" something doesn't mean you're entitled to it... not healthcare, not houses, not food, not anything... that is, unless you WORK for it.

Isn't that cute, onesoul? You pose a perfectly legitimate question worthy of debate and, instead of receiving an intelligently thought out explanation as to why it is worth putting poor people's health at further risk so that those that can afford to pay their fair share do not have to pay their fair share, some whack job calls you a "commie".

The Republican party sold it's soul to the bottom feeders incapable of resolving issues intelligently.

@fedup

If being a commie means everyone pays their fair share then I guess I'm a commie. I am of the opinion that people should work for what they need in life. The issue is the deck is stacked and it's not in the favor of middle America. Where you read into my previous statement as asking for a handout, is again, befuddling. Asking for everyone to pay their fair share is in no way, shape, or form a confiscation of their wealth. Where you get that idea is beyond me.

I guess all I have to say is, get a clue dude.

From the Commies who live in the real world. O.o LOL

Yeah, and by taking away needed health care is going to lower all of our medical insurance costs too right?

One(black)soul, pls define "fair share?" All the libs keep repeating that talking point but not one has defined it yet...the top 10% pay 70% of the bill and you're saying they're NOT paying their fair share? You're probably the type of person who goes out to eat with 10 of your friends, eats lobster and steak while the others have hamburgers and pizza, and then suggests that you all just divide the check by 10! Scumbag!

Wow, Jwilson1234, you don't even know me and you resort to calling me a Scumbag and having a black soul? That really says a lot about you. Is that because you and the people like yourself have no empathy for other people? Starting off a conversation by calling people names is not conducive to having a productive conversation. All it does is show your intelligence, or lack thereof. If you want to try and be a bully and resort to name calling then I am not going to bother even trying to explain to you what "FAIR SHARE" means. You probably don't have the intellect to understand the word anyway. If you would like to know the definition of the word "Fair," I suggest you pick up a dictionary and look it up.

For the people who understand what "Fair" means, I will explain myself. For example, If I am paying, say, 25% of my income to Uncle Sam in the form of taxation, shouldn't the rest of the population pay 25% of their income too? I suppose the point that I am trying to make is a flat tax would alleviate the whole tax code mess. Make it simple and do away with all the loopholes.

Both parties spend.

You just have to pick between the party that spends almost exclusively on the military (see Ryan plan) or the party that spends on everything else.

Ruken,

You could completely eliminate discretionary spending (which includes all military spending) and we would still have a deficit today.

Interesting spin, cheryl. Ultimately, you are still saying that it is OK for those who can afford to pay their fair share should not have to and those who can not afford to pay their fair share should have to pay more.

Since you are one of them, cheryl, perhaps you can explain the GOP magic to me. How do they get the hateful, poor and illiterate to rally against their own interests on such a constant basis?

Which is why extending the Bush tax cuts was retarded. In addition, negative tax returns need to be eliminated.

Tip to trolls: Negative tax returns are different than refunds.

Completely agree!

Let the entire Obama/Bush tax cuts expire along with the payroll tax cuts.

So, I gather that everyone who says "let the Bush tax cuts expire" will have no problem in paying an extra $$$$ a year in taxes. The expiration of the Child Tax Credit alone will cost families $500 in taxes per child. And there's the reinstatement of the marriage penalty. And there's the 10 percent tax bracket that will disappear, replaced by the 15 percent bracket. And there's the payroll tax cuts.

If you think "Bush tax cuts" only apply to the rich, you are mistaken.

I agree daryl, I think everyone should pay their fair share and let the tax breaks expire. To solve most of the tax issues, I feel a flat tax is needed so everyone gets a fair shake on paying taxes.

Obama could have eliminated the Bush tax cuts to help the middle class......he didn't - Republicans approve

Obama could have helped the middle class instead of private car companies and banks - he didn't - Republicans approve

Reps seem to not care about the middle class....and Obama is helping them

Exactly! Both sides are poisoning the well and they know it. This year it's not about getting things done, it's about blaming the other side for the failure of both!

Exactly . And I am sick of never seeing anything accomplished. And they both pile on to simple bills so that no one can understand what is really in a bill. If the private sector worked like that , the companies would go under.

This is one it is better not to accomplish. Why do the interest rates need lowered below market rates in the first place?

If they are going to college to get a degree and therefore a good job, they are by definition no longer low income. If we are going to subsidize loans, do it based on income after graduation.

While this story is tragic, what does it have to do with this article of higher college loans?

What kind of job can a high school graduate get in this economy, Barbara? How do you propose they save enough money for the crazy tuition that is now charged at most state schools? why don't you just tell them to go win the lottery? Maybe they can find a job at McDonald's or Walmart...but that's not going to pay for even 1 year of college. In the meantime they just get farther and farther behind.

Start at community college. Inexpensive and many are very good. That gives you two years at a school that you can pay for while attending.

Barbara

Why should students and/or parents have to pay more for a college education when they can't afford it already? As I said, I'm sure there's lots of places to look to pay for it. The GOP just wants to obstruct one more time. This NEVER was an issue before....now it is? You see what's happening, don't you?

Again, you don't know my or my daughter's situation. She started working as a junior in high school and continued to do so all thru college. You see, we're not all "freeloaders". Some of us need Pell Grants and Stafford Loans so our children have a better shot at life than their parents did.

As far as regulations go....there are more regulations being made against women in the past 3 years than ever before. There IS a war on women. People just need to see the reality that's staring them right in the face.

Dee, If they can't afford it in the first place, why in the name of reason would they want to get it anyway? And I was giving a compliment to your daughter. I never and did not mean to give you the impression that I was calling her a freeloader, so back off there.

And name 1 specific regulation that would stop a woman from progressing in life. I have never been held back because I am a woman. If there were roadblocks in my way, I either went around them or over them. Where there is a will, there is a way. I know that Pell Grants and student loans are neccessary-heck I've used them myself. But there has to come a time when you actually stop and think if further education is what you can afford or if it is just something you want. When I realized that I would only sink myself into a hole to further my education I stopped schooling and went back to work.

@Barbara -1012158 - Based on your approach, get ready to send more jobs overseas (where countries continue to educate their young people) and have more foreign born workers come here and take our jobs. Hundreds of thousand of foreign born students come to our country, legally, and go to our colleges. Some of them go home, to India for example, to start the next Silicone Valley in Mumbai, while many others stay here and take high paying jobs. So while we try to take Austerity Street to recovery, our jobs are going to foreigners, who then earn enough to send their children to college. See a pattern here?

Long ago i use Staffard loans and Pell grants to get my college degree. Since then we have put 3 children through college, including one through med school. All our loans are paid back. What's wrong with this picture? Seriously, the GOP needs to stop using the "welfare mothers" and "freeloading students" boogie men to frighten the American public into voting for "coddle the 1%" and maybe they'll make more jobs. The majority of those jobs are for accounts, lawyers and lobbyists, all of whom help move the riches of the 1% where it doesn't do this country any good.

Has ANYONE checked out the Hamburger Joints to see how much they are willing to pay? Not much. That is the type of job that you can muster with only a High School education or even while attending College. PS: I work in Higher Education and that is what many, most, students complain about.

Barbara...So what you are saying is that only the wealthy should be able to attend the college that they need to receive the higher paying jobs that are only out there for those with a 4 year degree or more. The wealthy stay wealthy because they are the elites that can pay for their dreams and the poor stay poor and should give up having dreams. What you are saying not only goes against the dream that is America, it is outright class warfare.

I have a difficult time with your "story". Your income dropped by 38K and you are grateful? You are able to meet the financial commitments you made at 50K with 12K in income? You would like to go back to school but have given up because you are now below the poverty level....and you are grateful? I'm not buying it, Barbara.

You are now working the kind of job that would normally be taken by college students to help them pay their way through college....and you are saying that they should give up like you did and get a job that is worth less than yours and be grateful...for the rest of their lives....simply because the Republicans can't seem to ever get their crap together.

You certainly are the party of "no", Barbara. No hope. No dreams.

Yes I am grateful. I have the ability to pay the house payment and meet what other expenses I do have. I've been homeless and it isn't fun. I have a home and I will be here until they carry me out in a bodybag. And I did not give up-I did what I could with what I have. And if you think that I will give up my job so that a college student can have it you are seriously lacking in judgement. I am good at my job and it doesn't matter if I am the president of a corporation or if I clean toilets for a living. All that matters is that I do the best I possibly can. Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. What matters is that I do what I can while I can. And you sir, are a pompous educated equine.

Barbara, I appreciate the response but must say that I do not appreciate that you would attribute words to me that are untrue. Why would I want you to give up your job to a college student? I was simply stating that the jobs normally obtained by college students working their way through school are now being occupied by people, such as yourself, that are trying to make ends meet. If you need to make things up to support your opinion, perhaps you should question your opinion. From what I can gather, your opinion is that only the wealthy are worthy of accomplishing their dreams and that the poor should learn their place and not dream.

If that is incorrect, please, by all means, feel free to correct me...preferably without calling me names (although I've always had love and respect for horses and found it refreshing to be called something other than a "commie").

Shockedanddisgusted, I never said that the wealthy are the only ones who should dream. I said that maybe some things are better off as dreams. I haven't and never will give up. But, there has to come a time when reality has to take precedence over fantasy. Have your dreams-no matter what your income level-but realize that not all dreams come true. And I apologize for the insult. Your words irked me and I responded in an inappropiate manner. So, I will beg your forgiveness for calling you names. That being said, I feel that dreams are the fodder for one to do well and and excel at what they are doing so that if the opportunity arises for one to grab one's dream they can go for it. But to keep things in perspective.

For example, I applaud my manager-she has 3 children, a husband that has recently been laid off and works a 40+ hour week. She is going to school and earning her degree. She has dreams for herself, her husband and her children. But she is rooted in reality. I also have a daughter who feels that the world owes her a living. She didn't learn that at my hand. She will never succeed unless she works for it. Now I am older and I realize that I will never complete my college education. That is my choice. Would I like to? Sure. But I also realize that although I will the same age 2.5 years from now with or without my degree, I don't want to be paying for the cost of college long after I retire. And that to me, is being rooted in reality. So, I have not given up-merely readjusted what is right for me. And that is the basis for my theory of living in reality-not in the dream world.

You're being silly. I will vote Republican because I don't like the way Obama is taking the country. Hate implies strong emotion. I simply don't like the man's way of doing things-which is my right.

And how do you continue to pay your bills you made at 50k/year with 12k, you must have sold everything you owned....

Almost-we are paying our house payment and the utilities, and everything else has been cut to the bone. But as long as I can meet those obligations, I'm content. Also, My husband just got a job and he will make about 14K a year, so all is not to bad. I've learned to look at the bright spots as well. For example, I've lost about 45 pounds already due to the increase in physical activity. I have enough clothes from when I was skinnier, younger and had more money, that the fact that my wardrobe makes me look like I'm stuck in the 90's doesn't bother me at all, LOL!

And seeing as my home is stick built, I don't think that trailer court trash applies in this case, so I will venture this remark to daryl-would it bother you terribly if I told you to go perform an act of self gratification? Didn't think so, so have at it kiddo.

administrators wife: Nope she and her husband probably declared bankruptcy.

Who, Obama? I didn't know he declared bankruptcy. Why not follow the country-whatta guy.

News flash for you-just because you are sick of something doesn't equate to it being a new law for everyone. And Obama is spending to much of the money we don't have. Of course he's not doing it alone-Reid and Pelosi are right there with their hands in the pot to help.

@Barbara -1012158 - Actually Barbara, President Bush spent money we didn't have. When he left office the bill had not been paid for Iraq, Afganistan, Medicaid "Donut Hole", No Child Left Behind and other mandates. His vice president famously said "Deficits Don't Matter". Now, all of a sudden, every Republican has woken from their slumber to scream "Deficits DO MATTER!! OMG lower the deficit, lower the deficit!!!!".

PART (not all) of the deficit we are running now is for the meal the last administration ordered, consumed, the ran out of the restaurant without paying for. Where was the GOP then while President Bush was running up the deficit, then asking for a $700B loan from the American people's future to pay for it with? Where were you when President Bush was spending money he didn't have? What did you say then?

I said that Bush was an idiot for starting a war that (I feel) was started in retaliation for what was done to his Father. I will have to admit that I didn't realise at the time how quickly we were going into the hole and then when I did realise what trouble we were in and they were calling for the 1st stimulus I was against that one as well. It doesn't matter if the slide was started by Bush or Obama. All I know is that it's got to stop. If we can't pay for it don't spend it!!!

@Barbara -1012158. You said:

I said that Bush was an idiot for starting a war that (I feel) was started in retaliation for what was done to his Father. I will have to admit that I didn't realise at the time how quickly we were going into the hole and then when I did realise what trouble we were in and they were calling for the 1st stimulus I was against that one as well. It doesn't matter if the slide was started by Bush or Obama. All I know is that it's got to stop. If we can't pay for it don't spend it!!!

I realize it may be difficult, but you have to admit it does look suspicious. When the white President gets us into trouble/war/debt, no one speaks up: when the black President works to get us out of that mess, then THE WHOLE GOP IS AGAINST DEBT. I'm not saying it's racist, but you could understand how someone might look at the history of the USA and question: "What's up with that?"

I know the GOP is not racist, but some major GOP players have been very loose with stirring up the core and willing to forego ANY restraint. I have NEVER seen any US President treated so harshly, under such trying conditions. The country was moving toward a depression and ALL the GOP can do is vote NO on everything President Obama proposes. Was that the reaction when President Bush asked for congresses support in the weeks and months after his crisis: 9/11?

All I can tell you is what my reaction was at the time. I was against what Bush had done and I didn't know about places like this. I was still under the impression that whatever I thought would never mean anything to anybody but me. So I can plead ignorance. So, for the record, I didn't approve of what Bush did and I don't approve of what Obama is doing. I don't expect anyone in power to listen to me, but I can be a squeaky wheel on a very big vehicle and maybe, just maybe, some of my voice will be heard along with others.

And I do not object to Obama because of the color of his skin. I have always maintained and always will that he was not well suited to the presidency because of his inexperience and his socialistic beliefs. But, as an American, like you and others, I am entitled to my opinion just as you are. And you are right-people will take offense at anyone who throws insults and in their eyes, insults whomever their hero is. It's human nature. I just wish that would be more of us who can agree to disagree and try to settle things without pulling the race/social status/age/education/orientation cards.

Get rid of all the republicans!

Steelman, unfortunately, represents precisely what the lazy Republicans have let their party become. Constant lies and belittlement in an attempt to mask that through that entire barfed rhetoric, there was not one mention of what the Republican party will do to improve anything. Just hate.

I did find it interesting that his "come to Jesus" moment consisted of parents ordering their children how to vote under the threat of being "cut off". Last time I checked, this is a free country and the ballots are anonymous. No one has any right to order someone to vote one way or another. Steelman represents the complete disregard and hatred for the democratic process developed by our founding fathers that the Republican party now embraces.

Thank you, steelman. When a fascist spits in the face of everything America stands for, I am comfortable with that fascist hating our democratically elected president.

Everyone take note. This is your "new" Republican party. Feel free to feel sick.

The Democrats don't compromise? Let's see here. The Republicans said that they want their bill to be voted on, and won't consider voting on the Democratic bill. So who doesn't compromise. The only reason that the Republicans won't consider the Democratic one, is because it involves a tax increase. And we know since the Republicans signed their soul away to Norquist, that they won't compromise on anythng.

No the Dems do not compromise.. President Carter said yesterday that he would Veto The Repubs bill to lower The College loan interest. Really ... Take Carter over Bush? Not even the most extreme Left has an argument for that. Please help me...where has Prsident Carter ever compromised and lead this country in the last 3 years? Does he have one add out there that refers to his record? Taxing? Lets see if he would quit campaigning on the tax payers dollar....I dont mind vacation .. I think all Presidents especially should have his time with family ....but never have I seen a President have such expensive and extravagant vacations costing the Tax payers millions. Even Bush with his many vacations only went to his house in Texas. If this President would cut his Extravagant vacation costs in half.....Make better decisions concerning his Green energy initiatives ex Solyndra... and quit campaignin on our Tax payer dollar ...he would not have to be so devisive and create class warfare with raising the taxes on the very few people who can provide jobs for this country.

The only thing that has gone up as much as health care is the cost of college. I guess since they are liberal organizations, there is no focus on this, the real problem.

Yea, because no conservative ever goes to college.

Please.

Really? What an idiot you are. I sure you majored in something stupid.

@Steelman-495358 - You accuse President Obama of "pandering for votes."

1. If this is what he is doing, is he the first president to do this? (if so, what a smart president to invent a new way of campaigning. /sarcasm)
2. Is it illegal?
3. What's it called when banks, law firms, oil companies and other rich organizations hire professionals to ask for votes and help write amendments for senators and representatives (lobbying), and how is giving them what they want different from what you are accusing President Obama of doing? (So when the GOP votes for farm subsidies or blocks the President from stopping the oil subsidy, even though Exon is making BILLIONS in profit, how is that different?)

It's really sad how far a significant segment of this country (no, not all members of the GOP, but a lot of them) will go to make our president fail. It seems that ANYTHING he tries to do, the GOP is determined to block. I was amazed when this was extended to include talking to school children.

Obama took over the student loan program so big government could control more of our lives. Now we have to pay for it.

Government has no business being in business!

Indeed, the government never offered student loans before Obama, right?

They did, but now there is no other option, which is even more shameful and un-American.

Jesus didn't need to because he was a democrat. The way he was talked made it obvious, like love your neighbor, give to the poor, help orphans. Give,Give,Give,Help,Help,Help. That's Jesus, not take,take,take.Jesus want's to help people and really doesn't care about money, he wants action. Jesus loves you

Tell me one job Obama has created or saved with out tax payers money? Just one,any cuts he has made to save or create a job?

The GOP Heavy weights told everyone to get behind Mittens Romney and they did as they were told. Lemmings!! Even the ones that called him a cult leader is doing what they are told!! Mindless lemmings!!!

Geez. You think that doesn't happen on both sides? Do you think Bill Clinton didn't have to suck it up in the end and support Obama?l

You compare 1 person to the entire conservative wing that was calling him a cult leader. That seems fair when you are dealing in comparisons!

psst.

People this is why we need more money in the education system!!

I think the issue is that Obama is worse.

So you can go with the mormon cult or drink the jonestown koolaid Obama is serving up.

I think I'll go with the mormons on that one.

I have an option to drink the kool-aid, you my friend were told to get behind Romney. Lemming!!!