Jesse,

Good post.

So why haven't the mortgage giants and other major financial institutions begun hiring (and/or lending) when they're earning incredible revenue and sitting on astronomical cash reserves? Maybe they haven't been told the facts of life just yet.

As for your preference for the middle ground, though, hallelujah. Compromise will only occur when those willing to give as well as get replace those who merely seek to get. Perhaps when you tire of being a chef...

Good comments so far from all.

Compromise and a moderate, middle ground approach is attractive as an action. In a straight up choice between the two, I think most reasonable people would opt for McCaskill.

A fairer split between women and men in the chambers would also be nice, I'm not optimistic about that though!

You four are living in a wonderland i wish I was a part of. Pass that sh*t over here because I need some of what you're smoking. The private sector is dying. Mcaskill is as liberal as liberal gets and her backing of the healthcare bill, which just may be the final nail in the private sector's coffin, is only one testament to that. I too am tired of the crony capitalism from the right and the ever increasing socialist tendencies of the left, which is why Todd Akins is a breath of fresh air. We need to get back to following the constitution. The states need to take back the power it has ceded to the federal government little by little over the years until it has morphed into something the framers never intended it to be. The federal government is now all powerful. That was specifically what the framers were trying to avoid after having just left a country ruled by one man. They didn't want consolidated power because consolidated power breeds corruption and the need for even more consolidation of power. People who believe that the tea party is extreme are the people who have already been indoctronated by the extremists. The tea party wants to return us to our constitutional roots and restore our government to one closer resembling what made it great in the first place, a government of the people, by the people and for the people instead of a government of the fat cats, by the ruling class and for the special interests. It is time to stop blindly following both of these parties and replace them all with a new brand of politician. Everyone says that is what we need but when it comes to having to throw the rubbish out of our own party amazingly the rubbish suddenly become "moderate" and "what we need in government". THROW THEM ALL OUT and replace them with a "new" type of politician - one that puts the power back into our hands where it is supposed to belong.

If McCaskill is a moderate, I would need to see your definition of liberal. McCaskill is as liberal as they come with big government, big spending, and increased taxes as her entire focus. McCaskill talks a good game, but her actions speak louder then words, and she is in lockstep with the most liberal members of the Democratic Party that are destroying this country.

Dan,

It is people like you, who accuse others of disliking the president because of the color of his skin, that is the real problem in society today.

Obama is not a good leader. I didn't vote for him because of the color of his skin, I didn't vote for him because his policies are damaging to the economy (I saw that at day one, I don't know why others didn't. Maybe they, like you, never got past the color).

Another point to make, why do you hate religions so much? Most people who follow a belief are good, hardworking people (all religions, not just a select few). Belief is good for society because most religions teaches good moral standards that we should all live by. Not all religions, but the vast majority of them.

To accuse Christianity of extremism (as your reference of the Taliban) when it is one of the good, solid, morally responsible religions, is just showing your bigot-ism and how narrow minded you are.

But then again, you pretty much just admitted that you voted for Obama based on the color of his skin.....

Rick,

When one is an extremist, all other extremist seem normal, and therefore they describe each other as moderates.

You are correct. McCaskill is enough far left to be describe as an extremist by anyone who is intectually honest in their evaluation of her performance in the Senate.

Well Rick, I'm an ACTUAL liberal, ie small government, progressive taxation, pluralism, freedom of worship, pro-business, social elevation through equal opportunities, healthcare and eduction centered etc. That's the advantage with liberalism as a philosophy and political ideal, my liberalism can be radically different to another.

Most people here spit out the words to be interchangeable with 'the left', socialism and marxism. Let me tell you, elsewhere in the world the definition of a 'liberal' is radically different. Look up various Liberal party philosophies from other countries, and see the contrast!

McCaskill is a firm Democrat, I won't deny that. But I think she can compromise on key issues. Akin won't.

@Pulling

Wouldn't you agree, then, that the road goes both ways?

If liberals are as you define it, then wouldn't conservatives be:

Small Government

Progressive Taxation, but limited taxation towards all

Freedom of Worship

Pro-business

General wealth towards all by means of a better economy, better standard of living, better wages, better working conditions, less restrictions towards obtaining, sustaining, and growing a business, better benifits to all

Most people here also spit out the words to be interchangeable with 'the right', crony capitalism, and only in it for certain people. Let me tell you, elsewhere in the world being a conservative means playing it safe, not risking it all for a whim, and looking towards growing the economy for all, not for a select few.

McCaskill has shown that she supports big government and total dictatorship over the people. If she could compromise on issues, she hasn't shown it. Akin might. Better to try to change leadership to something that might be better than something that is known to be bad.

And yes, I did use your post and alter it to show the opposite. My point is, everything has two sides, and by looking at just one side blinds you from the reality of life.

I'm a little split on this one. On the one hand I'm tired of the extremists (right and left), but on the other hand in today's political world, "compromise", seems to mean everyone spends all they want and borrows to pay for it. We can't keep borrowing 40 cents on every dollar we spend. We have to cut spending or raise taxes (on everyone - not just the rich). Personally, I think the hole is so big now that we'll have to do both. If we continue to kick the can down the road the solution is just going to get more painful.

So, I'll vote for whoever will put forth a real plan to get the deficits under control.

I am glad Akin won. I will be voteing for him. I voted for Ike for many years and when he sided with this President on his far left agenda I voted against him. I will do the same with Clair. She is in the hip pocket of this failed President and I say it is time to go. I probably would not have voted for him but she ran an add that told how conservative he was and that sold me. We need a man who will stand up for values and America. It is time she left with this President.

McCaskill doesn't "compromise", she is a mindless yes-man who will gladly back whatever her political party tells her to back even if the voters in her state tell her to do exactly the opposite, that is what liberal sheep like about her, they know she will blindly follow the agenda.

This fall McCaskill will be unemployed, her unflinching loyalty to one man (Obama) while completely ignoring her constituents guarantees it.

Compromise in Washington means everyone gets what they want, and the spending and borrowing continue unabated. There will never be any meaningful reforms as long as compromise continues. Washington creates problems, they never solve any. The GSA is but the tip of the iceberg in government waste. There isn't a tax that should be raised until the government has been reformed, if not, nothing will ever change until the day comes when the country has a financial collapse. It could very well already be too late. One thing for sure, there is no hope sending liberals to Washington.

Obama and his surrogates need to better explain the benefits of Obamacare to the public, and produce some powerful ads (and then spend some money to run the ads in Missouri).

I hope each and every one of the Tea Party and Koch brothers backed candidates go down to landslide losses, as they should.

Instead of trying to actually govern the nation, the Tea Party extremists are attempting to destroy it. While I can appreciate their wanting to go back to the days of 1783, when old white aristocratic landowners ruled the country and it was easy to isolate the nation from the world.What I can't understand is why anyone with any intelligence would want to vote for them in this modern age.

This is the 21st century. We are THE leading free nation of the world. It is incumbent on the government to ensure that the blessings of the nation go to ALL of its citizens, not just the wealthy. Part of those requirements are that the full cost of a business, including its impacts on the environment and on workers, are born by that business. It requires that the wealth of the nation be used to ensure that no one starves and that all have an education, clothing, shelter and health. We are the greatest nation on earth, let us show the world by caring the best for those who need it most.

Just saw a picture of McCaskill on TV. Almost didn't recognize her, in that every picture of her in the last 3+ years had her kissing Oblama's butt.

Lady, you dug your liberal hole. Better look for another one to kiss in your next job.

Seriously, nothing of value to contribute, huh hjack?

Blanket remarks about being a "typical" liberal do not apply today. Why are Republicans so backwards in their thinking, especially when it comes to President Obama? I used to be a conservative Republican when it actually meant something other than social engineering as it is today.

Both parties need to work together to solve our economic woes or we will all suffer the consequences.

Truth be told, less than thirty to forty percent of the electorate likely knows what they want regarding the Affordable Care Act. There are components favored by just about everyone, and components derided by just as many.

The extreme Right says, "All things considered, scrap it." Strangely, so does the extreme Left, but for entirely different reasons.

The middle, bless their hearts, say to their Senators and Representatives, "Just solve it, asswipes, but keep the good stuff."

Ergo, compromise. We are a resourceful people; why not demand the same of our elected officials?

Well, for one thing , repeal of the the health care bill actually costs billions more than leaving it alone.

I'll be voting for McCaskill....

As for the ACA- I'd prefer universal health care, but I'll take what we've got and we can fix problems as we go.

otisfish,

Not true

I keep hearing the word compromise. The problem with that is when you have the party in charge bent on the destruction of the nation how do you compromise on that? There is no reasoning with a snake or a terrorist. There minds are made up. You have to fight them at every turn. We need someone who will fight for what is right. McCaskill lost her principles. Time for her to lose her job.

Although I strongly disagree with almost every economic decision Obama has made, I don't think he's trying to destroy the country. I think he just views the world and how people react to different stimuli very differently than I do.

Ron - Have you ever seen a leader of a nation import criminals from other countries at a massive cost to taxpayers and then try to pretend that his primary concern isn't his own personal political power?

Obama just gave ANOTHER 1 MILLION U.S. jobs to foreign criminals and welcomed them to stay in your neighborhoods.

Deferred action program could legalize 1.8 million young immigrants

"As many as 1.76 million young illegal immigrants could qualify for temporary legal status under President Obama's deferred action program, says a new report from the Migration Policy Institute. That's more than double the Obama administration's initial estimate of 800,000 people who would benefit from the program."

"Initially, only young illegal immigrants under 30 who entered the country as children, graduated from high school and had no criminal record would make the cut. Now, young people who didn't graduate or receive their G.E.D. can still apply for the legal status as long as they re-enroll in high school by the time they apply."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/deferred-action-program-could-legalize-1-8-million-221839009.html

Desperation for political power has never been so blatantly treasonous, courtesy of Obama and the pathetic, spineless Democrat sheep.

JJD

Is true dummy, adding to the deficity is not better than reducing it by $700,000. Take your head out of Hannity's butt moron.

thanny,

Read what you wrote. Changed nothing.

Still not true.

Sober up.

Otisfish, you are delusional! The new bureaucrats and agency necessary to administer this Oblama mess will probably cost more than any of the current agencies.

Can't happen soon enough, and hopefully McCaskill can walk out the door along with Obama.

Love it..."democrat-communist". No need to rebut something like that, the post speaks for itself.

LOVE IT!! Ain't it the truth? The element we see right here, spouting words like"communist" , " marksist", etc. must all get their information from the very same source. It's like all we haver to do is push their button and the same identical retoric pops out. " Smaller government!" they shout, then start making rules about taking over our reproductive rights. "States rights!!" they yell, then when there is a tornado or flooding they start yelling for FEMA and are first in line for the hand outs. We get little OLD ladies carrying signs saying "no more taxes!!" But most likely live on Social Security, have their Medicare card firmly in hand and, since Social Security isn't taxable, don't have to pay Federal taxes. But like the 85 year old mom above, they have been "educated" at the feet of Fox news and Rush LImbaugh. Push their button and out comes the recorded lines, no thought required. No awareness of the consequences of what they say. But not to worry, come voting day, the Republicans will make sure that granny gets to the polls and would even help her push the "right" button.

Fox news & other extremist talking heads will convince her and all the other conservative voters that the government is going to take over their Medicare & Social Security and they need to end government takeover of Medicare & Social Security now by voting Republican.

With the Republican budget plan currently being pushed, Granny will soon find out that her Social Security is gone, and she gets a coupon for the Medicare.

Reality, facts and the truth have nothing to do with what the Republican Party is talking about. Their whole point is to gain power & money and keep it. They even coined the phrase spin to represent the LIES they tell every day.

Yeah, for sure let's all pay for everyone's medical treatment, food stamps, and welfare. That is until none of us work, like the current slugs.

No, instead, let's just all pay for the deadbeats that refuse to buy insurance. That is a much better idea, right hjack? At least you have those ad hominem attacks down.

Liberals like McCaskill think the government can tax and spend this country into prosperity. They ignore the looming financial crisis as if it will go away on its own, magically. There is no level of fiscal responsibility in the entire Democratic Party any longer, liberals have highjacked the party and are spending this country into oblivion. The only way to take on the loony liberals in Washington is with more conservatives, as this country is already on borrowed time.

right there with ya, daisy, jim.

Looks like Jim forgot to take his medication this morning. But isn't it just like a liberal to try and dictate who can or cannot have an opinion. McCaskill policies aren't just damaging Missouri, they are destroying the nation, which gives everyone the right to an opinion about her.

Daisy - Is the DNC still pushing the "label our replacements 'extremists' strategy" because they have nothing to show for themselves but total failure? Or are you just another typical hate-filled liberal?

McCaskill doesn't have a chance and everyone knows it.

Jim, I don't see you criticizing Dan for his post in thread one for having an opinion on this and his post claims he's from Wisconsin so I'm guessing you only want Rick to keep his opinino to himself since his disagrees with yours but Dan is okay since he agree with you. Typcial "tolerant" liberal response..."
I'm tolerant of others unless their opinion disagrees with mine." So, since you do not like people outside of Missouri having an opinion, I will 2nd Rick's opininion as a St. Louis resident. McCaskill needs to go in November.

This is a great day for Missouri. Why are getting a chance of getting rid of piece of trash like McCaskill. She hasn't done anything for the State only thinking of her party. When the people of Missouri voted to kill ObamaCare her response was well it they will like it when it is fully implemented. She is more concerned about what she can steal from us than what she can do for us

STLMike - I don't know who this "Dan" you referred to is. Haven't seen anyone by that name posting in this thread.

What I do object to is big mouth people from out of state who seem to think they have a say in what happens in Missouri. Like the $12.75 million dollars of out of state money spent trying to influence our election.

Clair certainly isn't perfect, but she's a darn sight more appealing then a Bible thumper who is hopelessly out of touch with today's society. You want to talk intolerance? Todd Aken has that completely covered.

Jim 2268053, I hate to break it to you, but Claire McCaskill is a UNITED STATES SENATOR .... what she does affects the entire population of this country. True, your state elected her but her actions such as voting for this POS legislation known as Obamacare affect us all.

So what did Claire get for her vote ? Did she 30 pieces of Silver or more ??

How's that welfare going, Daisy?

hjack, you're pretty good at ad hominem attacks, aren't you? Now, try to contribute in a meaningful way, or go back to watching Fox News.

I've spent 35 years of my life in Missouri, and while I moved out 3 years ago, I still call it home and have family there. Am I qualified to comment?

I used to work for Clay County while Claire was in Jackson next door. I've seen KC police officers forcibly restrain themselves from pulling their gun on her because she was so crooked. I also recall the scandal about her refusing to pay state taxes for a few years. Now, I don't know much about this Aken guy, and as someone who isn't a Christian, I don't particulary care for the bible thumping, but generally speaking those who do follow that path tend to be a bit more honest. I don't know that he can be any worse than McCaskill!

You likely wouldn't know a communist if one fell on you. Define "communist" for all of us. Go for it.

I can certainly define left wing nut job.

Excellent comeback! I'll bet that took a lot of work, huh?

Reason, yeah right. Liberals on the left with big government, big spending, and increased taxes. No doubt the liberal logic will save the nation. Not...

glenn - Any political party that behaves so despicably that they need to import criminals to vote for them has no future in American government.

Obama just gave ANOTHER 1 MILLION U.S. jobs to foreign criminals and welcomed them to stay in your neighborhoods.

Deferred action program could legalize 1.8 million young immigrants

"As many as 1.76 million young illegal immigrants could qualify for temporary legal status under President Obama's deferred action program, says a new report from the Migration Policy Institute. That's more than double the Obama administration's initial estimate of 800,000 people who would benefit from the program."

"Initially, only young illegal immigrants under 30 who entered the country as children, graduated from high school and had no criminal record would make the cut. Now, young people who didn't graduate or receive their G.E.D. can still apply for the legal status as long as they re-enroll in high school by the time they apply."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/deferred-action-program-could-legalize-1-8-million-221839009.html

Desperation for political power has never been so blatantly treasonous, courtesy of Obama and the pathetic, spineless Democrat sheep.

pjam09, you don't have to continually post this drivel. It is just as specious as the garbage Romney is pushing about Obama and welfare. Pretty sad when you have to make things up to try and make your point.

As far as the people that do all the spending, you might want to take a good look at your own party before you go pointing fingers. Most of the addition to the deficit was because Obama put the spending related to the wars on the books, instead of hiding it all like the Bush administration did. You can all whine and wail all you want about Obama lying, but the truth is, the previous administration was far more adept at lying than this one. Now, I'm sure you'll say "there they go again, still blaming Bush" - well, too bad if the truth hurts.

The ultra-right is a far bigger threat to this country than the Democrats many of you seem to fantasize as being "communists" or whatever nonsense you want to use as labels.

Oh, and Rick, since you keep alluding to increased taxes, why don't you tell us all where those increased tasex are. In your fantasy world?

Absolutely, we just need more big government, big spending, tax raising liberals to bail this country out. There isn't a liberal with so much as a shred of fiscal responsibility in Washington, and that needs to end now.

Rick, turn off Fox and read...

http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-05-22/commentary/31802270_1_spending-federal-budget-drunken-sailor

barb, the Constitution and Bible have nothing to do with each other. Same with Christ and the founding fathers who were primarily diests rather than Christians.

You have a strange definition of "moderate".

When the entire Democratic Party moves to the extreme left, the label of moderate doesn't change the underlying fact. Trying to hide behind the moderate label for an entire party of extreme leftists.

I suppose when you are so far right that you are standing to your own left everything looks "extreme left", huh? I'll bet you would think Barry Goldwater was far left, wouldn't you. I know you would think Eisenhower was a lefty.

LWNJ says it all .... about you. You would not recognize "centrist" if it bit you in the gluteus maximus ! Voting WITH a failed President who pretty much REFUSES to have a BUDGET, as required by law, when our country is about $16 TRILLION in debt is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to the financial health of our country.

Sorry, jim, you can make up whatever you want, doesn't make it true. Anybody that thinks Obama is far left is delusional. And Obama is not a "failed" president, either, no matter what Beck and Limbaugh tell you. The Republican House is a failed governmental entity, however.

You might try doing some actual reading instead of just going with what the idiots on right-wing media spout.

Perhaps, LWNJ ...... you can read Obama's budget and tell me what it says !

Ooohhh, that's right, having a budget is REQUIRED by law but that is a law Obama chooses to ignore.

SHOW ME THE BUDGET !

No, you have your dates wrong, Willard Romney was President, CEO, sole shareholder and founding director of Bain Capitol until 2002, when he retroactively retired from the company.

With every company I have ever been with, the owner, President and CEO usually has some say on what major assets get bought and sold.

Like everything else coming out of Willard Mitt Romney, this is just another lie.

Hey Mark - go to you're local library and get a book on Civics 101

The Senate does not makes laws or the budget

The House of Representatives - make the bills - than goes to the Senate - to either pass or reject

And as far as "the outrageous cancer ad" the gentleman who made it is standing by his assertions

But Willard's spokesperson said - "if he had lived in Mass - his wife would have been covered by Romneycare"

How does that grab you?

BAJ,

You might want to read that civics book as well. A law can originate in either the Senate or the house.

Crazy Horse - sounds like a double standard to me - isn't Willard a "rich husband?"

I guess if women have a rich husband they shouldn't be in politics - or what?

With your reasoning only single women or women with poor husbands should deign to go into politics

Mysogynist or just plain lack of cognitive reasoning?

Politics is about compromise

Two brothers decided to walk home a different way one day. They came to the edge of a very deep canyon. One brother said we must walk to the left to get home. The other said, no we must walk to the right. After several hours of arguing, and it now being dark they decided to compromise and walk straight ahead. They're now buried together in the family cemetery.

The moral of the story, when there is a right solution and a wrong solution to a problem, and site is lost of the real issue, compromising may not be in the best interest of all parties.

Good post. I am not sure that it will resonate well with most of the voters. I, too, think there is a sad lack of critical thinking AND intellectual curiosity in this country. There is also way to much fear that results in the name calling and lack of cooperation in those things that are best for our society.

JJD, two brothers choosing to walk 'down the middle' over a cliff is not an example of compromise, merely of stupidity because in that case there were only two possible choices and still live. In politics as in life, there are infinite choices with many variations. It is impossible to accurately predict economic futures and even more difficult to trace them to specific causes because our economies are highly complex, and now totally global. Moral is to be careful of what you ask for, and avoid black and white thinking.

Sometimes compromise is stupidity.

All the attack ads are able to come up with is 'she supports the president' and 'she voted for Obamacare'. They don't bother to explain why they think either of those is a bad thing.

John.... you say that McCaskill took to the Senate her saving money attitude. Well then just how do you justify her voting for the obama health care plan that will in the end add millions of dollars in new taxes to the American workers.

One company that produces medical devices just announced that they were going to build 5 new plants in the U.S. but have decided to build them outside the country because of the new taxes put on the Medical devices that they produce if produced in this country.

Smart move on the part of McCaskill and the democrats.

You folks do realize that the Affordable Health-care Act was HEAVILY modelled after the legislation that Mitt Romney implemented in MA, don't you? And that the mandate was included at the request of the Insurance Industry (and Republican politicians) as a necessary component of risk management. So it was great as a Republican idea, but now is called Obamacare to fool the uneducated.

I guess Rush and Fox left that part out, eh?

Yes Denny, you are correct and hers's an article supporting your postion.

From ABC News

By MICHAEL ONO (@michaelono)

July 27, 2012
The White House says it drew inspiration from Massachusetts reforms signed into law by Mitt Romney when crafting Obamacare, which is supposed to curtail health care spending over the long haul.

There's one problem: three years after expanding coverage in Massachusetts, the state is still grappling with how to pay for the reforms. The problem is so grave that the state legislature is working on new bill specifically aimed at curtailing health care spending.

I guess you left that last part out, eh?

You two seem to forget that the State Legislature was DOMINATED by DEMOCRATS! Hell they had a VETO PROOF MAJORITY! It was the DEMOCRATS who wrote that Healthcare Bill and passed with 99% of the Rep. voting in favor of the Bill. How do you expect Romney to stop it?

Then there is this.

Although Massachusetts, under Gov. Mitt Romney, in 2006 became the first state to require most residents to have health insurance — the model for President Obama’s national health care overhaul — the law did little to slow health care costs that were already among the highest in the nation. Such spending has increased by 6 percent or 7 percent a year recently, compared with annual state economic growth of less than 4 percent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/health/policy/vote-looms-in-massachusetts-on-bill-to-limit-health-care-costs.html?_r=1

Seems like the Democrats and Obama picked the wrong Healthcare plan to copy. The costs are going up 6-7% per year!!!

For you, an old Chinese saying.

Better to remain slient and only be thought of as a fool, then to open ones mouth and remove all doubt.

JJD

I suggest you head your own advice.

I would be hard to "head" my own advise. I could try to heed it, but I don't need to. You might try it though.

Either is preferable to the extreme left.