Oh, sheesh, Brianb. Of course Democrats blame everything on Republicans. And Republicans blame everything on Democrats. If this poll was run at Fox, you'd probably see a mirror image in terms of breakdown of party readership.

This has gotten so dumb, it's just not fun anymore. The absolute finger pointing is boring. Nothing thought out. Nothing analyzed. Just a contest of which side can come up with the better one liners (and most aren't even all that good, so in reality it's which side can get the most comments on a given website in the shortest amount of time).

And the absolute horror expressed that, oh my gosh, "your side is always blaming our side..." I just don't know. If this is the future of American political discourse, maybe democracy isn't such a good thing.

Per Steve Bennen:

According to the latest results from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind Poll, some news sources make us less likely to know what’s going on in the world. In the most recent study, the poll asked New Jerseyans about current events at home and abroad, and from what sources - if any - they get their information. The conclusion: Sunday morning news shows do the most to help people learn about current events, while some outlets, especially Fox News, lead people to be even less informed than those who they don’t watch any news at all.

People who watch Fox News, the most popular of the 24-hour cable news networks, are 18-points less likely to know that Egyptians overthrew their government than those who watch no news at all (after controlling for other news sources, partisanship, education and other demographic factors). Fox News watchers are also 6-points less likely to know that Syrians have not yet overthrown their government than those who watch no news.

“Because of the controls for partisanship, we know these results are not just driven by Republicans or other groups being more likely to watch Fox News,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson and an analyst for the PublicMind Poll. “Rather, the results show us that there is something about watching Fox News that leads people to do worse on these questions than those who don’t watch any news at all.”

Give it a rest!

Please, somebody tell me why my tax dollars should pay for freebies for poor people?

Give it a rest, why the hell should i subsidize rich people who think they should get welfare, in the form of tax cuts.

welfare is the same for rich or poor when you get something on the government dime your not intitled to.

if you say poor people should not get freebees than the same for rich folks who think that the bush tax cuts for 10 years should be for ever. cheap SOBs

Give it a Rest

"Please, somebody tell me why my tax dollars should pay for freebies for poor people?"

I would prefer that my tax dollars go to feed hungry poor people than to send young men and women to kill people in other countries. I still pay my taxes.

Give it a rest!

@Jeff: Nobody should be subsidizing anybody.

Well your post seemed One sided,

Anna Molly

@Brian

Not only golf courses and stadiums; how about subsidizing big oil, pharma, any kind of risk-taking proposition by corporations, such as tax breaks to come to an area, golf courses, millionaires, billionaires, so many others. Read "Free Lunch". The only ones not getting a tax break are the middle class who have now become the working poor.

The deficit panel was a SHAM, and there was absolutely NO INTENTION of doing ANYTHING about our UNACCEPTABLE and UNSUSTAINABLE Trillion Dollar Plus annual budget deficits. It is high time we demand TERM LIMITS to stop ABUSES like the BOGUS "supercommittee" whose purpose was 2012 Election sound bites, not a 2011 return to fiscal SANITY !!!

Give it a rest!

I'll look out for my family and you can look out for everybody else.

And what happens if you can't because tragedy strikes, or simply because your fortunes reverse, like the fortunes of so many did when Wall Street crashed?

Because after that little bit of hollow snark, I sure won't. They'll be on their own, and I want none of my tax dollars used to help them.

Why should I pay for that?

They can pay a fee every time they use the roads that my tax dollars build. Or the schools, or police, or fire protection, or a library, or a sports stadium, or get clean water from a faucet, or flush anything down the toilet, or do anything that is in any manner paid for and subsidized by MY tax dollars.

There. Feel better now that you think you've shown me how smart you are?

LoL

Liberals never consider that what a person earns is their money.

Nonsense. We work and pay taxes, too. Our philosophy of governance and community differs from conservatives, and we have a greater willingness to pay for what we want.

The government does not control the dollars I earn, they take it from me.

More nonsense. This is a democracy and we tax ourselves by common consent. The income tax was established via constitutional amendment by a coalition of Prohibitionists, progressives, and southern populists who wanted to shift northeastern wealth to the south. The American people have not only never seen fit to repeal the 16th Amendment, there's never been a remotely serious attempt.

They take it in many forms. Income tax, gasoline tax, telephone tax... before you know it, there will be a breathing tax. Tell me liberals, how much do you want the government to take from you in taxes?

I want Jamie Dimon and his ilk to pay more. If there's a way to tax them by the inhalation and exhalation, go for it.

RedDevPS

Your preaching to the choir, I'm a consturction estimator and life long liberal that believes the only way to come to a agreement on both sides is to do both, cut spending and increase taxs. Not just on the 1% but on everybody except the elderly.

i think the government should stop subsidzing men who make babies and want to government to support then, any man who makes a baby and can't support it must inlist in the military unitll he has payed the government back.

i want the government to end tax breaks for big oil, untill then stop screwing the drivers with there projected supply problems that causes gas to go up as the make record profits

Every bipartisan group stated that the best way to achieve significant reductions in the deficit and our staggering debt, is to reform entitlements to reflect the current circumstances, cut spending and reduce waste and corruption in current programs and to raise revenues by reverting to pre 2000 personal income tax rates, and revising and reforming the current, bloated, convoluted, and outmoded tax code from a-z.

Any person or group in or out of government, who sees our debt and deficit as a pressing matter, a crisis, something we must act on yesterday, and refuses to consider and to enact every single one of the means available and endorsed by Bowles-Simpson/Peterson-Pew Commission on Budget Reform/Bipartisan Policy Center (Domenici / Rivlin) is allowing their own self centered desire for some kind of ideoligical purity to render them, as those hippies used to say in the 60's "part of the problem"....

Give it a rest!

Please, somebody tell me why my tax dollars should pay for freebies for poor people?

Tell me a way in which your dollars(not just tax dollars) won't be paying for poor people. You pay for their medicaid, if they didn't have that they would still get care and you would pay for it in increased costs or premiums. You pay for subsidized rent and food, otherwise crime rates would increase and you'd pay in lost property and higher taxes for prisons.

A better question is "Are your tax dollars being used in the most effective manner?"

Let me see, Liberals blame the GOP because as of the minute Obama won the Presidency the stupid right said they would block everything he wanted to do to make sure he was a one-term President. Bad enough they felt so unAmerican but how stupid do you have to be to make the statement so it is on record? Pretty damned stupid!

Jeff-1541632

but on everybody except the elderly

I agree with you except this point. As far as I see it the eldery voted in the politicians that caused this mess, so they should bear some of the pain along with everyone else.

I think for me at least it's more about how well these corporations treat their employees. They are making money even in these time yet their employees reap none of the reward for their hard work, of which without their hard work these companies would not make money. They are too beholden to the market, and lining their own pockets, screw line level employees. I don't have a problem with the 1 % and their earnings, I have a problem with them forgetting where they came from.

Wow! Guess the majority overwhelming understands the problem.

The Norquist Pledge will be the republicans nemesis next election.

Jeff-1541632 RedDevPS-Your preaching to the choir,

Agreed Jeff - While I admire Give It A Rest (GIAR) beliefs that one should take responsibility for oneself, generally taxes are beneficial to society. If this go-it-alone ideology were still in place, our society would likely be in the dark ages as nothing would ever get coordinated and accomplished. We likely wouldn't have an interstate system, no national parks. Unfortunately, the GIARs of the world will never change their minds. They are worried only about their bottom line, and are unable to conceptualize the benefits of existing in a society. They think individuals achieve greatness despite society vs. it is society that allowed them to achieve greatness.

Give it a rest!

Stereotyping poor people, rich people, tall people, etc. whatever your personal, or anecdotal experience is always a mistake. There really are millions of desperately poor, non vehicle owning poor in the nation today, some in areas that haven't known poverty for 50 years or more.

You would probably be brought to tears if you experienced the true poverty that affects mainly women and children in our country. Even Governor Perry's views on the culpability of children (of illegal immigrants) have been affected by HIS experience, and his "You have no heart" comment to those who believe that even children in our society should be penalized for their parent's transgressions, was his most courageous act of the campaign....

People who "game the system" piss me off too, but there is corruption inherent in all systems. Stereotyping the poor as "faking it" because there are some fake poor is as much a mistake as any other stereotype...

And brianb (and many other posters here, as well as the media) keep confusing Article 1 of the Constitution. CONGRESS is made up of the House and Senate, not congress and the Senate. Members of the House are Representatives. All members of BOTH houses of Congress are Congressmen/women. It is well past time for people to be using the proper terminology. It just continues to show the rest of the world how poor our education system really is.

Stop drinking the kool aid people, it's EVERYONE'S fault not just the Republicans.

Joe Obamayer,

Joe,so you think the 71.1% of respondants to this survey are wrong! And you think the 7.3% who blame President Obama are correct! Well take a good look at those numbers mister. The election next November will reflect that those numbers are correct and that you sir are poorly mistaken. But, heck, if it makes you feel good keep on ignoring the very obvious truth. Keep putting your head in the sand, and blame the Dems for the Republican obstruction and destruction of YOUR country. Have a great delusional year!

W. Goin - What about "They can go to the back of the bus"?

Beverly in Chicago - Why do you feel it neccesary to start name calling? How would you feel if I called you a "Democrap" or "Dumbocrat"?

The problem is we DO spend too much and we DON'T have enough revenue. This is because both sides of congress think they are entitled. They think they are entitled to full retirement after serving only one term. They think they are entitled to live in mansions at home and while in session at D.C. They could care less what happens to us because, whatever does, they are sitting pretty.

NVArt ..

They think they are entitled to full retirement after serving only one term.

Look it up .. this isn't true.

This SUPER committee can't agree on less than .7% of the national debt? Perhaps they should all be voted out for incompetitance. How about twelve citizens selected at random from the general population give this a shot?

I would think they could find some trillions to cut from this budget without harming the public.

Brianb-999431,

You absolutely ooze the "me, me, me" mentality. Taxes are the government's way for you to pay your fair share for what THE GOVERNMENT does to 1) Keep the peace (so you can earn your GD money, 2) Build and maintain infrastructure (so you can earn your GD money), 3) To create and maintain law and order (so you don't die on your way to earn your GD money), etc., etc, etc... all for YOU!

They are the very basis of your life so you can earn your GD money!

Got it?

So before you complain about paying your share of taxes, you might want to consider that you may not be paying quite enough! The government, for all it's faults, is what it is. It takes tax revenue to run it. Without it we have anarchy. With it, we have some semblance of order and you get to earn a living and have a family in relatively safety for more years than any of us deserve.

And right now, because of the irresponsibility of the previous administration, we need the ones that are best off to kick in what they used to pay anyway... 3.6%... that's $360 on a $100,000 project that makes a 10% ROI. IT IS NOTHING!

This is nothing but idiotic foolishness. Republicans need to get off their high horse and start working with America again.

Give it a rest!

Please, somebody tell me why my tax dollars should pay for freebies for poor people?

For the same reason that I pay tax dollars to defend your sorry a$$. For the same reason I spent 20 years in uniform to defend all Americans. Because we're all Americans. "One Nation" ...remember?

While Obama was up doing his job gaining $35billion more in exports for the USA, and maintaining a high approval rating for this Commander-in-chief handling of our military and foreign policy, the Congress could not even do their JOB they appointed themselves of passing a deficit reduction Bill. Yet some moron here will find a way to blame Obama for this - he didnt hold their hands while they take a pee, maybe?

"Based on this then 79.7% of the country is Liberal! Praise the Lord!"

Actually, based on this - 79.7% (67.7% at the time of this posting) of people who voted on MSNBC are liberal. Which isnt a suprise, MSNBC is a liberal news site.

In reality only about 22% of America is Liberal, and only 26% is conservative (took the average of the range of % per wikipedia). Which would mean that less than half the country are actualy part of either fringe.... THAT to me warrants a Praise the Lord!. Would be even more praise if we could see that number of fringe fanatics go down.

Liberals and Conservatives are the fringes - they are not representative of America, at least until they get to a majority of people, they will remain fringes - and to be honest - i see no difference between the two. The only difference between a Liberal and a Conservative is which evils they deem im too stupid to protect myself from, therefore wish to do it for me.

Give it a rest... one question? are you a Christian? if do did you "listen" to Sunday's Gospel? youknow... the the one about "when did we see you ... and not minister to you.. and Jesus answer,, when you did not minister to the least of Mine... you did not minister to Me... so to the eternal fire you will go

Hey, First Read:

I don't have time to read this whole thread. Has anyone blamed George W. Bush yet? Bill Clinton?

Give it a rest!

I'm sick and tired of the "I'm entitled" attitude that most of these people have. It makes me sick to my stomach that these "poor" people have 2 brand new cars in their driveways, a boat next to their trailer, they have ATV's, dirt bikes, flat screen TV's, iphones, PS3's and every other new gadget that's out there.

It would probably bother me, too, but if it did, I would hope I had enough sense to realize that I was valuing the wrong things.

May I humbly suggest that you could be in the wrong line of work?

Anna Molly, we are never going to see eye to eye on this.

Perhaps not. But if you REALLY want to see greedy people, I further suggest you consider the law.

I suggest everyone not to put too much weight into this poll MSN decided to do. It does not encompass all Americans. It is limited to:

1. Respondents who have access to Internet

2. Respondents who read MSNBC (a liberal news organization --> readers of MSNBC tend to be more liberal)

If Fox News published a similar poll showing a majority of respondents blamed Democrats for the failure, does that mean all Americans blame the Democrats? Go figure.

What?? There wasn't a box to check that said "dirty rotten b*******Republicans :(

"Tell me liberals, how much do you want the government to take from you in taxes?"

As much as it takes to maintain the greatest country in the world, with the greatest infrastructure, the greatest health care, the greatest education, and the most compassionate people. Where people do not die from starvation or treatable diseases while the rich drink champagne and laugh at the peasants.

Bobo - 79% of the news media membership is registered Democrat, yet only 35% of the population is registered Democrat. Only about half of the voting age actually vote.

20% of the countries population is liberal. 40% conservative and 40% moderate.

Let's not stop there.

The majority of Teachers are Liberal. The majority of college professors are liberal.

Now let me ask those who are independent - or rather think you are independent. How can you claim you are independent, when are being fed 80% by pure liberal thought?

That fact is that for the liberals to win anything, they must win the majority of the "independents" - which the liberals have been doing quite successfully until 2010.

Give It A rest !

Perhaps you should read the federal budget and you might begin to understand that "WELFARE" is not the problem, it is however a meaningless right wing talking point. The facts support only ONE conclusion; the real problem is a loss of revenue caused by the Bush tax cuts. As far as million dollar mansions and so on why don't you check out Republican/Tea Party caucus leader Bachmann and see how much "WELFARE" money she and her husband have received. I respectfully suggest that you take some time to educate yourself on this subject.

Guess what, Brian. Obama cut your taxes.

So stop whining.

Is it any surprise the liberals are blaming the Republicans?

Who says everyone blaming republicans are liberals?

The only real surprise is that there are actually people who do not blame the Republicans.

Dwight Eisenhower would blame what passes for a Republican these days.

So would Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

This ain't your grandpa's GOP! The Republican Party once stood for fiscal responsibility.

We don't necessarily have to "DO" anything. If we just let the Bush tax cuts expire, most of the deficit disapears in ten years. Not all of it, but more than any of these people are talking about.

"Tell me liberals, how much do you want the government to take from you in taxes?"

Is that supposed to be an intelligent question?

Is it a "conservative" position that no one should ever pay taxes?

Throughout most of American history, a position had to at least be considered "responsible" before it could be considered 'conservative'.

We had federal budget surpluses and a healthy, growing economy under the Clinton tax rates. We never had either under the Bush tax rates.

Some people would consider that a hint at where to start looking.

Sooo, why don't all of you vote democrat across the board? I think it is time we had a super majority of democrats, in the senate, the house and the White House. (Oops, I mean another one, like we had up until the Nov. elections) Until the republican party is destroyed and replaced by democrats and more democrats we will never have parity, economic security, debt-free, and minimal government intrusion in our lives, ignoring of course the increased taxes, larger bureaucracies and greater spending and borrowing to build more electric cars in Finland.

Vote DEMOCRAT, then when the house of cards falls under their 'leadership' they can still manage to blame the republicans. If ever there was a group who could pass the buck and place blame any and everywhere except where it truly belongs, it would be democrats....

@Toasty

Guess what, Brian. Obama cut your taxes.

I wonder if Brian created any jobs with that tax cut. Isn't that the conservative talking point?

Step #1 - National Recall Vote for the 12 members of the committee. They were sent there to solve a problem and they didn't.

Step#2 - New tax on Federal Legislators, Executive Branch Members, and all Federal Justices - 100% of their earnings from any other source than their government pay goes to the deficit until it's paid off.

Step#3 - If the problem isn't solved before Christmas, all of the folks in Washington are fired and we can start over.

Simply amazing. 66% of people think its the fault of: "Republicans, for not being willing to find ways to raise revenue".

Listen folks, our government has a SPENDING PROBLEM, NOT a revenue raising problem, and they have had this problem for over 100 years as the government keeps rewarding the leeches that depend on government handouts. Its a shame what our country has become, as, under Obama, our debt is over 99% of GDP. We WILL be another Greece in a few years if the Democrats and Obama get their way. Now, Nancy Pelosi wants the federal government to pay for child care for all these sluts that get knocked up and cannot afford to raise a child. The Democrats just do not know how to quit. They are like meth addicts. Some, but only some Republicans are almost as bad. Vote all these spend-thrifts out in 2012, starting with Obama, Pelosi, and Reid. Well, Reid will be in for another four years, unfortunately.

Dan H.,

That's a great idea. Will it ever happen?- nope. We need some type of new revolution in the U.S. that demands, and gets change. The tea party is a start.

Brianb-999431, I am totally with you. The thing here is that all those liberal Bolshevists can only exist as long as you and I, and our kind, have something they can take away from us. After that - lights out, liberals. Now you really have to earn your keep on your own and that will be a catastrophe since you free loaders don't know what honest work and effort mean.

GOP = Greed Before People

Give It A Rest - shouldn't you be reporting these bludgers to the proper authorities rather than raving on about it here? I think all of us would want to see these people who are bludging (that is how it is referred to in Aust.) at the taxpayers expense illegally reported and stripped of any benefits and in fact pay back any that they received illegally. And in turn we would want to see the one's at the other end of the scale have to pay their fair share and have their noses removed from the trough (ala Michelle Bachman getting farm subsidies).

In respect to taxes unfortunately you don't get to pick and choose what they get used for, you do however get to pick and choose who (in this representative form of Gov we have) determines how they are spent. We have not done a good job of that for various reasons and the only sure fired way to get it corrected is TERM LIMITS, need to get rid of the dead wood and bottom suckers that are currently in Congress and Parliament and get some people who want to do the right thing, have some brains, and some integrity.

Further if this is such a liberal blog......why are you here??????? Can't you access Foxnews.com??????

And I did say something complimentary about 2 Republicans a few days ago Eisenhower and Rubio....you must have missed it looking for someone to argue with.

"Liberals never consider that what a person earns is their money. The government does not control the dollars I earn, they take it from me."

That is idiotic and plainly wrong. Your salary has cost of living factored in, which INCLUDES local taxes. Do you think people living in major cities would be paid higher wages if they didn't have higher costs of living?

I mean I'm open to lowering taxes and a lot of government spending is wasteful, but the idea that all your wages are god's gift to you and the government is stealing it is comical nonsense.

Since 2/3 of the respondents blame Republicans, I'll guess many Republicans blame Republicans. It's merely your guess that it's 'liberal fingerpointing".

Those who think term limits are the way to go are really admitting that our education system is pretty poor.

For even a representative democracy to survive long term depends upon a well educated, critical thinking population. Our education system says the democrats are the only way to go - the majority of the educators are democrats. We had the democrats with super majorities for just over one year. The results nearly tripled our deficits as far as the eye can see.

For some reason the only cutting I see being offered is from Republicans. The democrats simply want to raise revenues. i.e. they have promise spent us into a deeper hole and think there is some pot of gold at the end of a republican rainbow. I read the forbes 400 richest each year - not only have democrats been the majority of that list, but extended their majority.

You are always going to see results like this because it is the few that pay all the taxes while it is the many that are the leeches of society. They always want increased taxation because they pay little to no taxes themselves.

Bobo said:

Actually, based on this - 79.7% (67.7% at the time of this posting) of people who voted on MSNBC are liberal. Which isnt a suprise, MSNBC is a liberal news site.

Quinnipiac Univeristy poll shows only 44% blame congressional republicans, 38% Obama.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1295.xml?ReleaseID=1675

According to The Christian Science Monitor a CNN/Opinion news poll reported 42% Americans blame the republicans with 32% blaming Dems. McClatchy/Marist say 39% blame Republicans and 27% blame the Democrats. I sure Fox News did a poll on the topic but I was unable to find those...

I am not a democrat and I am proud of it. I do not mind paying taxes. The problem I have with taxation is the way my tax dollars are spent i.e. mismanaged. Then have to wonder when will the government be satisfied with the amount of taxes they collect from me. Sorry for feeling that 35% of my wages are gone before I see anything is a little rediculous and excessive. I have worked for 30 years to get to where I am at. I do not mind helping the less fortunate or those down on their luck, but paying someone to sit on their backside for over two years through UEC is wrong I don't care what side of the isle you are on.

Bush should have known from history the USSR could not win in Afghanistan. Kind of a what were you thinking moment. You cannot fight a political war and win PERIOD. But I do not believe this is the root cause of our financial problems today. The money our government pays to other countries is astounding, and for what to play nice. Not working out too well in my book.

As for the stupor committee is it was destined to fail from the word go. The only players in this gang of 12 are hard liners. R's put forth a proposal and the D's say no you have to raise tax revenue. So what happpens? The R's start compromising with themselves. So nothing happens but process.

As for all of the uncivil name callers. Try looking in the mirror and ask your selves what skeletons do I have lying around, before you chastize others for offering a different opinion.

Hate me if you want but I am living my life the way I was raised trying to respect those that deserve it.

You can sure tell that this is a Liberal site.

" ... for a stimulus program that was ill defined, ineffective and for the most part a failure. ... "

Huh? You make this statement based on what? Or did you just pull it all out your backside?

I live just north of the largest city in my state. In the hour it takes to drive there I can see 10 to 12 projects that if not directly funded by the stimulus. Were funded because the stimulus freed up funds from other sources.

Projects that were in fact "shovel ready". And that the only reason the shovel wasn't being used was a lack of funds. Lack of funds.

All of then infrastructure jobs. You know. Jobs that pay a living wage. Jobs that benefit the country. Jobs that make this country stronger.

And you BLAME the President for this? You BLAME the Democrats for this? You BLAME Liberals for this? Why thank you very much. I as a Liberal, as a Democrat, and as someone who voted for Obama (and will do so again), I thank you. And you are most welcome. Just let me know, and we will do it again sometime.

And if you don't believe that it worked. Go look at who asked for and got the stimulus funds. Go ahead I dare you. Oh and just don't look at who/what the Democrats asked for. Look at what I am willing to bet was a large majority of the Republicans that voted against it asked for. And how many jobs that they said it would bring to the people that they represent. THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of jobs. 100's of millions of dollars.

" ... ill defined, ineffective and for the most part a failure ... "

Tell that to the thousands of people who got to KEEP their jobs BECAUSE of it. Tell that to the thousands of people who GOT jobs BECAUSE of it. Tell that to people, like me who have, and continue to see, day in and day out what it did do.

And if there is anything funny about this, it is that I am NOT one of those people that it directly helped. My job is still gone.

At best you statement is propaganda, and disingenuous. If not an outright lie. But that's what you get when you depend on places like Fox News for your news and information.

Yes I come to MSNBC. But it is far from my only source of news and information. The internet is a wonderful place. Did you know that in the cities of other countries have things called "newspapers"? You can go outside of your own country and get news. Huh. Imagine that.

DB Akron.....you are correct in a sense the education system (being the curriculum that is taught) is a portion of the problem along with many other issues and social aspects. Why do you think it is that more people care about who won dancing with the stars (or whatever) than the outcome of the Super Committee....yes that is the failing of education system. Your correlation to party politics does not really fly the demise of the education system started in the 60's when the Military Industrial Complex determined that it was all the damn educated Hippies that ruined their money making scheme in Viet Nam and they were determined that was not going to happen again.....thus the dumbing down of America.

You are right,we need a well educated population to run a representative democracy.....and why the Repubs target education for reduction whenever possible (note that was 1of the 3 Perry remembered). The other ploy is to introduce as much rubbish in to the curriculum as possible ..... creationism a right wing "icon" introduced solely to continue the dumbing down of the population. The biggest threat to the Military Industrial Complex is Education, the second biggest is TERM LIMITS, so yes one does correlate to the other.

" ... Try looking in the mirror and ask your selves what skeletons do I have lying around, before you chastize others for offering a different opinion. ... "

I don't have to. All of mine are right here on the couch next to me. I don't have to hide my skeletons. I'm a Liberal. I admit to my mistakes and faults. I accept the responsibility for them. And I don't need to ask God to forgive me for them. They are mine. I own them. And you?

And I don't just criticize ( the proper spelling of the word ) other people because they "offer different opinions". I criticize them because their opinions are usually NOT THEIR opinions. I criticize them because their opinions are not based on fact. I criticize them because they, at times, have no basis in reality. Reasons we should all criticize them. If not make outright fun of them over.

I welcome differing opinions. I encourage differing opinions. I search out those who have differing opinions. It's just that I require that these people be adults. Informed adults. Adults with facts that back up their opinion. Adults who's opinions are not based on fear, hate and mis-truths. And I really don't care what side of the fence they are on. Me, I don't own a fence. I'm a Liberal.

I do own a soap box. But that is an entirely different subject.

So keeping in mind the above paragraph, bring your opinion. I'm more then willing to listen to it. Oh. And bring your skeletons. They're welcome too.

Liberals never consider that what a person earns is their money. The government does not control the dollars I earn, they take it from me. They take it in many forms. Income tax, gasoline tax, telephone tax...

Conservatives never consider that services need to be paid for (unless they are the ones providing those services, of course). Government supplied services need to be paid for, that's what taxes do. Taxes are not "taking" or "theft", it is paying for Government services. But "borrow and spend" Conservatives somehow think that they can just put it on the Nation's credit card and will never have to pay for it.

before you think that the republicans have been the ones running up the deficit, you really should look at the majority makeup of congress for the past 30 years. You will find that for the most part, democrats have held majority control of congress and the senate. Those are the spending arms of the government.

The Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and White House from 2001 through 2006, and during that time they racked up record spending, not just military but domestic spending too. Combined with the Bush tax cuts (still in effect, by the way) that lead to record breaking annual deficits and nearly doubling the national debt.

All the polls are showing the same thing, maybe not to the extent this one is, but the public believes that the Republicans are to blame for the stalemate. I agree too. I couldn't be happier about the way the Republicans are handling things. They are doing most of the work for Democrats running for office or re-election in 2012. Keep up the great work Reps, and stay true to your Norquist pledge and next year things will be Democrat all the way!

If these polls/posts are representative of of the US population, we have a majority of very stupid people in this country. Why not cut spending first? Why not cut waste? Lord knows there's more than a little waste in government. Since when did our constitution guaranteea living wage? We are free to become as successful as we desire. President Obama and the democrats have chosen to vilify the very people who make it possible to earn a living wage. They want class warfare, and they're going to get it.

This was a dead deal from the begining since haft of the "super committee' already said they were NOT going to compromise. Apparently some are more concerned with their party than our country. As Americans we need to Unite and solve this problem for our country and future. Taxes must be raised on those who are not paying their fair share.

Not all democrates are liberals. A perfect example: Me! And yes I'm a main stream christian.

hardtostarboard, you've got it 180 degrees wrong. We're not vilifying the people who make it possible to earn a living wage. It's those of us who go to work every day and work hard for a paycheck and then go spend the money that we earn who make it possible for those who own businesses to make the money that they do.

Without us, they are nothing. And we who actually make the products are tired of them thinking they are the most important part of the puzzle.

Please, somebody tell me why my tax dollars should pay for freebies for poor people?

I shouldn't even have to say this, but yet again we are confronted by people that can't see past the end of their nose.

First of all, if you like your cozy little home and your quiet suburban street, you may want to pay some taxes to help the less fortunate. Because when you provide people that have nothing with nothing... well, they get very uneasy. Next thing you know they start burning the place down... just look at any country in the Middle East right now.

So if you want to be a greedy pig and not contribute to the privileged society you live in now, which by the way, was funded by tax dollars, be prepared to give that all up. Wake up and realize that the Republican utopia is a farce they've been feeding you since the 80's - just about the same time America started going downhill. You really want to know what this Republican dream looks like? There's a place like it that actually exists, but the funny thing is that all you conservatives seem to hate that country. It's called Mexico.

This country, live every other advanced civilization, lives and dies by "united we stand, divided we fall." I bet you heard that before... now you finally know what it means.

"AX The TAX CODE"; there is your "DEFICIT".

All you right wing conservatives need to get a grip! How are we going to save OUR country? Yes I said OUR. If we lived in a country with one party rule then we would be called communists! NO THANK YOU! I want to live in the America that my parents and grand parents enjoyed minus the racial issues! If we truly want to balance our budget we must overhaul the entitlements that make up over 50% of the federal budget. Stop giving money to the worthless members of our society that don't work and don't want to work. The ones that use their handouts to sit around and drink, do drugs, squirt out unwanted children so they can increase their handouts while raising future criminals and drug addicts! Enact Tort Reform and stop the overload of frivolous lawsuits. Stop the corrupt doctors that screw medicare and medicaid out of BILLIONS a year in fraud. Stop enabling thievery by enacting laws that force retailers to prosecute shoplifters and protect their inventories! I am tired of seeing people cheat and steal their way through life!!!!!!

The time has come for us to drug test everyone on welfare! Make them get their dead asses out of bed 5 days a week and DO SOMETHING if they want their next welfare check and foodstamps. Picking up trash on the roadways would be a great start since the majority of our roadsides looks like a mini landfill! Jerk the licsenses away permanently from corrupt doctors and lawyers some of which are in Congress!!!!!!!!! Make it HURT if you commit violent crime, send violent criminals to jail for life, or just execute them!!!!!!! Rapists, murderers, child molesters, etc...etc....do not deserve to live, it costs us tax payers too much money!! Just kill them all!!!!!

@Toosano

What gave you that notion? The typical bogus poll results, or the continuous asinine moronic posts that grace the fine journalistic pages of MSNBC?

@ liberals in general

If you brain dead liberals are so concerned about the poor. By all means, pull out your check books and start writing... Doubt that will happen much with you HYPOCRITICAL loons! And to bleeding heart liberals like Anna Molly. I am poor! Been poor for a long time now. And been turn down for welfare every time I lowered my dignity to try for it. I guess in your world, white Christian heterosexual males need not apply. You liberal nut jobs are destroying this country.

George from Wa. State

You live just north of Seattle, I live just south of Spanaway.

Not one penny of federal stimulus dollars are going for any road construction project in this state.

The construction funds are coming from increases in state gas taxes. we have the highest gas taxes in the country, we have one of the highest sales taxes in the country, we have one of the highest excise tax rates in the country, we pay weight fees to register our cars just like the trucks do, Excise tax is charged on cars by blue book value not actual value. Now they have variable tolling (as much as 7.50 per car) we have fees to use the HOV lanes.

We are one of the highest taxed states in the country, we also have a 2 billion deficit and all the liberals with majority control of the legislature can do is vote higher taxes and fees. Except 3 to 1 the liberal citizens of this state vote down an income tax. Even liberals know once you let the Government into your paycheck, you will never get them out of it and they will only take a larger and larger chunk of it.

The unemployment situation here is one of the highest in the nation and has gone up since the "Stimulus" package was passed.....

Start telling the truth and stop spreading your tripe.....

He's talking about Washington State, one of the most liberal in the nation, a state where three or four counties control politics for the rest of the 30+ counties.

Where the governor passed a resolution that we as a state had an "Emergency" which required her to suspend cost controls voted into force by the citizens.

We have never had an explanation of what the emergency was (that was 7 years ago) and we now have a 2 billion deficit, she has grown from a 500 million surplus.

Kinda mirrors what the democrat majorities did to america as a whole in just 2 years doesn't it?

Also this is a state where both political parties sued the electorate over who gets to pick the candidates for office, the parties or the voters in primaries, we lost, but the parties didn't win either, we got stuck with top two.... Politicians, ya gotta hate them....if there is a way to screw it up, they will figure it out...

I forgot to ask you Anna. Can I give you an address to where you can send me a check? I'm a poor person you know. Or is that for everyone else to do? What a joke!

Democrats…. the party of big spenders. ….Can someone explain to me how and when is a nation with an empty purse able to help the poor, underprivileged, sick, the hungry and the homeless etc.? Only prosperous countries are able to do that!! An empty purse represents more misery and more pain…….

To mark: You made a good point but 3.6% of 100,000 is 3,600 not 360

To right-wing crazies: You lose, we win...Now that you fools decided not to let the tax cuts on the uber-rich expire....68% of all voters want the cuts to expire,and it's a major priority for them..And pretty soon a super majority are gonna want the jobs bill passed...And you dumb-dumbs saw how people feel about person-hood and collective bargaining at the last election....I am a plumber and I really enjoy watching your dreams go down the drain since the clog has been removed from peoples brains.....Its okay you guys can all move to Fox Nation in 2012.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Righty wants to cut medicare and Social Security but don't touch Taxes. We cannot pay down the national debt without raising taxes. This has been proven in congress.

Taxes have been the standard for America to fund or pay debt incurred from wars. This is just American history...until now. Repubs push the Afghanistan ans Iraq wars after we made historic size tax cuts. And now they refuse to make the necessary revenue increases to pay down our war debt. They need to be held accountable for their own irresponsibility. Pay our debt.

gillanator

Please tell me, which history books are you getting this from,

Titles and ISBN#'s please, I would like to read this for myself....

These polls are not scientific, so nobody throw a parade just yet.

If there is anything that this shows, it's that the Newsvine needs to disable auto-collapse. It's friggen irritating trying to read anything when one side or the other is bent on making everyone hit the little plus sign. Put mods on the job, and actually collapse posts that violate the TOS.

By the way, of course this is the Republican's baby, born and bred in the depths of depravity and greed, fed on the hopes and dreams of the American people, and destined to either destroy us, or be voted out of existence.

Brianb, those of us on the left DO understand that people earn their money. We also understand that people don't like paying taxes.

What YOU don't seem to understand is that no one makes money *SOLELY* through their own hard work. The top executives of a big department store make their money through sales in their thousands of stores. Well, that's great -- except that those goods GET to all those stores in thousands of delivery trucks that damage the roads that MY tax dollars paid for. You catch shoplifters by making very heavy use of police departments that were paid for by my tax dollars. You use taxpayer funded courts to prosecute those shoplifters and to decide on fair resolutions of countless legal disputes. Even the money itself is a government issued currency.

The point I'm trying to make is that NO ONE makes money solely through their own hard work. You make money as part of a society. If you're not willing to give back to that society by paying your fair share of taxes then get your delivery trucks off the roads that I paid for.

Tell me liberals, how much do you want the government to take from you in taxes?

How about NOT the lowest effective high bracket tax rate since 1932?

The highest tax bracket has been at a record low, the lowest it has been since 1932 while we are involved in two ground wars and have a record deficit. WHY? Because republicans want it that way.

Put the highest tax bracket back where it was in the 80's under Regan and pay down the debt.

Cut spending in all agencies - Let the Bush cuts expire. Reform tax loopholes. Offer incentives to businesses that create American jobs.

Really not that hard. Cutting spending in agencies across the board will force these agencies to increase their efficiency. The gov't too often tries to just throw money at a problem, creating new programs and agencies within itself dedicated to more 'efficiency' ... but that never accomplishes anything. Just creates more monsters to feed. Cutting spending will force agencies to cut their least beneficial program and moving employees to programs that are the most beneficial

Want to cut the deficit we have 535 employees in Washington DC who aren't doing their job lets stop paying them for sitting on their butts argueing like 5 yr olds instead of getting something done.

Brianb I am as liberal as they come but guess what I voted for failure of both party's. Because much like you all they can do is finger point and say it must be the other partys fault while the whole damn country goes down the perverbial drain.

Taxes are what we pay in order to live in a robust Republic. A progressive tax rate is fair because the more wealth a person accumulates, the more of the commons they use. The working poor and the middle class should pay less (most of the working poor should not pay income tax) because it is not the wealthy who create jobs, it is demand! More money in the hands of the poor and middle class creates greater demand, which drives the economy and makes the wealthy wealthier, despite their higher tax rate.

Increase the tax rates on the working poor and the middle class removes demand, and hurts the economy, which is exactly what the conservatives want, because it will make President Obama look bad and possibly limit him to a single term, which is the conservative goal--no matter who many Americans get hurt.

All this arguing is a prime example as to why a "bipartisan comittee" will never succeed. Everyone just needs to face the reality that both parties inability to budge on this matter is the cause for this failure, it's not "just the Democrat's fault" nor is it "just the Republican's fault" IT'S BOTH SIDES' FAULT!!!

But on a side note, Obama is being a complete jackass with his idea to veto the automatic budget cuts!

Who to blame? Sheesh my list is too long to list here, but I'll say it this way! It is our failure as we sent some totally non-compromising Representatives and Senators up to Washington, who have acted towards and for the elite few of our people. These representatives did not do their job! Every representative and Senator in Washington have shown they are more responsive to the special elite like Grover Norquist, Bob Vander Plaats, Edward H Crane and David Keene instead of the people who actually voted them into office. Why is there a greater allegiance towards and for people like Bob Vander Plaats and lobbyist like Grover Norquist, rather than the American public or economy? Vander Plaat and Norquist are the puppet-masters of the TEA-GOP-Republican fringe! Americans would prefer a candidate will Kahunas to be their candidate, rather than someone else's puppet!

So all you really intelligent liberals please explain to me how you can't cut the deficit by raising taxes if the government spends additional revenue. There are certain programs that have been delayed for years. I saw a documentary about repairing the levees in New Orleans back in the late 60s. Government grants for that were diverted to building and adding to parks and others. The railroads begged for help back in the late 60s, they never got it. Anybody remember Wally Schirra saying if it was not for the railroads that a piece of penny bubble gum would not cost a penny anymore? Looks like he was correct. And we have been warned forever about the grid. And now in these catastrophic times you suddenly make that a priority. Remember you liberals have been crowing about Clinton's budget surpluses that started sometime around 1996. Why were those not addressed then instead of him pushing Hilary's government health care plan?

A

Weapons

Of

Mass

Destruction

War

Costs

Money

Bush tax gift has to expire.

Pay up...or shut up.

Brianb-999431

Is it any surprise that the liberals blame the republicans? Liberals blame republicans for everything!

Liberals never consider that what a person earns is their money. The government does not control the dollars I earn, they take it from me. They take it in many forms. Income tax, gasoline tax, telephone tax... before you know it, there will be a breathing tax. Tell me liberals, how much do you want the government to take from you in taxes?

Is it any surprise that conservatives blame the democrats? Conservatives blame democrats for everything!

Conservatives have no concept of history, or what conditions were like before liberalism appeared on the scene. Conservatives, do you want to live in an America with no Social Security, no environmental protections, no unemployment insurance, no food or drug regulations, no finance regulations. Sure, you can keep all your money, and live in Nineteenth Century conditions. You want to know how much I want the government to take from me in taxes? Enough to assure I live well and securely in the 21st Century.

TO: Brianb-999431 who wrote:

"Is it any surprise that the liberals blame the republicans? Liberals blame republicans for everything!

Liberals never consider that what a person earns is their money. The government does not control the dollars I earn, they take it from me. They take it in many forms. Income tax, gasoline tax, telephone tax... before you know it, there will be a breathing tax. Tell me liberals, how much do you want the government to take from you in taxes?"

I don't want the government to take even one penny from me for that LIE CALLED THE WAR IN IRAQ, but I'm stuck with it, aren't I?

If Republicans are being blamed, it's because they ARE the blame. Everytime they get in office they tell a bunch of lies, borrow a whole lot of money, spend spend spend, and then leave a ton of crap for the American Taxpayers to handle.

Well that stinking robbery lead by the Republicans and the Bush Administration was enough for me, I've finally had it with Republicans!

At least the Democrats do their spending here in the United States where we can benefit from our own tax dollars.

Republicans spend TRILLIONS overseas where we will never see it again.

We don't have a revenue problem ! What we have is a spending problem!

Dear Holier Than Thou Evangelical Christians,

Answer to Grover Norquist now....

penalize the poor; make pledges to this man; justify this partisan divide.

Eventually, your CREATOR will set you straight.

Hopefully...for your sake...in this world.

_________________________________________________________

For all of you who have concrete evidence of spending abuse, SEND THAT to your Congressperson.

WE THE PEOPLE see things that are stupidly wrong...and it is our obligation to put FACTS before generalized accusations.

Lobbyists have influence....so get your FACTS straight and report FACTUAL abuse in government spending.

I have to question the intellectual functioning of those who write "why should I pay more taxes"? Either those people are among the very wealthy or they just don't comprehend the truth. This president has never proposed raising taxes on middle-income working folks. Quite the opposite. He has lowered their tax thru payroll tax reductions which are set to expire and he is fighting to get renewed. The proposed tax increases by the democrats are only on those highest income earners. They paid a higher rate until Bush gave them a handout which did nothing but add to the debt. It certainly didn't create any new jobs did it? That trickle down nonsense was a miserable failure under Reagan and it's still is.

Dong Work 4 Yuda

I disagree.. republicans are the ones who made a pledge to a person when there only pledge should be to country.

I disagree, because when Clinton handed this country off to Bush we had very very little debt..

Our biggest problem is that so many instead of discussing how we got here want to blame the problem on one party or the other. Some further aggravate the problem by spreading misleading or outright false information. That is a real shame because some of this information is so easy to find. Maybe I am being unreasonable but I don't consider 5.725 trillion very little debt. This information can be found at debt to the penny which is a government website. Check out Brooksley Born and what she had to say about the derivatives market. Check out Sandi Weill and his relationship with Bill Clinton/ Let's face it, until we stop trying to defend our political choices and actually discussing the facts we will never come to some viable solutions

Do you notice that when the Republicans speak they always say "what the American people want", Bull$hit. They lie, lie, lie. they try to repeat this crap thinking they are hynotizing everyone into believing their baloney. No, what they say is what they say is good for the American people. What arrogance and gall they have. People should be offended at how stupid the Republicans think we are.

Do you notice that when the Democrats speak they always say "what the American people want", Bull$hit. They lie, lie, lie. they try to repeat this crap thinking they are hynotizing everyone into believing their baloney. No, what they say is what they say is good for the American people. What arrogance and gall they have. People should be offended at how stupid the Democrats think we are.

So if we let the Bush tax cuts expire it will be alright. Is that the Liberal talking point for the day?

A few percentage points will not solve the problem. The problem is we have cut taxes AND AND AND raised our spending to choking proportions. In fact, the IRS brought in $0.9 Trillion in Personal Income Tax in 2010. If we double that, which is to increase the rate for all by 2X, we still fall short of our deficit by $400 Billion.

• Anybody need any further proof we have a spending problem?
• Anyone too stupid to understand that simple math?

• Top tax rate = 70%
• 10% becomes 20%
• and so on

I blame all this on the Retards that signed the pledge allegiance to Grover Norquist, they all should be put in jail for deliberately sabotaging America !!!

It doesn't matter that the republican's are blaming the democrats, and the democrat's are blaming the republicans. What matters is who does the American people blame, and they most definitively will find out in the next election.

Grover is the man. Stop those tax hikes!

Cut spending and loopholes. I want smaller, less intrusive, government.

For a start, kill the blender's tax credit - who pays that .45 a gallon? You do!

The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, also known as VEETC is a credit of $.45 for every gallon of pure ethanol blended into gasoline.

and out come the post collapse patrol. Guess they hate losing the poll.

Grinpoon, you want smaller, less intrusive, government? --THEN MOVE TO SOMALIA!

Blame goes to: VOTERS!

-Failing to recognize the gridlock comes from differences in philosophy on how to approach fiscal matters that are at odds with another.

-Failing to recognize that the same Congress that didn't get along last year was NOT going to get along this year.

-Failing to elect competent candidates.

-Failing to admit we elect incompetent candidates.

-Failing to focus on identifying the true driver of problems and focus on solving those rather than blaming and name-calling.

-Failing to recognize that Congress is a reflection of the name-calling, blame-baiting population that elected them.

Congress sucks because WE suck. Blame for everyone!

When will people get it through their thick skulls that we don't have a revenue problem, we have a severe spending problem. There are hundreds of billions of dollars of admitted waste in the system (Remember that little $500 billion of Medicare/Medicaid waste pointed to as "savings" in Obamacare?) if that's not indicative of a spending problem from the outset, before even debating the merits of other expenditures, then I don't know what is. How about instead of using that "waste" as a talking point for "savings" we actually do something about it to get us started toward correcting our severe spending issues?

The Republicans , as they have stated, are more interested in getting Obama than they are about solving anything. Theirs is truly Un-American , destructive behavior. The irony is the Bush Tax cuts and the Bush wars and the Bush Drug doughnut (ALL SUPPORTED BY REPUBLICANS!!!)are the principal causes of the deficit.

Shame on the Republicans and their pledge to Grover. They care more about Grover than the American people. Nothing short of TREASON!

If you took the same poll on Fox ... Obama would receive the most!

Republicans will call this poll biased because it's on MSNBC, and while that is partially true, these numbers are simply too large to reflect only a liberal bias. People overwhelmingly support raising taxes on the wealthy by at least letting the tax cuts from the Bush administration expire - to which Republicans are staunchly opposed. Why?

Greed and selfishness coming from the party that claims to be made up of the purest, most God-fearing Christians. Jesus Christ died for nothing if you're the something that's supposed to be an example of why He died.

Jesus Christ would defend the likes of you greedy bastards to those who would simply want to send you all off to a deserted island to rot. How sad it is that He would have to defend your selfish actions in the first place.

There is nothing Christ-like about modern Christians. N o t h i n g.

We pay taxes. The government is supposed to work with these taxes. If you don't want government intrusion, don't pay your taxes. If no one paid taxes there would be no intrusion. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Muhamed - stop telling people that disagree with you to leave the country. This is a democracy. People are allowed - expected - to voice disagreement and differences of opinion. This constant thread on this blog, "if you disagree with me, or don't like they way things are, get out" is about as anti-American as you can get.

Voice of reason - we have both a revenue problem and a spending problem. We can neither cut spending nor increase taxes enough to erase the debt. Go back to school and take both civics and math again and again until you figure that out.

Accept some responsibility people. Every one of these worthless douschbags in congress and the white house are there because of YOUR vote. If you don't like the selection, DONT VOTE. Why would you give them control and then vote for the lesser evil. This is our country and I personally won't give my vote to anyone that doesn't truly deserve it. Results, I did vote for Clinton in his last term and never voted since then.

Ideology is always to blame.

Pathetic...Obama couldn't make a single decision so the 'task' gets sent to a "supercomittee" destined to failure from day 1. US Pipeline to bring tens of thousands of jobs to the US.... - delayed till AFTER the election BY OBAMA'S administration.

At least the man finally realises that he's on the wrong side of every debate so simply sidesteps the responsibility alltogether.

ANYBODY BUT OBAMA 2012

Time to send the house of representatives packing. In 2012, vote for the challenger, not the incumbant in all house races.

Accept some responsibility people. Every one of these worthless douschbags in congress and the white house are there because of YOUR vote. If you don't like the selection, DONT VOTE.

Hmm ... you start your posting by telling people to accept responsibility, then you contradict yourself by telling people not to vote if they don't like the choice of candidates.

We don't have a system that requires candidates to get a certain percentage of elected voters, just a majority of the votes cast. Refusing to vote won't force the parties to change their candidates. They'll just ignore you since you aren't a factor in the outcome of the races. You've just left the choice of our leaders to other people. How is that being responsible?

Ido,

What a great lesson of objectivity and reasoning that you have just given to liberals with your response. That'll surely teach them how it's done.

As for the results of the poll, I'm not surprised. Had the Democrats signed a pledge to some stupid nobody promising "not to make any cuts to government spending," had President Obama not offered a $4 trillion deal to the Republicans last summer (the great bargain), I would have blamed Democrats entirely. But that wasn't the case.

Democrats think that raising taxes will solve the problems?

Charley Wrangle should start paying what he owes.

John Kerry should buy American yachts and not hide them from his states tax man.

Timothy Geithner should learn how to file his taxes.

The Clinton's should shut down all of their trust accounts that save them $millions.

I pay a higher percentage than President Obama. As soon as he pays an equal percentage he can ask for more from me.

The American people spoke loud and clear in 2010.

The objective of this committee was to come to a compromise and "reduce our deficit". There are 2 ways to do that: cut spending and increase revenue. I see the Dems as willing to compromise and do both. The Republicans think the point of this committee is to cut spending. Are the Republicans that blinded to what America wants? When will the rational people in their party speak up?

While Obama was up doing his job gaining $35billion more in exports for the USA, and maintaining a high approval rating for this Commander-in-chief handling of our military and foreign policy, the Congress could not even do their JOB they appointed themselves of passing a deficit reduction Bill. Yet some moron here will find a way to blame Obama for this - he didnt hold their hands while they take a pee, maybe?

The blame for this mess is SQUARELY with the Republicans.

Your "dumb as a bag of rocks" leader, Bush, with Cheney ranting that "deficits don't matter", started two wars, Homeland Security, and Medicaid WITHOUT FUNDING THEM (yes, I AM yelling!). All the while, Bush placated his puppeteers by cutting taxes and decimating regulators and auditors, cutting our income and further increasing the deficit. His policies live on today... at a "burn rate" of over $500 Billion a year going straight to our deficits.

And because of the lax regulatory environment and the high risk and pure greed mentality of Wall Street, we lost our economy... causing a fall of revenue to the tune of $500 Billion a year... still with us today as well!

That makes a total Republican administration contribution to our debt at $1 Trillion a year... ONE TRILLION... today!

And now these people refuse to raise taxes on the rich 3.6% (pocket change), blame our debt on "entitlements", and lecture us on how to balance a budget.... citing how the federal government (which the screwed up) doesn't work... jerks.

Read the above one more time so you get as mad as I am, PLEASE.

These people are nothing but greedy, selfish idiots that couldn't run a government in the best of times, let alone when it's in trouble.

Seriously!!! The only legitimate claim to fame they have is their ability to lie with a straight face, demonize the truth, totally block any and all progress, and to cause roughly 30% of the people in the United States to vote against their own interests.

Wow. How did we get to this sick state? Please tell me. I need to know.

@justoneguy

You need to learn how Government works. Obama is not the one who writes the laws, that job belongs to CONGRESS. The President only approves or disapproves of the bills sent to him. He can suggest things and HAS, he can try to work with RepukliCONS and HAS, THEY WALKED AWAY not him.

Please go get an education. This mess is on Congress and the Party of NO.

" ... Obama couldn't make a single decision ... "

I get so damned tired of this crap. It is NOT the Presidents job. It IS the job of Congress. When will you people learn. CONGRESS proposes and passes bills. CONGRESS proposes and passes budgets. It's their freaking job.

AFTER CONGRESS does it's damn job, which they are not doing. The bills and BUDGET are sent to the White House for the President to sign into law. Or to reject whit his veto power. That's the Presidents job. Budgets are NOT!

Then if Congress decides to over-ride the veto they can. That too IS their job.

The President CAN, and usually does, propose what he would like to see the budget be. He IS NOT summiting a budget, it's just a WISH LIST. It's NOT his job!

But it's mush eaiser to blame the President then for you stupid arses to get the facts. You might try reading an understanding what the Constitution, that you wave around like a flag, actually says before you do. That way you won't look like the moronic bigots that you show yourselves to be.

But then again the Right doesn't need facts. They have God on their side. And after all, they are right (as in correct). Because their God told them they were.

I pay a higher percentage than President Obama. As soon as he pays an equal percentage he can ask for more from me.

Really? Are you sure about that? I've heard these claims before, and they're usually based on comparings apples and oranges. When the press reported how much tax Obama paid, often on a percentage basis, they were quoting his AVERAGE tax rate. Most people don't know their average tax rate. They just think about their marginal tax rate (their tax bracket) because that's the important number in figuring out how much of the next dollar of income that they get to keep.

It is easy to think that "Obama pays 25% of his income in taxes, but I'm paying 28%." But, that 28% is a marginal rate. Take a look at your tax return and divide your taxes by your income. You'll find that you're paying far less than your marginal tax rate.

I voted that everyone is to blame, with no single party or single person bearing full responsibility...

The American public elects the people who run our country. Instead of being addicted to "Dancing with the Stars" or "American Idol", we all need to become more involved in the political process, even if it is just turning on the news, picking up a paper or reading the news on your computer for five minutes every day. Instead of saying "we need to hold our elected officials more accountable", we all need to learn how to be more tolerant of other people and their political viewpoints..

If that happened, then the Super Committee would have reached an agreement already, Congress would not have struggled over the "debt ceiling" debacle and our credit would not have been downgraded...

While Obama was up doing his job gaining $35billion more in exports for the USA, and maintaining a high approval rating for this Commander-in-chief handling of our military and foreign policy, the Congress could not even do their JOB they appointed themselves of passing a deficit reduction Bill. Yet some moron here will find a way to blame Obama for this - he didnt hold their hands while they take a pee, maybe?

Well, maybey he SHOULD have! Clearly Congress can't do ANYTHING, and that SuperFAIL Committee was just designed to kick the can down the road - seriously, did anyone EXPECT a different outcome? One of few things the President has done that I agree with is using Administrative Orders and bypassing our totally ineffective Congress altogether. I may not like these Administrative Orders, but at least it's SOMETHING!!!

Rick's Real said : "There is nothing Christ-like about modern Christians. N o t h i n g."

As long as you don't generalize and treat whole blocks of people by the actions of some. (that's sarcasm)

By your thinking if all Christians have no Christ-like qualities, then All Muslims must be terrorists - All blacks must be criminals, all Southerners must be racist, All mexicans must be illegal. Anyone who is religous must be a conservative. Must be nice to view the world in that much black and white.

No, im not an offended Christian that was bothered by your statement - im an American who is sick of seeing everyone blocked off in convient little segments for easy classifications. Sad man, very very sad that you either are too blinded by your hate or your ignorance to know that you cant judge the actions of some as the actions of all - Sad, but not suprising.

Voice of reason, you got it right. I have stated repeatedly that the whole problem with our government is the waste. IT'S THE WASTE, DAMMIT!!! You people on here spouting about raising taxes being the answer don't have a clue. If you don't think they don't waste it you are the most naive people on the face of the earth. I am not willing to give them one more red cent of my hard earned money until they spend every damn penny they collect in taxes responsibly. Every time I see someone on here saying the Tea Party is out to destroy America, it just pisses me off. The stupidity of such comments is astounding. The Tea Party is right – until the govermnent stops spending and wasting like drunker sailors, we are doomed!

The question is: Who do you blame more? How can "everyone shares the blame equally" be an answer? Aside from the fact that blame is never exactly equal...

Dems already agreed to $1 trillion in spending cuts, with nothing from Teapublicans in return. The President offered the $4 trillion BigDeal, and the Teapublicans walked away. The Dems via the Super Committee basically offered the Big Deal again that included cuts in entitlements, but the Teapublicans rejected it again -- ALWAYS because of any amount of revenues. Teapublicans, compromise means you have to concede something too!

As if that's not bad enough, Teapublicans think they can find ways around automatic cuts in military spending -- SPENDING CUTS -- and will probably uses blackmail or hostage taking again in an attempt to extend the Bush tax cuts. Making the Bush tax cuts permanent, forgetaboutit.

The GOP/TP should focus instead on ways to get around their unconstitutional pledge to a random dweeb named Norquist. If Teapublicans agreed to the highest rate of 39%, they would be cutting taxes because when the Bush tax cuts expire it would be 39.6%. And like Reagan, they could increase the tax base instead of tax rates by ending tax expenditures (subsidies and loopholes). But would their brainwashed base accept this, and OMG what if it helped the economy?

Obama is the leader of our nation, and is 100% responsible.

A grown man with leadership qualities would have insisted on being part of this. Obama left the country.

A grown man would have stepped in and told these fools to make a deal, and if not, executive orders would fly!

Obama is the very absence of leadership and needs to be fired.

I certainly blame right-wing voters for giving Teapublicans more control in 2010--as though the gridlock wasn't already bad enough.

And even though Republicans caused the deficits in the first place, voters decided to give them a second chance because Tepublicans promised to create jobs. Now these Yahoos are in office and they haven't done sh!t to create jobs. Where is the outrage from the right-wing about this "bait and switch" lie?

Enough! Throw the Teapublican liars out and keep them out until they learn a lesson, and until our nation can recover--probably a good 20 years.

If a few dozen "Teapublicans" as you call them could bring both houses of Congress and the Presidency to its knees, it speaks volumes about the complete lack of leadership in the Democrat party.

What a bunch of whiny little girls. (my apology to the little girls)

Mr.Steady

IT'S THE WASTE, DAMMIT!!! You people on here spouting about raising taxes being the answer don't have a clue. If you don't think they don't waste it you are the most naive people on the face of the earth. I am not willing to give them one more red cent of my hard earned money until they spend every damn penny they collect in taxes responsibly.

Read the posts. we all know there is waste and dysfunction in our government. There was when Reagan had it, when Bush Sr. had it, when Clinton had it, when Bush Jr. had it, and now when Obama has it. The waste comes from poor legislation, poor execution, poor funding, starve the beast mentality, and the fact that government serves so many people that waste is almost inherent in the system.

Does that help?

Now... the question is: do we sit here and falsely blame the waste on the current administration and refuse to do all we can and what's right to recover from this mess all in the name of waste? This seems like an awfully stupid time to bring out the process improvement teams and wait for improvements to processes before we fix the economy (jobs) and address the debt...

it's a matter of priorities, not one of denial of the waste.

Correction to my above post: Should have said "If you think they don't waste it", not the double negative. Two ways to say it and I combined them. Oops!

GOP = Greed Over People

Paul - it's unfortunate (for you) that you have NO CLUE as to how our government works. This is not a Dictatorship where Obama can just make law and that's it. We have branches of government and they all have their jobs. Perhaps a civic's lesson would help you - Nah - I don't think you'd learn a thing.

The Tea party / GOP Congress = THE WORST CONGRESS IN HISTORY!

Lmarct, I never said I was solely blaming it on the current administration; although it certainly has not been penny pinching.

it's a matter of priorities, not one of denial of the waste

The priority should be CUT THE WASTE NOW! TODAY! Why "wait" for improvements in the process? DO IT NOW! If our current leadership can't take the lead and do it, then let's get someone who can. Period. You know what will happen if they raise taxes? They will find another way to spend it and not one thing will be accomplished.

Spin it any way you want. There is no excuse. Stop the waste FIRST and THEN maybe we can talk about tax increases.

Some of you think this poll was bias towards the DEMs and MSNBC, well were is the GOP's and FOX NEWS poll???

Stop lying dems - there was never ever a "big deal" offered, only unsubstantiated leaks to the press. There was, however, over $300Billion in revenues put on the table by Republicans (along with drastic cuts to the military baked into the trigger).

What was it that the dems offered, besides sound bites for the media lap up and pass around as truth?

Even Clinton has said that raising taxes in a weak economy is a sure ride back into recession ... so who really is looking to destroy the country? There is plenty of revenue - if the spendaholics in Congress can show some fiscal restraint and responsibility, there might be a bit more appetite for raising taxes to pay down the debt.

Ricks Real.

People overwhelmingly support raising taxes on the wealthy by at least letting the tax cuts from the Bush administration expire -

Those so called Bush tax cuts were set to expire back in 2008, but OBAMA signed the extension on them, OBAMA approved them and with his signature on the legislation they are OBAMA'S tax cuts. Sorry to put blame on your messiah, but facts are facts.

Secondly if Obama was ANY kind of Leader he would have made sure a solution was reached, If Obama cant lead 12 members of Congress, how can he possibly lead the whole bunch of them? For that matter if he cant lead 12 people how can he POSSIBLY lead this country?

Steady... can't argue that we don't need to cut the waste. But we both know that cutting it would not be easy. So, yes, start cutting it. In fact, didn't Obama designate someone to tackle waste and process issues?

I'm just saying we can't wait for the waste to be fixed before we recover the economy... and we need a balance approach to saving the economy. If you can't go along with that then we will forever disagree...

In order to get anywhere on real deficit reduction FACT revenues have to be increased... The idea that spending cut alone can do it is BS.. Now is the time for Obama to stand up and tell both sides that he will not only let the Bush tax cuts expire at the end of 2012 but force the auto spending cuts starting in 2013. The hell with congress. If the Bush tax's expire and the mandatory cuts that congress agreed to (if they couldn't reach a deal) go through the country makes some real progress towards a balanced budget... Stand up Mr. President and show us and the world that you are the grown up in the room...

Radical1, President Obama is not a member of Congress. He is not their leader. He has no Constitutional authority over them whatsoever.

Rick –

I don’t know who has the more corrupt concept of God. The Democrat or the Republican. Both exhibit some of the attributes that God
has, but the distortions are phenomenal.

Consider the parable of the Talents. A talent in Bible Times is a large sum of
money.

God has no problem with people making a profit, in fact it
would be considered wicked not to make a profit with what God has given you. NOTICE that Rich man (i.e. God) took the 1
Talent from the one who did nothing with it and gave it to the one who had the
most.

As evil as a rich man can be, many aren’t. Mostly those that are bad do get caught and lose all they gain. God puts the finances in the hands of people he does because they don’t waste it. As long as they are re-investing the money
into new ventures that are successful, he gives them more.

Anyone can go in the Bible and pick up the entire list of do’s
and don’ts and might actually follow them – and still be out of the will of God. They are wrong because they did it in their own strength and not with the power of the Spirit of God.

And sitting back taking potshots at people who come forward doesn't help - it really does make matters worse.

" ... Guess they hate losing the poll. ... "

I'm a Liberal. And one reason I am is, that no one looses a poll. Polls are simply a question, or group of questions, that ask for an opinion. That's all. You can not loose, or win because your opinion is different then the next persons. You can only learn from it. You can only grow from it. You can only become better informed and wiser because of it.

Unless you happen to be on the side that is the smaller. And I don't mean smaller as in a smaller percentage. I mean as in you're a "small" person.

I'm a Liberal. Kind of like Christians used to be. Kind of like Jesus was. You remember Jesus don't you? A Progressive Liberal. Almost, heaven forbid, a Socialist. You can read about him in the Bible. You can find them everywhere. Bibles that is. Well Liberals also. We too, are everywhere.

Paul F - Go back and read the Constitution. That little thing about separation of powers, checks and balances, etc. The Office of the President, regardless of its occupant (D or R) has ZERO ability to pass laws and cut budgets. That is the SOLE responsibility of Congress. The President can stand at the doors of Congress and shout all he wants, but Congress has NO obligation to listen. The blame right now rests solely with the members of Congress (R and D). If you want anything to change, then vote them ALL out of Congress.

Voice_of_Reason,

RE: your post #2.5

And we should listen to and believe you........because?

A. Your always have the absolutely correct answers ( )

B. Your more intelligent then everyone ( )

C. Your reason better than most people your age ( )

D. Your a political science major ( )

E. Your better groomed than the OWS bunch ( )

F. None of the above ( X )

scrambolo - Hate to be a grammar gestapo - but since you did it 6 times in one post at the beginning of every line just about:

B. Your more intelligent then everyone ( )

C. Your reason better than most people your age ( )

B should be "you're" more intelligent....
C is weird, I think it is supposed to be Your reason is better... which would be correct.



It's you're. It is a contraction of you and are. You're a poster on the vine. You're silly.

"Your" is a possessive. Your truck is nice. Where is your hat? Your sister is hot.

I'm sorry, not trying to be a d!ck here and I'm not perfect at grammar - but I see this so often (as well as people who can't spell "lose" correctly) that it makes me sad that America's educational system is a total failure where grown-ups can't even get basic contractions correct.

Oh yeah, they're/their/there are different as well. You probably know this, but just sayin'.

If a few dozen "Teapublicans" as you call them could bring both houses of Congress and the Presidency to its knees, it speaks volumes about the complete lack of leadership in the Democrat party.

The GOP controls the House, and has more than 40 votes in the Senate, which means that they can block legislation there. So, how does obstructionism by the GOP translate in lack of leadership by the Democrats?

joemike404, I'll probably be suspended from newsvine for a little while but quite simply, you're an idiot! The US government spends more money than any other government in the entire world! We don't have anywhere near the highest population. We have the largest economy in the world also. We don't have an issue with revenue, at all! Our only issue, as it has been for decades, is that our government doesn't understand the concept of a budget. Our government doesn't understand the concept of paying the market value for anything. Everything the government does is poorly planned, overpriced and often unnecessary.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44609600/ns/us_news-life/t/muffins-federal-report-details-costly-conferences/

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/12/20/worst-of-the-waste-the-100-outrageous-government-spending-projects-of-2010/

http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2010/12/coburn-report-details-most-outrageous-ways-government-wasted-tax-

These are just a few examples of the excessive and irresponsible spending our government is responsible for. We give Pakistan billions of dollars a year. The same Pakistani government that's in bed with the Taliban who we are fighting.

The morons in Congress can't agree on cutting $1.2 trillion over 10 years, that's only $200 billion per year! By simply cutting the waste and idiotic spending you could easily cut 25% out of the annual expenditures, last year that would have been $900 billion, and that's just what's on the books! Think 25% is unreasonable? Go back to the first link I posted, 25% is just taking that $16 muffin and making it a $12 muffin, not unreasonable at all, in fact 50% would be more reasonable! Granted, these idiots still would have run a $300 billion deficit but cutting out $900 billion but that's a lot better than $1.2 trillion.

We have nothing but a spending problem, anyone who can't see that is part of the problem. Increasing revenue is going to do nothing but increase the waste! We have a systemic spending problem and no increase in revenue will correct that.

I'm astounded by the amount of people on here screaming that we have a revenue problem. That's like saying someone with a gambling problem simply needs more money so their gambling problem won't cause them to go broke. They're going to continue to gamble, they're just going to bet bigger, more frequently or over a longer duration. More money isn't going to fix their gambling problem, just like more revenue isn't going to fix the US spending problem. Why don't we prescribe more alcohol for alcoholics because they can't seem to get enough? That seems sensible!

You are always going to see results like this because it is the few that pay all the taxes to support the dregs of society. They are always in favor of increased taxation because they themselves pay little to nothing and want ever increasing entitlements, and many politicians are all to willing to accommodate them, in exchange for their votes.

We’ve all heard this fact over and over that the top 5% of wage earners pay more in taxes than the other 95% combined, but for society’s leeches, that isn’t nearly enough.

Barry 2.50

Pretty nonsensical statement on your part if you ask me. Just turn it around and say that the democrats control the senate and have 192 seats on the house, which means that they can block legislation there. So, how does a lack of leadership by the democrats translate to any GOP obstructionism?

What was your excuse when the democrats had control of both houses?

Barry-NJ:

So, how does obstructionism by the GOP translate in lack of leadership by the Democrats?

Why don't you ask "Prince Harry" why he won't bring the dozen, or so, House bills to the floor of the Senate for a vote?

Here's the answer: He's afraid he won't get enough Democrat votes to kill it OR if he manages to get enough it will be from "vulnerable" Senators who might lose their jobs if they vote against it....

Imagine the turmoil if they pass and Obama has to veto them against the will of the people!

The smartest thing the Democrats could do, at this point, is to pass them and have Obama sign them into law. If they work he can take credit for them and his ability to "reach across the aisle" and if they fail he is a shoe-in at election time with an "I told you so..."!

Just a side note: When, in history, has a sitting president needed a BILLION dollar campaign "war chest" to get re-elected?

I guess, it you don't have anything to run on you'll need all that money to run smear campaigns...

We don't have a revenue problem ! What we have is a spending problem!

At Egildan:

To answer your question about why we have income taxes and what history books you wanted to know where the info came from that "taxes were created to pay down our war debt", the income tax Amendment was added to the Constitution to pay for the costs associated with the aftermath of the Civil War as the 16th Amendment which largely paid for the Reconstruction of the South and the war debt via TAXES. FACT.

I suggest YOU learn our history and consult an encyclopedia if you don't believe me. Just read a reliable source on the Civil War as this was signed into law by Lincoln. If you look at the order to which this Amendment follows and the ones it follows, it correlates perfectly. Peace Out!

Shuklack,

RE: your post #2.49

You're absolutely correct! I never got real good grades in Engish Composition, or any other English class. Sorry to offend your senses. I was however trying to get a point across. I am aware that I can make a point just as easily with correct grammar and spelling! Thanks for pointing out one of my many weaknesses. I will try to do better in the futurre. Have a GREAT Thanksgiving!

I agree with you JoAnn! The House TP Republicans are the worst in history!

I plan to vote a straight Dem. ticket and I don't care if some of the people are iffy

While I would usually say that voting a straight ticket is a bad idea, these days I'm not so sure.

The Republican Party has become the Party of Stupid. Listen to the things they say and look at the policies they push: Stupid. That is not to say that all Republicans are stupid, far from it. But when the messages and laws pushed by a party become moronic you, as a voter, need to do what you can to separate said party from any semblance of power. That means voting against candidates based upon their party even though they may be otherwise an attractive candidate.

I'm a liberal, I admit, but I don't vote Dem. just because they have a D by their names. I vote for a person, not a party.

Remember, both parties got us into this mess. The Republicans just had the bad luck to be the ones who got caught.

I disagree.. republicans are the ones who made a pledge to a person when there only pledge should be to country.

I disagree, because when Clinton handed this country off to Bush we had very very little debt... 2 wars paid for with multiple tax breaks and subsidies to profitable oil corps made no sense at all.. and then to add insult to injury Cheney is on record saying "Deficits don't matter"

I disagree because Since Reagan the wealth disparity in this country has exponentially been pushed to the few... and the ONLY way capitalism survives is if the working classes are prosperous.

I can go on with more insight... but the bottom line is republicans kowtow to their agenda only and have blatantly voted against ideas that were completely compromised with by the dems as well as very bi-partisan.

Now once the dems get back in control I think it is up to us to make sure they behave the way we expect and get in their faces when they don't.. but the only goal for the near future is to get the republican party back into the center because right now the GOP is going off the rails on a right wing crazy train.

But I would love option.. However I despise the GOP and what they've become I will never even consider a republican.. and that is bad, but there is no way I could vote republican and sleep at night

@Diolki, Your post is right on. Both parties have been guilty of playing politics instead of doing what is right for this country. Yes the scales have tipped from one side to the other as to who is guilty at the moment, but there is plenty of blame to pass around. I am not against raising taxes but any one who has ever had to maintain a budget knows you also have to cut expenses.

Vote for any individual that has NOT signed the Norquist pledge! There should only be a pledge to the American Constitution. The Norquist pledge should be an automatic disqualifier.

It is our President who said that taxes should not be raised during a recession. It is the President who promised to not raise taxes on 95% of Americans. It is the President who said that deficit spending is bad. It is the President who vowed to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Hence the President promised that the 2012 deficit would not exceed 229.27 billion dollars. To keep the President's promise congress is must cut 2012 federal spending by more than 1 trillion dollars. That is not over 10 years but over 1 year. The Democrats need to show their loyalty to the President by cutting federal spending now.

Look at the poll, WE caused this mess. We so damn self-centered that we want, want, want as long as somebody else is paying for it. We should never let this much power get so far from our own hands.

I agree with Jo Ann, the Republicans are totally corrupt and owned by 0.1% of the poplulace. They are millionaires themselves, by and large and have no use for anyone not capable of donating thousands or providig bribes through lobbyists.

"they have an agenda to have the Pres. lose in the next election"

That has been the agenda of every congress with an opposing party president - whether Republican OR Democrat. This story would be NO different if the same people had different political labels. It's the whole freaking system and everyone is to share equally in the blame.

George and dick raised the national debt more than any other leaders of our country. Both parties need to work together to fix what the two greedy bastards did to us and then have them arrested and put in prison for treason and stealing millions of dollars from us the taxpayers via Haliburton (Cheney basically owns) and the other big company that George Bushes family basically owns.These companies were assigned jobs to care for our military and it should have been a bid job not an assigned job so they could make millions off of our soldiers dying for our freedoms.

I agree. They said it from the start. Their main goal is to make Obama a one term President. They are willing to sell us all out to do it. Can't believe I have to wait another year of this crap! They will continue block everything until they are out of office. The only way to get of of this recession is to spend and cut strategically. The middle class is getting the bill while the wealthy just keep getting tax cuts. They are creating lots of jobs, in India and China.

I agree Joanne. In this new political scene, the worse dem is better than any rep. Since the GOP decided to sign the Norquist Pledge and serve him instead of our country, then let Norquist pay their salaries because we certainly shouldn't. Get rid of all Republicans who decided to honor the Norquist Pledge instead of honor their Oath of Office. When Norquist can go on 60 Minutes and brag about his control over our elected officials, it is definitely way past time to get them out of office. Are there any constitutional attorneys out there to look into the legalities of this? We can't depend on our government to do it for us.

JoAnn

Your right on the money, the GOP does not care about anything but their own selfish interests. I'm fed up with Republican obstructionism, I'm voting Democrat across the board in 2012.

You can all shut the H... up. There is actually only one idiot to blame, your great divider. I have never seen so much hate and discontent in americans that used to all get along. This big moron has done everything in his power to make dems and repugs hate each other and as you can see it is dam sure working.

This wont end well and you all know it.

All of you who state you are voting dem accross the board next time will see you vote cancelled by the majority who are voting repub. The shellacking will continue because you dems have been in charge since January 2007 and have nothing to show for it but failure.

Americandude - you are right on. This President has been the biggest failure this country has ever seen and he tries to demonize everyone who says so. The sooner he is gone from office the better for America. Even his own side is starting to say that.

Americandude

You just contradicted yourself all throughout the post. First, you said 'You can all shut the H up.' Then, you lamented the hate and discontent in Americans that supposedly used to get along. Then you call Obama a moron, but you claim that he has been very successful in dividing America (for whatever reason you've dreamed up.)

From one American dude to another, you need to read a few books, sir.

I also agree with Jo Ann and therefore, I will be voting Democrat straight-ticket in 2012!

I completely disagree with Jo Ann and will be voting Republican/Conservative straight ticket in 2012! Screw the people who want more government....starve the beast!!!!

Sid - I'm afraid you'd have to read the books to Americandude. :-)

And Rob - how very sad you know so little.

Dude, Jh, Rob...

Shellacking will continue, you say? By whom?

Romney? Hardly...the far-right won't get behind the Mormon, plus, he believes what he believes until he believes something else. His star is falling fast.

Gingrich? Nope...entirely too much baggage. He's betting the voters have short memories, and won't remember his disgraceful exit, his philandering, and his utter contempt for the electorate.

Cain? Oh, please. Not even the voters in Uzi-beki-beki-stan-stan would rally behind the great ignoramus.

Perry? Seriously, he's the best Texas can do? Actually, there were two others, but I can't remember who they were...

Paul? Between he and Huntsman, possibly the smarter of the whole bunch. But he's a RINO, because if he ran as a Libertarian he'd get thrashed because 3rd parties don't do well, and everyone in the party knows it.

Huntsman? Never had much of a chance, really. Has the foreign policy experience but the righties can't stand him because he worked for the Obama administration.

Bachman? Ok, just kidding. Her campaign is dead, she just won't admit it yet. Makes Sarah Palin look like an intellectual.

The rest of the pack is so already over that they don't deserve to get named.

So, fellas, which one of these "best & brightest of the GOP" is gonna do the shellacking? (No, you can't actually vote for Pat Paulsen...)

It's Obama in 2012, if only by default, and you all know it. That's why all you Repug posters can do is blame the president and post lies and innuendo and right-wing talking points. One-liners are amusing, but they don't advance your position or your argument.

And ROB Scan, who are you going to vote for, a Republican or a Conservative. You need to make up your mind first.

Rob; Since the 1990's the REVENUE % HAS been less & less? ? Need more $$"s coming in.

First off, both parties are to blame, Hell the american electorate is the ones who are really to blame for all this crap. but, the stupid will keep voting the party line instead of for the best man for the job.

All I know is this, if we elect another ultra leftist majority congress like we did in 2008, there will be a civil war in this country before 2014.

Why do I say this, because most of the citizens have had enough of our hard earned resources being wasted by a bunch of ideological hacks calling themselves politicians.

There is one fact that none of you can argue, the Tea Party, came into being after two years of ultra liberal left control of congress. No matter how much you liberals hate that fact, it is fact. The Tea Party is on the stage today not because of republican actions, they are here because of democrat actions.

If the democrats do not learn from that, then the results will forever be theirs to wear.

News for you egil, the democrats will take the house , and thier will be no revolution. The Republik Majority ran the budgets up till 2007 , and in 2008 begged the congress for hundreds of billions because all those bad loans made under the republik majority were reseting and there we lot 9% of GDP in Bushs' last quarter...Please point to any legislation the 110th congress got through 125 filibusters and Bushs' veto pen to cause his recession and improvised explosive economy.

There won't be any revolution, just a few right wing lone wolfs believing everything Fox tells them and killing a few americans here and there, until another Tim Mcveigh carries out a mass casualty attack, which the right will be convinced by Rush and Beck is a left winger...

And meanwhile, republicans will be done for a few decades, as they were after 1932 until Eisenhower republicans take the party back more out of necessity than choice.

To me, I don't care anymore, you can have it.

just remember one thing, be careful of what you ask for, you just might get it.

(don't come crying to me to bail you out when you do)

It isn't about the "Party of NO" anymore, it is about the PERSON OF NO! That would be Harry Reid!

You know, that guy who won't bring legally submitted legislation from the HOUSE to the floor for a vote in the SENATE!

There, is your governmental OBSTRUCTION!

JoAnn 3

You’re too funny. So you think the republicans have an agenda to have the president lose in the next election. Ask yourself this; what do you think the democrats agenda is when there’s a republican president in office in an upcoming election?

Okay, when I said I don't vote for a party, I meant nobody should vote for a party. Vote for a person. Listen to what they say, especially when they think no one is listening, because thats when you might get the truth.

Most of all, be informed. Politicians fear informed voters. There's a site called Project Vote Smart, it's pretty cool, check it out.

I once heard someone say they'd vote for a purple elephant if it was the Dem. candidate, and it scared me, because this was an intelligent person. Don't be like that. Know your candidates, and vote for the ones you agree with.

Does that mean you voted for Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin in 2008?

Somehow I don't think you voted Obama/Biden. You probably didn't vote at all!

I agree with freddie, and regrettably I am one of millions that fell for the crap Obama spewed during his campaign.

Having to pick the lesser of two evils is really getting old........They all seem to be equally evil..........BOTH parties............................U.S. Army Disabled Veteran

Well do not worry. The President, without conditions, promised that the 2012 federal deficit will not exceed 229.27 billion dollars and he always keeps his promises.

I voted Republican the last election,. NEVER AGAIN! This is NOT my party anymore!

It isn't Obama that has failed, it's congress. No administration can succeed when half the congress is saying NO to every proposal set forth to battle the nations problems. The GOP has put itself into a position of "all politics all the time" and they have lost site of the fact that they were elected to GOVERN. All Republicans must be voted out of office in 2012, their twisted and greed based ideology is causing our country massive damage.

feddieg

Some people are just so brainwashed and stupid they blame one person for this mess. DUH...freddie it ain't the president fault. I know, I know 70% of the people are wrong and you're right freddie. Less than 7% of the people polled think it's the presidents fault.....get it yet freddie?

Say What??? OK, he's done Healthcare Reform, Wall Street reform, ended one unnecessary war and is winding down another. In the meantime he's added jobs consistently, although slowly and repaired our image around the World.

Look at the DAMAGE republitards did with that Idiot Bush after he was left a massive surplus. This simple chart says it ALL.

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2010-02-05/wall_street/30088805_1

Read it and weep Repugs. You're on your way out in 2012, along with all your useless, bigoted tea bagger friends. And good riddance!

"AX The TAX CODE", with its $1.1TRILLION in "cuts", exemptions & "loopholes"; there is your "DEFICIT" ! !

House passed 22 bill this year (Rep controlled)

Senate passed 0 bills this year (Dem controlled)

and who is the party of NO?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Better be thought a fool then to speak up and remove all doubt. With that comment, there clearly is no doubt any longer. You obviously have no clue what you are talking about. Run along now and let the grown ups have a discussion.

The last time I looked, the Dems are in control of the senate, HOWEVER, the Republicans have fillibustered every vote, requiring them to have 60 votes, which they don't have. So don't blame the dems for not passing anything because the real blame is with the reps because they fillibuster everything. They don't even need to leave their office to fillibuster since the rules have been changed. It used to be if you wanted to fillibuster anything, you had to remain on the floor and keep talking, but not now.

Big surprise. The party of "NO" in the senate is the Republicons. Vote counts don't tell the real story. Just count the number of filibusters the Republicons used. That's the real story!

Oh please.... that is meaningless. You only need 50% to get something passed in the House and the Reps have a majority. You need 60% to get something passed in the Senate and neither party has that. What that tells you is how obstructionist the Reps in the Senate are. They are not only voting no, they are also filibustering everything.

What bills did they pass? To reaffirm In God We Trust as the nation motto! Concel Weapons Permit! Try again to point out something they have done to benefit the American People like a jobs bill, health care bill, Leave for Pregancy/Family bill.

Thats what the senate is SUPPOSED to do. Stop iffy, marginal and divisive bills from hurting the whole country.

Atlas Shrugging .... hope you are reading the posts about the fillibustering. Fillibustering had a purpose at one point but the Republicans have abused this process so horribly .... here is hoping that you have a glimmer of hope and can understand that the Senate has passed 0 bills because of the Republicans.

The last bill Congress passed was to support that In God We Trust is still the motto of the US.

Seriously, would ANY Senate want to vote on stupid bills like that?

Watching the numbers change after 5pm......must be the republicans getting home from WORK..(they do that).........you know,as opposed to dems sitting on the couch and blaming the rest of the world for thier poor life choices......But I DO wish the dems would put out another pres.challenger.......or the repubs find someone worthwhile to run .........I'd like to have SOMEONE to vote for.Neither party is giving any sane person a choice.............U.S.Army Disabled Veteran

But first the Republicans need to wake up from their all night benders and then turn on Fox news to be told what to do. Get it? (Another disabled veteran).

" ... Stop iffy, marginal and divisive bills ... "

So you are proposing that ONLY Democrats put forth "iffy, marginal and divisive bills" ? Because those are the only bills being filibustered by the Republicans.

Wow! Now that really is a leap. Even for the RIGHT. What is you logic behind this? Based on what facts is your reasoning base on? Oh that's right. Logic, facts and reasoning are not the Rights strong point. Fear, hate and faith are. So who needs truth when you have that.

Sorry my mistake.

I find this incredible that one party can be so one sided and ignorant on raising the taxes back up where they were after they were so damn willing to start two wars that they never even funded.

Not only did they start two damn wars but they gave massive tax cuts during these two wars????? Never has this been done in American history.

This policy of their will be the total destruction of America, stupidity at their finest, the Grand Old Party.

justwonderin post #10.5

I understand your frustration but blaming the President is not the answer.
For the first time in my lifetime I have witnessed the Republican Party turn against the best interests of our country for political and financial gain. This is not only disgusting but it borders on treason.

LMAO! oleonard - Such amazing insight you have, why to think that the framers of our constitution could have been so blind as to fail to see the weakness in our governing format of checks and balances.

I am sure that you also believe that the supreme court should all contain only those justices that support your narrow minded views. Many libs do you know...

SIASD leonard. Interesting on how obama even has difficulty in getting senate democrats to support him 100%. Must be the water in the beltway, right leonard?

Seems that legislatioin that would benefit the populace would have bipartisan support, yet we see that obama can't achieve what all of our past presidents have done to work with congress. Sad really that obama and company have failed to deliver any real "hope and change".

american, seems hard to get bipartisan support when the other party's only goal is to make you a one term president. To have you meet your waterloo. To not give the president any wins. All said on the floor of Congress.

So, let me get this straight-

Obama has spent five trillion dollars more than we take in in less than three years;

That's not his fault.

Because of the outcry over the debt, Obama commissioned a panel to study and make recommendations to lower the debt- the commission came back with a pretty sound plan, which Obama ignored- never even sending it to congress to consider;

That's not Obama's fault.

Last summer we had a debt ceiling crisis, and Obama's idea of negotiating was to coin a new phrase- "Grand Bargain", which had no details, no numbers, just "balanced approach"- as in, raise taxes NOW, and maybe we'll cut something later. The compromise reached was for some cuts then, in exchange for a hike in the debt ceiling, and a committee to figure out more cuts. If they failed, automatic cuts would be triggered. Obama threatened to veto any plan that did not increase taxes- and submitted his own, "brilliant" plan- raise taxes, count the monies NOT expended in Iraq and Adghanistan as "cuts", and maybe count the Medicare cuts in his HCR plan as cuts, too, despite their having been counted twice in order to make his HCR look less bloated. After submitting this in September, he washed his hands of the whole thing, and began demanding another half a trillion in spending for his latest Dollars to Donors plan.

That's not Obama's fault.

Obama is not at fault for the stimulus dollars that magically ended up in his donors' pockets. He has no responsibility for nine per cent unemployment, which is, really, closer to twenty percent if you count all the millions of people who have dropped out of the labor force.

He is not at fault for the staggering recovery, the failure of his "charm initiative" with Iran, and, please, don't blame him for the fact that Keystone is now planning to build their pipeline- through western Canada, so the oil can be sold to the Chinese.

So, okay, he's not at fault for any of this.

All that means is that he is so incompetent, he should not be in charge of the bake sale at the kids' school. If all circumstances overwhelm his abilities- he's in the wrong job.

Obama shelved in 2012.

Who has the power to create a budget and spend money? CONGRESS, not the President. Blame congress. By the way, all that money spent was passed by the Republicon House.

So maybe in the interest of the nation, President Obama should consider stepping aside in favor of a democrat that the whole nation can support. Do I think that will happen? Of course not. President Obama is as interested in keeping his job as the republicans are of relieving him of it. Obama obviously believes in good faith, that running again despite significant opposition is in the country's best interest, yet you can't fathom that the republicans would be acting in good faith in their belief that replacing him is in the country's best interest. Nothing to see here folks, just partisan politics as usual. Move along.

American, the who 60 votes required was not part of what the framers of our constitution wrote. That is something new.

The problem is not that the Republicans hold a majority of the house. The problem is that the Democrats hold a majority in the Senate and the executive branch. I was hoping that when the Democrats took over the executive branch that real positive change would take place. President Obama said that deficit spending was bad and vowed to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. He promised that if his stimulus bill were passed that unemployment would not exceed 8%. He said if the health care bill were passed, the cost of medical care would decrease. Well none of what he promised took place. Our President failed to tell us that he has no sense of budget and does not care at all about the debt. I estimate that with the national debt standing at more than 15 trillion dollars, for any additional borrowing, it is going to cost the tax payers more than 9 times the amount borrowed to pay the money back over a period of 170 years. If the government does not fix our balance of payments problem what ever they inject into the economy is just going to leak out to foriegn nations.

Paul-Hoffman, almost all that spending was put in place before the Republicans gained control of the House. The Democrats had control of both houses of Congress from 2007 to 2011. The Republicans must be very good at getting something done if they were able to do so much in less than 11 months. What were the Democrats doing for the four years they had control of Congress and the two years they had control of Congress and the Presidency? Our economy started to tank after 2006. I find it ironic that Democrats want to blame the mess we have on the Republicans, but overlook the fact that the Democrats had complete control for two years and control of Congress for four years. Do some research and look at the state of the national economy in 2006. Also look at the national debt at the end of 2006 compared to what it is now. And look at the spike in the debt in 2009.

" ... why to think that the framers of our constitution could have been so blind as to fail to see the weakness in our governing format of checks and balances. ... "

But then again the " framers " were adults. I have no question that most of the current Republican Congress is not. The "framers" were honorable men. This group? Not so much. And because they were, they did not and could not have foreseen what this Congress has become. Especially the Republicans.

There is no weakness in our governing format of checks and balances. The only weakness is in the people that are applying it today. And those weakness would be greed and the lust for power. And it is on the Right that these weaknesses are causing the problems.

I am not saying that the Right is all of the problem. No I'm not. But I am saying that, for the most part, it is them that are holding things up.

Our format of governing is fine. It's those applying it that are faulty. It is their misunderstanding of the format that is faulty. It is their purposeful and willing bastardization of it that is faulty.

We used to put people who God talked to directly in hospitals. Now we elect them.

Will Hass,

Dude you do not understand the Senate do you???? The Republican Minority of 41 Senators last session of Congress FILLIBUSTERED OVER 150 BILLS SIR???? That were passed by the Congress.

Total abuse of a Minority's power.. Maybe if these Obstructionsits had not killed every bill passed, this country would not be as bad off as we are now, many of these bills were Jobs bills..

And your Lies Fed Up?? Total control of the Senate would take 60 plus Senators Dude. Again do you know what a FILLIBUSTER is or does???? I thought not with your stupid ignorant comment..... The Democrats never had total Control, get you FAUX LIES straight..

oleonard post #6

I wish everyone saw it as clearly as you do, Thank You.

If they really wanted to, Democrats could end fillibusters in the senate by changing the rules. Rule changes can be made by majoriety vote. What ever happened to Obama's reaching across the isle?

Let's recall that the Demcrats couldn't put together a budget for the past three years let alone reduce the deficit. So how is that a Republican problem. Over my lifetime I've seen the Dems change from hate filled biggots hating every minority under the sun to hate filled biggots hating everyone who doesn't go along with their socialist agenda. Hmmm...things haven't changed much!

Bi-partisan now means the right and left of the democratic party,because the far right is all that exists in the GOP now or should I say far right and futher right as in the regular republicans and the teabagging republicans......And by the way when the TP first started they said it was non-partisan how come they only endorsed the GOP candidates? OH I know they really were trying to get some indies and dems down there...But guess what we don't go for all that birth cert. and racist crap so it didn't work out to well so the Koch Bros. scheme didn't pan out just like Hermie aint workin' out to good or Bachmann..... HAAHAHHAH

I'm still breathing so it isn't over with yet...

I like what John Paul Jones said.

oleonard post#7

The 1% has not won, their just temporarily in charge, I have faith that the American people to do the right thing in the voting booth. In 2012 we will finally see huge political change in America. Good bye GOP.

If you will recall we had "Hope and Change" in 2008. The result was a massive lickingin 2010 by the voters on the Democrats who misused their power and all indications are that they will have a tough time hanging onto the Senate and Presidency in the next election. No the Republicans aren't going anywhere. Afterall, if the Democrats who fought for slavery and against civil rights can survive to become a socialist melting pot then I think the Republicans will survive as well. Besides, the country traditionally splits 30% liberal, 30% moderate, and 40% conservative with most liberals voting Democrat and most conservatives voting Republican which leaves the deciding votes to the moderates...and their leaning to the right in a big way right now. Just trying to ease you into reality.

Jeff I think that if you use left and right and start with the federalists against Thomas Jefferson and his Republicans or Democratic-republicans I think that you will find out that your idealogy there is out of whack...Madison was a jerk for federal gov and centralized banks and Jefferson was for the people by the people and that is the left...Today if you are for the GOP you are for the uber-rich and the corporate oligarchy period....It will be okay though if you stay away from the occult ( Fox News ) and do some reading for yourself...That's what I did..I thought Regan was the bees knees when I was a child then I read about history and found out what a good idea Jeffersonian,Jacksonian and FDR's policies were...They cared about the people period...It is not always perfect I don't agree with it all but it sure is better for most people that way.....Funny thing someone in the right up there pointed out that most people on the Forbes list were Dems like that was negative or sumpin' it just shows that smart peeps who get rich will even vote against their own interest because it is the right thing to do.......Now how come all the poor and middle class isn't dems? Main reason there are alot of racists........................

The 1% has not won, their just temporarily in charge, I have faith that the American people to do the right thing in the voting booth. In 2012 we will finally see huge political change in America. Good bye GOP.

This is one problem that so many people have. They associate the 1% strictly being affiliated with the GOP. 1% is a judgement on your incomes net value, not a political party value judgement. Wake up people. America should do the right thing and vote for the person who will do the best job, not just because you associate their worth because of a letter next to their name. Get rid of those who's "solutions" to problems is toeing the party line. Get rid of anyone who's common sense is held hostage by party affiliation.

tommy,

I searched your facts online and include a comment from the gallop poll on Congress approval and the additional info you may not know, enjoy the read....

"The most recent decline comes almost exclusively from Democrats, whose approval of Congress fell from 23% in June to 11% in July, while independents and Republicans views of Congress did not change much."

ouch, and I thought it was the Republicas that twisted facts, have a great Thanksgiving!!!!

What poll was that, Fox's? They are at 9% not 19%.

TOMMY read again..it is 9% not 19% !!!

The Republicans should be impeached for pledging to a lobbiest (Norquist) over the best interests of the country and its citizens!!!!!! The only pledge they should be making is to the American people via their oath of office. Throw the bums out!!!

Tommy - No, their families don't like them either. Those are paid votes.

Again, this was a MSNBC poll, doesn't the FOX News have their own poll on the same subject, or are they ashamed to ask for the people's opinions???

Nice writing Ervin Cohen. Keep getting your English lessons from Glenn Beck, there is the "retard" of whom you speak! That and apparently yourself, get an education buddy, it will make your weak arguments at least appear like they are coming from less of a dolt. See Spanky, he at least can write. Oh, and BONER is your party leader. See how easy it is to make fun of a name? Dork!

steveyo, is your tag proper english, lol

Have to agree that Ervin english leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Ervin, I'm guessing you're about 3 years old - all the silly name calling? The GOP is to blame for this mess because, as they have stated publicly (how totally stupid) they will do anything to make President Obama fail. The GOP is so lost they don't care about the United States as much as they do about making Obama fail. What a miserable, useless bunch of incompetents.

Paul M, if you add who blames the president to who blames the dem congress you still don't come even close to who blames the reps. The 15% stays as is since they blame everyone.

Congrats.. You ALL fell for it! Both sides didn't want this to work!!! Why???? Because both parties wanted to firm up their bases and this was the most effective way to do it.

They play party politics while the country burns and the sheep from both sides follow to the slaughter. It's the economy stupid!

I like your insight. Spoken like a Psych major...me too. By the way, isn't it interesting that once the liberals get past their talking points they resort to name calling? I have a theory on liberal thought and emotion. I'm currently writing an article on it entitled "The Three Faces of Liberalism". I postlate that there is a mix of narcissism, hyper-empathy, and psychosis stemming from an inability to cope with failure or loss or the feeling of inadequacy (very much like conspiracy theorists - many studies done on them). Your thoughts?

If you to Right-wingers were in college ( Psych-Major ? ) it seems like you would realize that this is not supposed to be a scientific poll .....Or are you studying science at a born-again university that doesn't believe in science ( that is an oxymoron ) anyways ?

For those who say the 1% won you're wrong nobody won. First deficit cut we should make is to freeze the paychecks of those 535 people we elected to run the country who have done nothing for the country. Congress is not a football pep rally where you yell for your side it is a serious job of taking care of the business of the country as a whole. You don't only represent those of your party in your district you represent all the people of your district.

Atlas shrugging

steveyo, is your tag proper english, lol

Have to agree that Ervin english leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

That would be "Ervin's"

Have a pleasant Thanksgiving.

lonereb, let's take the concept further: set benchmarks for Congress - miss the deadline? no pay or benefits. Credit rating goes down? no pay or benefits. That means taking control back from these guys writing their own 'tickets' for pay and benefits, shielded from the same laws they pass onto us.

I see nothing positive from the personal attacks y'all making on each other. We all pay taxes of some form or another and all benefit from the services those taxes provide. Yes, there's tremendous waste, you try to meet needs of 350M people without losing a dime. But remember, if you advocate for only cuts in spending w/o revenue increase, that will put alot of people out of jobs, and can we really afford that right now?

We all need to own what's happening, and if we don't like it, change it. We're in this together and our votes are how we can make a difference. What do you think would happen if we did not vote for anyone on the 2012 ballot and used write-in votes instead? I know it's not practical, but just musing.

Difficult to get anything done when the democrat controlled senate won't even bring any house passed bills up for a vote.

I'm sorry for giving them more % then needed. I guess it is just their wives that voted in the 8%!! LOL

The house bills are a joke. ANY normal senate wouldn't bring that nonsense up for a vote.

Plus, the 8% approval rating is for CONGRESS. Thanks Repubs for all those jobs you promised...

Don't you ever read the actual voting stats for the Senate, Chris. Those House passed bills can't even get to the floor of the Senate for discussion, let alone a vote, because ONE ANONYMOUS senator can block a vote and create a filibuster. The arcane Senate rules need to be abandoned and Roberts Rules put into effect. A majority MUST be 50+1, not 50+10 as the Senate filibuster rule now establishes. That means that the new "majority" in the Senate is now actually the MINORITY party, and has been since Ted Kennedy's death.

Wow.., so the Republican's have controlled ONLY the Congress for the last year.., and now you want to blame it all on them???

What about the Democratic controlled CONGRESS and SENATE the previous 2??

ALL they accomplished was a doubling in spending, and Obmama care.

And while they were doubling that spending.. revenue actually continued to RISE..

So why do we need to raise revenue.., when we catually only need to REDUCE SPENDING!!!!!!!

" ... Difficult to get anything done when the democrat controlled senate ... "

It is difficult for the Senate to pass anything sent to them by the House, when the House know that what they sent can not be passed because its crap. If the House sent ANYTHING that was really worth voting on let alone passing it would be voted on.

But they know what they send the Senate is crap. And that it can not be passed. Their plan is to make the Senate look bad because they wont. No more, no less. Look at the crap the House has passed. Nothing about jobs. Nothing to fix the debt. The Economy? Your are kidding me, right?

What they have passed are bills like the "In God we trust" bill. This is about fixing the problems facing this country? Seriously? Reaffirming a motto? Just how does that solve anything? How many jobs does/did that create? By how much was the debt reduced? How did it do anything but affirm that the Republicans in the House are anything but the bunch of buffoons?

Todays Republican House is about anything but doing the countries business. That's why the Senate has not acted on much that the House has sent it. Oh. And then the Senate Republicans filibuster ANYTHING the Senate tries to do. Even their own House bills sent to them.

Yep. Right. It's all the fault of the Democrats in the Senate.

Again fear, hate and lies. Come on, you can do better then that. I know you can. Well, ok you can't. But I do try to give you credit. Even if you don't deserve it.

Bearpaw, you continue to make the same mistake as so many other posters, media, and others do. The HOUSE is not CONGRESS. Congress is the HOUSE AND SENATE. Please use proper terminology, per the constitution. Then, maybe, your arguments might make some sense.

Correctomundo anti-trust.....Fox doesn't tell them about the branches of government so they don't know....And it isn't funny it's sad....Very sad..

George from Wa. State:

If they are so DAMNED BAD just bring them to a VOTE! It isn't like they are overwhelmed with bills currently being considered!

The Democrats HAVE the VOTES to kill them? The Republicans won't filibuster them.

JUST FRIGG'N DO IT and let the chips fall where they may!

OR, perhaps Prince Harry is afraid he might NOT have enough votes to kill them?

Great example of a substantive argument. Sounds a lot like the "we won't know what's in the bill 'til we pass the bill" strategy. Wow!

You're always free to start your own feed, construct your own poll and get input from your fellow 'Viners.

In lieu of that, you are also free to go to any Right-leaning web site and take their polls, if they have any regarding this subject.

The bottom line is you have choices, exercise them or don't. It's up to you, but to come here and bash the poll because you don't like what the questions and answers are clearly puts you into the "My Way or the Highway" category which seems to be the #1 Republican Talking Point this season.

Ervin maybe its not the poll maybe its you.

hmmmm - libs whine a lot when someone doesn't see things their way.

LOL! let's all just stir the pot and see if the libs can justify what they say.

american-#'s, funny how you call what is being posted, whining. Seems like the only one's whining so far are yourself and Ervin. Those of us who are responding to your post are simply reminding you of your First Amendment Rights, which you are free to exercise here and anywhere else you choose to blog.

Seems like you two are doing the whining, not anyone else.

Sayitaintso - Grow up. If the polls on MSNBC are poorly constructed (as the usually are) the intent of the poll is not to add useful data around which a logical, reasoned discussion can occur. MSNBC constructs its polls so as to create as much polarization as possible because its good for business.

Ervin wasn't suggesting the "my way or the highway" approach, you did.

I would hardly call a response of 60-70% with the next closest category at 17% "polarization". A more likely word would be overwhelming.

If you don't like the poll, just say it really is the opposite, you know like Fox does. ROFL

" ... If the polls on MSNBC are poorly constructed ... "

POORLY constructed? LOL! Just how is this poll "poorly" constructed? How is it even "constructed"?

It asks a simple question. It asks for a simple opinion.

"Who do you blame."

And the choices are ....

"The Democrats for ....."

"The Republicans for ...."

"President Obama for ...."

or ...

"Everyone shares ...."

Real complicated there. So overly complicated in it's phrasing. So much hidden meaning. An agenda that is hidden it the way that the question is written.

There must be something hidden in it. There HAS to be. It's part of the Lefts greater Socialist, Communist, Fascist, Progressive, Godless conspiracy to take over this country! To force everyone to have abortions! And to take away our guns! There has to be!!!!!!!

LOL! Just to damn funny. Thanks for the laugh.

George from Wa. I'm from Oregon and I've watched the Democrats and liberals have pretty much their way over the past thirty years here in the Northwest. What I've noticed is that things don't get any better regardless of what they do...in most cases they get worse (law of unintended consequences). I have asked myself why and the answer is usually very simple: they don't think of the consequences of their actions. They just want to feel good about themselves and everyone else...a noble cause, but totally unrealistic. If we are going to have a dialog it will take dropping the clever comebacks and put some real thought and effort into it. Berating, blaming and hissing at your ideological opponents from the sidelines doesn't take a lot of effort and certainly doesn't require any commitment on your part.

If the GOP had control were you live there wouldn't be a fish alive in the snake or columbia river..

sw philly:

Please post a LIST of which States are in the most trouble, financially, since this whole thing started...

OH! REALLY? I never would have guessed it was "BLUE" States!

I don't live in a blue state or a red state.....Pappadave....I live in the United States of America.....You segragationists want to lable and divide, label and divide..You people that have so much hate in your heart try to figure out ways to hate differences rather than try to get along....Well guess what the new generations have very little people like you...That is why we elected Barack and we will do it again...Your wife probably voted for him too the women who live around neanderthals usually do...That way they can slowly get free of your domineering ways....HAHAHAHAHAHA

So go to a Fixed News poll, see how THAT turns out and if it's STILL the same before Fixed News sources skew the numbers like they did on a poll that asked people on if they supported the Occupy movement which had a commanding lead in SUPPORT of Occupy by over 40% until later on that NIGHT-(what a surprise), and then people could no longer "vote anymore or leave comments" before the deadline either which PROVES it was being deliberately messed with by Fox staff, get back to us,OK?

If you can't win the honest way, do it the Scott Walker way and CHEAT, LIE, make your wn rules as you go and steal too!!!! Run along now and find your Fixed News poll to get the "results you want" ervin since THIS one "so biased". Chow toots!!

Dont forget to mentin that the $120 Billion will come from the defense budget.

Problem is that Republicans and tea party want to make that whole thing worst by dropping the only rate they care for. Its the extreme rich from a rate of 35 to a rate of 28 causing further problems by creating more revenue issues. The rate was 38 percent before the Bush tax cuts and then all the loopholes republicans pushed through during the Bush years and it was golden for the rich and crap for everyone else. Now the rich can get by and pay less then 16 percent in some cases and that is why the loopholes need to go and so does the Bush tax cuts for the Rich.

well lying - I have no problen in letting the obama tax cuits expire across the board and reforming taxes. Our last tax reform legislation was in 1986 and was to include both tax reform and spending cuts.

Funny thing, Americans got the taxes addressed but congress never did much with regards to cutting spending. I notice that the left has yet to specify specifics on spending cuts but sure do promote an immediate rise in tax rates for business and the top 2% wage earners. I guess one just can't trust a politician to do what they say.

Then again the right has always been against raising the tax rates while the left has yet to produce specific spending cuts. A hard stand to be sure from the right but a very foolish stand by the left in not specifying cuts.

lying, Bush lowered taxes on EVERYBODY, why not restore the taxes on EVERYBODY? Greed got you tongue?????????

have a happy Thanksgiving.

Atlas - the problem with your solution is that it is based upon a faulty assumption that the results realized by the 99%'ers who got a tax cut were proportional to the results realized by the 1%'ers. That is not the truth as has been recently reported regarding the growth in income disparity over the past 30 years.

To put it another way; you and I both get raises of 10% on our pay. My pay is $1.00 per hour more than yours so I actually get .10 more each hour than you do. After 30 years that .10 adds up to a lot of $$$$$. In the meantime, prices on everything have risen to the point where my raise is totally eaten up, but you are still taking home .02 more. Now, along comes this tax reform plan which simply says, "cut out every ones tax break across the board." Now, who made out the most from that Tax Cut you or me?

That is the position many Americans are taking with the expiration of the Bush Era Tax Cuts. The wealthiest basically got to BANK their TAX CUT, the rest of us had to SPEND our TAX CUT just to keep pace with the rise in prices. Do you fail to see the inequality of such an action?

Oh, that's right FAIR is not a term that belongs in the Republican vocabulary.

@Atlas: Uh, no, Bush did NOT lower taxes for everybody. I still got the letter that says I will not receive a break because I did not earn enough.

Cameron, then I guess you didn't pay any income tax to start with.

The Bush tax cuts expired. Then Obama reinstated them. They are the Obama tax cuts. Call them what they are...

@ money0s1 I will...it's called the BUSH TAX CUTS !!!hello it is not the OBAMA TAX CUTS !!! I know it's hard to rap your mind around it and I feel you but it is what it is. LMAO, or perhaps you would like to expand more on this?

Not true DEE,

Read the questions in those polls, they are asked in away that no one would say no. Tell me where is say's, take from one to give to another just because thay don"t have it. You are a socialist.

MRWSR

Look, read my post again. You seem to be one of the people who just refuse to see the truth. I'm not saying take from somebody and give it to somebody else. That's not what the rich paying their fair share actually does. It just levels the playing field, a less slippery slope. As far as I'm concerned, people can make as much money as they want....they can knock themselves out doing it. All I'm saying is their tax rate needs to be adjusted accordingly. And 28% just doesn't cut it. Know what I mean?

Fair share, does not mean paying more. I am not a 1 or 2%. I am in the middle, have always been. I pay every year. Not as much as some I know, who make more than me. But % wise they pay the same % I pay. If you can find deductions and get breaks, why not. It's not he governments money. You still want them to pay more because they have more. That is not the way it should work. If I get to that 1% it will be because of hard work, and I won't have that taken by the left.

If paying the same proportion of your salary as everyone else does means paying more than you did before, so be it. You still don't seem to get it. If the rich pay the same percent as you, how is that fair? You OK with that? Deductions and "breaks" are obsolete in fairness, because everyone knows the rich get the "breaks". I want them to pay their obligations to this country, especially the way the economy is now....because that's how we got here. Seen any data? The rich are getting richer, and it's not just a cliche. Yeah, part of it is the governments money. Because whether you believe it or not, or like to admit it or not, you need the government.

There are many loopholes that need to be closed, but there also needs to be some incentives. Paying the same percentage does not mean paying the same amount. They make more than I do, so they do pay more. You want them to pay their obligations, who and the hell is obligated to give more. You and social justice, no one can mandate giving. The rich get richer, are they suppose to poorer. The government is set up to protect us, I don't mind paying taxes for this, never have and gladly to. I just don't need govenment like you do. I started out minimum wage, worked hard and have never counted on anyone but me to make a living. No hand outs, no victim.

Well, let's get one thing straight. Yes, the rich make more than you do, but they certainly don't pay the same as far as taxes go. That's the whole point. Yes, I want them to pay their obligations. What's wrong with that? Like I said before, people can make as much money as they want...they can be zillionaires if they want to be. Just pay the government proportionatly. And you're wrong about me....your making assumptions. I, like you, have worked hard and never counted on anyone but me. Single mom....no welfare, no handouts, no victim. But government isn't necessarily some evil giant that you should oppose at every turn. Sometimes they really do help people in need.

Never said Government was an evil. I believe it is vital. We can debate this all day. But, % wise if you make more you pay more. If I make a dolloar and pay 10%, I will give you a dime. If I make $1,000, I will give you $100. Same % more money.

What's not to understand here. Why is this not fair ?

dee - nice try but no ceegar.

Most Americans have the same opportunities to qualify for individual deductions.

Other deductions are more business oriented and specific to the cost of doing business. Not being in the top 5% myself I won't speculate on if there are income specific deductions or lack thereof.

If you want to talk about specific percentages paid via income tax why not peruse the following link on who pays taxes (income) based on IRS suppied data.

http://www.ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html

http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html

BTW - with the top 5% paying 58 % of income taxes collected and the bottom 50% only paying 2.25% I would say that your opinion on "fairness" is badly skewed.

What is even more apperent is that those "wealthy" people are probably also paying more in sales and excise taxes as well as luxury taxes (if still around).

Looks like you should be happy that the wealthy do pay so much more than the rest of us.

Want the wealthy to give even more? Go for it, I am sure that the government and their associated wastefull spending can supplant what the wealthy already gives back to all of us in terms of improved medical facilities, free clinics, research grants, scholarships, university buildings and equipment, public libraries, endowments to the arts and sciences, eradication of worldwide polio in your childs lifetime, etc, etc, etc.

Yep sweety, it looks like the wealthy gives us back far more than what the government can ever do by increasing their taxes. BTW - doesn't about 40% of government collected revenue go for servicing our debt and paying government workers?

The top 5% contribute 58% of the revenue collected by income taxes. Even with their deductions for the above short list of contributions, I would say that the wealthy have done more for America and the world than any government even if a minority of the weathy may indeed be azzholes. Don't get me wrong, I think that even the poor who may only be able to contribute a penny or two to a favorite cause have also contributed their fair share as well. Seems that the wealthy are doing quite well in leveling the playing field. Obviously if 58% of collected income revenue is not enough, then what is?

You're wrong. Just because someone makes more than someone else, doesn't mean they'll pay more taxes. Called tax loopholes and " breaks" (your word). Sounds like you're talking about a flat tax, and that won't work either. Do your homework. What boggles my mind is that most polls reflect rich people don't mind paying a little more in taxes. Why do you mind if they do? I know the answer. Go back to my original post. The GOP just won't have it.

Dee,

Your are a true liberal. I have access and can use tax loopholes too. But still will not pay as much as somebody who makes more than me. They may reinvest, park their boat in another state like Biden, buy property or several other options to decrease taxes. But that is their right. I have that right too. I bet you get money back every year, or if you don't, love to at lease get that child credit. The rich polled are a small portion, and if they want to give more let them. Its not the goverments job to do it. Its not their money.

Geez, American.....what a line of Fox News bulls$$$. Those statistics you so readily spew out don't tell the true picture, and you know it. Or maybe you don't. Here's some numbers for you. The top 1% hold 275% of the wealth in this country..the next 19% hold 65%..the next 60% hold 40% of the wealth and the bottom 20% hold 18%.

You think cutting taxes on the wealthy during the Bush years stimulated the economy? Yeah, that's why the economy sucked when Obama took office. The middle class helped to increase the "size of the pie", but unfortunately Reaganonmics and the trickle down theory didn't work. So you know the saying....the rich got richer.

Read my other posts. It's just common sense, American. Can you comprehend that, sweetie?

Dee,

You say his numbers are wrong and yours are right.

Please prove your numbers, because they don't add up. By all accounts that I have seen, not one source outside liberal mainstream media has shrunk the middle class. Class warfare and tax the rich. What a wonderful platform from which to preach off of. I hope that every part of this type of action fails. This country is not leaning left, just the media.

Dee - Let's try a little actual data. Reference Wall Street Journal article April 6, 2009. Let's first agree that the WSJ is hardly known for its conservative leanings.

The effective federal tax rate (what is actually paid as a percentage of income) was 20.7% for all households. The lowest 1/5th of households paid 4.3% of their income in federal taxes, the middle 1/5th paid 14.2% and the upper 1/5th paid 25.8%. Within the top 1/5th, the top 1% paid an effective tax rate of 31.2%.

The federal tax system is progressive and the rich do pay more.

There is only one answer to the "fair tax" issue.....and that is a gross income tax for everyone (individual and business.) Businesses in the US Virgin Islands pay a gross income tax before they pay the federal income tax on top of it. Let's go to a tax system where ALL income, no matter what its source (payroll, dividend, capital gains, inheritance, alimony, etc.), is taxed as "income" with NO distinctions (that is what gross income means after all). The first $25K (or whatever amount Congress determines is a "fair" minimum subsistence level) is tax-free. The next level of income up to $250K (with NO distinction for size of household) is taxed at 15%, the next level above $250K to $750K is taxed at 30%, and any income over $750K is taxed at 45%. As a gross income tax, that means that every individual who has any kind of income will have to file taxes, no more "married" or "dependent" deductions, no child credits, no deductions or credits of any kind under a gross income tax system. If someone wants to have 20 kids, let them figure out how they are going to support them. A single person shouldn't have to subsidize someone else's family size choice (it is bad enough that we have to subsidize them with the public education system.)