ttard--I see slavery is on your mind. And, while at it, you might want to learn a little more about the constitution.

No, I wouldn't go that far, but if you don't need the stimulus in your community, then pass on it and press on. Nothing wrong with that.

The constitution was written by and for, land and business owners. The Bill of Rights, came later...after much protest by the people, who had helped win the war, were given land and then had it overly taxed by the same upper class.

Henry III says:

"Regardless of whether local politicians agree with, or even understand, national economic policy, it is treasonous of them to attempt to sabotage those programs adopted by representatives of a majority of USA citizens."

THAT is funny; now it is "treasonous" to not want to waste taxpayers money on mostly ridiculous pork barrel nonsense A.K.A. Obama/Pelosi and Company Programs.

I worked for local government for over 15 years and I know for sure that the State and local governments that are refusing to participate in this waste-full insanity promoted by an out of control group of spending addicts in Washington is just awesome.

We need more local governments and businessess saying NO TO WASHINGTON'S RUN AWAY SPENDING SPREE! Even the Chinese warned our federal government to STOP SPENDING like there is an endless supply of money. If Congress does not STOP the out of control FREE FOR ALL MONEY TRAIN; our NATION WILL BE FINANCIALLY BANKRUPT!

Henry III, it is actually the out of control spending by Congress that is TREASONOUS!! If the US ECONOMY can manage to last that long (inspite of the dysfunctional federal government); the taxpayers will VOTE THESE FOOLS IN CONGRESS OUT IN 2010!!!

Did you seriously use the word treasonous with respect to those who refuse to spend money taken from taxpayers? Wow...we've sunk to new lows now.

"We need more local governments and businessess saying NO TO WASHINGTON'S RUN AWAY SPENDING SPREE! Even the Chinese warned our federal government to STOP SPENDING like there is an endless supply of money. If Congress does not STOP the out of control FREE FOR ALL MONEY TRAIN; our NATION WILL BE FINANCIALLY BANKRUPT!"

Carly, seriously, were you asleep from 2000 to now? We have been running up the deficit for all of those years and nary a peep from you people!! WHERE WERE YOU?

TREASONOUS? How bout you leave the big words to the pundits. Or at least understand in no simple terms what that accusation means. Save the drama, you sound woefully ignorant.

The leaders of the states do not work for Congress or the President. Each state has its own government that answers to its citizens. The federal government tries from time to time to usurp state's powers. This is just another example. Another one was when they tied federal highway dollars (funded through federal gas taxes -so we all pay for it) to raising the drinking age to 21. The states caved then. I hope they don't cave this time.

You're right 851295, we do have state government. What we don't have is responsible state government. A responsible state government would tax at a responsible rate. They don't. California spends more on prisons than colleges. My state, Arizona, is bound up in a fiscal crisis second only to Louisiana because all the R's that run the state know how to do is cut taxes while they shout responsibility. As someone said, wealth is their true god, and they worship at it's graven image. An economy is for the benefit of everyone.

Jen - Why so much interest in people's outrage from 2000 to now? Do you know for a fact that these people weren't outraged at other spending proposals/bills? We cannot change proposed bills from 2000 to now, but we can still impact the ones being proposed now. This is probably why you don't hear too much complaining now about historic bills (except by partisans who use them as a way to deflect from what's happening now).

That is total BS by the BO Lovers! Those that think for themselves are much more important than those that follow the sheep!

If you turn down money on political grounds that you know will help your constituents, you may not be treasonous, but, you are one worthless son of a bitch.

Well mr Patriot, the nation was built for all of it's citizens, and that must also include the poor, who will always be among us. It is the parasitic capitalists, not all of them, who pose the damage. look at the federal budget -- half to the pentagon and a bunch of little slivers for everything else. If you're concerned about those who are sapping the wealth of our nation, I think you should take a look at where all the money is being spent. Half of every tax dollar you pay goes to the pentagon -- much of that for 'Rumsfeld toys or to line the pockets of Cheney cronies. I bet you can't find out how much went to cronies just on matters which were not the subject of competitive bidding, but I bet it was more than is paid to support lazy drones who wouldn't work even if they could find a job.

It seems that taking Federal money makes one beholden to the folk in DC.

It makes sense that local politicians know what is best for their constituents, and forcing local Governments to take money appears to represent a conflict of interest.

The Government has already demonstrated that taking the money allows the D.C. folk to leverage their influence. It's happened in the private sector, hasn't it?

This type of "take the money, or else" scheme sounds like something from "The Sopranos".

Carly, seriously, were you asleep from 2000 to now? We have been running up the deficit for all of those years and nary a peep from you people!! WHERE WERE YOU?

Speaking with the Chinese?

These folks (their children) don't have any problem going into debt for the war effort, but hell will freeze over before they will let any money be spent on/for the citizens of this country.

If I ever visit any red states, I'm drinking bottled water!

It's me, me,me, all about me. Wait until you get your tax bill. Then it will be them, them ,them and you will still have to pay.

First off, "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" was a Sham with Tax-Payer Dollars to begin with and is an absolute failure because of it! We were told that with this "Bank-Busting Stimulus Package" that Unemployment wouldn't go above 8%, now here we are at 10.4% Unemployment and with those that can only get Part-Time Jobs and the others who have quit looking for work altogether because there's no jobs to be found, you're looking at an Unemployment Rate that's Damn near 20%! Since when is it Treasonous to not accept money that's not the Governments money to give away in the first place! That money that the Government throws at every problem that they can't find a reasonable solution too, belongs to you, me and everyone else that's commenting here tonight! It's our money, the Tax-Payers and it would be Treasonous to sit back and continue to watch as the Government continues to Bankrupt this Nation, and make no bones about it, that's exactly what's happening! The National Debt hit 12 Trillion Dollars this month and if Obama gets what he wants, The National Debt will double in just 10 years! It took this country about 220 years to get to 12 Trillion Dollars and Obama wants to get The National Debt up to 24 Trillion by 2020! Some people might not think this stuff is all that important, I truly believe that you'll change your mind about just how important this stuff really is when The United States of America becomes no more then just another Banana Republic! Our Country is already the largest Debtor Nation on the Planet! You could add up all of the Debt from every Nation on Earth and it wouldn't even be enough to pay the Interest on our National Debt!

Must be nice and safe down there with your head in the ground. Try doing your homework and not just spewing opinion...any gov't. at any level has the CONSTITUTIONAL right (big word, huh? You ought to learn about it) to reject any federal funding if they so choose. It is called freedom. And with Obama at a MINUS 16 approval rating...it looks like even the Americans have decided they voted incorrectly. I love the fact that our president needs no help being an idiot as he stumbles through this presidency.

Old

It won’t come from the same place the last dumb ass’s trillion-dollar deficit payments came from. He gave tax breaks to the rich while making the middle class and the low income ones to pay for it. That’s why unemployment and the economy have been going down since 2007.

we know who is dumb

flnobody is on to something, but he/she didn't go far enough. What Bush didn't steal from the middle class (that's you and me BTW), he borrowed from China. And it's "employment" that has been going down since 2007 (actually since 2001 due to Free Trade policies), not "unemployement", which has been steadily rising rising since then.

But you had no problem with supporting a war we didn't have the money to support - and no plan on how we would get out? At least this money is being spent in the USA for Americans. I'm tired of giving money to Haliburton - how does it feel paying Haliburton $400/gallon for gas in Iraq/Afghanistan?

My city and state had better take the stimulus money. People are suffering and this is a jump start for jobs. I personally know of at least two (our customers) who have hired additional staff and avoided layoffs by the stimulus providing new projects. These are both projects that will also improve the quality of life for two communities.

Typical revisionist propaganda. Indeed unemployment began to rise in 2007. Guess what changed in 2007? SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER CONGRESS! When republicans ran everything unemployment was at record lows.

And what happens to those stimulus jobs when the stimulus runs out? Oops! A lot of governments refused to spend stimulus around here since they didn't want to hire more police, etc. only to have do lay them off once the spigot ran dry.

Finally, as stated above, all you are doing is spending your children's tax dollars to create a temporary job bubble, and government borrowing is no better that borrowing from a loan shark since the interest and handling fees are just as outrageous.

I'm an 'old guy' myself, and 1464523 is full of balogna, has nothing but disdain for anything but pompous ignorance, and should just get out of the way if he can't lend a hand.

And it's "employment" that has been going down since 2007 (actually since 2001 due to Free Trade policies),

China free trade was in the Clinton years. Their website (Clinton Archives) brags about it even. 2007 was when left wing took majority in Congress. I'm not sure how you're trying to spin that but it doesn't spin unless someone is just now getting into politics or has lived under a rock the last 2 decades.

When are the BO followers going to remember that beginning in the mid 2000's and finally by 2006, the Left wing of congress took over and voted in all the big $$ bills, the mortgage relief and give programs, and then elected BO as their Savior. Guess who's to blame for the situation that BO "inherited" Too bad he could only vote "Present" back then as he really didn't know anything.

Maybe, better, RAW, you ought to remember what Bush left Obama to work with. Don't cast stones if you live in a glass house.

raw-316448 . . .

What the hell are you talking about . . . get your facts correct before you post and make a fool of yourself . . .

reagan-bush1 more than tripled the National debt from around 900 billion dollars to about 3 trillion dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now onto bush2 - the National debt was still around 3 trillion dollars (after President Clinton left a balanced budget) when Bush2 was selected as president, when he left, the National Debt was over 10 trillion, another more than 3 fold increase, so don't talk to me about big spending presidents unless you're going to include the last three republican presidents . . . and the republicans had complete control from 2002 to 2006 during which time the debt increased by about as much as it had in the previous 200 years, so don't tell me it was a Democratic Congress that increased the debt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

. . . and finally, the current deficit is about 10% President Obama and about 90% leftover from guess who . . . bush2

. . . look it up, ditto head !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://zfacts.com/p/318.html

. . . and just in case you have forgotten; one year ago bush and the boys gave 700 billion dollars to wall street with no strings attached . . . at least there were some rules with President Obama's stimulus package . . . not to mention the 4300+ young Americans who lost their lives unnecessarily in george w bush's war of choice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You wasting your time JJ. These people don't believe in facts. These are the people who Orwell wrote about come to life. They are the Orcs from Tolkein. They can be whipped into wreckless hatred on a dime. They think they defend American values, but, they don't even know what an American is. Lincoln would be ashamed.

I do believe that it was a Democrat controlled house and senate that passed the first stimulus package in Sept. '08 and sent it to Bush to sign. So all of you who blame Bush solely for the first stimulus package had better get out your forks and dig into that big plate of crow. Of course the rest who still deny the Democrat involvement can just pull their heads out from that dark, smelly oriface between their legs .

"Leader"? Paleasee!!

He must be doing a great job, he gave himself a B+! I think everyone else thinks different though. Lou Dobbs latest poll shows more than half the people give him an F. That's 54% that give him a failing grade! Another 30% give him a D. The rest are just O-bots that don't even understand we are on the verge of oconomic collapse.

I hope you form your own country and elect Lou Dobbs President. Like Bush, you'll be paying the tab for involvement in more war theaters around the world and you won't get a handout here if you're hungry or sick. It's the Republican philosophy.

I hope you form your own country and elect Lou Dobbs President. Like Bush, you'll be paying the tab for involvement in more war theaters around the world and you won't get a handout here if you're hungry or sick. It's the Republican philosophy.

There's a reason so many people didn't like Bush. He spent $$ too liberally. Bush was the first Republican ever in office when a war broke out. And handouts? We believe you should educate yourself and learn to be self sufficient from an early age. For those unlucky enough to still end up on the bad end of things, we have a Church with volunteers.

So enjoy your war theater, $$ stealing for the uneducated/dropouts philosophy but don't push it on me.

. . . Bush was the first Republican ever in office when a war broke out . . .

You mean george w bush's war of choice . . . that he lied his way into . . . is that the war you're talking about ?

Republican President Eisenhower started the flow of advisors into Vietnam in the late 50's and Democratic President Kennedy had already given the order to reverse/stop the flow when his head was blown off because of it by the same people the repugs worship at the feet of . . . the military-industrial complex . . .

. . . so get your facts correct before you post and make a fool of yourself . . .

. that he lied his way into .

If you believe Bush lied, then you agree that Clinton, Gore, Pelosi et al lied too:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/wmdquotes.asp

An example:

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." Letter to President Clinton, signed by: -- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

Response?

have you goofballs ever heard of the business cycle? we have ups and downs. how you honestly say it's the policies of one president over another is beyond me. wake up. Bush didn't do good at all but we have to fix the here and now. we are spending ourselves into ruin.

Business cycles are the curse of unregulated capitalism. A well-regulated economy does not experience cycles. It is only when the restraints come off that boom and bust happens.

Major Domo, what you're forgetting is that Republicans will NEVER accept responsibility for anything negative. They don't accept the Bush disaster is responsible for our current problems. If our system breaks down and we become a Banana Republic, the Republicans will claim it wasn't their fault, and the Democrats will do the same. And all the GOP can bother to do is scream about ruining our children's future. No thought about how we mortgaged their future to pay for two wars, one of which was totally unnecessary and a distraction from the more important war to protect us from terrorist cells. Two costly wars while cutting taxes for the wealthy? How irresponsible can we be? Liberals should have had a tea party then. But the irrational people are always easier to stir up, and they're all "conservatives". We aren't going to get anywhere as long as the people making the decisions are more interested in getting re-elected than doing what is right. It's a bad time to be an American.

You're right Ed, there are no business cycles with "A well-regulated economy", just a slow and steady decline with no growth or even potential growth what-so-ever. How'd your "well-regulated economy" work out for the USSR, Cuba and even China before they opened up to the global economy and started dumping low cost crap on everyone? In fact, China's economic boom didn't occur until after they started loosening their control over the economy.

On the other hand, Jon is entirely incorrect.

We aren't going to get anywhere as long as the people making the decisions are more interested in getting re-elected than doing what is right.

Politicians get re-elected by doing what the people want them to do, which is supposed to be their job! You know, the whole "representative government" garbage? As far as "what is right" that certainly doesn't refer to anything going on in Congress right now. How can a truly "representative government" pass any ridiculous legislation, such as this faux health reform or cap and trade, when less than a majority of people are in favor of it? That doesn't sound very representative to me! What is "right" would actually fix problems, not perpetuate them and create new problems. I suppose you think all the entitlement programs are what's "right" but what exactly have they solved? Nothing! They've just created a new, growing, unsustainable lifestyle for millions of people!

So Bush spent us into deficit? Then since Obama has spent more than all previous administrations combined, including Bush, by your logic if Bush is evil, Maobama is EVIL INCARNATE.

Bush spent over 1.2 trillion on a war that by all accounts was not justified, this all thing started with the repubs and it is going to take a long time to fix the mess we are in. thanks repubs!!

Go Longhorns. Maybe you can't understand how the policies of one president have any effect over another's is because that's what you want to believe, or because you are not affected, or because you dropped out of school prematurely because you see no need for education. It's not too late, you can broaden your horizons -- you can learn more -- try it!

But you know, Major Domo, that if the whole country goes to pot, they'll blame Obama for the whole thing anyway. Americans have short attention spans and shorter memories.

valhalla phil . . .

What the hell are you talking about . . . get your facts correct before you post and make a fool of yourself . . .

reagan-bush1 more than tripled the National debt from around 900 billion dollars to about 3 trillion dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now onto bush2 - the National debt was still around 3 trillion dollars (after President Clinton left a balanced budget) when Bush2 was selected as president, when he left, the National Debt was over 10 trillion, another more than 3 fold increase, so don't talk to me about big spending presidents unless you're going to include the last three republican presidents . . . and the republicans had complete control from 2002 to 2006 during which time the debt increased by about as much as it had in the previous 200 years, so don't tell me it was a Democratic Congress that increased the debt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

. . . and finally, the current deficit is about 10% President Obama and about 90% leftover from guess who . . . bush2

. . . look it up, ditto head !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://zfacts.com/p/318.html

. . . and just in case you have forgotten; one year ago bush and the boys gave 700 billion dollars to wall street with no strings attached . . . at least there were some rules with President Obama's stimulus package . . . not to mention the 4300+ young Americans who lost their lives unnecessarily in george w bush's war of choice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

george w bush's war of choice !

It appears you suffer from "selective memory"

http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/wmdquotes.asp

Funny how people forget that Congress authorized military action.

Funnier still that the Dems take no responsibility.

Funny, but not atypical.

Funniest is that the Dems are saying two wrongs (deficit spending) make a right.

"Bush is bad for deficit spending, but spending even more makes sense."

*snicker*

SOURCE: Washington Post-ABC News poll | The Washington Post - June 24, 2009top relying on Fox noise for you polling information, most people want a single payer or at least a public option.

S

435 congressmen and women were elected in 2008 and are up for re-election next year

bcoach - You've restated good reasons for a citizen's revolution. November 2010 will be a nice starting point. All it takes is about 70,000,000 voters. I can think of at least 65,000,000 who are pissed enough right now!

To be sure, the latest poll I've seen shows over 70% of likely voters are not just dissatisfied with government, they are down right furious with what Maobama and his socialists in congress are doing.

Support for the health care socialist takeover is down to 34% and yet they still plow ahead, cutting deals with CEO's for campaign contributions to fatten their war chests for next November.

Support for our government has been going down steadily for some time but now they are a complete embarrassment.

Phil the Wagner afficionado: 34% is the figure for those who want single payer. The figures you cite do not differentiate between those who are dissatisfied because it doesn't go far enough, and those who oppose it for philosophical reasons. The people cutting deals are those who are getting health insurance company bribes. You're falling for the Big Lie, pure and simple.

All of his plans are socialistic and I have zero interest!

If the government was smaller there could be less graft.

I agree with Bobbi1419204. Give President Obama a chance. Remember the Republicans have run this country into the ground and don't expect the new president who hasn't been in office a year to fix it in 2 seconds. It is going to take time. I wish the Republicans would stop bitching about the stimulus money because is was okay to fund the war and let give stimulus money to the bankers and ceo's on Wall Street. I know with unemployment being at 10% percent everyone is on the President but remember we had these problems before Obama took office.

This is a perfect example of the wing nuts at their finest. They'll do anything and everything they possibly can to make sure Obama fails, even if it means hurting those they are elected by. To hell with America as long as the republicans have their way. They spent tens of millions of dollars to try and bring down Clinton. That ultimately didn't work so there's no end to what they will expend trying to bring down Obama. Cut off their noses to spite their faces? Not on your life, it the heads of the American people that are on the spite chopping block!

You go Kenneth....the Republicans are the ones that are anti-American. They will do anything to make sure that the American people has nothing and they have everything. I too agree that the heads of the American people is on the chopping block.

President Obama?? I think you are mistaken, he is just a jerk who BOUGHT the White House because idiots let him do it. Him and all of his brownshirts need to be removed from office.

You mean, give George Soros a chance to turn America into Amerika? He's the one who paid for Obama's presidency.

Bobbi-1419204 - Obama has already turned himself around - many times. It's called going in a circle. It's also called "talk and lie". He has become expert at both.

The problem with the left and right is that they take the stand that their side is 100% right and the other is 100% wrong. You can see it in these posts. This is not a football game. Bush was 100% wrong on wars and spending. A congress that is controlled by Democrats has never balanced a budget.

For most of us it's not about hammering Obama. Or Bush. It's about fiscal responsibility. The kind the citizens are forced to live under every day. We take in X, therefore, we cannot spend more than X.

If congress passes a stimulus bill that is funded by taxpayers and designed to put US workers back to work, why do we have to honor WTO treaties and put Chinese steel manufactures back to work while our PA steel workers are left unemployed?

I don't like it during a normal budget process, but to ask me for money to put US people back to work, take that money and then tell me you had to hire non-US workers because we are not competitive? Sounds a little like India and China walking out on the global warming summit because they didn't get to pollute their fair share.

Both Parties are a bunch of crooks. And unfortunately, I think voting has become choosing the lesser of two evils. We voted these people in. Sure we were influenced by ads and money, but we voted them in. Lets vote them out! If everyone voted, I think it might be a different America. Remember, George Washington himself warned against the dangers of political parties.

ReRe,

Did you realize the Democrats have been in control of Congress for almost 3 years now? They are the one who pass laws and submit to the President. The President, no matter Democrat or Republican, can suggest all they want, but IT IS CONGRESS who is to blame. I say, VOTE THEM ALL OUT! You wanted change...let's get rid of these imbeciles with their 20something approval rate, reckless spending, think they know better how to take care of you than you do, and get some fresh blood in there! Presidents can only hold 2 terms, term limits need to be placed on all other offices as well! They no longer fear the people, the people fear them!

Confused in California: I think you are indeed confused. In your state you pay more for prisons than you do for colleges. If you think that's responsible government, you must be among those who want a society of dumbed-down, sick, uneducated drones whose only purpose for living is to be a wage slave at a hamburger stand which tests prospective employees for pot.

CardiacCatGirl: wow. I gues you haven't noticed that the Republican oppositionists have been voting as a block, requiring that a super majority be obtained for anything to pass. If you believe in majority rule, write your Republican and tell them you want a simple majority first, then squawk about the Dimocrats being in control for 3 years. The fact is that the Republican minority is in control because every bill has to pass both houses. Remember?

Bobbi-1419204

Please give President Obama a chance to get things turned around in the country!

He's getting a chance. He is definitely turning things over. More than half say not for the better.

Come next November, Congress will be starkly different than it is now.

HERE,HERE for Dennise in Delta, The only comment on here that made any sense. I think alot of you listen to too much talk radio and believe the trash the show hosts spit out. By the way, All you discontents out there, come next election, make sure you keep voting for the same jurks you, ve always voted for. That really brings about change.(NOT)

Bush/Cheney made us a laughing stock around the world, President Obama is earning back our credibility with his vision and leadership. In case you missed it, we averted a global economic melt down. The price we payed was the stimulus package. He has brought hope to the rest of the world, that is why he won the Nobel Prize. You can disagree and call it undeserved but it sure wasn't won by Bush I, Bush II or Reagan.

Jim A-371003- WalMart is running a big pre-Christmas sale on Cool Aid. If you really believe ANY of that crap then you need to restock - big time!

AMEN!!!, Dennis. As always, they have manipulated the people into arguing over issues that have nothing to do with the REAL problem. And that is that ALL politicians are the same. Party has nothing to do with anything. They all have the same agenda. Line their pockets and those of their "constituents", whilst sticking it to us, the taxpayers, in the process.

GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS, PEOPLE!!!!!! Obama, Bush, Clinton, the list goes on, are all the same. They don't give a damn about you and I. This is history repeating itself, as it always does. Throughout history, when a government became corrupt, people spent decades or sometimes centuries arguing over what the solution was. But, inevitably, and without exception, they always came to the same to conclusion. And it's the only conclusion that will work for us now. You can't vote this problem away. Pray to whatever God you wish, he isn't going to help. Try to get an honest man into the system for change, they will eat him alive.

Nope, I'm afraid there is only one way we are ever going to get this great country of ours back, and that is to take it back by force. And before you start using terms like "radical" or "non-comformist"(one I happen to like, btw), remember that our Constitution, not that bastardized, so called, Bill of Rights, gives U.S. citizens the right to do that very thing. I repeat...WE HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO OVERTHROW A CORRUPT GOVERNMENT!!, and by any means possible. Then, and only then will this country begin to get back on track. Mark my words, the day will come.

Dennis seems to be the most calm and rational voice here. And I agree with much of what he has to say. Education.. My grandfather had an 8th grade education, yet he was better educated than either of my children, both of whom have advanced degrees from prestigious universities. National Debt: How many national budgets were NOT in the red since 1929 ???? Energy : You might have thought that 1973 and the oil embargo would have caused the US to re-think energy policy..... I remember wind farms off I-80 outside Oakland, Calif. in the late 1960s. The problem is that no one wants nuclear power or wind farms "in their back yard".... (It's a "do as I say, not as I do" situation.) I wish that Dennis were closer, we could sit down and have an intelligent conversation over a cup of coffee.

Mind if I join, I'm an 'older citizen' myself and enjoy learning from a voice of reason. By the way, there is no education more meaningful than experience. Formal education can expose people to a wider world and to history, there's also a whole technological world you can't get 'across the cracker barrel, but if anyone having those opportunities has not also invested in learning about life, they end up with 'absent minded professor' disease and can only function in a very specialized environment. It's Tower of Babel stuff, and part of why I don't think the world could function without grammas and grampas, though, alas, I will never be either. So rather than disparage a younger, more formally educated generation, I'd encourage building bridges for or to them so that they and theirs might have the great blessing in their lives which your life can present to them. It's really beyond right or wrong as we understand that to be.

Ben Nelson is a stooge for corporate america especially the health Industry, shame on him and Nebraska for being in on the fix, what are you, a bunch of sheep in Nebraska??

Nebrasks, where men are men and the sheep are nervous.

Of course we blame Bush. He left a huge hole to be filled. The requires more than a teaspoon to do the work.

Ed-743399 - The only "huge hole" that needs filling is the one between Obama's ears, and that of all those who are convinced he is a savior. You remind me of those Nebraska sheep made fun of above. At least sheep are smart enough to get inside when there's a cold wind blowing - or HOT AIR as in Obama's case!

SaintGeorge: my, my. The stimulus began under W's term, resulted from his crying fire in the theater, and now you're just looking for a dragon to slay. He borrowed from China to fund his PFaNAC wars, pledging our children and their children as security to pay the debt. The collapse of our biggest banks and investment firms resulted from their own unbridled (TY RR, GB) deregulated greed, and is beginning to look like a group 'wolf crying'. The result is, like Ed said, a huge hole to be filled by this administration. Doesn't it seem a little like they planned it and dug it to prevent implementation of social reforms, health care, education, etc? At any rate HALF OUR BUDGET GOES TO THE PENTAGON, so maybe your concerns about fiscal responsibility might be put to more avail there.

Mr Pomery,

For someone who is an older citizen, here is something else for you to study up on and educate me on why the Health-care reform is a good thing, since it will be cutting so much of Medicare to make it work. I work in health-care, and I can tell you Doctors are dropping out of Medicare as fast as they can. Soon there will be very few physicians who will except a Medicare patient, and I can tell you I don't blame them. You have no idea how hard is it to get Medicare to pay for anything. If a physician orders a test in good faith thinking this test is needed, pays for the supplies/kit out of his pocket, but Medicare feels the test was not needed, they deny payment to the physician. If the physician did not tell you PRIOR TO the test and have you sign a form explaining EXACTLY WHY Medicare would not pay, they cannot bill you. Why would they even want to see you to start with? The newest reason for physicians to stop accepting Medicare patients (is that you Bob), effective January 1, 2010, Medicare will not longer pay for consultations. If you go to your doctor and he wants you to see another physician for a consultation, payment may come out of your pocket, if you can even find a physician to see you once they hear Medicare. If you are admitted to the hospital and the admitting physician wants another physician to do a consultation, once again, Medicare will not cover. Who do you think is going to pay for that service? Did you know Medicare will only pay for 1 doctor per day if you are admitted to the hospital? Why would the most qualified physician want to see you if he is not going to get paid? Once again, they cannot give out free service to everyone.

It's not up to the Federal Government (my tax dollars) to 'repair' local communities. The real problem is that the Federal Government takes so much of our money to pay for crap like 'community centers' and 'birth control'. The problem is our government has become a monster!

Want something done in your community? Talk to your Local Government, don't ask me to pay for it.

Hank

Where do you think your local government is going to get the money to pay to fix things. From you.

"Want something done in your community? Talk to your Local Government, don't ask me to pay for it."

Another shining example of what's wrong with conservative America: "I've got mine and to hell with everybody else."
If you want to live in a civilized society, you have to contribute something to it. We built this country by helping each other, not by isolating ourselves behind walls.

If you want to live in a civilized society, you have to contribute something to it. We built this country by helping each other, not by isolating ourselves behind walls.

Very well put. People who label themselves "conservatives" seem to think that they live on an island somewhere rather than in a country. Note that I live in Maryland, but if my fellow citizens in North Platte need a health clinic, or Tucson needs a water project, or New Orleans a levy, that's what I pay taxes for. BTW: I don't need to pay taxes for useless foreign invasions, to subsidize greedy corporations, to pay for overpriced military hardware, or to fund sectarian religious activities.

Seems to me that a bunch of you 'patriots' out there are saying that you really want nothing to do with your compatriots across the nation. When I was a young lad, I was taught that 'patriotism' meant supporting the rights and needs of others, not just flag waving, and you might understand the depth of that patriotism by googling "Seth Pomeroy". I'm sickened that he died 'at arms' to create this nation, and that it is being used by some to affirmatively oppress and harm others who call that oppression and exploitation 'freedom'. Bullcaca.

Kudos Pattie. TY

You are correct, I pay my local taxes (state and government) which are used to support people / systems in my home state / town. Why should I pay to clean up the meth junkies in Philadelphia or the entire government of California? On the same note why should you pay for the community center in my neighborhood?

The Federal Government was not formed to be a socialist slush fund for all the 'causes' you can think of.

No hank... we just to clean up YOUR mess and people like you. You con-conservatives cost us more in taxes and you blame everyone else for your chit. You don't have to pay for your community you can move to another country, take you guns and just fight your little heart out and beat your chest.

you go bigboy, you sooo tough.....

Whoa there, Ken. Now if you have some fiscal responsibility about you, you're a terrorist? That's a new one, but I guess all of the other tired liberal arguments are worn out already, so we revert back to the old standby, name-calling. Oh, and how did we get out of the last depression? Well, it certainly wasn't the New Deal, if that's what you'd like to believe. It was a little thing called World War 2, thanks Japan! So my question to you is, why do you hate Americans so much?

Actually, it WAS the New Deal. Had it not been for the New Deal, we would not have been able to fight WW2. The ND helped rebuild our industries and our labor force, which were called on to produce war materials. What's the matter, a case of selective memory? These terrorist politicians aren't being "fiscally responsible", because they were silent during Bush's reign of terror. They're hypocrites who hate democracy.

Ed - it was not the "New Deal" that got us out of the great depression. Yesterday on History channal they ran a special on all of the presidents. 1 hour was dedicated to FDR, it WAS NOT THE NEW DEAL, but WW2 that got us out of the great depression.

Yes, this is now common knowledge amongst economists. The New Deal actually dragged out the depression until WWII.

Ken - Are you on a laptop hiding out in Afghanistan? Watch out for the Black Helicopters, they may be coming for you whacko.

wildbluyonder11 . . . you are right to an extent . . . but you left out some important elements, so . . .

Here we go again: Hoover got us in, and WWII got us out. Bush got us in, and to his credit, started trying to get us out. Though, mostly he threw money at bankers.

In the Great Depression, Roosevelt tried deficit spending, but he was too timid. Then he stopped in 1937 and the economy nose-dived. It took the humongous deficits of WWII to pull us out of the Great Depression. Those deficits blasted the economy from depression into overdrive.

Of course after the war, we had to pay off a huge national debt, but during that time, from 1946 to 1980, the economy was mainly quite prosperous. We hit a bad recession when Reagan took office, and his early deficit spending made sense (though he didn't know it). But then he continued to drive up the debt through the boom years that followed. That didn't make any sense.

We are now in the midst of the worst slump since 1938, and you better hope we can find our way out because that was not a pretty time. Unfortunately, as in the Great Depression, the extreme conservatives would rather trash the country than have our government succeed. They are much worse than Bush.
The main thing to remember is that, with consumer spending going down, business is going to lay people off — not hire them. You can't blame business for this. It's just a vicious cycle that the economy gets into. And you can't blame consumers for not spending in bad times. The only way out of this, if we don't want to wait 10 years, is for the government to spend, pay unemployment insurance, or give tax breaks to people who will spend (not the rich).

No thanks. I don't need BJ in PA. No reason to respect his needs, he doesn't respect others and proclaims his self-sufficiency -- so let him have it. Funny how the shoe fits, eh? If a man asks for a fish, let him find a serpent so long as he leaves me alone?

You have no idea what you are talking about. Too bad they stopped teaching effective civics and American Government courses in the 1970s (thanks to conservative spending cuts) or you would know the difference.

Ed-743399 - You need to go back and take those civics and government classes that were never cut. You just thought they were because your pot parties were scheduled during those class periods - and pay attention this time.

Indeed, education in the past was far better than it is now. The socialists in the education departments are filling kids heads with propaganda instead of teaching them and our standing in the world education rankings proves it.

Come on Phil. "No Child Left Behind", a W program, requires teaching to meet tests, ie students are to regurgitate correct answers to questions formulated by W appointees. Further, funding for education has been gutted to pay for prisons and the pentagon for 50 years. Education should be for the purpose of enabling future generations to think for themselves, but it's being used to teach kids that if they give the answer people in power want to hear they'll benefit, ie, you want them all to be brown-nosers and dependat sheep. You're just perpetrating the Big Lie - You, with your own keyboard. Shame on you.

That's so true. Bush's deficits were bad but Obama's are horrendous. With Bush we were gliding towards insolvency but under Obama we are "lawn darting" into it.

We not divided because of Obama. We're divided because of Bush, Norquist, Cheney, Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, O'Reilly, Gingrich, and the rest of the right wing scum creating division and suspicion of anything and anyone that didn't agree with their pograms. "Liberal" only became an epithet in the 1980's as a way to demonize anyone who supported the current power structure. Before then, it was only a label incicating a political preference. Political discourse has been on a downhill slide ever since into increasing vitriol. If you don't like it, you only have yourself to blame. But stop trying to blame Obama. He came into office on the platform of trying to move past political divison and heal differences, but you right wingnuts just won't let him.

Wildbluyonder11- This blog is full of comments about "both parties" causing our current mess.

Question: So why don't the people form a viable third party?

Answer: Because the American people only know how to gripe and complain! They can't cooperate on ANYTHING. Our continuous brand of political hacks/crooks know that and use that fact against us.

Question: So where is the REAL problem?

Ed- you forgot to add Olberman, Behar, Maddow, Winfrey, Letterman, Stewart, Colbert and all of the other head-up-theirown -arrogant-ass-liberals spitting the venom of hatred upon the core values of anyone who refuses to bow at the throne of homosexuals, abortionists, murderers and socialists.

This is too funny, the fascists pee all over Bush for eight years but now we are suppost to shut our mouths when a Marxist is elected?

Phil, it's clear both that you don't squat, and that all you know about 'marxism' is that it covers anything you don't like. You're probably one of those who think the nazis were socialists and marxists. You are in fact shouting that something passe is posing a threat. Turn on the TV.

Or people who actually understand the premis of 'States Rights'. People who understand how our government is supposed to be run, as opposed to the people who think that we're all entitled to free everything.

Reckhart, you are the one who does not understand the Constitution or state's rights. I suggest you read the Artcles of Confederation and why it was a failure, the premises of the Civil War and the history of the Commerce Clause, for starters. If you prefer, you can limit your study to the time before Karl Marx was born, since you see him as having imposed such profound and universal corrupt ideas. It's just silly. Or, you can read about the most decorated marine in US history prior to WWII, Smedley Butler, and see what he had to say about his view of the first half of the 20th century. He died long before Obama was born, so you don't have to fear his ideas being corrupted.

Um, have you ever gotten a job from a poor person? Great idea, let's destroy all of the institutions that provide jobs. That will save the country AND the middle class.

Wildbluyonder11-

Your argument is baseless and has no merit. Ultra wealthy conservatives have already destroyed this country and the middle class, while protecting their own intersts and wrapping themselves in the flag.

Ed-743399 - Ah, but at least it's the American flag!

Sorry Ed you need to check your logic. Name ONE poor person who is a CEO or President or owner of a business that provides large numbers of jobs that pay a good living wage to his/her employees. Oh that's right. Poor people don't have money to pay for other people's wages. Also last time I checked both Warren Buffett and Bill Gates were both Democrats.......... Hmmm how much more corporate america does it get than Microsoft? Who has more money than these two men? So I guess corporate America IS comprised of people on both sides of the party line. It is people like YOU who are the problem. Promoting hatred and narrow one-sided biased opinions, selectively promoting bits and pieces of an agenda and portraying the ideal that only 1 side is to blame in this mess. Last time I checked there were lotsa representatives of BOTH parties in the House and Senate for the last 30 years! Both parties have enjoyed control at various times. ALL of the problems we're currently having are the result of a snowball effect that started about the Mid-Late 1970's. All Presidents since Carter have a hand and share the blame in all of this. That includes Carter (Dem) Regan (Rep) Bush1 (Rep) Clinton (Dem) Bush 2 (Rep) and Obama (Dem). That's pretty equal representation over the last 30 years. We're all to blame!

Reckhart: so you think we should all be good obedient 'wage slaves' for the wealthy, eh? The attitude you express at 19.4 is fascism in its purest form. We fought WWII to defeat those views. You're going to love reading Smedley Butler, if you can.

That is just it, americans don't have brains, we are being led around like a bunch of sheep, fat and lazy, sheep.

"That is just it, americans don't have brains, we are being led around like a bunch of sheep, fat and lazy, sheep."

The continued success of people like Limbaugh, Hannity, the Tea Party, and Sara Palin prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I agree that you should not HAVE to take it, but maybe others in your community would like to benefit from the economic stimulus that most economists think is essential and has already helped.

The continued success of people like Limbaugh, Hannity, the Tea Party, Palin absolutely show that we DO HAVE BRAINS AND ARE NOT SHEEP.

What shows that the Democrapic Party is full of sheep and dead brains is the fact that they keep electing people like Kennedy, Pelosi, Byrd, Frank and other losers that have thrown us into a deep financial black hole and what to give illegal aliens our country lock stock and barrel.

jock59801- President Harry Truman was once quoted as saying "if you put all of the economists in the world end-to-end, they would point in ALL directions". The so-called economic "stimulus" proves his point!

Amusing that the brayings of our contemporary Elmer Gantrys are being used as proof of anything.