When did the Bush tax cuts take effect? When did we start two wars that were placed on the credit card? when did we pass medicare part D and not fund it from its inception?

You suggested that the Democrats had control of the house and senate the last two years of Bush's presidency. To this point I concur. However, when the 110th Congress came into office on 04 January 2007 the federal budget for 2007 was already appropriated, the 2008 budget was heading for appropriations committees, and President Bush would unveil his 2009 budget proposal just 30 days after the 110th Congress began its session.

Also the economic meltdown is totally agreed to have begun a month before the 110th Congress ever took the oath of office. I, too, wish that the Democrats could have a magic wand to wave and fix everything in an instant, but you know what? that would be unrealistic.

Please inform yourself of governmental budgeting process before going back to faux news / Republican talking points.

The wars and tax cuts were bipartisan. Why did Obama extend the tax cuts and never ask to repeal except one bracket with the smaller % ?

Medicare Par D was bipartisan an Bush worked with Ted Kennedy, Obamacare added an expensive addition to Medicare Part D

No one is funding Obamacare unless ypu believe the sleazy CBO stuff.

Don - Not all Democrats supported the tax cuts, in fact it took VP Dickhead chaney to cast the deciding vote on the last tax cut. Bush and his chicken hawks wanted war with Hussein from the start of his administration. The cherry picked intelligence, that bushelhead assured us was "good intelligence" was anything but good or accurate. His choice for war, thus his war. Why didn't bushelhead fund Medicare D? HCR does has funding, everyone has to have health insurance just like RomoneyCare, am I right.

I have many other reasons not to vote for Obama.

Yes, but do you have any good reason to vote for Romney?

Because sometimes us Liberals have to point out commonly known things to Conservatives.

I think they put that off until after hev election.

They thought they did but the drunken sailrs are going to run out in Oct. so the debt ceiling talks will start in Sept. unless they cut spending.

Regardless of politics SS and Medicare will be cut. I trust Republican's more since they at least admit Medicare cannot sustain itself much longer.

They all know this, but Democrats want to insure Republicans take the blame. Democrats have quietly already taken 1/2 trillion from Medicare.

Remember when the democrates wanted people to vote for Obama Care so they can figure out what was in the bill. I know that since this passed my insurance premiumns have risen so much that our wages have been frozen and they are hinting that they may start passing some of those costs on to us. Can't believe that people don't see what a disaster these policies are. Making people buy a products doesn't seem like a democracy to me. Just sayin...

I would not pay any attention to political rhetoric.Obama got elected last time without explaining his positions.

Oh, he was very clear about ending the disastrous Bush policies.

Wish he had followed thru, or was allowed to follow thru on more of his promises. Better luck next term.

Did you not watch the '08 primary debates?

Someone named boozer calling other's fools. Sober up and read you might figure out which candidate is actually better for us.

I would take Carter back over Obama.

I would take Carter over Romney.

Accusing Obama of being this income redistribution president isn't valid. The only basis of that is the massive help given by extending unemployment and huge increases in medicaid spending that only occurred because of our economic collapse and millions of newly unemployed. Since those were all suppported by Romney, McCain and Bush it's hardly a valid point. Read this interview Romney gave in late 2008 while Bush was still president.

BLITZER: He's talking about a $750 billion economic stimulus
package. He wants it to be passed as soon as possible. It's unclear if whether
it can be passed before he's inaugurated on January 20th. What do you think
about this proposal?

ROMNEY: Well, I frankly wish that the last Congress would have dealt with the
stimulus issue and that the president could assign that before leaving office. I
think there is need for economic stimulus. Americans have lost about $11
trillion in net worth. That translates into about $400 billion a year less
spending that they'll be doing, and that's net of additional government programs
like Medicaid and unemployment insurance. And government can help make that up
in a very difficult time. And that's one of the reasons why I think a stimulus
program is needed.

I'd move quickly. These are unusual times. But it has to be something which
relieves pressure on middle-income families. I think a tax cut is necessary for
them as well as for businesses that are growing. We'll be investing in
infrastructure and in energy technologies.

Don: You say to get out of this mess all tax rates need to go thru the roof. Why would you support Romney then? Romney wants to lower the top tax rate from 35% to 25% and pay for the 5 trillion dollars in revenue by eliminating the home mortgage interest deduction and taxing employer health care benefits. Taking money from me and you and giving to him isn't the solution unless you believe the trickle down nonsense that allowing him to have 260 million in his money market account instead of 250 million will somehow create jobs.

Larry please don't tell anybody the truth. The 1%'ers want them to vote against their best interests.

Everytime you hear a Republican

Say "Obama creates Class Warfare" - It's because there really is class warfare, except they neglect to tell you it's them creating the devide.

Say "Obama's a Failure" - It's because they have failed in stopping the economic health of the United States from growing.

I don't know that much about Romney and don't think you can tell much from political rhetoric. From what I read, folks that do know Obama do not consider him "likeable".

Once he gets what he wants from someone, he has no problem throwing them under the bus as Oprah can attest to for one. Many of his advisers have quit out of frustration.

Don my friend, many of his advisers have quit from the relentless repugnican and tea-bag pressure that they put on them using the media. Now you explain to me how Obama throws people under the bus? That might be your opinion but you'd better have facts sustaining your argument to hold water. And PLEASE don't quote pseudo celebrities to shore up your argument.

I have read interviews with folks like the rev that was his mentor and pastor for 20 years until Obama started his campaign for president and disowned him.

Oprah was probably responsible for getting him elected to president and now thw WH treats her as dirt.

From my reading, he mostly pays attention to political advisers,not the ones with substance.

MY only suggestion is start reading for yourself.

I am just saying, he is a great motivator and orator, but seems to be a way different person than he comes across.

Don:

Obama ditched rev Wright when it became clear that Wright was using Obama as a platform to spew racist, bigotry and inflammatory rhetoric that would never come from a respected church.

"Oprah was probably responsible for getting him elected to president and now thw WH treats her as dirt".???

I don't watch Oprah yet I found more legitimate reasons to vote for Obama. My advice to you my friend is to quit listening to "so-called" celebrities as most of them are brain-dead unless they have a script in front of them to read from. Quit listening to fake celeb's and start thinking for yourself. I promise you, you will be better off.

I read a book from a former editor of NY times that spent years interviewing hundreds of folks that knew Obama , some back to community organizer days.

Some supported him, some did not, but there was a consistent theme that all he seems to care about is his political career.

Where do you suggest i get unbiased info ? My opinion is that it won't come from media or political rhetoric from what I have seen.

I do a lot of analyzing what he says, and find most of it not true factually, There is so mush distortion, exaggeration, pulling things out of context and so forth that you can tell nothing.

I can see the media only wants to sell papers and could care less about educating us.

I do not listen to "celebrities"

I think I spend way more time thinking for myself and analyzing than the vast majority of folks that post on her.

Don:

I respect your opinion and have no animosity towards you but if you're asking me where to find unbiased info on the current President and his "front-runner counterpart" then I will tell you this. There isn't any. Just like I, you have to measure Obama's success's and failures and make a determined judgement for yourself. Now you quoted Oprah which is why I came to the conclusion that you pay attention to what "celebrities" believe in and want. Instead of stating our personal feelings lets gather the facts and make an educated decision for ourselves. Cheers.

I enjoyed discussing this with you. One pet peeve , I do have is that most folks give way too much importance to events that occur in an admin. Much of this is out of control of the president. Probably the fed has the most short term control over the economy, and they are independent of the Congress or president.

Global competition and technology I feel are our major issues now. THese are destroying middle class jobs.The funny thing now is that it seems Obama;s fate now rests on how bad things get in Europe.

I also felt Bush got way too much blame for things that occurred during his admin.

Great opinion piece.

Car56, why did Obama wait until the day he started his presidential campaign to ditch Rev Wright ?

As I said before and many onlookers in the congregation have stated, rev Wright was always a "high spirited" pastor. However, when rev Wright garnered national attention by being Obama's pastor, he recognized that he had an opportunity upon a national stage and took advantage of it. He CHANGED his rhetoric to include powerful messages of hate, bigotry and racism of the white folk, to draw attention to himself, much like Jessie and Sharpton would do. Then Obama was forced to dissociate himself from Wright (as any normal human being would).

Because Wright started given rascist ranting interviews playing off his association with Obama.

I don't think anybody likes to fire people. Unfortunately , trying to save a business that is close to bankruptcy necessarily involves cost cutting. Just like the government takeover of GM , positions were cut tom enable the firm to stay afloat.

The inference that all Bain did was try to save companies near bankruptcy is nonsense. Most of the companies they aquired were healthy companies. Critizism of Bain is the fact they did whatever made the most money regardless of what they did with the company. They aquired KBtoys with 18 million of their money and brought in investors for the rest. Bain then borrowed 65 million on KB's assets paying a special distribution to only the Bain partners. Within 2 years KB, saddled with this massive new debt went bankrupt. The Bain partners including Romney walked away with a 47 million dollar profit but 3700+ KB workers were out of jobs.

that is what businesses do. if they have too many employees they laid them off. Romney job was to take failing businesses and turn them around. That usually includes getting rid of dead weight.

You need to actually read up on Bain Capital because that is not what businesses should be doing.