The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

Big Daddy or is it wanna be King Daddy? I am the other Michael reading your posts and you are so predictable. Yes your a clone made by the GOP to rant arrogance without using your thought process before you communicate anything worth reading. Your part of the reason why we are in the situations, that your kind refuse to think about these days. Your understanding of the economy and social studies and even business sense is poor and I suggest you attend grammar school for refreshment focus. Better yet put the word "true democracy in your focus instead of "artificial democracy" for the few! Status Quo equals very boring via debate!!!!!!!!!

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Whiners... I've been discussing just this subject with members of the largest segment of the population ever to reach retirement age... When these people started working, the government promised to keep the money they paid in social security safe, but instead squandered it away on various special interest projects so they wouldn't have to commit the politically unpopular task of asking for tax money.
Now that these people have reached the precipice and end of their ability to earn any longer, the corrupt pirates who stole from their fund tell them to go and start over to prepare for retirement.
The U.S. is considering or has made reparations for injustices to East Timor, African slaves, victims of sexual abuse, Japanese interned during WW2, ethnic Hawaiians, clean-up of the Bikini atolls, native Americans, injustices committed during wars or warlike actions, aviation businesses closed down by the government edict following 911... anyway, hundreds if not thousands of reparation efforts underway or already settled. But, there's absolutely nothing for the majority middle class working people who footed the bulk of collected taxes the last 50 years... Whose retirement was stolen out from underneath them, leaving a nearly collapsed retirement program which THEY paid for?
It makes you wonder how government could ever in good conscience prosecute labor leaders for stealing from their own member's pension funds. If there ever was any difference between union thugs and politicians, it has surely vaporized?

Here McCain is low in the polls and the Republicans can't even shut-up long enough to give their party a good image. How many people who are deciding for whom to vote in the upcoming elections has Gramm's comments turned off? How many Republicans or undecided voters have lost their jobs in the last few years and are feeling at least some of the blame goes to Bush's domestic economic policies or the lack thereof? How many Republicans or undecided voters are feeling the stress in the current economic crisis?

You can't really say to much about Gramm's intelligence. Whiners is such a childish comment. It sounds like a child in the playground talking about another.

When it comes to domestic policies, if image, as oppose to substance, is the only thing the Republican Party stands for, then keep that image up, Gramm, (Please!) by keeping your childish comments private among elitist Republican friends!

So this is McCain's principal economic advisor? Shows what four years of a McCain administration would be like. These people have no sympathy for any kind of Americans but millionaires.

Ironic, isn't it, that Gramm already is "whining" about how his comments were misinterpreted? They weren't. And given his position as one of McCain's top advisers, this is fair warning -- to those clueless enough to still be in doubt -- about the kinds of economic policies that we can expect from a McCain Administration. The biggest question is whether the media will give McCain a free pass on this, as they have with so many other things, and as they did with Governor Bush in 2000. "Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it."

I have not seen in this story how was he responsible for the ENRON loophole, and how he profited from it after he become exeutive at RBS, and how his wife also profited from it by getting job ate ENRON after she lef the CFTC.

Wow how interesting that a political con would grandstand attitudes questioned by others. So there is truth in scandal and corruption. Former Senators with questionable histories hide there small tears and who cares!

I did not take a risky loan, I got a low fixed rate and shortened the term but after the hurricanes in 04 my insurance and taxes jumped raising my payment by $600 a month.My company's building and infrastructure was wiped out in those three hurricanes that hit and we were told by the SBA that our cash flow was'nt good enough for a low interest loan.(if our cash flow was good we would not have needed a loan. We followed the money and the largest loan grantee was Walmart the purveyor of chinese crap (go figure)). Gore and Clinton had already given a chunk of my industry to China just when we were starting to clear the R&D investment. Outsourcing took hold and we lost another chunk to India.We survived all of that without any help from uncle Sam but his constant meddling in our industry gave another chunk under the free trade act to Mexico. If it wasn't for government interference we would have weathered the crunch we are in now but our customers are cutting back, folding and downsizing while all our costs are escalating as a result I was forced to start liquidating inventories and had to lay off 75% of my employees some of which are like family as they have been with me for 20 years. I haven't taken a paycheck in 6 weeks and have been selling everything thats not nailed down to survive. Next week my family is leaving to live with foreign relatives. We have been eating rice and have cut back on everything(yes we have even been using coupons and buying only what is absolutely necessary and then only when its been onsale.(The sales rotate a little so if you buy ahead you can save alot.)) In order to function we have to buy gas but we have not been able to raise prices sufficiently to cover the doubling of the cost without pricing ourselves out of the market as we compete with the big boys getting the government handouts and incentives. I need the government to get out of the way with their free trade. I need fair trade. The Fed needs to stop screwing the dollar by printing more and more money. Our Goverment and the Fed are the driving force behind inflation. Inflation is killing me and everyone else in the SMB market. Fighting a war we cannot afford, printing money to fund it so that the oil industry, and their conglomerate buddies that have our political representatives in their back pocket can make a fortune while the rest of the nation suffers.
For McCains buddy Gramm to have the unmitigated gaul to say we are not in a recession and its some sort of imaginary crisis tells me that the men in the ivory towers are completely out of touch with reality. I was a republican till I heard that. Now, I will be seriously looking at a third party and voting against every incumbant on the ticket no matter what party affiliation they have.

THANKS PHIL GRAMM, YOU JUST WON ME THE ELECTION.

willey:
did you use the google and search the internets to find that summary of our government that doesn't disagree with anything i said

big daddy:
why do republicans resort to name calling and questioning someone's manhood when they have nothing substantive to say

i invite you to respond to me with something other than "nyah nyah boo boo stick your head in doo doo" if you stop dragging your knuckles long enough to type something

It's good that the McCain team is coordinating their talking points, as John McCain's been talking about how the problems with the economy, gas prices, energy, et al, and his proposals to solve them, are 'mostly psychological', for months now.

Alternative energy? McCain will harness the power of the subconscious, store it in a science-contest-prize battery, and use it to power your new 'horseless carriage'.

Go McCain!

http://www.womenforjohnmccain.com/

Big Daddy, I agree. But the fact regarding the shorter life of the kids is that they get no exercise and are grossly overweight.

I hope to be like one of my grand-fathers who lived to 101 with not many problems, and my mother who only passed away five years ago at 97-1/2. Was not hospitalized until the end.
Exercise and hard work does it, I hope. LOL

Willy,

Maybe maybe not with regards to the shorter life span.

Have a lot of good people (some of mine included) basically rotting away in a nursing home with alzheimers or what have you. sometimes there are aspects of a "long life" that are much overrated.

It depends on how those last 10 -15 - 20 years are played or lived out.

Big Daddy...

"It is the greedy morons who keep buying it up and holding it... they need to get fried!"

Don't you just HATE when that happens. Boo-Hoo. ;)

For once I would like to see a candidate stop talking about what they are going to do... (which is ridiculous in and of itself... because at the end of the day what they do does not affect the macro-economics of the country.) But rather talk about what the PEOPLE can do... because that will affect the macro-economics of the USA and the world as a whole!

It all boils down to this: You've heard the old one about "the times they are a-changin"?

Nope, they've already changed while we were fiddling. It's time to tighten up and live within our means.

Just saw on the internet, where this generation of kids is the first in decades who can expect to live shorter lives than their parents. Scary? Maybe we've had it too good??

gottaluvit:

All I have to say is, eventually when investing you... "gottasellit!" And "Take the money and run...!"

It is the greedy morons who keep buying it up and holding it... they need to get fried! And it is usually large entities who do that... other countries, banks, etc.

But edited to say, releasing a portion of the strategic reserves does NOT help us in the long run. Conservation and new alternatives are the answer (and smaller cars). Now let's hear it from the whiners about the smaller cars.

"This is very reminiscent of Jimmy Carter's remark before the 1980 elections that the nation's economy was gripped by a "malaise", which many people believe ultimately led to his failure to win a second term as President of the United States."

Then there was no doubt that the economy WAS in a malaise.

JC was the first president that I voted for and was the object lesson I learned in that I vote for the best candidate, not the "best" party.

"If we were smart:

Could have bought oil futures when it was $45 per barrel... and would have all but trippled your money to date!

That $10,000 would now be $30,000-"

Maybe we are smarter. This oil bubble is likely to burst some day and those same speculators may be in the same situation as a bunch of sorry real estate "flippers" are right now.

This is very reminiscent of Jimmy Carter's remark before the 1980 elections that the nation's economy was gripped by a "malaise", which many people believe ultimately led to his failure to win a second term as President of the United States. When Carter made this remark, the GOP jumped all over him. Well, the shoe is now on the other foot, and it'll be amusing to watch McSame's attempts to wiggle out of this one. Malaise is defined as: "a general feeling of worry, discontent, or dissatisfaction, often resulting in lethargy." To me, there is no difference between what Carter said and Phil Gramm is now saying as part of McSame's campaign.

Big Daddy, you could have beaten that price. Where I live, in 1931, in the Saudi Arabia of the USA, oil went to 10 CENTS PER BARREL.
The governor called out the guard to shut down the wells. Supply and demand.

Fixing the loopholes?? I can fix it a lot faster than that, (they will probably not be fixed).
Here is where I differ from my compatriots a bit. Release a good portion of the strategic reserve (not enough to put us in danger), and the speculators will be sorry they speculated.

Democrats promised in 2006 if they were elected they would lower gas prices. Since then they have almost doubled. How many pieces of related legislation did democrats and republicans try to pass in 2007 and early 2008?

So speculation was invisible as a potential contributor to gas prices until during the election cycle? How convenient. This means either the democrats never intended to fulfill their promise or they are too dumb to figure out ecomonic changes to stem the high gas prices (judging how they can't seem to understand econ101 supply and demand).

The "Enron" loophole is another piece of liberal fear mongering. Those who claim republicans are the fear mongerers what about libs and global warming? At least terrorism happened.

If we were smart:

Could have bought oil futures when it was $45 per barrel... and would have all but trippled your money to date!

That $10,000 would now be $30,000-

"Take it from one who spent his work lifetime in the energy field. Oil is $4.00 gallon (BTW it's 3.89 here), because of speculators, who could be stopped immediately, if congress had the b---s, and government policy (taxes), and supply and demand."

It's because the speculators making all that money are the politicians themselves or the ones feeding them money. They aren't going to cut off their own face despite their nose.

Liberal constituents:

Jessie "What the hell's in your mouth" Jackson

Al "White folk pay taxes I don't" Sharpton

Fat hog former "queen of nice"

Calipso Louie "nation of slime" Farakhan

Jimmy "can't find the peanuts" Carter

Billy "get on your knees please" Clinton

Majority of the clouded View

Janet "gender identiy crisis" Napalitano

Jennifer "I'm really a Canadian" Granholm

Ted "Envious of my brothers... So I drink... a lot" Kennedy

Majority of HollyWEIRD flakes who play make-believe for a living.

Need I go on... pathetic... Really!

They are like the poster children for misfits! I would be ashamed to associate myself with such undesireables!

willy, would not the repeal of the Enron and London loopholes help stop the speculators? also, is there not legislation pending that would repeal these loopholes?

"there are too many examples of republican corruption to note here, also corruption is a human failing and not the result of any political leaning"

Ah...Democrats are immune to corruption as well. I say give them all sainthoods then.

Quote: "see the people to McBush's left? they both helped create the mess we're in now; Phil worked on legislation that facilitated the suprime crisis, his wife worked on the Enron loophole that has helped get gas to $4/gal (there is also a "London Loophole" that has helped increase gas prices - please research these for yourselves)"

Take it from one who spent his work lifetime in the energy field. Oil is $4.00 gallon (BTW it's 3.89 here), because of speculators, who could be stopped immediately, if congress had the b---s, and government policy (taxes), and supply and demand. Drivers in some European cities, like Amsterdam and Oslo, are paying nearly 3 times more than those in the U.S. The democrats see to it that the demand part is not being met with don't drill there, and don't drill here, and don't spend any money on alternatives, (and I don't mean corn produced energy). Don't put your nuclear plant anywhere near my place, etc.

"republicans use moral issues as a wedge to stay in power; they only care about power and wealth"

And Democrats don't?

there are too many examples of republican corruption to note here, also corruption is a human failing and not the result of any political leaning

also, to the poster regarding Bubba earlier; can we all just get over the bj?
we're all wearing the blue dress now

Yep right on Big Daddy. I've had to buckle down some and make compromises since the belt is getting tighter but my first impulse is to look inward to see what I can change to improve my situation.

Something I think has been lost is what I consider the basic logic to attach freedoms with responsibility. I am fine with people having the freedom to do what they want IF they are willing to have the freedom to accept the responsibility. In my book if you expect to not have to deal with consequences how can you in your right mind expect to have the "freedom" to make others pay for your mistakes?

"if you are middle class and vote republican, please ask yourself why? why do you vote against your own self-interest?"

Because generally voting Democratic doesn't help things either. I give you Jimmy Carter's greatest idea, the Leisure Tax on the rich that put my silly middle-class behind out of work when I was in my 20's and the fact that interest rates ballooned to 14% when he was president and my dad, newely retired from the Air Force was forced to move from a house to a trailer park. Voting simply along party lines is a fools recipe for disaster.

Here is what liberal thinking gets you... besides a bad rash, long dirty hair, birkenstocks, & foolish banter.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A state representative, a former lawmaker and 10 other Democrats were accused of using public employees and taxpayer-owned equipment for political campaign purposes , the result of a probe spurred by nearly $4 million in secret legislative bonuses.

i'm not trying to have a civics lesson and educate those who already know everything; i'm trying to comment on this article and raise some bigger questions

see the people to McBush's left? they both helped create the mess we're in now; Phil worked on legislation that facilitated the suprime crisis, his wife worked on the Enron loophole that has helped get gas to $4/gal (there is also a "London Loophole" that has helped increase gas prices - please research these for yourselves)

he helped create this mess and then calls us whiners, these are the people in power and they are the ones making the rules, this is only one of example

the past seven years have been nothing but "crony capitalism" and a dismantling of the constitution

who do you think has benefited from a war based on lies? follow the money

this country is turning into a fascist state where power is the corporations and they control the government; the profit motive has become the supreme law of the lan

if you are middle class and vote republican, please ask yourself why? why do you vote against your own self-interest?

republicans use moral issues as a wedge to stay in power; they only care about power and wealth

Warren Buffett has said that there is class-warfare, and that his class is winning

and for all you anti-tax nut jobs out there, what do you think pays for your aircraft carriers, jets, tanks, and bombs that blow people up?

To add to my comment here are some things to do first if you want to legitimately complain "that you can't pay the bills" in my opinion.

Conserve gas only drive where you need to
Clip coupons
Buy generic brand foods where they are equivalent
Don't go to the bar
Quit smoking
Dont buy excessively priced electronics
Don't buy things like new furniture or tools unless replacement is truly needed

If you are not following any of the above and are complaining about paying your bills you are making a lifestyle choice plain and simple. I make a good living but could be making more but I make compromises between work and free time. Stop with the jealousy, greed and envy of "rich people", buckle down, and do something to get there.

Well said Cryos!

Many of us are going through tough financial times... for me to look to the government to fix my problems is to sell myself short and the freedoms and opportunities short that the USA allows me.

My situation and everyone else's is their own responsibility! Man the "F" up and quit looking for the government to rescue your ass... that is not their business!

Their business is to be invisible to us... that is Freedom! The hell out of our lives and wallets!

Uh Yeah, I know that there are 3 branches.
Government 101:

The President of the United States ADMINISTERS the Executive Branch of our government. He ENFORCES the laws that the Legislative Branch (Congress) MAKES. The President is elected by United States citizens, 18 years of age and older, who vote in the presidential elections in their states. These votes are tallied by states and form the Electoral College system. States have the number of electoral votes which equal the number of senators and representatives they have. It is possible to have the most popular votes throughout the nation and NOT win the electoral vote of the Electoral College.

The Legislative part of our government is called Congress. Congress MAKES OUR LAWS. Congress is divided into 2 parts. One part is called the Senate. There are 100 Senators--2 from each of our states. Another part is called the House of Representatives. Representatives meet together to discuss ideas and decide if these ideas (bills) should become laws. There are 435 Representatives. The number of representatives each state gets is determined by its population. Some states have just 2 representatives. Others have as many as 40. Both senators and representatives are elected by the eligible voters in their states.

The Judicial part of our federal government includes the Supreme Court and 9 Justices. They are special judges who INTERPRET laws according to the Constitution. These justices only hear cases that pertain to issues related to the Constitution. They are the highest court in our country. The federal judicial system also has lower courts located in each state to hear cases involving federal issues.

JKP:

Therein lies the problem! TOO damn many laws by your liberal progressive socialist (Communist) democrat! You libs all want laws to protect this and save that! How 'bout you get a backbone and protect and save yourself!

Two questions I have: Why does it seem that most liberal men are sissys (ala Barak Obama, Alan Combs, Harry Reid) and most liberal women are butch bulls (ala Janet Napalitano, Hillary Clinton)? I think you have your X's and Y's out of place...!

"Are all Republicans anti-american terrorists???...or just the ones currently in power?"

"He should have said that ALL DEMOCRATS, LIBERALS, PROGRESSIVES are nothing more than whiners!"

Both side's B.S. partisan idiocy makes me want to puke.

Wake up!

Lol this thread shows the truth of his statement. Right on Stephen. A lot of the spoiled brats think that hard living is having to buy hamburger instead of steak and cod instead of salmon.

I have respect for people that work hard and have bad luck but that is far from the majority. The majority want no compromise. They want to spend their money on cigarettes, alcohol, partying, expensive electronics, etc and then have other people pay for their basic necessities.

Sorry but your partial high school education and having kids too young doesn't mean other people should have to foot the bill for your mistakes yet you should have all your "freedoms." America becomes more clueless every day.

McCain will receive a mandate from the American voter!

Obama will not even get 35% of the vote!

Watch... learn... see...

Are all Republicans anti-american terrorists???...or just the ones currently in power?

JKP

No, I don't consider myself a Republican or a Democrat...I tend to vote for whoever I think will make the right decisions and provide the best leadership. I'm just not very good at sorting through all the lies and false promises.

I see what you are saying. The Executive branch's decisions are still under the scrutiny of the legislative branch. That is why the president can send the country to war on short notice, but it takes an act of congress to sustain the conflict if necessary. The system is set up to keep the Executive branch on a short leash. And the Judiciary writes the laws. The Executives ability to pick which laws are innacted is limited.

i guess too many republicans have been hannitized, limbaughed, and bortzed

i must be responding to republicans since the responses i get are not on point and just serve to deflect from the real argument

"congress is not the only body who makes law; all three branches of government make law - you did know there were three i hope"

Yes, but the most important (i.e. the one that holds the purse strings, the final arbitrators of government policy) is the legislative branch.

I'd like to know how I'm a fool for saying if you don't have enough money to live on, you don't need to have priveledges. A person can survive on rice/beans and water for an extrodinary amount of time. You can buy a months word of rice and beans for less than two dollars a day for a 3 person family. Do people who are losing their houses and complianing they can't buy food looking for a very inexpensive way to eat? Not from what I've seen.

I'm guessing "McCain is a panderer", who called me out, also believes that a drivers license is a right. It's not. Driving is a privilege. I'm not a republican, I'm not a democrat. I'm someone who believes in using common sense in life. Too bad the majority of this country doesn't have or doesn't use any sense.

congress is not the only body who makes law; all three branches of government make law - you did know there were three i hope

as for pardons, just watch out what happens as we get closer to the end of King George II's reign

"Look it up, the legislative branch makes the laws."

It's true. That's why you have to laugh when ANY presidential candidate gets in front of the American people and makes a bunch of fool promises he (or she) cannot deliver except at the behest of the congressional cronies.

Quote: "for those who do not think that the President makes law, have you ever heard of signing statements, executive orders, and choosing which laws will be enforced?"

You mean like the last minute pardons by Bubba??

For those like you, have you ever heard of the courts and the veto power of congress?

Look it up, the legislative branch makes the laws.

Damn RIGHT I'm whining. Prices for everything are going sky-high, whereas wages are not, and my Master's Degree'd husband can't find a different, better paying job, and he's been looking for two years. We've stopped driving, stopped eating out, are living as frugally as possible, and we STILL can't get ahead. Unless Senator Gramm is going to do something to help the little people out, I suggest he get off his damn pedestal and see what life is like for people who DON'T take money under the table from lobbyists. Pompous windbag.

Quote: "Um, I'm pretty sure those awful socialist countries like Sweden and Canada wouldn't trade their standards of living, higher education levels, better health, more equal societies, better human rights records, less shocking poverty and longer lives for your right-wing fantasy in a million years.

Socialism seems pretty great if you think about it and drop the anachronositic hysterica of past eras."

Um, I guess the fact that 9 Canadian doctors are living and practicing in my small city of 95,000 proves that they were more than happy to immigrate from the great socialist country of Canada.

"Socialism seems pretty great if you think about it and drop the anachronositic hysterica of past eras."

You mean the anachronositic hysterica of the past like Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea and the, all-time mass murder prize winner of the world, China?

Socialism ignores mans innate desire to make something better of himself and lumps him in as another member of the cowed serving class for the political elites. Our system may be in a mess right now, but with some fixing it still is the better for anyone who values personal freedom.

for those who do not think that the President makes law, have you ever heard of signing statements, executive orders, and choosing which laws will be enforced?

zz1204:

FYI: You can pretty much take to the bank that it will be civil war before the USA will become socialist / communist! AND... I wold bet the farm on who would win too!

Given the fact that our military is overwhelmingly Republican...

So, go ahead and shelve that commie bastard talk!

If Obama really has all the answers... why won't he do the "town-hall" meetings with McCain?

I'll tell you why: Because he is a tele-prompter reader who does not know what to say... he mearly reads what to say.

The guy is clueless beyond the pale!

Um, I'm pretty sure those awful socialist countries like Sweden and Canada wouldn't trade their standards of living, higher education levels, better health, more equal societies, better human rights records, less shocking poverty and longer lives for your right-wing fantasy in a million years.

Socialism seems pretty great if you think about it and drop the anachronositic hysterica of past eras.

Posted by: zzz1204 | July 10, 2008 12:35 PM

Those are relatively small countries with largely homogeneous populations. They never had a large underclass population to begin with and the poverty pimp politicians or social problems that go along with the underclass. It won't work here because there are too damn many people that think it's their right to bilk the system for all it's worth.

American needs to harden the f*ck up! (look for Chopper videos on youtube if you don't know what this means).

"These guys obviously have no clue as to how the 'other half' lives...must be nice..."

Yeah, I do, above your means. On credit.

The TV commercial "help me, I'm up to my eyeballs in debt", comes to mind.

Owl:

Your rant is "changed" but the story is the "same"...

Obama can't even run his household... what the hell makes you think he can run a country?

McCain is not my first choice... NOT conservative enough... but at least he will get things done! Obama does not have a snowballs chance in hell of getting what he wants done... McCain has and will work with the other half to make forward movement! I for one (good, bad, or indifferent) would like to see those Senators and Congressmen earn their $150K+++ salaries! I am sure a lot of you out there could use a $150K salary!

"But you keep voting Republican, they need the support of every idiot in the US to stay in power!

LOL. That's right, blame it on the republicans. The president does not make the laws, the Congress does. Who was in power during the "great" years of Clinton. That's right, the republicans came into power in the congress shortly after he was elected and were still in power when he left.
Who is in power in Congress, now in the great downturn, that's right, the democrats.

Will some never learn??

These guys obviously have no clue as to how the 'other half' lives...must be nice...

First of all, I had to laugh at someone saying that what made America great was in part being "held accountable for your actions". I haven't seen an iota of accountability coming from the Bush administration's sorry excuse for "leadership" in the past eight years...as with most Republicans, they are content to swagger and bluster their pompous bravado with a switch in one hand and a Bible in the other for any who are naive enough to laugh it up.

I'm not saying the Democrats are any better. Far from it. They've squandered multiple chances to change the course of this country for the better; and no excuses will ever make up for that in my eyes. (For the record, I'm an independent voter)

Which brings me to the main subject. Americans, whiners? It's easy to say for someone who has as much money as this slimebag and his wife have. Or McCain and his Barbarella-gone-Bad wife. They don't know what it's like to have to sweat bullets when you see your gas tank almost on E and not have enough money to fill it up again. Or going from paycheck to paycheck without having anything left to put into your savings account (those "Golden years" look pretty dismal for people in my generation at this point). Or coming out of retirement because you cannot afford not to work yet will be penalised for working. Or selling your possessions because one of your loved ones is terminally ill and you have to have extra funds in order just to survive. Or selling your home...one of the cornerstones of that tarnished, sullied American Dream...and living in a tent community on a beach (yes, it's true, and my thoughts are with those displaced).

It's easy for someone to point a finger when they are never faced with those hard decisions.

However, I will agree that Americans are spoiled. We are. When you walk into any department or grocery store, you are assailed by a torrent of unending choices. 100 different kinds of breakfast cereal. 50 different kinds of toothpaste. 25 different kinds of orange juice. And that's just the tip of the iceberg (and, funnily enough, despite this parade of choices, we only have two people to choose from for who will lead our country for four to eight years...I've always thought something is fundamentally wrong with that for a country that brags about being so "progressive").

Still, isn't part of the American Dream, and a cornerstone of our capitalist lives, the luxury of being able to have those things? To be able to choose what kind of toothpaste you want or what flavor of orange juice you prefer. Why should we be forced to sell our homes, our vehicles, just to be able to live comfortably? And if you think we are not in an actual recession, please...take some time to drain the sand from your ears...the ones who are reaping the profits now threaten to write history with one of its darkest chapters.

We are spoiled, yes...but whiners? An adage about being born with a silver spoon immediately charges to mind. If you've had to fight, suffer, fall down, crawl on your hands and knees, and pick yourself back up again, I think you have the right to complain whenever you damn want to. Especially when you see an entire generation of politicians so adamantly stuck in a closed loop of confused ideals and misplaced ethics, they think America is the same as it was in the 1950's.

WAKE UP. IT'S NOT.

I urge everyone to make a difference this November and vote. This will be the most important election in our lifetimes...you can either have more of the same, or change. What do you think is more needed in America right now? What do you think is more important? For those who think our economy is "just fine"...

...WAKE UP. IT'S NOT.

Michael:

52 huh? Hope you were not a hippy! They are the "Che Gueverra" on the bottom of your shoe if you walk behind your dog.

Downsized 7 years ago... and that is GW's administration fault? Mmmm don't know what math you use... but that does not quite add up!

In case you haven't noticed ... Congress is run by the democRATS and they / it has the WORST approval rating in HISTORY at 9%!

That's like Jimmy Carter approval ratings... Do you not remember what happened when in the 70's things got tough and all the sheeple voted in this smooth talk'n democrat that was going to help the common man! That PU$$Y who could not even do what it took to save a hostage or 52!

Not to mention HE MADE THE ECONOMY WORSE with his stupid policy stance!

If you looking to place blame for your "downsizing" blame the company who did not properly predict nor forsee the challenges ahead. They were reactive instead of proactive and thus had to let people go!

Gramm's comments are correct. We are a nation of whinners. We would be in a terrible state if we had another war like WW II. I live near a high school in a middle class neighborhood and see all the autos driven by the students, new and some very expensive. There is no young person in my smaller city who will mow lawns for money as everyone has "lawn" people and it's too hot for the young males in the family. We not used to hard work anymore, sacrificing and conserving on gasoline, air conditioning, entertainment, etc. We pay pro athelics astronomical salaries as are the "Hollywood" spoiled brats. We have lost our way as a nation. It is easier to get a divorse and abortion than to attempt to fix a relationship or place a child for adoption. He is correct.

Willy...

I'm ALL for term limits for congress. But it will never happen. Since they are the final arbitrators of such a decision (as we will never get to vote on it) might as well ask the political cronies commit suicide as give up their power.

I do believe alot of media bias is at work here. I think if Obama is elected presdient, things will magically be wonderful and hard times will be "spun" and glossed over into good times. I saw that happen in Clintons last two years in office, where every day I pick up a newspaper, this company was laying off 10,000 people and that company 9.000 people...but things were just peachy keen.

Undoubtedly Gramm is promoting the agenda of those who subsidize him, as he has done ever since he entered politics as a servant of oil interests in his home state. He took hundreds of thousands of dollars from energy and financial interests as a congressman and then as a senator, rising to the chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee, where he could really perform major favors. He is famed for slipping in an amendment desired by Enron Corp. back when his wife was on that doomed company's board. His employment by UBS, a company that recently warned some of its executives to avoid entering the United States for fear of criminal prosecution, demands fresh scrutiny of him

Sorry Big Daddy, been working all my life, but times are tough after being downsized about 7 years ago. Now 52 and making about a third of what I used to. But you keep voting Republican, they need the support of every idiot in the US to stay in power!

gottaluvit. You have hit the nail on the head. Make the "representatives" represent the voters by term limits.

Where I come from, the state legislature meets only for 90 days, every two years, and that's too much. Leave the government out of our business.
Our state has the 15th largest economy in the world, so we must be doing something right.

What is all this stuff about a "Swiss Bank Account"?

Apparently you are thinking of a "Private Swiss Bank Account". It is relatively easy for an American to open a regular Swiss Bank Account without being a millionaire or even a "thousandaire".

!When you take an exam in college and fail, its your fault.

When 30 people take the same test in college and fail, its the professors fault.

When you buy a home and lose it to forclosure its your fault.

When 50 million people buy homes and lose it to forclosure its.....

You can fill in the blanks, but the answer is NOT "their fault." Its either the banks, the gov't, or the poor way the economy is run.

!ding!

chuckle. He's an economist .. economists PRETEND to function in the world of real science ... when in fact, what they talk of as concrete relationships (demand and supply etc) are merely functional models to explain what we observe. They actually don't necessarily exist and have to be redefined under differing ideology. So our friend Gramm knows a little somethin' somethin' .... it IS truly a figment of our imagination in many ways. He taught economics for years, and certainly knows it as illusion. They must laugh at us sometimes. Or maybe a lot of times. Don't you think that - sitting in those country clubs ... laughing that congress would actually subpoena one of them - because to them, the law is also an illusion, as is the constitution. See those things were put in place to control US. We think it is real ... they function as though it is not.

Michael:

I suppose you are the one that is standing in line collecting the money taken out of my pay check... you haven't the IQ to call a dog an idiot.

There is more opportunity in the USA than any other country in the world!

The USA has MORE OPPORTUNITY than any other country in the world!

Tell me one place where you have more opportunity to make money in the world than here... JUST ONE!

Tell the millions of Mexicans (other Latin Americans), Chinese (and other Asians), Middle Easterners, etc. that come here for the opportunity! Tell them that the opportunity is taken away here...

YOU are ignorant & naive beyond explination!

Well, he has a point. Americans in general have become a bunch of uneducated, irresponsible, fopish, sedentary whiners. But the government in culpable in that at many levels, primarily in it's failed education policies and by out-of-control big government's intrusions into our individual freedoms.

It doesn't matter if it's the holier-than-thou Democratic party or the imperious Republican party. Our elected REPRESENTATIVES represent themselves and their rich benefactors and not the people.

Imagine this a wet brain (living in denial) top economic adviser for McCain who is following a dry drunk president.

J. McDougles:

Socialism is but a stepping stone to communism. "Give us all your hard earned money and we'll take care of you!"

When the hell has the government done anything remotely correct to warrent us giving them our money via taxes for your so called "democratic socialism?"

If you want to vote for more than a show puppet... the President of the United States must have some level of executive prevlidge! Otherwise, it is nothing more than a joke! Right now... Congress with an approval rating of 9% (way to go dem controlled Congress) runs the country... Your Nancy Palosi & Harry Reid (IQ lacking much)!

Conservatism is the only way to go... Don't touch my effing money and I won't need your effing programs!

Pretty simple!

No one whines louder than a rich republican complaining about the peasants.

People need to learn a little about world economics especially in an election year. Europeans are paying around $9 for gas. Bush sure gets around doesn't he. The facts behind gas and steel prices surges is world demand. Of course, if Bush was half a man he could stop that. I am sure Obama will tell the rest of the world to quit buying oil, steel and food so we Americans can have an abundant supply. Think outside the box folks and investigate what we Americans can do to conserve so the demand will not be so great. Unfortunately neither candidate is emphazing that issue. Did you know that, if everyone on earth lived the lifestyle that the average American lives. It would take 5 to 6 worlds to supports the earth's population. just something from outside the box

Big Daddy - you are a idiot. People like Gramm and Fiorina take away the "opportunity" by destrying our economy while lining the pockets of a few. How many jobs did they eliminate at Enron and HP? Carly got fired after failing at HP and walked off with a 21 million payoff.

He's right this is a nation of whiners, give me, give me!! Poor me, poor me, thats all everyone wants is someone to give them something. No one wants to work for anything, they want the "Government" to give them everything, who is the "Government"?? TAX PAYERS thats who, you left wing, obama loving,socialist,communist need to get off your a-- and work for a living like the rest of us and stop mouching off us workers.

There is only one thing wrong with Gramm's comment:

He should have said that ALL DEMOCRATS, LIBERALS, PROGRESSIVES are nothing more than whiners!

If you want something... do it your damn self! The taxes we pay are and should only be for infrastructure, military/security, police, schools, & cultivating our natural resources.

The rest, including the Senators $160K salaries are retarded!

Tell Obama to put his money where his mouth is... he makes enough from his books now... tell him to forego his Government salary. See how much he cares then... you naive sheeple!

McCain or Gramm. Two old cranky goats. Out with the old, in with the new.

Bid Daddy,

Look up Fascism, and it matches a lot more closely how Republicans tie mega-corporations and religion to government... and stoke nationalism and racism in order to consolidate power in a Unitary Executive... a lot more closely than Democratic Socialism (like in Denmark, the "happiest" nation of people on the planet) to Communism.

Face it. Republicans are Fascist Lite... although admittedly they've killed more innocent civilians in the name of corporate profit than Hitler ever did. So maybe they aint so Lite after all, just light in their loafers like Larry Craig and Jeff Gannon Guckert.

Having had a few more minutes to think about this, I would love to make a suggestion to Phil Gramm:

Let go of your Swiss Bank connections for a couple of weeks, and live on MY income, pull your hair out over MY monthly budget, buy MY gasoline and groceries, and then talk to me about "mental" recession and whining!

Or, as Bob Dylan once said: "I wish that for just one time, you could stand inside my shoes; you'd know what a drag it is to see you!"

For all you ignorant democrats out there:

America is supposed to be the "Land of Opportunity!" NOT the land of "Oh you're poor... so let me get some of that rich guys cash and get you a hand up my brotha!"

Liberal, Progressive, Democrat, Left of Center: YOU ARE ALL nothing more than communists! Look up the definition of communism and your policies... and the virtually match!

"yeah let me whine a little more when I vote these jokers out of the white house next fall..."

Vote out all the "jokers" that you want, republican or democrat. It won't do a bit of good and hasn't in the past. Voting for term limits for your congressperson is the only thing that will cut the reckless spending. The congress makes the laws, not the president or the administrative branch.

McCain's people think we're whiners huh?

Well, I guess not all of us are immoral enough to leave our first wives after a car accident and marry a sugar momma who gives us an allowance for our gambling habit.

McCain's wife pays for his lifestyle and he's still sucking down $50k per year in full disability from the US Government. What a fraud. He owns 8 houses and is living on the dole because he can't move his arm? WTF do you have to move your arm for when you sit in a chair for a living?

The FAKE TALK EXPRESS.

John McCain for president?

Are Republicans on crack?

LOL. "Go back to your country club."

I'll be on my way soon. And W is NOT my buddy.

Do you think I agree with the war?? We're in the wrong place.

Treyshaun:

... I was going to respond to your moronic post... but you know what...? Your name says it all for any logical American!

1) We're not in a recession yet. The economy is still projected to grow 0.9% in 2008 so far. Yes that sucks, but it's not a recession.

2) We ARE whiners here... just turn on any US news network. Whining gets them ratings so that's all they show.

3) It is true that Repubs don't get blue coller workers, but those blue-coller workers still don't get that the world economy is changing and if they don't quit their whining and keep up they're going to be left behind.

And Even Obama won't be able to save them then...

yeah let me whine a little more when I vote these jokers out of the white house next fall...

Quote: "Looks like he put all his cash in a Swiss bank too."

You can too, and you don't have to be wealthy. I'd advise it strongly about now.

hey willy - looks like you have all the solutions...10-12 billion a month to save the arabs from themselves, then no money left for the veterans when they get back - that is not whining that is just treason - your friend "W" has cut taxes for the billionaires and stuck the rest of us with the bills. I'd like to run my personal budget like "W" runs this country, spend spend spend with no qualms about how to pay for anything...no plans, just tax cuts.

no whining here - just the facts.

We had a surplus until your buddy "W" cut taxes , increased spending, started an unjustified war, and now a couple trillion dollars later we have such great progress for this country, between the housing crunch, dollar at an all time low, gas which used to cost 1 dollar per gallon and is now approaching 5 dollars per gallon, wonderful international relations that is bringing peace to the planet..

"W" and McBush have done such a great job.

Go back to your country club.

Shawn, how well I know. I travel to Europe often. It is all according to how your government spends the tax money. Most of them choose to spend it wisely on the things that matter. We are a nation of whiners and slobs. When I travel in Germany, I asked a friend, "do you have someone cleaning the highways all of the time, they are so clean". His reply "no, why throw something out that you will have to pay someone else to pick up".

Yeah, I'm sure the economy loooks pretty good for Phil Gramm, after all, hes one of the crooks who is responsible for destroying it. Looks like he put all his cash in a Swiss bank too. With people like Gramm and Fiorina working for him, I'm sure McCain really "feels the pain" of the average people struggling to get by today!

Obama is nothing more that a COMMUNIST in a liberals clothing!

Not to mention the small fact that I would take the words of the man who runs a multi-billion dollar bank in UBS than I would an ignornat, 45 year old, ghetto community organizer... who has never run anything, including, his household! His big mouthed wife wears those pants!

Quote: "If you have any dignity and concern for this country, for the ideals of the founding fathers, and for trying to save this planet from the fascists who took over this great country then please make the right choice."

Actually, the FOUNDING FATHERS did NOT trust the vote of the common people. That is the reason that the USA is a republic and not a democracy. A republic is where you vote for a representative and then he/she votes anyway that he/she wants, sometimes taking into account how his constituency feels.
In a democracy, the majority vote rules.

willy wrote: "And their taxes are much higher. Ever hear of cradle to grave socialism?? It ain't cheap."
*************************

Yet they still have as much disposable income, more security, a higher standard of living, better health and longer lives, lower rates of extreme poverty and stronger families.

What a nightmare!

Actually, it's become a nation of crooks and you Mr. Gramm are just another one of them.

"A Nation of Whiners"??

Yep, for example, swl's post.

Want to know how much this war actually costs?

Consider the costs...

$5,840 per household.
$2,147 per person.
$341.4 million per day.

And then people say this has no effect on the economy?

Government is the problem?

But government is supposed to be We the People (of, by, and for).

If you take power out of the government's hands (that is, out of the hands of We the People), then you are putting the power into the corporate hands.

I'd prefer the power stay with We the People.

tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut tax cut

oh wait

how are we going to pay for things ?? who needs bridges and roads and military benefits...who needs social security, medicare, medicade? who needs to pay teachers and police and firemen?? Who needs levees and disaster relief? who needs potable water and food inspections? who needs any of this??

not McBush with his plastic wife and her 1 million a month credit card charges...they and Phil Graham and the neo cons are fine !!

If you are selfish feel free to vote for McBush.

If you have any dignity and concern for this country, for the ideals of the founding fathers, and for trying to save this planet from the fascists who took over this great country then please make the right choice.

Quote: "and Europe generally has a higher standard of living than we do."

And their taxes are much higher. Ever hear of cradle to grave socialism?? It ain't cheap.

Premier wrote: "Sorry Obama, you can't take back what you have said in MI and OH."
________________

I guarantee you Obama will win MI and OH, especially after this.

This comment deserves all the press it gets. Like has already been said, shout it from the rooftops.

It's not really an issue of whether the statement is true or not. It's what the statement says about the person who made it. It says that this person is without empathy, does not live under the pressure that the average American lives under, and doesn't want to know about it, couldn't care less about it, wants those who will decide the fate of his political party to shut up and not bother him about it.

Who do our political leaders think they work for? Who do they think actually makes their jobs exist? If they don't care what we think, then what reason do we have to continue to hire them?

McCain is in a mental recession.

McCain:
"Vote for me - All the problems you have are in your mind, so what are you worring about, my friend!?"

Nobody whines louder and longer than a Republican leader complaining about the peasants.

"Our administration is concerned about deficits, and the way they deal with deficits is you want to control spending. And I hope Congress lives up to their words. When they talk about deficits, they can join us in making sure we don't overspend. They can join us and make sure that the appropriations process is focused on those issues that -- those items that are absolutely necessary to the American people. I'm pleased that members of the Congress are talking about deficits. It means they understand their obligations not to overspend the people's money."

President Bush,
Remarks by the President in Photo Opportunity with His Cabinet
Jan. 6, 2003

Wendy "dragon lady" Gramm

From Salon.com:

"Gramm thinks the system works just fine. After all, she pocketed an estimated $2 million as an Enron director.

Gramm joined Enron's board after chairing the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission, where she issued regulations that legalized the type of electricity trading that helped Enron make millions in illegal profits (on Gramm's watch as a director). As a member of Enron's audit committee, Gramm found nothing wrong with accounting tricks that inflated earnings and siphoned money to selected executives in violation of company rules, if not federal laws. Coincidentally, Enron also delivered campaign cash to Gramm's husband, former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, and now provides that arch opponent of big government with his first private-sector job in decades at the Swiss bank UBS, which owns the rump of Enron's energy trading operations. "

http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2004/01/28/wendy_gramm/

While I may not agree with his politics, sometimes. I certainly agree that we are a nation of whiners.
Grow up in the great depression, live through the rationing of WW2, and then you can whine.
We've had it too good.

Re: A new movement

Yes "the United States has 'become a nation of whiners.'" Please tell the automakers do not whine about Japanese automakers that make better cars than them.

The United States has become the nation of pandering, a new movement of political pandering initiated by Senator Obama.

If automakers have time whining, they should invest their time and money to develop better cars than Japanese as well as "the right cars" that are environmentally-friendly.

Sorry Obama, you can't take back what you have said in MI and OH.

JakeD in the place, tryin' to check your face
Throwin' down some rhymin' 'bout the presidential race
No no Nobama, ain't no way
that me an' my girl Sherry Kay
are gonna vote for you
And though you might get through
And be inspected, selected, elected,
(rejected by me and by Sherry Kay,
but ain't nobody listen to us anyway)
Though you might be elected, damn you might even be
The best president that I will ever see, even so
I ain' gon' be wid it, that's for sure
Look at the situation, examine the fact
I will not support Obama because he is

Phil & Wendy Graham..Let's see..Phil Graham helped push through the Enron Loophole while his lovely wife sat on Enron's board. Also, Senator Graham's efforts at deregulation introduced the entire system of mortgage backed securities whereby banks could bundle mortgage instruments with other similar mortgages, and sell them as securities.

Phil & Wendy..Two people even a mother could hate.

"Like most republicans who drag out this old song and dance, it helps you to pretend that you're not being cold and inconsiderate when it comes to your fellow Americans."

Studies show REPUBLICANS ACROSS ALL INCOME LEVELS GIVE MORE TIME AND MONEY TO CHARITY THAN DEMOCRATS.

If you want to generalize from those studies you could make this conclusion. Republicans actually believe in personal responsibility so actually help others themselves. Democrats are greedy and like the notion of helping others so vote to have others help rather than do something themselves.

Another group, UNDER THE BUS
There's much to whine about with McCain, he's out of touch with his own party, conservatives and anyone that might even consider voting with him, let's look at the record:
- McCain-Finegold, one of the most unconstitutional pieces of legislation passed by Congress in recent history, most of it now overturned by the Supreme Court. But it does spotlight the mindset of McCain toward civil rights and freedom of speech. McCain would restrict both.
- Speaking of freedom of speech, witness his dealings with his supporters. At a rally in Ohio a comedian used BHO's full name....McCain, under the bus.
In North Carolina, the RNC compared the Democratic candidate to BHO's, Rev. Wright's anti-American views in an ad..... under the bus.
Any Republican supporter not towing the line.....under the bus.
Any Moderate not towing his line....under the bus.
- On immigration, McCain's solution is to just, "LET IT BE", "don't rock the boat" and "we don't need borders". As to border patrol doing their jobs and then prosecuted for it, McCain's response, ....under the bus.
So it should come as no surprise that there's a lot of whining

Yay! Another Republican telling us we are wrong and they are right. I am a hard working American, middle manager, driving a Chevy getting 22 mpg ($390 monthly), paying $4.08 for Exxon ($320 monthly) and $2200+ ($185 month)to Met Life for auto insurance. Thats $895 a month! Thanks Mr. Gramm for reminding me I'm just full of @#%^^&*(. I'm voting Democratic with my eyes closed because of your arogant party!

Cyros,

Where in the hell do you get your statistics?

"According to statistics even the poorest Americans live in the top 3% of standard of living in the world."

Here I didn't think that there was anyone as out of touch with average American's as McCain. Looks like we have a contender and not surprisingly, he's on the McCain "team".

After his picks of Gramm and the CEO that ruined HP and Lucent for his campaign I'm pretty scared of who McCain would put in cabinet positions if he somehow miraculously got elected.

Actually, I also agree with Sen. Gramm - we are a nation of whiners...and we do need to toughen up...and Sen. Obama will help get us there.

Did you notice Cindy's tailored leather jacket? It cost more than I make in a month...am I whining? NOPE...I am pissed off that McBush thinks he knows what's good for me.

Gramm misses the point. We export, yes, but we export cheap junk. Meanwhile, Germany, Japan and other countries are the major tech exporters. Growth is "increasing" and unemployment doesn't look too bad because they have changed (doctored) how they tabulate the figures over the years, so it's like comparing apples to oranges. Thirty years ago the largest employer in the U.S. was GM, with an average hourly rate, adjusted for today's inflation, of $40 an hour. Today the country's largest employer is Wal-Mart, at just over $8 an hour. Tells you something.

"2: People would actualy be able to go into bankruptsy."

I know several people who took advantage of bankruptcy laws 10 years ago, charged up 10s of thousands of dollars in debt and got to keep their assets with minimal consequences. I love it the same people who want to absolve personal responsibility from individuals demand we regulate business from doing the same thing. It's too bad these people can't see the hypocrisy.

"3: We would have had more oil reserves."

We would have more oil if the left haven't blocked drilling and refining the last 30 years. Then there is an economic crisis largely due to supply and demand and the democrats use a "it won't help us now" answer. Are they really that shortsighted or stupid? 30 years ago if they did something we'd be fine. Bush pushed ANWAR in 2003 and even if we did something then we would be close to more supply. Oh well I'm applying too much logic that will get in the way of people's ideals.

McLame and Dubya - what a pair of buffoons! Neither has any idea as to how difficult it is to make a go of things in this economy. But wait, there is hope...his name is OBAMA. Vote early and often in November.

Clearly Phil Gramm is both an expert in economics and mental illness. Oh wait, he's just throwing out trite, played-out stereotypes of both.

Stephen showed the fool he is by writing:
"If you can't buy food, you don't need a cell phone.
If you can't buy food, you don't need cigaretts.
If you can't buy food, you don't need to get your hair, nails, make up, gym membership, etc.
If you can't buy food, you don't need to buy a soda at the gas station.
If you can't buy food, you don't need a big screen tv, or cable, or internet.

I agree with the former senator that the majority of the citizens of this country are whiners."

Typical republican misinformed rant. I'm going to guess that you've never actually lived in poverty or bothered to spend time with those that do. I know it helps if you believe that all welfare recipients are sitting in their mansions, watching big-screen TVs, and driving around in BMWs.

Of course, the reality is that there are a lot of people in this country who struggle to put a single decent meal on the table for their family. Like most republicans who drag out this old song and dance, it helps you to pretend that you're not being cold and inconsiderate when it comes to your fellow Americans. You can pretend that it's all their fault and that they don't deserve your sympathy while you put on the blinders and look the other way.

Hopefully enough Americans are starting to see through this bogus load of cr@p that the right-wing keeps trying to sell them. Given recent polls it looks like they are.

Moderate Guy wrote: "Government is the problem, not the solution. We were much better off before income taxes, social security, medicare, etc. All the vast government programs just crush us with taxes."
**********************

Um, WRONG.

Actually, we have more than halved our poverty rate since those initiatives were introduced, and Europe generally has a higher standard of living than we do.

What would have been different had Gore been president. 1: Congress and the President would have passed long ago an energy bill that would have paced minimum miles per gallons for non-commercial vehicels. Why we don't? Bush blamed his opposition to legislation on soccer mom's when he should have just been a man and said tough doody. 2: People would actualy be able to go into bankruptsy. Why not? Bus chagned the bakruptsy laws. 3: We would have had more oil reserves. Why we don't Bush thought he could get more oil by going to war instead he ended up wasting the oil we had. 4: We might have higher taxes...= less debt = stable econmoy. Bush risked going into debt to fund a war without getting money to fund it. Now the govermetn does not have the ablity to bali out homeowners, buisnesses, cap gas prices, etc. What an idiot Bush has been.

I guess when you have 8 houses and marry a billionaire heiress you can pretend the economy is doing great and real people aren't struggling.

People are going to vote for this guy? WHY?

Government is the problem, not the solution. We were much better off before income taxes, social security, medicare, etc. All the vast government programs just crush us with taxes.

We have become a nanny state just like western europe. Once universal health care is in place it will be complete.

I want a candidate who makes no promises to fix anything except lower taxes and wasteful government spending. I'll take care of the rest myself, just stay out of my way.

Canuck... please educate us on what is right about this picture regarding our economy:

1. We are paying trillions of dollars on a war with no objective.

2. Our energy policy is to ignore smart ways to cut demand and to rattle sabres in the middle east to drive oil prices up.

3. We have turned a record surplus into a mega deficit in short order through a fiscal policy which is philosophically similar to giving an 18 year old in a dorm room a credit card and a Best Buy catalogue.

4. We have a national debt that is climbing very high and making the dollar weaker and weaker... yet for some reason I don't see the tourism in the US increasing the way it should with a weak dollar because of the gas prices. Kinda a perfect storm. Also, why aren't exports doing a lot better?

5. We have deregulated ourselves into a mortgage crisis, but we still have morons telling us this is a good thing??? Why?

Phil Graham is his econ wonk????!!!! Is this a joke?

Canuck right on. So many americans now (in my opinion mostly the left) don't realize what we have and somehow expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter.

They whine about problems that "the government" should solve as they sit on their butts and do nothing to help themselves. The loss in prominence of Darwinism in America is just making it worse.

The only reason we have what we do is because of previous generations and we're slowly eroding it away rather than improving on the mistakes made and learning from our successes.

In my book you only have a "right" to what you earn and work for. The entitlement crowd is amazing. They think they should have no education, work a crappy job and make a good living.

In my opinion if you are on subsidizies or welfare you can live in minimal sized apartments and eat beans, rice and bread. It's not my problem you decided to drop out of high school and have 3 kids by 21 years old. Guess what deal with the consequences you want to act like trash you should get to live like it.

Dear Senator McLame -

Not all of us can marry a millionaire wife. We need to eke out an existence in this crappy economy you and the other Republicans have made for us. So, until you can walk a mile in my shoes - stop whining, you old geezer - and get real...unless you are indeed suffering from dementia...

goatnamese your a Whiner - stop telling us what to do and not do>

YEP!

If you're one of the millions of Americans who lost their jobs due to the tanking economy, can't afford healthcare, childcare and will lose your house, take heart. It's all in your head!

...aaaaaaand that's why Republicans will get crushed in November. They are simply out-of-touch with real Americans.

He speaks the truth although people don't want to admit it. THe 90s helped turn a lot of Americans into whiny spoiled brats who feel entitled to everything.

Waahhh I can't buy my new iPod or iPhone because I have to spend money on necessities.

Waaahh trickle down economics didn't allow me to work a dead end, mindless job and make a good living.

Waahh I'm a pseudoenvironmentalist and now I can't drive my SUV

On and on and on and on. According to statistics even the poorest Americans live in the top 3% of standard of living in the world. Keep that in mind as you support voting socialist liberal 3rd world country policies.

Talk about being elitist and out of touch... you may as well say "Let them eat cake".

Gas prices aren't imaginary. The falling housing prices aren't a fantasy gone bad. Increasing grocery prices aren't a mirage. These are all real and most of us earning middle class incomes (or working class or poverty level incomes) feel it.

One problem with elitist Republicans is they only consider taxes and not wages or inflation and they only look at overall GDP and don't seem to factor in the GDP growth/contraction gaps between the very wealthy and the not very wealthy. They also seem to think the prosperity of the wealthy trickles down more than the prosperity of the not-so-wealthy climbs up which is historically wrong. They think Keynesian economics worked out well by dumb luck while Freedman-style economics never seemed to work out well because of whatever excuse is the flavor of the month.

It's pretty interesting this topic has not been picked up FOXNEWS.COM - "WE REPORT YOU DECIDE" - kind of hard to decide if you choose not to report. Don't believe me go to foxnews.com and search, you won't find it!

Hey fellow Americans,

I just want to thank you for not educating yourselves enough to be valuable to your own country. That makes it so much easier for people like myself who work hard to get an advanced education so that I can come into your country and make lots of money. Please, keep whining about your not getting free passes to high-paying jobs while the rest of us foreigners are doing the real work.

McSame's Phil Gramm is the slime that congress bottom feeders get their greese-job (money) from.. He one of the main player that caused the housing market collapse.

Don't say that we were better off ten years ago than we are today as if it is the absolute measure of a nation's leadership. While there are many things wrong with this administration, I don't think that the Gore or Kerry administration would've faired too much better. The fact is that our lifestyles and leadership of the past have lead to our current problems (SUV's became popular in the 90's). 9/11 happened in the beginning of Bush's first term and it would have happened if Gore was president. The Iraq war was a bad idea though.

The point is that a decreased supply of oil and increased demand was an inevitable course set many years ago. A well respected M. King Hubbert had in the 50's accurately predicted the peak of domestic oil production in the 70's and had predicted global oil production to peak around 2000 which is proving to be relatively accurate.

Drilling offshore in the US is a good short term solution to get us through the next 20 years or so while Americans can adjust their lifestyles and we live more sustainably.

Is this the Republican equivalent to "Let them eat cake?"

McCain and his advisors are mind boggling.

"Funny, I thought that was what was happening to our form of government right now, though I suppose we can't be blamed for not seeing the forest for the trees."

Congress is quite juvenille.
And pretty much a reflection of the population.
Being a citizen does have responsibilities.
Look at the these give aways to stay in power.
Social Security
Medicare/ Medicaid

What economy/workers is/are going to fund these.
How about that government? By and for the people. Nothing like a grass roots wildfire.
Make it happen dAVE

Mc Cain's fate is sealed, thanks to Gramm. The gap between Obama and Mc is only going to get bigger. It was fun watching them neck and neck in the polls. Now this statement by Gramm just ruined a tight and beautiful race.

People losing jobs in this country is not solely the president's fault. There is no national loyalty in the US. People complain that the products that are made in the US are too expensive compared to products not made here. So the companies making those products start moving their workforce to other countries where they can pay workers less to lower their costs. Then people complain about losing their jobs, but they still buy foriegn products. It's a cycle that will continue until we as a country regain our national pride and start buying US products as well as demanding products be made in the US. You want an american car? You better build one yourself. Ford and GM while still having plants in the US, in my opinion aren't american cars just because their headquarters are located in the country.

The housing market bust happened due to a large amount of speculative buying. I can buy this house that I can't really afford for $400k, but next year it'll be worth $600k, so I'll buy it, stuggle for a year and sell it to come out ahead. Well what happens when people decide no, I don't need a $600k home, I want a $300k home. Those houses bought as if they were stock are suddenly not worth as much. Try investing 10+ years of salary in the stock market short term. You may come out with loads of money and be extremely lucky, but there's a better chance of you coming out with less. No bank is going to give you