1. Larry Douglas | 03.28.09

Like Obama, most Americans aren’t concerned about leaving their children so loaded under national debt that they can’t get out from under it. The time to spend is now! We can print trillions more dollars every year unti the wheel falls off. This is fun . . . No worries, just print more, and while we’re at it, let’s hit China up for a few more trillions. Our kids won’t mind . . .

2. David H | 03.28.09

Obama’s plan will bankrupt America but unfortunately it is the only plan we have. We need a different plan and the Republican Party has yet to come up with an alternative. Being critical will not solve the problem. We need a plan by the “right” to address the things that need to be addressed. I don’t like Obama’s approach but until the Republicans come up with something different and better, we are subject to the “left” and its socailistic ideas. We need a new plan.

3. Bin gram | 03.28.09

Well lets see,Bush and buddies gave us the worst economic disaster in memory,a war that cant be ‘won’ a society where 1% or the population controls more wealth then the bottom 50% of Americans….and this is Good ??

4. John McPeek | 03.28.09

Quit saying it will be our children’s debt. The bill is already coming due and will significantly affect everyone right now and in the coming years with a substantial loss of standard of living. We will all have to work harder with little in return to show for it. Double digit unemployment will be come normal. Life in a bankrupt country with hyper-inflation will be absolutely miserable. Any child that reads the nursery rhyme in reference to killing the golden goose can totally get just how awful Obama’s clueless plan really is.

5. N/A | 03.28.09

This coming from people who don’t think that an increase in the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere will also have an effect on our kids.

6. tim | 03.28.09

N/A: you’re actually “worried” about CO2 at a time like this? maybe you should also be worried about fluoride in the water, or perhaps second hand smoke. none of this will matter at all if the economy tanks and we’re jobless and homeless.

Ross Perot said it best (paraphrase): in touch economic times, nobody cares about a spotted owl, ‘cept maybe to eat ‘em.

7. dordogne | 03.28.09

In a historic economic downturn in which all the other sectors of the economy are underspending, the government sector would be crazy not to overspend. Next summer when the economy is back is when we begin charting a gradual elimination of the annual deficits that Obama inherited. Need I remind you, Clinton left Bush with annual surplus, it was Bush and the R’s in Congress that put us in this situation. In the long term, reestablishing the fair tax system we had in the 90’s, dealing with entitlement reform, and economic growth that comes from Obama’s investments now, will get us out this mess. For now Obama is rightly focused on stimulus to the economy.

8. Socrates | 03.28.09

Senator Gregg: if it is individuals, not government, that create jobs and prosperity, why then are none of these individuals hiring? Why are these individuals laying everyone off? Republicans have been pushing this “small government” stuff for 30 years. Not only does it not work, the government they created is not “small.” The choice we face has nothing to do with big government or small government. The choice we face is: who do we want to run the already big government? Do we want the greedy, power-mongering, republicans, who look out only for themselves while trying to sell us all on the “trickle down” theory? Or do we want honest, transparent, progressives who actually care, and are willing to sacrifice in order to do some real good for the citizens of our nation?

9. TJ | 03.28.09

I do not recall this fellow or any of the other numerous critics, including Democrats, second guessing, writing comments, or holding forth on press conferences, and rebuttals during the Bush Administration. Then, when it was precisely the time to second guess everything and put forth objections and obstructions, everyone went along, especially in his first 9 months and following the crisis of 9/11. Now, all of these “wannabes” have come forth and this man, in particular, does not know how to keep his mouth shut especially when he must make a name for himself and a place at the table. Why would anyone trust his judgement about anything since he did not know his personal aspirations well enough not to take second or third or fourth place in the Administration and since his party cannot come up with anything but shenanigans and ugliness.
I think he and all his cronies should crawl back into the same hole they were in for the past 8 years. I am sick of their empty rhetoric and their fullness of self.

10. H. R. MARTIN | 03.28.09

WE HAVE SAVED AND SAVED. IN A MATTER OF A FEW WEEKS OUT RETIREMENT IS GONE. NOW WE HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT IS SPENDING OUR TAX DOLLARS BEYOND MY WILDEST IMAGINATION. THE MARKET DOES NOT LIKE WHAT THIS PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS IS DOING. NOR DO I. NO LEGACY FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN. ONLY WORK TO SURVIVE. AND THIS IS THE GOLDEN YEARS… WASHINGTON D.C. THANKS A LOT. OUR AGES ARE 65 AND 68.

11. fogey | 03.28.09

the plan is a world wide redistribution of wealth to create the new world order
on the backs of the us tax payer we need to get as far away from the united nations, the world monetary fund, and the world bank as fast as we. One of the best steps we can take is to vote every incumbent rather democrat or republican from congress down to the local level maybe then we can take back our own country before it is to late

12. Niko | 03.28.09

Firstly, I think it’s great people are so critical of Obama. If there was anything we needed under Bush it’s a heavy criticism of policy. This kind of skepticism can prevent unecessary wars, bad laws and terrible spending practices if it’s not too ridiculous. Second, I would like to say that the tax payers have always been irresponsible by voting only people who would lower their taxes it’s shown that people are more than willing to use public goods like roads, bridges, rescue personel, etc, but are completely unwilling to pay a dime for it. The result is years of backlogged debt and a lot of heavy handed laws that put more people in prison than we’re actually willing to pay for. However if history shows us anything, its that hyperinflation tends to come when countries print out money to pay their national debt and that huge amounts of spending in the private sector (such as a war or a New Deal plan) will churn a lot of money back into it.

13. T961585 | 03.28.09

As an independent, I believed Obama had a more nuanced and intelligent approach to governance than McCain. That’s why I voted for him. I never truly bought the leftist propaganda machine that painted “W” as the “worst US president in history” or as the singular cause for the economic downturn. Even Bush’s WORST decision, which was to invade Iraq, was supported by most Democrats in congress. Historians can look to a general shift to the right in American public opinion as a fall-out to 911. That was the true mandate that gave Bush an excuse to spend and create new government agencies like the TSA or Homeland Security and wage 2 expensive wars with public approval at that time. The current economic mess is a result of multiple factors but blaming it on conservative ideals of government is being simple minded. Conservatism wasn’t to blame when Bush approved government assistance to Fannie Mae so that they can lend to people who can not afford houses. That is Bush’s largest contribution to the current economic mess, which has multiple fathers.

14. Brilliant | 03.28.09

Socrates. It is well established in economics that government does not create jobs: it doesn’t even create wealth. Gov’t merely creates the conditions, such as a uniformily applied legal sysem, in which individuals, particularly entrepreneurs find new ways of meeting the needs of the population. The gov’t merely transfers wealth from individuals in the private sector to other individuals some in the private sector and others in the public sector and does so at a cost called a transaction cost. There is considerable economic evidence that demonstrates that countries with larger portions of their economies absorbed in their governments are poorer countries. Nearly all of the least developed countries have massive amounts of their economies consumed by their governments; so, you should wake up from your blind stuppor and take note.

15. Persephone | 03.28.09

Niko. Actually, roads, brigees, rescue personnel are not public goods, we have just chosen to distribute them via the government, but roads were until the Eisenhower interstate system, private goods where travelers paid a toll to use. We are now increasingly talking about using tolling and congestion charging to manage the roadways better and this alone is sufficient evidence to disqualify them as a public good (search on “Public Good” for the formal definition). If we kept the government from distributing publically goods which are pure private goods, like healthcare and health insurance, we would actually have fewer problems. In 1964 when the medicare/medicaid act was passed the US spent 1.6% of its GDP on healthcare: today, we spend 15%. The more financing we provide the more it costs, and this again is because it is a private good. Providing more money to chase the same goods doesn’t do anything but increase the cost of those goods.

16. TheresaB | 03.28.09

>>>> T961585 <<<<< “That is Bush’s largest contribution to the current economic mess, which has multiple fathers.”

When it comes to the deficit, it WAS GW’s policies that got us here. There is no doubt about that. His father had a program in place called “pay-as-you-go”, meaning, simply, that if you want to put a new program to work, you must find a way to pay for it through increased taxes or cutting another program. Very simple. But he increased taxes after the famous “Read my lips” campaign promise, so therefore, was not re-elected. The original PAYGO legislation was part of the bipartisan 1990 budget agreement between President George H.W. Bush and the Democratic Congress. It was subsequently extended in 1993 and 1997 by the Clinton administration, but was waived in 2001 and then allowed to expire in 2002 by President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress.
G.W. then began lowering taxes (to impress the business owners and higher income folks who put him in office) and implementing new programs, such as Medicare D, with no way to pay for them. With the gutting, then abandonment, of PAYGO, budget deficits returned. The federal surplus shrank from $236.2 billion in 2000 to $128.2 billion in 2001, then a $157.8 billion deficit in 2002. The deficit increased to $377.6 in 2003 and $412.7 billion in 2004. The federal deficit excluding trust funds was $537.3 billion in FY2006. In the first 6 years of President Bush’s term, with a Republican controlled Congress, the federal debt increased by $3 trillion. Then he ran the Iraq War on what is termed a “Supplemental Budget”, which is not included in his budgets that were presented to the American people or to the Congress.
So, Mr. Obama is left with this legacy. How would YOU handle it? None of the Republicans in Congress seem to be presenting any better ideas and most of the top economists in the world agree with Mr. Obama’s plan.
Mr. Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize winner for economics 2008, believes that, if anything, Mr. Obama’s stimulus plan was too small and he will have to add to it later this year to stop this downward spiral. He believes that his budget is dead on and that the changes to Medicare/Medicaid over the next 5 years will bring down costs sufficiently to reduce the deficit by half.

17. Thomas | 03.28.09

The simple fact is that we all got hosed off over the last eight years by Bush and his Yesmen (read Republicans). Now they’re not in control and suddenly their Nomen. Well, Gregg, I’m not impressed. You and your buddies had eight years to get it right, and you left the country far worse off for your passive support. If you don’t agree, well choose your yardstick, and let’s measure. If nothing else, your party has shown that it cannot steer an economic paradigm at the scale of our present government. Why you should have any intuition about Obama’s approach is beyond me. The Democrats and Obama may not get it right, but Republicans did not and do not provide an alternative. As far as I can tell, your policy suggestions are the same platitudes that sunk the ship in the first place. And yes, we have been treading water for years. It’s time to rebuild.

18. Change2012 | 03.28.09

Does the government create jobs?

What if we all stop paying taxes, where will the government get the money to pay for its numerous programs?
If you think of yourself as Einstein, you might say it can jut print money. Take some time and think about it.

Can government be more efficient than the private sector?
You might think it can, but think about this.
What incentive does a government worker have to be efficient?
What incentive does a business owner have to be efficient?
I’m not talking about emotional reasons for been efficient, like wanting to spend tax payers money wisely. If one person in an organization is efficient but 20 are not, then the benefit from that one person might be insignificant.

Is a big government a good thing for a country?
All the money the government gets comes from tax payers. If they could just print money then there will be no need to pay tax. If you keep that in mind you will realize that the bigger the government the greater a burden it places on its citizens.

Government can be helpful if it get involve in something that businesses see little profit in supporting. Things that require a massive amount of investment but only for a short period of time. Let me repeat, only for a short period of time.
Any long term program will only waste money. Think about this. You work hard, pay you taxes to the IRS. The IRS then sends it to some government agency. From there it is used to fund some program that requires administrative cost to ensure that the money is not wasted (that last part is a joke).
Every step of the way you tax is reduced to a fraction of its initial value. Your $100 tax ends up doing $50 worth of work.

My wife works at a government run hospital as a psychologist. She spends most of her time filing out paperwork. Emphasis is placed on paperwork.
“If its not recorded, it did not happen”.
They are more concerned about passing an inspection than taking care of there patient.

19. FlyingDutchmanCSM | 03.29.09

I don’t think there is real disagreement between senator Gregg and president Obama about the intimidating cost of the massive bail-out and reinvestment programs with regard to future generations; the real issue is WHOSE children will be paying…..

The 10% that owns 70% of the nation’s wealth (to which I probably belong) stands to gain far more than it will lose from prolonged mass unemployment, home foreclosures and bankruptcies. Sure, many — though not all — of our investments will lose some value. On the other hand, many valuable goods, land, houses and not to forget labor, should become available as “toxic or distressed assets and services” at pennies on the dollar. Yes, there will be a true redistribution of wealth if the economy is allowed to crash and burn for a long period of time and it will be the children of those who lost their jobs, homes and savings who will be paying for it with missed education, health care and socioeconomic participation opportunities (remember the “American Dream”?).

If, on the other hand, the country decides to make these painful giga-investments, which will result in long-term debt, and quite possibly serious inflation, the children of the top 10% indeed stand to benefit less from the spoils of the global economic disaster that we are finding ourselves in the middle off, whereas the parents of the children from the lower 90% are more likely to be able to hang on to their jobs, homes and small businesses.

In my humble opinion, the choice between these two stark realities should not be all that hard for those among us who happen to take the first 10 pages of the New Testament pretty serious; independent of the question how affluent we are, or not.

(Errr, I might have to rephrase that last sentence a bit; just noticed the paragraph about the camel and the eye-of-the-needle on page 11 …..)

20. Thomas | 03.29.09

It’s so easy to critisize, when you have nothing to contribute. Had the Republicans won last November, it would have been bizzaro economy as usual. The nerve!

21. Daniel | 03.29.09

I have worked for the government for 15 years. The idea that government doesn’t create jobs is just BS. They have the best jobs and in some cases. The best pay. The healthcare that government workers get is the best by far.

There is no such thing as a conservative. Ronald Reagan surely wasn’t conservative. He tripled the debt. 1 trillion to 3 trillion. You didn’t hear a word coming from conservatives then, why now? Conservatives are scared that Obama’s stimulus and budget will work out just as good as Bill Clinton’s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnibus_Budget_Reconciliation_Act_of_1993
Al Gore had to vote to push it through. And the same party that was predicting doom and gloom and cheering on the same. Not one republican voted for the bill. And it gave George Bush a budget surplus of 100-200 billion and created 22 million jobs.

I hear alot of talk about passing the debt onto our kids. This is just a pathetic ploy. To use peoples kids as an excuse for your party to regain strength. Look at what you have already handed our kids……

Everytime we get close to better healthcare, education, etc. the republicans use the good ole fear machine. It spends to much………. That is what you do when the private sector isn’t spending money. I mean they honestly have people thinking that if you just let the free market do it’s thing that everything will just work out fine. Fine for them and the rich. How many times has Donald Trump declared bankruptcy(3 times), and he is STILL a billionaire. How many chances do middle class people get? Do we get to keep all our money when we declare bankruptcy? Nope.

And education, Please………… Republican don’t even want evolution in schools. Denial of Climate Change….. What about passing our failed education system onto our kids?

Can anyone name a real republican? I mean a real republican, not a conservative. Conservatives are what is destroying the republican party and the U.S.A. Don’t even try Reagan, he grew government just as much as George W. Bush did. and tripled the debt. He was a good actor, nothing more.

22. K.R. Nilsen | 03.29.09

I have yet to see mention in the media regarding the rise of Senator Gregg. He is the only Republican figure on the horizon who could be thought of as a viable presidential candidate.

He has a command of the language, command of the issues, has a presidential presence, and force of personality. Head to head in a primary battle with the governor from Alaska or the governor of Louisiana, Gregg would brush those two off the table as if dust.

If the Republicans want to mount a serious challenge to regain congressional seats or even the White House in the next few years, they will have to find a confident, moderate conservative like Gregg, or they will surely continue to wander in the desert.

K.R.Nilsen, New Hampshire

23. Robert | 03.29.09

We don’t need the bail out money. The economy is starting to recover on its own. The bail out is an excuse to grow goverment programs.

We are on our way to fixing the banking problem.

Now cut captital gains taxes and watch the market rebound. Everyones 401k will come back and we will see spending start again.

Some people refuse to believe its that simple.

Just try it if it doesn’t work we can raise taxes again.

Its impossible to do that once a massive new entitlement is given out by the goverment. We never get rid of these programs.

24. Umberto Zanabria | 03.29.09

David H. as most Democrats do not read and get information about the Republican’s proposals. They just keep saying there is no other plan. Our nation was created in the principles of free enterprise where the people with innovative minds from here and abroad are attracted because their effort will be rewarded.
President Obama has a Treasure Secretary that avoided paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes for many years and is now working hard to nationalize the banks. He does not understand honest efforts. He is a cheat.
At the moment we are no different than Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia. These countries have been taken over by leftists that now have the great majority of their people “working for the government” and of course they keep re-electing their new masters. They do not have other choice.
We can see now Nancy Pelosy talking about the business of our country like she is a Queen that has to answer to no one. This is the typical “Socialist Dictatorship”. They have made a mockery of our Congressional processes by passing laws that are not read by anyone and are written by the servants of their agenda and prevent all opposition from having an opinion.
Of course, their supporting millionaires leftists from Hollywood have already hidden their billions abroad and we, the hard-working class and our children will be left to pay taxes to fund all this exercise government and abuse of power.

25. Tom Hartman | 03.29.09

Of course, there is no future without salvaging the present. Additionally, our children and grandchildren will be inheriting considerable wealth, wealth which far exceeds the federal deficit. Gregg is just another advocate for preserving the status quo that benefits the privileged. No taxes. No health care. No infrastructure. No environmentalism. It really will be a bleak world we leave our children if men like him prevail.

26. BeautitudeTime | 03.29.09

#19 - Eye of the Needle …
Think it’s time for the country to start reading larger portions of that book but since you mentioned Matthews, maybe contemplating on the how true “Blessed are the Poor” could mean many things for America’s “newly unemployed;” generous towards those less fortunate when visited by your own hardship is the most ironic human behavior of all. The nation as a whole will perhaps develop that virtue and come away “richer” throughout the process, unless bipartisan wrangling comes in place of working together - the luxury of prosperity we really don’t have but some are in denial it seems.

27. PEDRO PARADA | 03.29.09

MR BUSH , GIVE AWAY THE SURPLUS, CUT TAXES TO THE RICH,START ONE WAR ,LIED HIS WAY INTO ANOTHER ONE, IN THE CHINA MENS DIME, GIVE THE DRUGS COMPANIES A GOOD DEAL, LET THE BANKERS UNREGULATED THEMSELFS,ALLOW THE HOUSING BUBLE TO GET BIGGER AND INPLODE, ALLOWED WALL STREET TO CON MAIN STREET,NEVER VETO AN SPENDING BILL, ALL OF THIS CALLEN THEMSELFS ” THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY”.
NOW WE GOT THE MOST LIBERAL PRESIDENT TO FIX THIS MESS,LOVE IT
THE REPUS ONLY POLITICAL CORRECT AGENDA IS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA TO FAIL
THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ANYWAY , THEY REALY THINK THAT “BY JUST SAY NO”THEY WILL GET THE POWER BACK.VERY SOON WE ALL BE SAVING MORE AND RAISING TAXES TO PAID THE NATIONS DEBT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION NOBODY LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT, SAD BUT THRUE

28. Paul Davis | 03.29.09

There are those who say, “We have been hearing about small government for years, and it doesn’t work.” They are correct. Hearing about small government doesn’t solve any problems.

The Republican Party has been blowing the “small government” horn while creating ever larger, more instrusive government programs, and now we’re reaping the harvest of those mistakes.

The Democratic Party now comes along and proposes even bigger, more intrusive government programs that suck even more money out of the productive sector of society and distribute it to the politically well-connected, and they say this is necessary because the free market has failed.

The free market has not failed, it has never been unleashed and given a chance to succeed. It will never get a chance as long as we continue to elect the tweedle-dees and tweedle-dums who represent the two faces of what is really the same, big-government party.

The only party standing up for the values of personal responsibility and freedom that made America great is the Libertarian Party. Now with over 200 office-holders across America, the LP has been demonstrating for years at the local level how effective freedom really is in unleashing our energies by removing the shackles of government.

This success will be realized at the national level only when LP candidates are elected to national office.

29. Edward | 03.29.09

AIG Bailout Versus President Obama’s Budget

The only difference is that AIG could not “PRINT CURRENCY” President Obama can.

Remember, if our economy does not recover over the next 1, 2 or 3 years as our Government spends more and more money on education, alternate energy and health care, we can always “PRINT MORE CURRENCY” (CAN YOU? No). Or the Government can raise Taxes (Which some or all US CITIZENS must pay under penalty of LAW).

Do you think the President’s $800,000,000,000 Stimulus Package would have sailed trough the House and Senate WITHOUT the Bonuses (Pork) like Harry Reeds MegLev Railway that will run from Nevada to California. I just can’t wait until people all over the world can fly to Ca. or Nd. just to take a ride on the REEDWAY.

How many Jobs or Services would this one unnecessary (REED Bonus) pork project saved or created? I believe, this one pork project, will cost multiple times what the disgraced AIG Bonuses would/could/will cost.

Our Federal Government (The Executive Office, Senate and House of Representatives) approximately 600 to 700 hundred elected officials are charged with managing 1)the Defense of our Country, 2) Secure our Boarders, 3) Manage Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, if they can 4) Interstate Highways and Trade 5) World Affairs etc.

Our Federal Government should not interfere or co-mingle with specific state governments rights or their respective citizens. Why for the life of me we are giving Federal Money to prop up State Governments who can not manage their affairs with their local State Funding is absolutely absurd.

This kind of behavior only encourages the same behavior by state and local governments.

Remember, in the private sector when business’s run out of Money they go out of business.

When our fine US Government runs out of Money, they just print more.

Realty Check, All US Governments, Federal, State and Local, only spend what your citizens are willing to pays as TAXES TODAY, don’t deceive and spend money we do not have. FUTURE GENERATIONS will pay dearly.

JUST LOOK AT AIG

30. Frank | 03.29.09

Tim Said “N/A: you’re actually “worried” about CO2 at a time like this? maybe you should also be worried about fluoride in the water, or perhaps second hand smoke. none of this will matter at all if the economy tanks and we’re jobless and homeless.”

Ummm, If the environment goes THEN it wont matter if we are jobless and homeless because there wont be anymore US. Get it!? With out a stable environment us measly humans CANT live. Money has nothing to do with it!!!!! How do you propose we live with out water or soil to grow food??? Its happening already. My water bill just went up 30% in GA because um, lets see here how to do I say this, because there isnt enough water here anymore so they are trying to get us to stop using as much!!!!! Do some research into Australia’s water shortage http://www.target140.com.au/. This is not a third world example. Australia is developed like us. See it can and will and is happening. Someday you will understand.

As for the point of the article. Im not thrilled with the amount of money being spent but since this county has done nothing to improve infrastructure or new alternative energy sources for the last decade it all has to be done now. If we had been working on these problems for the last 10 years the price tag would still probably be the same it just would have spread out over a longer time. OR there is the 13 billion a month spent on the pointless war in Iraq that could have helped. And finally it would have been nice to hear the former president tell us something other then the economy is fine there is just some storm clouds in the distance. ***!!! Maybe if he had tried to do something over a year ago we wouldn’t be in this mess. But I digress, it must have been the Dems fault in congress because they clearly run the show not the president!!! Actually one last point, what about the $11 trillion debt Bush left? Is that not going to affect our kids?

31. Frank | 03.29.09

To all you Republicans out there who say spending is not the way out of this mess. How do you think we got out of the depression? I know, I know the new deal didn’t work. You all say it was the war that got us out of the depression. Well, how was the war funded?? Oh yeah, BY GOVERNMENT SPENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

32. Alice W | 03.29.09

Geither appears convinced there was a great injustice in American society, an inequality which allowed the wealthy to enrich themselves by exploiting the poor. He aeemigly concludes that the reason for this was the structure of government itself.
Another very well known name in American history in 1901,felt that way too.

Leon Czolgsz

The plan to ruin America has it’s impact. We are to hate ourselves for success.Buying diamonds and coffee is supposed to be wrong, and glutonous.
People like Geither fail to see past their ideal. No understanding that the wealth and spread of it, for peace and properity is to consume.
Who does buying a diamond and coffee a day help? The Congo.

Geither and Obama are only leading Obamaland, and trying to apply Obamanomices.
They fail to understand that small business is on self imposed vacation and sabaticals, and are refusing to open doors until they have confidence that a Constitutional Republic POTUS is placed.

Obama’s qualification question is not resolved, so where he leads no one follows. The consensus on mainstreet is that the only criteria Obama meets are these: http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html

Ignoring the growing TEA party is not wise for Congress.
POTUS Biden relieves no Confidence.

33. Frank | 03.29.09

For all those who are fearful of this Country becoming socialist because of Obama’s plan:

When the New deal was put in place people were fearful of the country becoming Socialist. As far as I know, 80+ years later we are still a democracy. In fact we better be since we are using “democracy” as a reason to start wars and invade and occupy countries all around the world. But on the other hand maybe we have all been lied to. Maybe we have been socialist since the New Deal and we are just to stupid to know it seeing as how much of this country can’t think on their own!

34. Tony | 03.29.09

The only solution the Repulicans have is to reduce taxes for the corporations and the upper class. The Demoracts wants to expand government to save the economy…..Sigh…. The truth of the matter is, if we want to pay down the national debt, we need to increase everyone’s taxes, shrink government, and reduce entitilment benefits. Nobody wants tax. Nobody wants that. We are a “ME, ME, ME” society. I’m in the middle class, I’m all for tax increases for ALL, reduced entitlement benefits, and smaller government. Until we can accept that, well, we’ll just have to keep using the national credit card.

35. Paul | 03.30.09

Thank goodness Gregg didn’t become Sec of Commerce - he would have got fired anyway - but he brings only opposition to any economy, not bringing anything constructive to rebuild our economy. Let’s face it Gregg was always standing up for Bush and the mess they created together. Gregg is just getting to be the butt of jokes anymore, sort of like Michael Steele.

Nothing worse than a public meltdown like the GOP right now, except when they drag everyone down with them.

36. FreeSurf | 03.30.09

AliceW, do you simply spew the predigested pablum that has been force fed to you by Rush Limbaugh? You speak in generalities that beg for real facts.

You state “the plan to ruin America has its impact.”

What is “the plan to ruin America”? The Bush administration reduced regulation of the financial services industry.

What was the impact? Banks greedily marketed bad debt. As a result YOUR investments have nosedived!

The Obama administration has only been in office for 67 days. No one will take you seriously for blaming the Obama administration and Tim Geitner for the recession we now face.

Face the facts, AliceW. The GOP has stuck it to all Americans. Hundreds of billions of dollars wasted in Iraq. Wall Street failures. And what do Republicans propose as the solution? Absolutely nothing but complaining about possible solutions from the Obama administration.

Republicans are going nowhere. Just like your post.

37. pkatt | 03.30.09

“Obama’s plan to double that debt in just the first five years that he is in office”

By my figuring thats one year longer than he will be in office:)

38. pkatt | 03.30.09

It doesnt seem to matter which party is in charge. Corruption is corruption it seems to be completely bi-partisan. Stop fighting about who caused it. Its clearly collaborative effort on both sides.

What would cure this country is a strong third party. Im sick of swinging back and forth between two parties who say there are different but actually its the same pig in with different colored lipstick . The time is so ripe for Americans to bring themselves back to Washington, it sure would be nice to have someone represent us that actually lived like us… Boot the cronies of Washington, take away their fat retirements and uber pay and give them the same rules the rest of us live by. If you want America to be great, take it back from the crooks we have in office, its time for a clean slate.

39. mightycpa | 04.01.09

I think of it this way:

The Republicans did indeed betray their rhetoric, and increased the size and spending of the government. So, because of that, the Democrats must do them one better, and increase the size and spending of the government by a factor of 10. It only makes sense.

Assuming there are about 200 million children born and to be born in the next 10 years, 10 trillion dollars of debt comes out to about $500,000 per child. The interest-only payment on that debt at say 3% is only about $1200 per month per child. The 50 year amortization of that debt would mean a payment of $1600 per month per child. Even if the rate doubles, it is only $2600 per month for 50 years to pay it off. They can handle it.

We agreed to $800 billion in stimulus to create 4 million jobs. That’s a cost of $200,000 to create a $50,000 job. That $50,000 job, thanks to Obama’s tax cut, will pay about $2,000 taxes each year. In only 100 years those jobs will pay for themselves. That seems like a good deal too. We should multiply our “investment”, and do this until everybody who wants a $50K job has one! Don’t worry about the interest cost on that $200,000 - the kids are taking care of that… The $4200 per month wage, minus the $2600 debt payment, minus the $160 per month in taxes, leaves well over $1400 per month to live on! Per person! Once that debt is paid in 50 years, living money will skyrocket to over $3000 per month! I’ll bet the kids can’t wait!

#19 is right! The rich, because their cash will be busy growing hand over fist at high inflationary interest rates in the bank, will have much more to lose in a high inflationary period than will Joe Sixpack, whose money will be used almost entirely to live.

#21 is right too! By imposing taxes, fees, regulation and all sorts of rules about how we conduct our business and lives, the Government does create all sorts of jobs, like regulators, tax collectors and bureaucrats… its just like if I hire a guy to sit on my driveway. I’ve created a job too… now if I can just figure out how to get that job to create some wealth, I can be a rich man someday.

#25 is right too. Our children will be inheriting considerable wealth… in the form of land, housing, cars, toys, furniture, TV’s, X-Boxes, iPods, cellphones and more! Because the $500K of debt they owe is not ACTUALLY in the name of each child, you don’t have to really count that debt against the assets children will inherit.

As to the first 10 pages of the New Testament, it’s really tough to live up to the words, but #19 is right again!

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’

So don’t worry everybody… if it seems the Government is selling your future down the river to the Chinese, and that crushing debt is being piled upon you, and that the country you love will resemble Zimbabwe before long, take your eye off the future, and keep your eye on the ball… the afterlife awaits you, and it is government-free, taxes-free and debt-free. Or, by another name, it is Paradise.

40. gaetano | 05.07.09

have you ever wondered why we have a defficet or inflation or wars? Think about it. Republicans and democrats don`t want any of these things but they are there.Why???? There are 545 human biengs running this country.435 congressman,one president and 9 supreme cout justices.They are the only ones that run this country The president can only propose a budget, he cannot force congress to accept it.545 people running this country spend most of there time trying to convince 300 million people that what has happened in our country is not their fault.The constitution gives the supreme power of the land to the house of representatives,for oringinating and approveing apropiations and taxes. Who is in charge of the house of representatives????? Nancy pelosy,the speaker of the house.The president can veto any thing that he wants to ,but the house can over ride his veto.300 million people have been taken by 545 lousy polititions who are suppose to want the same thing, No taxes,No inflation, no wars.It stands to reason that if these 545 irresponsible and incompitent are running this country then what exists today is what they want to exist. These 545 people are responsible.They and they alone have the power.And we the other 300 million have the power to vote them out .They work for us .
SO ,LETS GET STARTED.