Yea. Let's hope that changes over the next few years. The sad thing is, it might be to late.

Communist - That doesn't change the fact that the Republicans had a majority, and could of leveraged it to enact changes.

As much as I am a Republican (executive committee member in my county), it is very fusterating to see the spending they did under GWB. They had a majority. They didn't do what they promised.

As Mafoo says, both sides of the coin have the same problems. I can only hope that the small-govt Republicans that DO exist come to power, and not the ones we've seen for years that promise smaller government, and give us more.

Man you are a downer Mafoo. But I respect your views and opinions quite a bit, even if I disagree on a lot of them. I agree with what you, HappySquirrell and mrstickball have all said, seems like it doesn't matter who is in charge, they just tug on a different end of the same rope that hangs us in the end.

I am generally an optimistic person. I just call it like I see it.

I would rather someone realize where the world is, and act accordingly, then someone be fed false information, and spend money they would otherwise use elsewhere.

And it's not all doom and gloom. We will recover, it just might take 10 years. In my opinion, if that's true, I would rather know that now, then hope each year will be the year, and be disappointed 10 times.

Well there is talk that Obama may raise taxes on the middle class now to pay for healthcare and fight some of the bigass deficit he's caused.

From a couple of his top economic advisors no less.

Then again that whole 19.5 thing would be for all taxes, no?  But the middle class can't really push that on to someone else.

I still think it takes more of a detailed analysis to decide if the 19.5 thing is accurate or if the different tax changes more or less balanced each other out.

Okay, I don't want to be the arguing guy here, but I thought I just saw a front page Yahoo link that ran something like, "Obama says 'Absolutely no tax hike for middle class!'" Yes I know it's yahoo, not the most reliable source. Lemme check. . . Damn it's gone! I'm not 100%, but I think it was an AP link. Take it as you will.

Yeah, he said that as damage control after his two top economic advisors said "we may need to raise taxes on the middle class".

George W Bush also said No new taxes.  How'd that work out?

There's talk that *insert any random theory here*.

No proof of anything.

Other then the talk came from his top two economic advisors?

I mean... I guess he can go against the advice of his top two economic advisors but didn't he say in the elections he didn't know shit about the economy and that's why he was going to have advisors?

My bet is he raises taxes but claims it's not really a tax raise because families pay less if they opt in to the government healthcare plan.

Really he should raise at least one middleclass tax he's refusing to raise... one tax that should be raised for EVERYBODY.

The capital gains tax.

If Obama is being honest about wanting to eliminate the deficit he has to cut spending in half or double taxes ... Now, anyone who thinks this can happen without impacting everyone is just not thinking straight.