eiggohp (anonymous) says...

We are reaping what we have sowed for years. Can we expect God to keep blessing us when we take Him out of everything?
"If we ever foget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Ronald Reagan

September 16, 2009 at 4:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

gg (anonymous) says...

MY, MY, somebody needs both a class in anger management and reality.

WHO DO YOU think started the red hot presses JIM?

We just experienced 8 years of the most awful government in human history (all branches controlled by the same party for 6 years of those 8 years. Or did you forget that fact?) and you want to blame everything on a president that has been in office only 8 months?

My god man, Obama is doing all he can to make sure life as we know it or a resemblance of life as we knew it survives, the only other option was to let it all collapse and we use corn cobs in place of toilet paper and burn cow crap for fuel.

The idiotocracy (Is that a word? If not, it should be) of the general USA public is mind boggling.

September 16, 2009 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

Well, I think this article is a little over the top, but I can certainly understand frustration, and the Messiah-like euphoria which many people seemed to be caught up in with during the campaign. I don't agree with many of Obama's policies (I did NOT say "all") - but I never agree 100% with what ANY administration does, regardless of party, and I always find SOME things to agree with every administration, regardless of party. Lord knows I'm as critical of this admin's policies as the next guy, but alot of what is listed isn't Obama's fault in part or alone, and we've had plenty to complain about before then. But lets get real. We've been reaping what we've sowed for a lot longer than just the last couple of administrations.

But, actually, I got the biggest kick out of gg's statement "We just experienced 8 years of the most awful government in human history". Really? Have you ever actually READ a real history book? Perhaps you would have preferred to be in, say, the village that Saddam gassed (his own people) ..... or maybe laboring under some tyrant in the Dark Ages, or perhaps some radical Muslim country. Perhaps Cambodia when Pol Pot slaughtered a few million of his people. If you think Bush was the worst in history I'll bet there are millions upon millions of people both past and present that would have gladly sacrificed an eye and an arm to trade with you, at the very least.
And you truly believe the only other option would have had us all using corn cobs for toilet paper and burning cow crap for fuel? And you're calling everyone else an idiot?

I'm sorry if I misspelled anything, I was probably laughing too hard.... LOLOLOLOL

September 16, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jamesbordonaro (James Bordonaro) says...

I'm not sure I understand the author's point of view about Pres. Bush's supposed lack of verbal eloquence. Many voters found his jumble of expression and mangled syntax to be endearing and evidence that he governed from his heart which was the opposite of Al Gore's characterization as being too wonkish on policy. I suspect those same people also supported Governor Palin for similar reasons. Just so the author is clear on his rememberence of Pres. Bush's administration, the latest business reports indicate that median income in 2008 was lower than any year since 1998! Further, whether you agree with the policy or not, it was Pres. Bush who proposed the 700 billion bailout of the banking sector. Elections have consequences, the American people strongly rejected Republican mismanagement over domestic and foreign policy and asked the Democrats to try their collective hand at running the country. Fed. Chairman, Ben Bernanke saysf the recession likey ended in the 2nd Quarter of 2009. I'd say the President is doing a pretty good job for 8 months in office.

September 16, 2009 at 5:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

"worry free health care" - I wish someone would point out to me one place on earth where that TRULY exists. Even the socialist countries have health care problems. Oh yeah, right, I forgot, let's see, France lost 15,000 out of 60 million during the 2005 heat wave, so if we have 300 million, that would be approx 75,000.
Yeah, right. Worry-free health care means we would have 75,000 deaths in the US from the 2005 heatwave, instead of 250.

If thats worry-free, I'm going to continue to worry, thank you.

September 16, 2009 at 5:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

shoehorn (anonymous) says...

hey open_eyes, you have totally missed the point. 15,000 French people are now totally worry free. At least in this world.

September 16, 2009 at 5:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

As the studies show, conservatives are far more charitable than liberals. "those who support the idea that government should redistribute income are among the least likely to dig into their own wallets to help others."

http://philanthropy.com/free/articles...

(In other words, charity = someone ELSE'S money)

"Of the top 25 states where people give an above average percent of their income, 24 were red states in the last presidential election... Turns out conservatives give about 30 percent more, [despite] making less money"

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2...

Like you said, "charity starts at home".

September 16, 2009 at 5:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

shoehorn (anonymous) says...

If we were doing as good as the French, we could increase that 700 deaths to about 3558.

September 16, 2009 at 5:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

Good point, shoehorn, I hadn't thought of that.

What really cracks me up most is the way that extremes on both sides act as if the other side is Satan himself. Do far-left liberals TRULY believe that Republicans, Bush, GOP REALLY don't care about the poor, they'd just as soon bulldoze them all off into the ocean or something, and that at their heart of hearts they're all idiots? Does everyone on the far right TRULY believe that Obama is just like Iran's little psycho trying to hasten bringing about the end of the world? Does anyone truly believe that all the saints and informed, intellectuals reside on one side and all the sinners and ignorant idiots on the other?

Or, could it be, they both want to help the downtrodden and poor, they just differ in opinion about the best way to go about it. And that both sides are just as prone to falling for greed and corruption as the other.

Nah. I'm always right and everyone else is always wrong. That's my story and I'm sticking with it :)

September 16, 2009 at 5:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

LOL YY4U, good one. Yeah, based on many of Obama's early cabinet picks, not only do they not take the deduction, they don't report the income either - they just don't pay, period. :)

September 16, 2009 at 5:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

shoehorn (anonymous) says...

open_eyes, you are exactly right. I do believe everyone has good intentions, just different ideals about what to do. I heard once that concervatives see things as the individual . Liberals see things as the collective. your post reminded me of this joke.

A conservative and a liberal were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person. The conservative gave the homeless person his business card and told him to come to his business for a job. He then took twenty dollars out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.The liberal was very impressed, and when they came to another homeless person, he decided to help. He walked over to the homeless person and gave him directions to the welfare office. He then reached into the Republicans pocket and gave the homeless person fifty dollars.

September 16, 2009 at 6:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...

Nothing like a good politcal argument to bring us crazies out.

We are ALL to blame for the shape our country is in.
By being complacent about our elected officials and what they have been doing to us for the last 20 years.
By coddeling our kids and teaching them no-one is responsible for their actions beacause of this or that.
By going into crazy debt to give our children a better life than we had.
By thinking the government owes us something instead of the other way around. The Golden Rule was forgotten a long time ago.

I think gg's thought:

"the only other option was to let it all collapse and we use corn cobs in place of toilet paper and burn cow crap for fuel."

may have been a better wake-up call for Americans.

Everytime I hear someone say the Democrats are doing this or the Republicans are doing that, it scares me. All of them are doing 2 things only. Helping themselves, and destroying our country in the process. We are guilty for letting them to do it.

September 16, 2009 at 6:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

gg (anonymous) says...

YY4U:

How about calling them SQUIDS.

(S)tatus (Qu)o (Id)iot(s) = SQUIDS (as in blood sucking squids)!

September 16, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

gg (anonymous) says...

open-eyes:

Dude/lady, my comments were merely figures of speech, if you took them so literal I feel sorry for your sense of self. Lighten up, go to Braums and have yourself some ice cream!

September 16, 2009 at 6:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

Well, gg, this entire article's contents were merely "figures of speech". If you took them so literal I feel sorry for your sense of self. Lighten up, go to Braums and have yourself some ice cream!

Two can play that game ;-)

FYI, I'm a Dude.

September 16, 2009 at 6:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...

Steve you are correct. People are afraid to vote for a 3rd party so we will get stuck with more of the same over and over and over. Yet people will always argue how their team(party) is great and the other stinks. They are both foul if you ask me.

R.

September 16, 2009 at 6:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...

What KIND of fish sandwich?
I demand to know!

You are right YY4U, it sounds like us sometimes, but then we were'nt elected to take care of the IMPORTANT affairs of state.

Throw them all out and pick names at random from phone books. It couldn't be any worse!

September 16, 2009 at 6:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

Why is anyone surprised that in the middle of Congress, something would smell fishy? LOL

September 16, 2009 at 6:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dalelinn (Dale Linn) says...

Jim's editorial was pretty good except for maybe the questionable 1st sentence, but I do find it hard to figure out how gg can defend our current president. Oh, I remember, he was going to get us out of the Middle East. That must be what you're thankful for......or could it possibly be the bailing out the big banks that got us into this mess so we have debt that our grandkids can't pay back. Frankly, I think the last few presidents have been suceedingly bad, every time. I really don't have the space to comment on our elected officials in Washington, except to say most of the Kansas delegation has better voting records than the main. YY4U, I always suspected you are alittle fishy.

September 16, 2009 at 7:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

The bank bailout is equally shared by Bush and Obama. Again, Bush publicly stated, after releasing half of Tarp (350 billion) that he would NOT release the remainder unless Obama asked for it. Obama asked for it and Bush obliged.
But alot of people harped on the fact that it was given out with little or no oversight. BUT.... congress is on record saying the exact same thing about all the stimulus money rushed out the door in such a hurry. The reply from the Democratic congressman, when asked about the possibility for waste and misusing the money, was something along the lines of "Who cares? It's an emergency!".

BTW - if only less than 1/10 of the stimulus money has been spent or used, and we are supposedly out of the recession, then is the remainder necessary? Or did the $60 billion or so spent so far single-handedly lift us out? If so, why not cancel the remainder?

Personally, I'm not counting my chickens yet.

September 16, 2009 at 7:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dalelinn (Dale Linn) says...

ah, gg and jamesbordonaro too.......I think I've figured it out. You like the way all the little ACORN s mimic the big ACORN, the one that's now up on the hill.

September 16, 2009 at 7:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

goodoleboy (anonymous) says...

Remember folks don't do drugs=)

I'm too tired today to debate this, but I will say this, for every yin, there is a yang, and for every Democrat blunder there is a Republican one to equal it and so on. Left, Right, does not matter, argue all you want, whatever makes you feel better=)

September 16, 2009 at 7:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dalelinn (Dale Linn) says...

YY4U, amen, You might get to say it, but some of us have to work, can't be tired yet. Somebody's got to pay for that 10% of Mexico that the past presidents have let move in on us.
Don't think much of drugs but our presidents (including the annointed one) has let a lot of them come across the border, too.

September 16, 2009 at 7:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...

YY4U,

Glad all I've got is a bunch of loose change in a coffee can under the sink. But don't get any ideas, still have an alarm system, two dogs, twelve handguns and 4 shotguns. Imkeepingmycoin.

September 16, 2009 at 8:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hogan77 (anonymous) says...

Hmmm, I smell a TROLL!

September 16, 2009 at 9:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...

Do we really have a choice? Go to you tube Carroll Quigley: Our Tragedy and their Hope. Google Rockefeller File.

September 16, 2009 at 11:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...

Google Ron Paul Federal Government One Giant Toxic Asset. This video tells the whole story. Also read "End the Fed" by Ron Paul.

September 17, 2009 at 5:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...

The financial oligarchs and their henchmen are gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars in one bailout after another. They are usurping the rights, duties, and powers of the American Congress. Congress has put up little more than a whimper to their masters.

September 17, 2009 at 6:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

Here's where some of our tax dollars are going - congressional vacations:

http://jonathanturley.org/2009/07/02/...

"It is a measure of how much members love this perk that they continue to go to places like the Galápagos Islands despite the overwhelming criticism. Voters again seem unwilling to vote against their own members for this form of corruption.
In 2008, the Congress spent $13 million on such travel — a 50% increase over two years. That’s a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.

When members fly on government planes, their spouses fly for free — completing the perfect taxpayer-funded vacation for our ruling elite. In June, Senators charged the taxpayers to fly to the Paris Air Show and stayed at the pricey Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel with dinner at the Eiffel Tower.

Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby took a cruise on the River Seine to “educate” himself.

In February, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi needed to see the troops in Afghanistan so she spent eight days in Italy with staff and spouses on the way.

Rep. Brian Baird (D., Wash.) took his wife, four other lawmakers and family, and staff to the Galápagos Islands – - to learn about global warming."

===================

Hmmm..... interesting that this aspect of the so-called "SQUIDS" level in Congress has increased 50% since 2006........... (before Republicans lost control of the Congress, they banned most lobbyist-funded travel. I don't think the intent was to replace it with taxpayer-funded travel)..............

This is from a website titled "RedState" - so its obviously partisan - but it lists some of the expenses and things we're paying for.......

http://www.redstate.com/brianfaughnan...

September 17, 2009 at 8:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kseyetie (anonymous) says...

"We are ALL to blame for the shape our country is in." ===
Perhaps the most rational statement in this thread. We elect people, R's and D's, who will lie to us because we cannot handle the truth. People who get close to reality (think Ron Paul and Bruce Babbit decades ago) never gain much traction. We can get out of this, but all benefits will need to be pared back and all of us will have to learn how to pay for what we expect from government.

September 17, 2009 at 8:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

In Jewish mystical tradition, the questionis asked, "Why does God sustain the world in light of all the evil in it?"

The answer is, "It's because of the 36 righteous."

Anyone who thinks he might be one of the righteous by definition is not.

Those who think they are righteous tend to use names for those they don't like.

September 17, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

Excellent point, create. It never ceases to amaze me how many people seem to not own a single mirror. And have extremely short memories :)

September 17, 2009 at 8:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...

Romans 3:10 As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”

The exact number of righteous is actually zero.

R.

September 17, 2009 at 9:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

giggles (anonymous) says...

Steve_Corbin
"Nothing like a good politcal argument to bring us crazies out.

We are ALL to blame for the shape our country is in.
By being complacent about our elected officials and what they have been doing to us for the last 20 years.
By coddeling our kids and teaching them no-one is responsible for their actions beacause of this or that.
By going into crazy debt to give our children a better life than we had.
By thinking the government owes us something instead of the other way around. The Golden Rule was forgotten a long time ago.

I think gg's thought:

"the only other option was to let it all collapse and we use corn cobs in place of toilet paper and burn cow crap for fuel."

may have been a better wake-up call for Americans.

Everytime I hear someone say the Democrats are doing this or the Republicans are doing that, it scares me. All of them are doing 2 things only. Helping themselves, and destroying our country in the process. We are guilty for letting them to do it."

Thank you, this says it perfectly. We need the absolute bottomed out wake up call, because people won't get it until then.

September 17, 2009 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

But if we speak up we're all either Nazi's or racists.

September 17, 2009 at 10:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...

"Obama doesn’t believe he’s being criticized because of his race"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32869276/...

It seems that it's only the followers of Obama that believe that if you disagree with him you are a racist not the president himself. I hope he convinces his followers that he is ok with people disagreeing with him and it's not always about race.

September 17, 2009 at 11:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nutsaboutools (anonymous) says...

Steve you nailed it. We Americans have dug our own hole. It's our fault for re-electing incumbents (that haven't been doing their job). Our representatives need to get away from the "us vs. them" and realize who they work for, US. The current situation with the economy, health care, etc. didn't occur overnight and it's not going to turn around overnight either. Americans need to start doing their part too and stop placing blame (which accomplishes absolutely nothing). Next election, we all should look at the "track record" of those running, their goals moving forward and "fire" those that failed to represent the best interests of all (or at least the majority) Americans (instead of their own or those of "special interest groups" & high paying lobbyists).

Dave R.

September 17, 2009 at 11:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...

Go to you tube Zeitgeist-The Movie: Federal Reserve.

September 17, 2009 at 12:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...

Zeitgeist-The Movie: Federal Reserve ---Warning, you might want to filter some of this out but, it is interesting!

September 17, 2009 at 1:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

Okay, chew on this: Obama has played chess with the Russians and won. But will right wingers put him down for it? Again? Or should I say as usual?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090919/a...

September 19, 2009 at 6:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...

corfuscious says;

if you hold chicken by the LEFT WING and RIGHT WING, you stand a 100% chance of being shat or spit on.

September 19, 2009 at 7:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...

create
You are just as partisan as the most partisan right winger. The difference is you don't mind when you do it because you agree with yourself.

YY4U,
If there was 400 "third" parties that would be great. If everybody voted for the one that they believed in and most reflected their beliefs. As long as the Republicans and Democrats lose.............

Steve
People must really like the result of holding the chicken by the wings like that because they keep coming back for more. I'm quite tired of it myself.

R.

September 19, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

Steve, I like to watch the chickens as they roam free range, then help myself to their eggs while they are busy in the basil patch plucking all the bugs they can see. You see, my chickens are working chickens, they just don't know it because they are happy girls.The basil? I sell it to those who pay good prices for organic.

seriouslyfolks, third parties are where you go when the first two run out of good booze.

YY4U, You go too. Never say die!

September 19, 2009 at 1:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Doug (anonymous) says...

My dog's better than your dog!

September 19, 2009 at 5:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

goodoleboy (anonymous) says...

"HAD BUSH II been a speaker and obvious hustler that was Clinton and is Obama, our country would have taken a decidedly different direction. And one that may have avoided the present depression."

I really stopped reading after this statement, Jim, buddy, WAKE UP before you write an editorial. This country did very well under Clinton. yes he had the .dom boom but Bush also had the housing boom. Obama took over the second batch of TARP from Bush but before that he cannot be held accountable for the direction our country WAS IN prior to his election. This guy has to be a troll.

September 20, 2009 at 3:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...

Doug,

Is not! you have a blue dog.
I've got a red dog.

Troll is the new word.

The American voter need to issue their own "recall" of all incumbent politicions and replace them with new improved models.

September 20, 2009 at 8:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

create (anonymous) says...

I'm for that. Get rid of Lynn Jenkins, for one. She never even read the health bill, not one word of it. But she gets one point for admitting it.

September 20, 2009 at 1:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...

"The American voter need to issue their own "recall" of all incumbent politicians and replace them with new improved models."

I think some people think that this excludes the politicians they adore.

R.

September 20, 2009 at 2:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

Well, I read the article. I paid particular attention to statements such as those below.

"Neither move, however, represented ceding any significant ground. A plan to place Iskander missiles close to the Polish border was merely a threat. And while the Kremlin has previously criticized Tehran for questioning the reality of the Holocaust, Russian leaders have refused to back Western push for tougher sanctions against Iran.

It still remains unclear whether Moscow will make any significant concessions on Iran and other issues in response to President Barack Obama's move to scrap the Bush-era plan for U.S. missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic.

....but Russian officials have given no indication yet that Moscow could make concessions in other areas, including Iran.......
......Saturday's statement didn't necessarily mean that Moscow was prepared to toughen its stance on Iran in response to Obama's move to scrap the missile defense plan.

Question is, create, did you read the article? It is not at all clear to me where Obama "played a chess match with the Russians and won". It looks alot to me like the reverse, actually. Who played who?

I have not praised or condemned Obama's move in either direction, because it depends on what we got in return, which is unknown, if anything, at this point. But could someone point out to me in the article where we outsmarted the Russians?

September 20, 2009 at 11:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

goodoleboy (anonymous) says...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/...

Outlines it pretty well, I think that when the Russians were hauling missiles into Cuba in the 60's we were pretty nervous, to be honest can't say as I blame them for being prudent with us, we were the same way.

Either way Gates supports it:

http://www.reuters.com/article/politi...

he was hand picked by W. ........

In chess terms: their move, I'll wager that since we made concessions so will they. Care to bet?

September 21, 2009 at 12:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

"I have not praised or condemned Obama's move in either direction, because it depends on what we got in return, which is unknown, if anything, at this point. But could someone point out to me in the article where we outsmarted the Russians?"

I know how to play chess, and just saying "its your move now", does not equate to WINNING the chess match. For those unfamiliar with chess, EVERY winning move by the opponent is preceded by "it's your move now".

As I said, remains to be seen. I haven't passed judgement either way. Just stated that nowhere in the article given by create was any evidence that Obama "played chess and won". Simply that he's in the game....... as every administration is/was........

September 21, 2009 at 8:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

open_eyes (anonymous) says...

It doesn't appear many of our allies in Europe share create's view that Obama just won a chess match with the Russians:

Poles, Czechs: US missile defense shift a betrayal

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090918/a...

WARSAW, Poland – Poles and Czechs voiced deep concern Friday at President Barack Obama's decision to scrap a Bush-era missile defense shield planned for their countries.

"Betrayal! The U.S. sold us to Russia and stabbed us in the back," the Polish tabloid Fakt declared on its front page.

"No Radar. Russia won," the largest Czech daily, Mlada Fronta Dnes, declared in a front-page headline.

Those darn Europeans. Just a bunch of right-wingers putting Obama down. Again. As Usual.

September 21, 2009 at 1:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

goodoleboy (anonymous) says...

Based on what I have read we can better utilize the tech not deploying it there. Gosh darnit Team America, why can you not police the world. We can't act in everyone elses best interests all the time /shrug, the credit card is maxed out lol.

September 21, 2009 at 3:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )