I agree Scott, Romney just needs to get that chance. Obama has proven he can't do it.

Most of these people pro Romney base their decisions on their extensive commercial watching knowledge!

Pony up some reasons to vote for Romney, Laura, instead of doing the standard conservative "woe is me, I'm such a victim of liberals" shtick.

What deductions will Romney end to increase revenues, to offset what will be lost by his 20% across-the-board federal income tax cut? How does Romney plan to enact his tax cut, increase military spending by $2 trillion (you DO know the US spends more on its military than the next ten countries COMBINED!?), and reduce federal debt?

On to the social issues: yes or no, has Romney said he will appoint Supreme Court justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade? Isn't it extreme to want to outlaw abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the woman? Does Romney even allow for the exceptions in cases of rape and incest? Why has Romney fought so hard against same-sex marriage, and why does he want to write an amendment into the constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage?

Next up, Romney's past policy positions. Is he solidly anti-abortion, as he claims now, or is he solidly pro-rights, as he was as governor? If he's elected, are we going to get "moderate Mitt", or "severely conservative Mitt?" The man changes policy positions the way a chameleon changes colors.

Finally, it is YOUR party which has obstructed Obama at every opportunity. Just be honest: you want the US to become a one-party dictatorship, don't you?

Laura, are you telling me you are not worried about the Romney/Ryan agenda as it comes to womans issues, such as health care and personal choice? I have a wife, and a daughter-in-law, I too am well read. I do not watch television, so I do not see the political adverts.
All things considered, I can not vote to have my wife's health care or my daughter-in-laws ability to choose for herself, no, I just can't vote for Mr. Romney, and more so, Mr. Ryan.

My nephew and his wife lived in Boston for about 12 years. They are both very well educated and very well informed - he majored in Political Science in college. His comment on Facebook about Romney was "I welcome the opportunity NOT to vote for him a second time!" To me, that speaks volumes.

It's funny, Kaycee: in the three states he's lived (Michigan, Utah, and Massachusetts), Romney trails Obama. The Salt Lake City newspaper endorsed Obama over Romney. Makes you wonder what the folks who lived Romney know that the rest of the country should!

Thats good Glenda but sorry it hasn't changed my mind. I think we have to have a drastic change and strong leader and that does not spell Obama. There will always be people for and people against any candidate, but it is over whelming what Obama has not done in four years, why give him four more to put us further into debt?

Nick, with all due respect, I think you are completely wrong. This being said, let's agree to meet here after the numbers are in, and the GOP again cries voter fraud and recount recount recount.
By the way, I am far from being out of my mind, and yes, I WILL vote for OBAMA. Romney/Ryan WILL destroy this country as we know it, and I do not want to be forced to follow my job out of this country.

+2 Joe

I'm hardly confused, Kurt, especially when you cherry-pick your "facts" and can't even be bothered with giving an authoritative estimate of the interest on the debt. Spare me your calculator heroics: source, please.

As for the rest of your contentions, the $850 billion stimulus prevented a bad recession from becoming a depression: rebut that. Sure, you can critique Dodd-Frank, but important safeguards have been re-established and a protection agency for financial consumers has been set up: rebut that. Obama guided GM and Chrysler through BK restructuring, unlike Romney, who would have allowed bothe companies to be liquidated: rebut that. Private-sector jobs have grown since the recession bottomed out: rebut that.

Romney doesn't have a plan, and has been lying to the American people about what he will do. Romney and Ryan are an imminent threats to civil rights for LGBT people, and will restrict women's reproductive rights. And, like so much else, you're cherry-picking your facts to make Benghazi into a "crisis," and yet again demonstrate how the GOP will stop at nothing to make this country a one-party dictatorship.

You need a source for simple arithmetic?? 2+2=4. Source please. Ha typical libtard.

Derp...

I agree Kurt that the Lybia crisis has made it quite clear how Obama would handle most crisis...cover it up and lie about it.

Oh, that's funny, Joe! The very definition of insanity is electing Romney to re-implement Bush's failed economic policies. Do you really want this country to head off the fiscal cliff...again?!

BTW...what's this...the sixth, seventh, or eighth time you've posted Churchill's quote in the past two days?

As long as you're going on about Albert Einstein, Joe, here's something for you to mull over:

"The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil. We see before us a huge community of producers the members of which are unceasingly striving to deprive each other of the fruits of their collective labour...I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals."

Albert Einstein, "Why Socialism?", an essay originally published in the first issue of Monthly Review (May 1949)

Churchill was wrong about Gallipoli, and he was wrong about socialism, Joe. But, if a Tory said it, it must be right!

I like your analogy, UNI Grad. Make sure your dog has a job that you are profiting from, and your dog is working for that scrap of gristle. Otherwise, he's a "freeloader."

Remember: If you ever DO happily share any morsels of your precious steak with your un-employed dog, you are an EVIL SOCIALIST!

What has Romney built, Joe? The man was born on third base, silver spoon in mouth, and he's convinced YOU he's a self-made man who hit a triple!

Romney does not beleive in this country strongly enough to pay his fair share of taxes. He does not believe in this country strongly enough to keep all of his assets in the US. I won't citicize his Olympic organizing experience, but there is a huge difference between running a short-term sporting event and governing a nation of some 300 million people.

What bugs me most about Romney is his lack of commitment to any one field except "management." Obama cared enough about constitutional law to become a law shcool faculty member. Romney's father was an auto executive: he at least had a passion for the auto industry. What does Romney have a passion for, besides moving money from one pile to another?

Shoot, at least Ann is an equistrienne. In terms of passion and expertise in any endeavor that matters, Romney is a big, fat zero.

Be honest, Jim: your mind was made up long before UNI or I posted anything on this thread.

Jim, you're not being very honest, given your commenting history:

August 28: It's VP Biden that does that for me. Man, I sure hope Romney wins this thing.
September 21: Come on people...you can only depend on the NYT to bring you left wing news. Think for yourselves, do not believe the media. Listening to the NYT is like listening to RUSH. They are extremist the both of them. Unfortunately in this election people are voting based on the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, or their religious beliefs, not on what is best for the country as a whole. This election makes me sick.
October 2: That is what bothers me about this political BS...it is as if people are brain washed on both sides, it's scary to a guy in the middle. As a father I am afraid to send my kids to school because of the left wing nut cases teaching them, which is almost as bad as listing to Rush.
Jeff Klinzman, I cannot believe the garbage that has been coming out of your mouth. Not just on this article, but all over the patch. I don’t care who disagrees with you, you are a ill-mannered person in my opinion. I don’t care how you feel about Maxine, she is a woman and you should be man enough to treat her with a little respect, hell how about some common courtesy. I agree she should not be messing with your job, but the fact that I know where you teach does mean my children have one less school to chose from, because there is no way I would allow you to teach them.

I'm sorry you feel that way. Was it my lack of name calling and fear mongering that pushed you to that conclusion? Or was it your fear of being called a name by Joe and others that prompted you? Maybe bullying really does work.

So I suppose this had absolutely nothing to do with the Internet?

Just a suggestion, Joe: Cite your source or admit you're plagiarizing.

Joe, you use economic figures to mask more subtle realities. Consider:

Why no mention of the Eisenhower years which were part of the long post-war boom, and which also saw some of the highest marginal federal income tax rates in American history? How does your simplistic thesis account for that?

You overlook the nature of the GW Bush "boom," which was based on financial speculation and the real estate boom. Kevin Phillips (whom I've cited numerous times) wrote in his critique of the GW Bush economy, "American Theocracy," that prosperity based on financial speculation enriches only a tiny proportion of the populace, and does not contribute to general prosperity. Paul Krugman, among others, noted that the RE boom was a classic bubble market, and that housing is a sector insulated from overseas opetition. The GW Bush economy was actually quite weak, and the 2008 ecession showed how illusory its prosperity was.

You talk about the 1920s, and are absolutely dead silent about what that decade's economic boom led to, a Great Depression which almost wrecked American capitalism. The only good things to come out of the Depression were FDR and Social Security! And, to show how your use of overall GDP figures masks much nuance, the farm economy was in extended crisis throughout the 1920s, and was almost destroyed by the Depression.

Finally, no consideration of social justice issues, i.e. the Klan becoming a national force in the 1920s?

Jeff, could you footnote and annotate this so that we can look at your sources and the sources for their sources of the sources for the opinion of that source. I am sure Kevin Phillips who you have cited numerous times has sources for the information you quoted the source of. I wouldn't want Julie to accuse you of plagiarizing from the source of the ultimate source of your opinion. ;)

Jeff, could you footnote and annotate this so that we can look at your sources and the sources for their sources of the sources for the opinion of that source. I am sure Kevin Phillips who you have cited numerous times has sources for the information you quoted the source of. I wouldn't want Julie to accuse you of plagiarizing from the source of the ultimate source of your opinion. ;)

Ummm...Troy? Jeff actually did cite his source.

P UNI G to be perfectly honest I am tired of people like you wanting to reach in my pocket and take more than you are willing to give. Yes I am one of those who make more than 250K a year. I own a small business and everything it makes trickles down to me. I get taxed at approximately 31% federal and you have the nerve to tell me I am not paying my fair share while you pay a lower percentage. Personally that just makes you a thief. You want not only more money from me but you want a higher percentage as well, you didn't earn that but you sure as heck have no problem spending something you didn't earn and then have the audacity to accuse me of being unfair. What increases deficits is government spending money it doesn't have. If you are truly serious about balancing the budget and reducing debt for our kids what it is going to take is for government to stop spending. You can not tax your way out of this the whole gross domestic product of the us won't quite pay the debt off plus it is increasing by over a trillion a year. Stop the spending! Duh!

Troy, it is wrong for you to accuse Proud UNI Grad of being a thief. If you have any sense of decency, you'll delete your post.

Mitt Romney paid 14% of his income in federal taxes in the what, two years of tax returns he's released? That's a lower rate than most middle-class taxpayers pay. Moreover, I continue to maintain that capital gains should be taxed at the same rate (if not more) than wages earned through labor: why are you okay with the preferential tax treatment given to income made from speculation?

You know what my profession is: I teach, am proud of it, and have a passion which drove my commitment to earn my credentials. What is Romney's passion? All we've ever heard focuses on his "management" experience, but I have no idea what kind of endeavor, beyond making money and exercising power, drives the man. You talk about your business: what industry are you in? Are you defined by your profession, or how much money you can make?

A couple of my buddies run their own consumer audi/video custom installation businesses. They are in the trade because they love music and movies, dig the equipment, and enjoy the challenge of installing and integrating gear into clients' homes.

Notice how I didn't mention making money? That's what comes when you love what you do, commit to it, then build a client and referral base. What's YOUR and Romney's defining business vision?

UNI: It appears you did not understand Winston Churchill's definition of socialism. The purpose of the tax code was derailed by the democrats years ago. Apparently, in your mind and jeff's is to equalize everyone's income so some hopeless homeless druggee gets the same income as a brain surgeon. That kind of economy was tried by the russian communists and it failed miserably. Socialism light has been tried by the European Union nations and they are hopelessly in debt because of it.
Conclusion: Your thesis leads to economic failure for the country. The whole trickle down theory is utter nonsense is nothing more than a liberal party talking point. The more you raise taxes the more you depress the economy and lose jobs. We have just tried that with obama and the nation is worse off today than in 2008!
Is it your pride that prevents your intellect from recognizing when a political policy is a failure?

Joe, when are you going to admit that the GOP has failed as a party?

Your turn, Troy:

Funny how you cannot make an argument without denigrating an opponent, i.e. "Sorry Jeff but if you are not smart enough or willing to take the time to understand." And, you completely missed my point: smart management is subordinated to doing SOMETHING, i.e. providing a good or a service, and in the case of my buddies in consumer A/V, they are classic examples of "value-added specialty retailing." Anyone can work the sales floor at Wal-Mart; a "value-added" specialist will know how to get the best performance out of an audio/video system, install it so it looks like a professional did the work, and integrate operation of the system using, for example, a radio-frequency remote run through an RS-232 third-party controller or through an IR repeater system.

It takes a special kind of person, who really cares and enjoys that kind of work. While you're right that good management helps (one of my buddies bought his store when the company president got bored with retailing, did not care to run his flagship store profitably, and decided to shutter the business so he could live off the rent he collects from his commercial RE properties), management is only means to an end.

You have, like Romney, have forgotten that relationship. I think it revealing that you only feel a "fiduciary obligation" to yourself, just like Romney felt no obligation to the Americans he put out of work during his time at Bain.

"CJM has applied for a five-year tax rebate on the value of its planned improvements, with funds provided from expected tax revenues on the improvements through the tax increment finance district in which its building is located. The Ankeny City Council is scheduled to consider a development agreement for the tax incentive at its Dec. 5 meeting. Curtis Brown, the city’s economic development director, said the tax incentive should equal about $43,000, based on an estimated $250,000 value of the improvements. In August 2010, the City Council authorized up to 10 years of financial incentives for existing businesses that expand or add employees in the next two years, double its usual five-year incentive. Brown said CJM is the sixth business to apply for tax incentives since the city sweetened its incentive package."

Read more: http://www.businessrecord.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=15803&SectionID=35&SubSectionID=98&S=1#ixzz2AtQPoT6e

Now let's talk about government handouts...

I would love to Kaycee. The tax rebate may actually equal the stupid requirements of the Ankeny building code I had to implement to actually be able to build. 1. Had to put in not one but 2 handicap accessible ramps when there was already a ramp into my building from the back. Estimated cost approximately 20,000. My break area had to be handicap accessible which required a dishwasher that was 2 inches shorter than normal for an extra 500. Required firewalls between the other areas of my building at an estimated cost of 100,000 dollars even though we are a one story building with 9 exit doors and 17 windows plus a 20,000 dollar fire alarm system. I would say the tax offset didn't even make a dent in the overall extra costs imposed by stupid government rules for a net loss on my part. We actually looked at moving it out of Ankeny for that exact reason and the only reason we stayed was the tax offset to pay for the governments own stupid rules. Besides you forgot to mention my tax bill for that one building is close to 24,000 a year. You can call it a handout, I would call it an offset for stupid government rules. I actually had to pay to have the flush levers on my toilets moved from the wall side to the non wall side and the only way to do that is change the whole top tank. They also required me to put in drinking fountains. We have faucets and glasses and are not open to the public but drinking fountains are till required, one at normal height and one handicap.

Actually Jeff I have a fiduciary obligation to my employees, my family and my country, I just don't believe that obligation should be at a higher percentage rate than your fiduciary obligation to this country.

As far as denigrating my opponent, I am just more honest than you, you do it through implication without coming right out and saying it, I on the other hand call it as I see it.

It also takes a special type of person to be able to see the inefficiencies in a company and be able to fix those inefficiencies. That is what management is, you need both types in a company. You seem to think that because Romney was good at management that he added no value. The ironic part is that it must take an uncommon individual to manage a company, I say this because they are always the best paid and if the were easy to find or come by they wouldn't be.

I'm sure you can convince the people who Romney put out of work in his tenure at Bain how he "added value" to those comapnies, Troy! And, Romney was a debt-monger: one of his favorite tactics was to load a company down with debt before selling it on.

Kinda sounds like he was practicing for the presidency, given the realities of his tax proposals...

Glad to see you admit that the president has loaded us down with unnecessary debt, shipped jobs overseas with his tax policies and generally sold my children's future out for a short term political gain, while adding no value to this country.

Troy, you are as mendacious as Romney himself! So, did you see the clip of Romney in a GOP debate proposing abolishing FEMA? Now Romney is saying, "That's not what I meant at all!" Then there is his claim that Chrysler is outsourcing jobs to China. That one was such a whopper that Chrysler issued a denial, but Romney just blithely sails on, oblivious to his obvious untruths.

Get your timeline straight. Romney claimed to not being involved in day-to-day ops at Bain since, what, 2000? Then, IRS disclosure forms revealed that Romney was listed as chief investor and CEO at Bain as late as 2003: are you saying Obama was president THEN!?

Troy, I've been holding half my brain behind my back. You are to debate what Braxton Bragg was to military leadership...

Kurt, I reject as baseless your assertion that taxing capital gains at the same rate as wages would kill incentive: you are simply rationalizing a fundamental unfairness in the tax code by repeating an ideological assumption you have been indoctrinated to accept without questioning, i.e. your assertion is unfounded "politcal correctness!"

And, you have conceded that you have paid a rate equal to or greater than Romney's. The only reason he gave what he did to charity was to reduce his overall tax obligation: he could have given more, but chose not to (by his own admission) to keep his tax obligation at 14% for the sake of appearance.

Reject away Jeff, You are still totally incorrect. It really is a good thing you are a Engrish teacher, I would really hate to have you practice economic policy.

Actually, Joe, it is GOP economic and fiscal policies which have been abject failures. It is dishonest, as you have done here, to pinpoint a low point of gasoline prices during the GW Bush administration as if that reflected the average price of gasoline during the whole 8 years: that number has been conclusively rebutted elsewhere, because gas prices during the GW Bush presidency went as high as $4.00+/gallon. You are being mendacious in how you use that statistic.

Why no attempt to talk about what GW Bush prosperity was based on, financial speculation and the real estate bubble, or how recessions caused by financial collapses are longer and worse than "normal" business-cycle recessions? Why no acknowledgement of what Obama accomplished, ameliorating the worst effect of the recession and shortening it, through his $850 billion stimulus? Why no admission that the recession would have been MUCH worse if GM and Chrysler had been liquidated?

Why has Romney lied to the American people about his stance on the bailouts for Chrysler and GM? Why has he lied to us about Chrysler outsourcing Jeep production to China? Why has Romney flip-flopped about his position on abortion rights? Why is Romney lying now about what he said during the GOP primaries, that he wanted to abolish FEMA? Joe, all you do is regurgitate numbers ripped out of context, and you provide zero analysis.

Why should Americans elect a man who is lying to them to win the presidency?

Bad move, UNI: Troy and others here have already expressed their contempt for American public education!

Not name calling, it is thievery to take from one man something you haven't earned it might be legal thievery but it is still thievery. Yes I do pay 31% effective. You see I fall into the AMT which gets rid of most of my deductions while I don't make enough to use tax shelters like the truly rich, and being an s corp I don't even get to flex.

Get rid of the department of education, should be managed at the state level, get rid of the DOL, HUD, should all be at the state level. Increase retirement age and Medicare eligibility ages for people under 45. These are just a few to begin with.

One more, we could get rid of PBS and the obamaphone.

I wonder why I would have contempt for the American public education system, maybe because it ranks so low in world stats

Why are you almost always so negative, Troy? Sure, American students can do better in terms of how they are measured, which is in standardized, objective tests. Such tests fail to disclose how imaginative students are, and you have to admit American universities, public and private, are magnets for students from around the world.

The GOP has embraced a very negative approach to education: wanting to break teachers' union so teachers can more easily be fired. Boy, how inspiring! And, if US students need to do better in science and math, how will GOP efforts to mandate the teaching on an unscientific dogma, "intelligent design," help? If American students need to better understand their history, why then did the GOP-dominated Texas school board mandate, as part of its history curriculum requirements, that the role of (christian) faith be emphasized, that Jefferson Davis be given equal billing to Abraham Lincoln, and that "states' rights" must be incorporated into teaching about the Civil War?

You like to gripe, but you and your party only offer solutions which make things worse, Troy.

That actually is quite inspiring, just imagine for a moment a school system in which a teacher can be held accountable for the education of their students. Wow what a concept, holding a person accountable for the job they do. I agree with you totally the states shouldn't be mandating what is taught, that should be decided at the local school level and if I believe the school is not educating my student to my acceptable standard I should be able to take my student and my tax money to a school that meets my expectation. That would not only make the teachers responsible but it would be a solution that makes things better.

Besides you lie Jeff, I didn't gripe I accurately described the state of affairs you so called educators have brought this country too. At one point we were the best in the world. Look what happens when you can't fire bad teachers we just keep dropping in the things which truly matter like science math and other measurable skills. You want to blame Romney for Jobs going overseas, They went overseas because we no longer have the skills sets in abundance which would make us competitive plus we have the highest corporate tax rate in the world.

Yet another baseless assertion, Troy. You provide zero evidence, just your unlearned opinion, that teachers' unions are responsible for the performance of American students. How about if states like Louisiana stop allowing vouchers to be spent in christian schools which teach creationism as science?

Again, what evidence do you base your contentions on? I saw you griping about Ankeny building standards above: ANKENY IS YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT! How on Earth can you claim that local boards should set curricula on the one hand, then gripe about your local government's zoning standards on the other!? Curricula should be set at the state level, with national standards to ensure consistency across the country. BTW, it's also revealing that the worst schools, in the Southeast, are also in GOP country.

And Troy, "lie" is such a harsh term. I don't do that, I simply rebut your silly arguments and point out your self-contradictions. Funny how you bash public education, even though you attended UNI yourself.

Hey Jeff when did common sense go out the window, inability to fire any teacher due to union rules. Bad teachers keep teaching. Education of students suffer. Not hard to follow. Yes I complained about local rules but I can do something about them now that I am aware of them, like get a rebate on my taxes to pay for the stupid rules or I can take the savings and support someone to run who actually has a chance, I have none of these options at the national level. It would be interesting to see the test scores of those Christian schools wouldn't it, I bet they are better than the public ones. Sorry still don't see where I griped about public education which yes makes it a lie not a rebuttal, you like to twist what people say subtly to make your point. This is a perfect example where you twist what I actually said to help make your point, sorry but a lie is a lie as you like to point out about Romney, just strange you can never seem to find the lies Obama tells or has told in the past. Yes I did attend UNI for two years and the graduated from a great private school in Indianola. UNI was good enough for the Gen Ed requirements, still paid more out of my pocket to go to a state school than I did to go to a private school, must be those overpaid government employees at the state schools.

"Common sense" is the level of intelligence we share with the least intelligent, Troy, so yes, I eschew it. Why should I settle for using the reasoning of the stupid? Again, you offer a kind of "cause-and-effect" reasoning which is bereft of any supporting evidence.

Here's what I know, as a professional in a field you know nothing about. Students have diverse learning methods, so effective teaching requires you to adapt your methods to meet each student's needs. That requires both one-on-one work and fast, meaningful assessment of student work. That, in turn, means smaller student loads, which allows a teacher the time to work with each student individually. Class size does matter, so to reduce class sizes and student loads, you need to hire more teachers. All I've heard you share here is your generalized assumption that many public school teachers are incompetents. I bet you got all happy when Romney said, "I like firing people!"

But none of this matters, since you are bigoted against public employees and think we're all overpaid. You claim christian schools perform better, but again make an assertion based on your prejudice which is bereft of any supporting evidence.

You earlier wrote about Hurricane Sandy that you don't want to pay for disaster relief for New York City.

Is that how you felt after 9/11?

Here are the studies showing how private religous schools better educate their students. It was done by the government and the socio economic status was controlled for. The time article explains the study in terms even you should be able to comprehend. The gist of it is that you are better off sending your child to a private school they will get a better education.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1670063,00.html
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/studies/2006461.asp

I have to get to work soon grading student work, which of course you'll assume I'm incompetent at, since I am a proud product of public education, Troy.

How long did it take you to find the NEAP study and Time article via Google? How closely did you read either source? The NEAP study offers these caveats:

"When interpreting the results from any of these analyses, it should be borne in mind that private schools constitute a heterogeneous category and may differ from one another as much as they differ from public schools. Public schools also constitute a heterogeneous category. Consequently, an overall comparison of the two types of schools is of modest utility. The more focused comparisons conducted as part of this study may be of greater value. However, interpretations of the results should take into account the variability due to the relatively small sizes of the samples drawn from each category of private school, as well as the possible bias introduced by the differential participation rates across private school categories.

"There are a number of other caveats. First, the conclusions pertain to national estimates. Results based on a survey of schools in a particular jurisdiction may differ. Second, the data are obtained from an observational study rather than a randomized experiment, so the estimated effects should not be interpreted in terms of causal relationships. In particular, private schools are 'schools of choice.'”

socialism is what it is, it is equalizing everyone into a common state of misery. The democrats have destroyed America with their wacky liberal policies and indoctrinating the nations public school system in to failed philosophy. The economic failure we have had lies completely on BO's desk, not Bush or anyone else. Even Bush would not have had a problem except for the fact that the democrats under the incompetant jimmy carter passed a law known as the community reinvestment act which required banks to lend money to anyone regardless of ability to repay or their financial circumstances. This was exacerbated during the Clinton years. and now you blame Bush, you don't know history. Better take another grad course in the history of the progressive political movement in America.

And your unhappiness and discontent lie squarely with you...not on Obama or Carter or anyone else. Personal responsibility: often preached but seldom practiced by today's Tea Party Republicans.

Romney may very well win. Doesn't mean I think it is best for the county, but I respect the democratic process. What I can assure you is that if it does turn out that way I won't be warning of the Apocalypse, telling friends and neighbors to stockpile weapons, get ready for revolution etc etc etc as I have heard for the past 4 years. I will also hope that Congress will work together to advance our country instead of being a roadblock so that in 4 years the country is worse off than today...All in the hopes of getting a guy from "my Party" elected. I can only imagine what kind of fear mongering will take place if Obama should win.

The numbers that count are the electoral votes, James. And, this sounds like the same kind of numbers-mongering (Bush won more precincts! Bush won more counties!) to justify GW Bush being elected in 2000 with fewer popular votes than Gore after the GOP stole Florida.

UNI makes a vlid statement: he and I will accept an Obama loss next month without trying to sabotage Romney's presidency. Has the GOP tried to sabotage Obama's fitrst term? Will you accept Obama as president if Romney loses?

Umm...Joe? "Obamacare" is virtually the same as the plan put forth from The Heritage Foundation and is indestinguishable from "Romneycare."

Actually Julie that is totally incorrect. There are numerous taxes in this that were never in Romney's bill. Furthermore it was at the state level and if you notice it is also an abject failure.

"Romneycare" is quite popular in Massachusetts, Todd.

Have you threatened your employees' livelihood yet by telling them how to vote?

Hey Troy, did you see the opposition research McCain's team ran on Romney when they rejected him as Veep in 2008? Boy, did that man have a record of raising state service fees when he was governor.

Name one tax increase, ONE, that is in the ACA. Read the "Top Hits" section: there's some great stuff there. Of course, if you're chicken, you'll just huff "It's the HuffPo" and not have the guts to acknowledge the truth about Romney that McCain dug up four years ago.

SARAH PALIN was a better Veep choice than Romney!?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/john-mccains-200-page-romney-research-book_n_1211965.html

Here are some of the new taxes you're going to have to pay to pay for Obamacare:
•A 3.8% surtax on "investment income" when your adjusted gross income is more than $200,000 ($250,000 for joint-filers). What is "investment income?" Dividends, interest, rent, capital gains, annuities, house sales, partnerships, etc. Taxes on dividends will rise from 15% to 18.8%--if Congress extends the Bush tax cuts. If Congress does not extend the Bush tax cuts, taxes on dividends will rise from 15% to a shocking 43.8%. (WSJ)
•A 0.9% surtax on Medicare taxes for those making $200,000 or more ($250,000 joint). You already pay Medicare tax of 1.45%, and your employer pays another 1.45% for you (unless you're self-employed, in which case you pay the whole 2.9% yourself). Next year, your Medicare bill will be 2.35%. (WSJ)
•Flexible Spending Account contributions will be capped at $2,500. Currently, there is no tax-related limit on how much you can set aside pre-tax to pay for medical expenses. Next year, there will be. If you have been socking away, say, $10,000 in your FSA to pay medical bills, you'll have to cut that to $2,500. (ATR.org)
•The itemized-deduction hurdle for medical expenses is going up to $10,000. Right now, any medical expenses over $7,500 per year are deductible. Next year, that hurdle will be $10,000. (ATR.org)

•The penalty on non-medical withdrawals from Healthcare Savings Accounts is now 20% instead of 10%. That's twice the penalty that applies to annuities, IRAs, and other tax-free vehicles. (ATR.org)
•A tax of 10% on indoor tanning services. This has been in place for two years, since the summer of 2010. (ATR.org)
•A 40% tax on "Cadillac Health Care Plans" starting in 2018.Those whose employers pay for all or most of comprehensive healthcare plans (costing $10,200 for an individual or $27,500 for families) will have to pay a 40% tax on the amount their employer pays. The 2018 start date is said to have been a gift to unions, which often have comprehensive plans. (ATR.org)
•A"Medicine Cabinet Tax" that eliminates the ability to pay for over-the-counter medicines from a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account. This started in January 2011. (ATR.org)
•A "penalty" tax for those who don't buy health insurance. This will phase in from 2014-2016. It will range from $695 per person to about $4,700 per person, depending on your income. (More details here.)
•A tax on medical devices costing more than $100. Starting in 2013, medical device manufacturers will have to pay a 2.3% excise tax on medical equipment. This is expected to raise the cost of medical procedures. (Breitbart.com)

This list is taken from easily researched internet articles. This one happens to be by Henry Blodget on the Daily Ticker. Here is the link:
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/taxes-going-pay-pay-obamacare-145413745.html

If you believe that, James, then I should have no trouble convincing you my flattus smells like roses...

Nah, he hasn't actually risen to that level.

PUNIG, are you sure you actually graduated? A hypocrite is one who says one thing and does the exact opposite, Not sure how I embody the definition of hypocrite when all along I have said the top earners pay to much in taxes and should get more tax breaks, which is exactly what I am trying to do. I have said those of you who don't pay the same percentage I do are thieves and as far as I can tell that still stands. I will still pay 95% of the assessed value on this property while you as a homeowner will only pay 50% of the assessed value. Besides a break on an increase is actually just not an increase, not sure how I am taking your money since it was my money to begin with and still is.

The funny part is I can't say I had any respect for you. I have a lot of respect for Jeff even though I disagree with his politics, outlook and general position on everything, I respect him because he is willing to put his name out there and suffer the barbs and slings of those of us who disagree with him, not just on the patch but in his own hometown while you hide behind a nom de guerre. Can't say you will be missed much since we hardly

Typical Conservative Chicken Little; everything is 'us' and 'you'. No wonder this country can't move forward on most issues.

It's sad you're all too happy to wish misfortune and dispear on the country just because you didn't get your way and you lack the ability and skills to cope.

Sour grapes, Joe...

I LOVE when people proclaim Obama a 'socialist'.

1) Even the Democratic Socialist of America, and Socialist Party USA, don't approve of Obama. They do not hesitate to declare his beliefs and actions are not aligned with theirs.

2) The only Obama program even bordering on 'socialism' is the health care initiative. Well, Romney did nearly the same thing in the State of Massachusetts. So, is it 'socialism' ecause it’s Obama, or do you openly proclaim Romney a 'socialist' as well?

I’d wager that like people who don’t know the different between ‘capitalism’ and ‘free market’, you don’t know what socialism is.

I had to laugh the last 2 weeks leading up to the election. The NRA had a pathetic, Pavlovian commercial about ‘Vote Freedom; Defeat Obama’, centered on Obama appointments to the Supreme Court leading to gun control measures. Fact of the matter is that outside of comments involving the need to (logically) prevent those with mental issues from obtaining weapons such as AK-47s, Obama hasn’t pushed for ANY new gun control measures. But you can certainly bet the NRA commercials had the ‘Calving-peeing sticker on their truck’ contingent all worked-up and scared.

p.s. In 1790, the first Congress, including 17 signers of the Declaration of Independence, passed a bill requiring all ship owners provide medical insurance for their crews. That bill was signed into law by George Washington. And in 1798, Congress, including 5 signers of the Declaration, passed a bill requiring seamen buy insurance for themselves. That bill was signed into law by John Adams.

Are you going to tell me that George Washington, John Adams, and many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were ‘socialists’?