Jay Bookman

By Thor

May 29, 2008 4:40 PM | Link to this

Here are the problems:

$12 billion a month on this war, all of it financed via the debt. This was is unsustainable and cannot go on forever.

Baby Boomers retiring which will blow out the budget. Either they cut their benefits, raise taxes - or both. It is unsustainable. No candidate is leveling with the people on how serious this is; they are all blowing smoke.

Energy.

Inflation.

Nobody running for office is telling us the truth about the serious consequences for inaction. We are in trouble.

By tljfinancier

May 29, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this

Johnny is an incompetent uncaring TRUST FUND BABY masquerading as a US Senator, he is as useless as Saxby is shameless.

By sherm

May 29, 2008 7:23 PM | Link to this

We’re stuck with a political campaigning system and mass media system that prevents any candidate from straying very far from conventional wisdom, if he or she wants to win.

Obama says he’s for change, but change from what, to what. McCain thinks everything is just fine the way it is.

So when the next president is elected, he will have no mandate to do anything extraordinary to fix our ills.

I guess its up to the public to say we’re ready to do some things differently if its for the greater good. Just cut out the baloney Mr President and tell us what those things are.

By Politcal Foreskin

May 29, 2008 7:57 PM | Link to this

Cartoon Idea: Show the Florida Superdelegates being taken from their bi-candidate, (polygamist) home situation where nobody knows who’s your daddy, and forced to choose a candidate. It plays out with the Democratic Party forcing the delegates back to incestral convention or something, it kinda gets lost…..nevermind.

Florida State Repudlicans are the ones who legislated the early primary there. Why did the democrats vote for it, unanimously? Because the Repudlickans added a rider which gave a paper trail ballot which they had wanted for a long time. The democrats did not want an early primary at all.

The Repudlickans simply realized that the penalties that the GOP applied to their own early primaries were slaps on the wrist compared to the chaos that was the consequence of the Democratic Party rules concerning early primaries.

The “patriotic” idea the GOP had was that Florida is a microcosm of the USA, and campaign 08 would be better served with a more accurate representation of how a diverse America might vote. The earlier, the better.

By Georgia Boy

May 29, 2008 9:53 PM | Link to this

The next President should recognize that the Republicans were wrong in the ir assertion that “deficits don’t matter”. In fact, a government with a strong financial position will have the resources to enact meaningful programs that will address climate change, transportation needs, Social Security etc. And what are the steps necessary to eliminate the federal debt? Ending the $12b per month necessary to prop up the Iraqi government, eliminating wasteful subsidies, killing old, irrelevant programs, and recognizing that revenues must match expenditures.

Just out of curiosity: Who was the last Republican to actually balance the federal budget? Hoover? Coolidge? Harding ?

By Redneck

May 30, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this

To Georgia Boy and the other socialist complaining about the tax money going to support the actions in Iraq.

If we would stop providing housing, food, and money to the millions of deadbeats here in the USA, paying 22% of the operating cost of the UN, we would have plenty money and have a balanced budget and maybe even a surplus. For you idiots who can’t read, taxpayers are currently being ripped off to the tune of 792 billion per year by the foodstamp, medicaid, and welfare programs.

And for Georgia Boy edification, there hasn’t been a real balanced budget in the last 75 years. Only projected balanced budgets, nothing real.

By ellis

May 30, 2008 9:10 AM | Link to this

Just out of curiosity: Who was the last Republican to actually balance the federal budget? Hoover? Coolidge? Harding ?

I believe that was Richard Nixon in 1969.

By Thor

May 30, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this

Every economist agrees the current fiscal path is unsustainable. Everyone agrees we cannot out-grow the promised entitlements.

The public has been fooled into believing “just cut out the pork” and we’ll be fine. With a war being waged and the greedy baby boomers retiring, we are on a collision course for financial disaster in America.

Anyone ever heard of Pete Peterson???

By Eric1

May 30, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this

So the redneck is distressed by a government that helps the disadvantaged among us but he has no problem spending billions on a desert wasteland in the middle east. I’m shocked!

By MADMOMMY

May 30, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this

We could really use a refresher course on History, but wait the CRCT test proves we all know nothing.
Time to brush up on what happend to ROME and thier GREAT EMPIRE!!! I have a feeling that we are next in line to fail and fail after the greatest gains made in history.

I pray for us all.

By We're all in Trouble!

May 30, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this

Redneck - get your facts straight. If this country cannot help it’s own citizens, why in the world did we think we could help Iraqi citizens? If we cannot live by the Statue of Liberty - Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, we have absolutely NO BUSINESS invading another country. Our own people are being evicted, cannot afford health care, losing our jobs, not taking care of our vets. We should be ashamed at what we have allowed to happen to our beloved country. If you don’t see the problem, you are the problem. Get out of the way and let the people who care about our country move it forward.

By BS

May 30, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this

Bill Clinton, a fiscal conservative and technically excellent chief executive, balanced the budget. I am not a liberal, nor a Democrat, but I will give him that. Overall he was a slimeball and the most successful con man in U.S. history.

By Daedalus

May 30, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this

Defecits only matter when we have a Democratic President. When Clinton and Carter were in office the GOP howled about the growing national debt. When Reagan, Bush and then Bush again were in office, and perfected the borrow and spend system, defecits are ‘healthy’ and a ‘good way to do business’.

Anyone know what hypocrisy means?

Oh, and to Mr. Redneck, its not tax dollars we are spending in Iraq, its money borrowed from China, Europe and other investors. We, or more likely our children and grand-children, will have to pay it back.

With wages holding static (or decreasing in buying power) and more global competition we cannot assume that growth in government revenues will keep up with inflation. We are looking at a long period as a debtor nation.

So much for conservative fiscal discipline.

Anybody spare a few trillion?

By The Truth

May 30, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this

Here is a perfect illustration of what will happen when the Dems when the White House. Goodbye America. PS: This from London and not some right-wing news organization.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23488455-details/Al-Qaeda’s+terrifying+vision+of+a+devastated+America+in+the+wake+of+a+nuclear+attack/article.do

By AuntieCDent

May 30, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this

You only need to catch a single phrase in Redneck’s post to understand what is at the center of his entire personal constitution, which is unfortunately is the same for most far “right” and “hard working whites” in this country.

“If we would stop providing housing, food, and money to the millions of deadbeats here in the USA”

There is a school of thought that has been passed on to whites who have been unable embrace their reasonable portion of the “american dream”; to believe that their failure to do so is because of (we will call them “minorities”). It is so much more convenient to blame “them” and the government for their personal lack of achievement.”.. I can’t get a job because they had to give it to a Black person…” (Never mind the fact that the Black person was actually more qualified than I). “…Why is there a need for a ‘Black’ college or ‘United Negro College Fund’?” (There is no such thing, only ‘historically Black’ ones – because you refused to let us into yours. Talk to Josh, he can tell you how to get in).

How about moving out of Bum-F areas and into areas where there are careers? Oh I forgot, you don’t want to have to live and work amongst those that don’t look like you or believe what you believe.

How about working on YOU instead of blaming the next person? By the way, the same can be said for “minorities” who embrace the same. We’ll be fair here.

By susan

May 30, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this

Focus, people, focus.

First, vote for the democrat.

Second, hold your elected officials accountable, especially when they break the laws they are supposed to uphold. When they do that then file charges against them and take them to court.

Third, reconstitute the Bill of Rights and the Constitution and strenghten the courts to uphold these rights and laws by bringing liberals to the bench, particularly the Supreme Court.

Fourth, begin again a dialogue with the people of this world based on our newly rediscovered democratic principles including the right of the individual to pursue equality, freedom and justice.

Finally, openly practice critical thinking and take back the right to criticise our new President. This creates a feedback loop that strengthens the leadership of this country.

Then get to work on a list that in detail addresses the financial, moral, and ethical crisis we find ourselves in.

End the war in Iraq. Pursue areas of world conflict with diplomacy rather than war. Balance the budget. Get Osama bin Laden. Deal with global warming. End oil dependancy. Support smart technology development. Rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. Attend to America’s ongoing need for healthcare services. Balance the need for cheap labor with immigrent concerns. Redefine the right of Americans to be in need and get help from their government vs. the right of corporations to be underwritten by the American taxpayers.

What’s on everyone else’s list? For real; what specific contructive actions would you like to see take place in the next eight years that would allow this country to recover from what the neo-cons have done in the last eight years?

By The Truth

May 30, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

susan. My list involves winning the War in Iraq, securing the border, keep tax cuts, privatize social security and keep it out of the hands of politicians, leave health care to the private sector. Why should I vote for the democrat when all democrats do is screw up the country? High taxes, building race walls between people like Hillary and Obama and care more about global scamming warming than islamic terrorism? I don’t want the governments help. People that want the help of the government are lazy people who can’t think and do for themselves. Go live in a FEMA trailer for all I care.

By GOPs got to go

May 30, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this

Oh “The truth” shall set us free. What a load of baloney you spout off. Good God, how many MIT, GT, Cal Tech REAL scientists have to tell you about global warming before a total moron like you will get it. You should be FAR more afraid of global warming than any peon Islamic Terrorist. Too bad your heart attack coming up will kill you off prior to Global Warming coming to fruition. Or maybe you might get Cancer and lose your insurance. You are really a goner then. No money, no Meds. Don’t waste your breath or typing fingers on “truth” or “redneck” Susan and AuntieCDent. They are far to pigheaded to listen.

By We're all in Trouble!

May 30, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

Truth - the war cannot be won - it is an immoral war started by us invading their country. If you privatize SS, you will indeed have a country in 50 years that is totally dependant on the govt., republicans screwed up this country this time, not democrats, global warming will be the one thing unless we do something now, we will not be able to do anything later so wake up, and alot of people (no, not all) get governemnt help as a last resort - a survival technique. Then we have the vets who are homeless because they won’t go to a governemnt that screwed them once. Wake up. The Islamic terrorist can win if we keep on the same destructive path you spew. Don’t help your neighbor, stay isolated, see how quickly we lose it all.

By Lies.. all Lies

May 30, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this

Yeah…. we don’t want them Democrats screwing up the country, LEAVE IT TO THE REPUBLICANS!!! They’ve been “doin’ a HECKUVA JOB” of it for the past 8 years!!!!!!

Ain’t that right The Truth??…

By The Truth

May 30, 2008 1:04 PM | Link to this

GOPs got to go, I’m not a pessimistic person so I don’t share your depressed view of the world. The war can be won and has to otherwise we will be destroyed by radical islam. If you want that to happen then by all means vote democrat. By the way, I look at people as individuals and not as a group. I vote for someone who can lead and not surrender. What homeless vets are you referring to because I’ve never seen or met one. I’ve lived in Chicago and Atlanta and have yet to see one. How does privatizing SS hurt? It gives LESS power to the government and more to individuals. People make this country great not government.

Lies..all Lies, I’m not suggesting voting republican just someone who knows what dangers we face. Hillary and Obama have not once spoken on how they will defend the country. That is scary because that is JOB 1 for the president. Yes, the GOP has done a terrible job. Out of control spending, open borders, bungling the war, and many other things but the Demos have done a terrible job the past two years.

Remember, the democrat controlled congress has a 12% approval rating. Much worse than W. We need more third parties and people need to have the power and not government.

By susan

May 30, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this

I think Jimmy Carter was the best person who was president since I was born. I love President Carter, and his wife. They have done amazing things to help the people in this country and the people of this world.

I have a son who is schizophrenic so again I’ll speak for myself. WE needed help from the government. He lived on the streets in downtown Atlanta for the last 3 years until an outreach program at Grady put him in touch with an agency that made it possible for him to get disability benefits.

I am grateful to this country for all that we take for granted, whatever that might be. I love the roads we drive on, Piedmont Park and the Chatahoochee River, the security of our lives, and the consumer paradise we live in.

WE are spoiled, I think. AND we have completely detached ourselves from the task at hand which is to come up with a list of things we want the new leader of this country to do.

I want to add something to my list. In my opinion there needs to be an increase in government regulation(!!!! yes !!!). I happen to be in the banking industry, and the mortgage crisis would have been lessened with government oversight. Ha!

Keep smilin’, and if you have to whine then do it outside!

By Mike S.

May 30, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this

While I agree with Isakson’s assessment of the gravity of the nation’s problems, I have seen nothing from him to suggest he is capable of making wise decisions on solutions. And, God forbid, Zaxby is even worse.

By Steve Morse

May 31, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

Point 1: Our national debt even though it has increased is still not high in relation to other develope countries. It currently stands at 36.85% of GDP compared with: Norway 39.1 Sweded 41.9 United Kingdom 43.3 Netherlands 47.7 Austria 61.0 Canada 64 Germany 65.3 France 66.6 Belgium 86.1 Japan 194.4

Interesting enough these are the countries the left want to emulate.

Politicians claim every election is the most challlenging time in our history. History says differently.