" casualobserver, You hit the nail straight on the head with your comments. I have to totally agree with you. I remember Jimmy Carter 4 years in office very well. "

" All politicians spend money. If you are going to spend money it should have a visible benefit to the public good. The difference in politics is how the money is spent. The problem that is keeping the republican party down now is the religious right and the conservatives. The republican party can be good if they stay at the center and stop leaning so far right. "

" Wow, L. John- That's quite a diatribe, coming from an obvious liberal point of view. Maybe you don't remember, but I do remember the era of Jimmy Carter where inflation was rampant, jobs were scarce, and gas was crazy expensive. Now I'm not defending the current batch of Republicrats, nor do I lay all blame at the feet of the Dems... But nobody can disagree that we'd be better off as a nation if the states and the federal government had to operate with limited spending, and programs that fall within the parameters of what the constitution calls for. What's gotten us into this mess is years of government manipulation of lending practices, the people's inability to live within their means, and an all you can eat mentality of programs for everyone under the sun. There isn't an age group that doesn't have a pet program! There isn't a property tax increase that a school's unions aren't in love with. It has to stop. Everyone has to work with less, unless they're producing more themselves, and then they should be allowed to keep more of what they produce. You can your kind can't keep going back to the well and never contribute to the pool! "