[Go Ne]

Well, because so much is at stake with the second district in this Election, I decided to see if we were going to turn this State Purple.

[kdbrich]

Anyone who seriously is looking for positive change would *not* vote for Democrats based on their performance in Congress. Here is why:

The Obama/Biden ticket's entire campaign theme is based on "the last eight years." Maybe we should really look at "the last two years," or the time period when both the House and the Senate were run by Democrats.

In December 2006, after six years of Bush and the last month before the Democrats took over both houses of the national legislature, a snapshot of our economy looked like this.

• Unemployment stood at 4.4%.
• Real GDP growth over the previous four years (under a Republican President, House and Senate) averaged 3% per year.
• A gallon of regular gasoline cost $2.30.
• The S&P 500 stock index stood at 1418, or 84% above its post-911 low and more than 7% higher than when Bush took office.
• Every year of Bush's Presidency, real (inflation-adjusted) disposable income per person went up. By the end of 2006, the average person was making 9% more in real terms than before Bush became President .

If you recall, that 2006 election was considered a referendum on Iraq. The people wanted change, so they threw out the Republicans and replaced them with Democrats. Welcome Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

Here is how they handled Iraq once in office: Harry Reid told us that the Iraq war was "lost" and the surge was not "accomplishing anything." Senator Obama introduced legislation that would have prevented the surge and would have taken all US troops out of Iraq by March 2008 (that would be seven months ago, as you read this) .

Were they right?

Barack Obama now admits that "the surge succeeded." So much for that change. And as the surge succeeded, Congress's approval ratings plummeted. The latest CBS/New York Times poll has it at 12%, well less than half of the already low level it stood at when the Republican Congress was being tossed out in 2006.

What Congress would not investigate was anything about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In fact, they fought against such investigations and cast aspersions against anyone who would even doubt the soundness of those institutions. Here is what Barney Frank said:

These two entities, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are not facing any kind of financial crisis. The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.

You can also see on YouTube how Democrats treated the regulators trying to reign in Fannie and Freddie.

On the other hand, here is what the New York Times had to say in 2003

The Bush administration is rightly pushing for the Treasury Department to regulate the two giants, along with the network of federal home loan banks. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae provide financing to lenders by creating a secondary market for mortgages. All told, these two institutions' debt portfolio exceeds more than $1.5 trillion. Their current regulator is ill equipped to keep tabs on Freddie's and Fannie's sophisticated hedging strategies and the other financial moves they use to manage their huge investments.

And here is what John McCain said on the Senate floor:

For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac... I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.

On the other hand, who supported the surge? George W. Bush and John McCain.

Who tried to strengthen the oversight and regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? George W. Bush and John McCain.

In the case of the surge, Bush and McCain got their way. The result? Apparent victory in Iraq, a country that is now a democracy, at peace with its neighbors, no longer a WMD threat, no longer a terrorist sanctuary, and no longer filling hundreds of mass graves with hundreds of thousands of its own citizens.

In the case of Fannie and Freddie, Bush and McCain did not get their way - Barney Frank did. The result? The failure of Fannie and Freddie, law suits against their executives and the spark that sent banks failing and stocks falling across the globe to the point of threatening a Great Depression. -- American Thinker Randall Hoven

"Let's vote for change. Let's undo what we did in 2006."

---------------------------------------

"Just yesterday I was watching Huckabee on Fox when he interviewed Joe the Plumber. After the interview, they took questions from the audience and one questioner stuck in my mind. She identified herself as a Canadian and asked a question that I think captures the essene of the issue:

Why, she asked (and I paraphrase), are Americans so down on President Bush? Since 9/11 he has managed to keep your country from being attacked again and taken the battle to the enemy...he was right about the surge and now your troops are coming home victorious after freeing the Iraqi people from oppression? And, during all those years when the Iraq war was not going well, he and the Republicans persevered under difficult circumstances AND kept the economy of your country doing well.

And now, (she went on) you seem to be ignoring the fact that the Democrats have controlled Congress for the last two years and since they took over, the economy has totally tanked. Why are you blaming Bush for that?

Excellent question.

And, an even more pertinent question is why John McCain is getting blamed for it by the Democrats? Isn't that a classic case of 'guilt by association' according to the Obamacrats own standards?" -- Dr. Sanity

"So on the big things, the surge in Iraq and the failure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that led to our recent financial mess, the Democrats were wrong. Dead wrong. One hundred eighty degrees out wrong." - Randall Hoven

While the Republicans were in power, the economy prospered.
The surge worked. Thanks to a Republican President
We have been safe since 9/11 - the terrorist war is on M.E. soil where it belongs. Thanks to a Republican President
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have created devastation - thanks to the Democratic social engineering via the likes of Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi.
And now the Dems want to make things worse by "spreading the wealth around" and pushing us over the brink into socialism. And they are not above using deplorable tactics like demonizing nice, ordinary people to get there.

Democrats? Again? No. Thanks.

Really I'm almost hoping Obama wins - if having a marxist in office would cause the right to become energized enough to return to our Constitutional roots and ideology, and support *effective* and *articulate* candidates in the future.

[Todd4]

A person could go line by line and offer a counter point to everything you just stated.

But, my favorite, even over your opinion that Iraq is now a "peaceful democracy" to you not believing that Republicans have worked to deregulate to economy since Reagan in 1980, is your take on "spreading the wealth"

This has got to be my favorite and most used talking point you have regurgitated from the McCain campaign....at least for this week's new message

John McCain does not believe in a flat tax. That means he believes in a progressive tax that the USA has had for over 60 years.

This is not "spreading the wealth around". This is the system that has been in place since the 1940's. Obama is changing percentages of that progressive tax. And that 3% increase begins after $250,000 !!!! Do you have a bunch of people in your life making over $250,000 ??

Wake up. They can do nothing for the middle class and then say "Joe The Plumber" over and over and people buy that they aren't the party of the rich?? Amazing

Thank god people are starting to think for themselves and not just following the talking points....."socialism"...."terror"....."wealth redistribution"..."dig baby dig"....

[kdbrich]

Umm...yeah. Iraq has a lower crime rate that some parts of this country, from what I've been told.

Who said anything about a flat tax? As for "spreading the wealth around". That's obama's own words.

Say what you want...but the economy was growing, and was in better shape before the democrat leadership clowns took over. He has never once stood up to his own party. Make no mistake--pelosi and reid will be calling the shots. If you want more of that, vote barack.

As for me? No thanks.

[Todd4]

Originally Posted by kdbrich

Umm...yeah. Iraq has a lower crime rate that some parts of this country, from what I've been told.

Who said anything about a flat tax? As for "spreading the wealth around". That's obama's own words.

Say what you want...but the economy was growing, and was in better shape before the democrat leadership clowns took over. He has never once stood up to his own party. Make no mistake--pelosi and reid will be calling the shots. If you want more of that, vote barack.

As for me? No thanks.

John McCain is for the current progressive tax system just like Barack Obama. The more you make, the more you pay. They just disagree on percentages.

Our tax system is based on "spreading the wealth". If you make more, you pay more. McCain agrees with this. So he is also "spreading the wealth"

[Todd4]

[quote=kdbrich;5799797]Umm...yeah. Iraq has a lower crime rate that some parts of this country, from what I've been told.


Don't you find that incredibly sad? We pour $10 billion a month into a foreign country while neglecting parts of our own.

[kdbrich]

I've never said that McCain was not against progressive tax rates. My main point though, is that the economy started tanking shortly after the dems took office 2 years ago. If Pelosi/Reid have their way (and they will if Obama gets elected), we're going to see more of the same.

Obama claims to be for the working man. What's going to happen if you raise taxes on corporations? I'll give you a hint: the same thing that happened when gas prices went up. Big businesses did not just absorb the cost and provide the same services/goods to the consumer--they passed the increas costs along. Same thing will happen if they have to pay more taxes--we're going to end up paying more. Hope you're happy with the few hundred dollars you get for a rebate from Obama. Because you'll spend twice that much because of inflation.

Look ...it's fun to talk about how we need "change"...but raising taxes is not the answer.


As for spending $10 billion a month while neglecting our own? If the local and state governments are neglecting cities, I don't know how the federal government can be held accountable.




Honestly? I'm the one guy above that said I'd be voting 3rd party. I put a Bob Barr sign in my yard last night. I'm not overly impressed with McCain or Obama. For years we've been calling McCain a RINO (along with Chuck Hagel). Now he's trying to reinvent himself and pretend to be a conservative. I don't buy it.

[Todd4]

As for spending $10 billion a month while neglecting our own? If the local and state governments are neglecting cities, I don't know how the federal government can be held accountable.


HOLY COW! do you have any idea what an unfunded federal mandate is ?? the bush administration has been hammering states with it the last 7 years.

this is a huge part of bush's "no child left behind" educational plan. so while states have to meet federal mandates, they are given no money to do so and state budgets suffer.

but beyond this even, don't you think we are all accountable for cities in this country ? new orleans, new york? if not, where do you draw the line. just your state ? just your city ? or just your neighborhood ?

[Todd4]

I'm not overly impressed with McCain or Obama. For years we've been calling McCain a RINO (along with Chuck Hagel). Now he's trying to reinvent himself and pretend to be a conservative.

How in the world in Chuck Hagel a RINO ??? Because he disagrees on Iraq ?? He votes for every other issue on the Republican line ?

[Todd4]

how could you not vote for obama after this ?:

Al Qaeda-Linked Web Site Backs McCain for President - FOXNews.com Elections

This is FOX NEWS, not the New York Times, reporting this.