Right on Ken. Sam should pay off all of the bond holders espceially foreign ones who now hold the government of this country in thrall. This came about because of demogagues who get elected by calling for tax cuts and selling bonds to the same people who got the tax cuts. The folks who cannot face the facts are the American people.

Every one goes to Washington with the intent of taking over and comes up against a wall of special interest lawyers and 534 other people who want to take over. Congress is a delibeartive body as a whole not someplace where it is easy to take over - Thank God. Consider for a moment Iraq. It has taken us 5 years to get in there and will probably take 5 to get out. The public thinks these things happen instantaneoulsy.

Seems like they left alot out of this quote. 535 folks in Congress are not suppose to be constitutional lawyers. That is what we have courts for. The constitution is a guide for the polictical process in this country. One could argue that it was unconstitutional to go to the moon. Hell the Constitution says nothing about space travel. As Jefferson said every generation should revolt anew. Is that not similar to the idea of living in a growning, changing, evolving society rather than one that was set down in concrete 231 years ago. Again the constitution is about process not a guide book for every aspect of our lives.

The mantra that this is a Republic and not a Democracy is part of some strange religion that I know not of. Every dictionary I have consulted says that a republic is a democracy and a democracy is a republic. It is a religion because you have to read a whole bunch of books and probably pray about it to come to your conclusions. The word republic is thrown around quite loosely as every one should know. Plato's Republic is considered to be the forerunner of Communism and as we know China calls itself "The People's Republic". Isn't it cute that every time we are of the 49% minority the 51% folks are a mob. Our country is primarily run by public opinion, free press, investigative reporting etcetera. That kind of society is a democracy. It is a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy but it is still a society where the power is vested in the people. As far as government schools they are run in most states by your frineds and neighbors and most floks say that they like their local schools just fine, and they support its activities and students. In most towns they do not call it a "government" school they say "our school" It is usually the school across town that they call a "govenment" school.

Most schools are run by your friends and neighbors. Don't blame the "government". Survey's show that some people don't like "public school" but when asked about their own local public school they say that it is fine. It is the notorious 'we they' syndrome all over again.

Arcner I agree with you about the stupidity of the Flag Burning Amendment. And Bush the first also agreed that it is a bad idea. You cannot enforce love from people. And people do love this country believe it or not. The flag burning amendment like many other conservative ideas is just a sop for the uneducated masses and a cheap politcal trick.

Republic means: re=return, redo, try again go back as in the words re treat, re align, re sew. Re anything means to do again. So a re public is a form of government that always goes back or re turns to the people. The source of power is the people. If you read your dictionary you will find that the two words REPUBLIC AND DEMOCRACY ARE THE SAME THING. If you don't like either one of those words maybe you prefer government of, by and for. I have little hope for us or the human race if we cannot agree on this. Apparently there is some secret political coded meaning by those who wish to make such a difference between two words that the dictionary says mean the same thing. Please inform me.

I forget when but didn't Bailey somehow prove himself to be a creep? Paula you hit a responsive chord in me with your concern about negativity and you elicted the editors interest. The proof of our freedom and the wonderful nature of our DEMOCRACY is right here on this site where all these ornery and angry folks can write in. The successes of the wise men who have gathered in Washington, DC for the better part of 231 years is undeniable. The institution established by the Declaration and the Constitution is the oldest DEMOCRACY in the world. This legislative body purchased the Lousiana Territory, Alaska, oversaw conflicts like the Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korea etc. Built the Panama Canal and put a human being on the moon. YOU WILL NEVER SEE ANY GRATITUDE FROM MOST ON THIS SITE. Bailey is not up on present matters of the US defense of the Bill of Rights around the world, from protecting Scientologists rights in Germany and the execution of a war agains religious radicals (criminals) while at the same time protecting Muslims rights in the homeland. This is the greatest deliberative body ever established and still is. What we need is a new electorate.

It is human not to like to see two others or two groups of others arguing all of the time and ignoring us!

A Chicago judge said during a Federal Investigation of Chicago corruption that anyone who cooperates with the Feds is the lowest of the low. To some extent public policy is always against personal or private policy. But as long as there is more than one of us we will have public policy.

I believe that it is a fact of life that the higher you go in society, politics, or corporate organization the more one appears to be a liar and a scondrel. It is like being a boss who tries to get along with all of his employees and the employees are all trying to be in first place with the boss. In the end often happens that all the employees think the boss is dishonest. At any given time at least 50 percent of folks think any given politician is lying. So what's new!

Is a buffoon the same thing as an idiot, because Mark Twain was a buffoon. Failed at every thing he tried except buffoonery.

Stupid and unproductive.

These kind of statements are stupid and unproductive. We are Congress, if simply being there makes them idiots who were not idiots before they got there, then we all have the capacity to be idiots. John Edwards expressed the frustration of being a lawmaker the other night. As soon as you arrive you are wined ant dined ant set upon by a vast hord of lobbyists. Our nation is so great and the issues so complex it makes all of us feel like idiouts sometimes. Look at all of us now as we try to choose a new President. God Save the United States of America.

E. under Clinton the graph of the national debt which was on a steady uphill climb took a nose dive. The extra money (surplus) brought in was used to retire the pre-existing debt.

Clinton turned it around though with budget surpluses. There is one thing worse than a government that is in debt and owes everybody money. That is a government that owns everything: aka Communism.

He was a great chronicler of his time and a seer into the future. The 20 years of Reaganism/Bushism has bankrupted this government and is lining the pockets of the wealthy with 4-5% interest on the 10 trillion dollars of debt that they own in the form of US Treasury Bonds. It is a good deal for the Republicans though for then the wealthy contribute substantial sums back to the party. In effect the Republican party is robbing the Treasury and the American people. Follow the money, And the current crop of Republican pretenders to the throne our running on a platform of tax cuts. They have absoutely no shame and no remorse about ripping off the nation and its toiling masses.

Yes, it is all about attitude, attitude, and attitude! Apostle Paul said, "I can live in a castle on a hill or in the the lowest ditch and still be happy."

World changing stuff!

Every one dies and it may even be possible to die happily or at least contentedly. The first sentence is absolutely true. It is up to the individual to make the last sentence true.

Some Americans want to appear that they are going along with the "in crowd" or their peers and fake inhaling because they also feel it is an affront to their mothers and fathers and to God. Have you never seen some young smokers who only hold the smoke in their mouths? If the man says he did not inhale I believe he did not inhale. I think it is libelous to say a majority of Americans inhale dope.

WWII was substantially caused by America minding its own business and failing to talk to other countries. The go-go Republicans of the 1920's whose only interest was their own, the almighty dollar, and the bottom line, failed to ratify Wilsons League of Nations and also failed, as usual, at money management by causing the crash of 1929. (I say as usual because look what twenty years of Reagan and Bushes have done to our National Debt.) When WWII started the American Army was 19th in size behind Romania, when it ended we were the only man still standing and then the Democrat governed country led the fight for the United Nations which has kept WWIII from starting , so far at least. It is a value judgement as to what is and what is not our own business. Once we decide that value we had better mind it.

It is so sad that so many feel we are losing are freedoms and yet we go all around the world fighting to defend them. Robert I was told in High School that we have State Capitalism. Pure capitalism would destroy much we hold so dear as would pure statism. Balance now there is the wisdom, and pragmatic genius of America.

I think this is true. Doesn't every one love a clown and have tender feelings towards abum but walk into a place dressed to the nines, look sharp and act educated and erudite and everyone hates you. Be careful not to elicit jealousy from others. Some find happiness from making every one jealous. Is it better to be envied than loved?

Ignorance is a religion and God help the person who crosses up the ignorant or the church with facts and science. Just remember what happened to people who were scorned and thrown out of the church for saying the WORLD IS ROUND. Was the world is round and the earth goes around the sun a religon or science.