Judging from the comments, it appears many are concerned their tax dollars are being spent on the less fortunate. They appear to be frightened and frustrated that the wealth and prosperity they achieved under the Clinton years, but decimated under the Bush years will continue to erode. Thankfully, Obama wants to reinstitute the successful policies set forth during the Clinton years. The Republican party is only interested in amassing global wealth for the superrich. Romney, Brown, and Tisei have all stated they would not support tax cuts for the middleclass unless the superrich get theirs too. This should be a huge red flag to ALL voters. Their fiscally irresponsible policies wreak havoc on our debt and economy. Everyone suffers; not only the EBT cardholders, but the people who got a taste of wealth under Clinton. If it is not fear that motivates Republicans to lash out at EBT cardholders than maybe it is greed and/or ignorance. Or, more kindly, maybe it is simply a memory lapse to a time when today's Republican took advantage of an opportunity offered by our Government.

Tricia you are very naive.

Trisha, it would be helpful if you posted the truth instead of bias politically motivated comments.
The economic boom we experienced during the Clinton years was due to the huge tax cuts to everyone who worked under the Reagan administration. It lasted decades! Anyone that wanted to work could find a job because of the excellent business environment, and low taxes!
Clinton also balanced the budget. A far cry from obamas plan!
Clinton also said " the era of big government is over"! Obama is saying that The era of " HUGE " government has just begun! Their ideals could not be further apart!
And lastly, building wealth is exactly what you need to do to create prosperity for ALL classes of people from the rich on down to the less fortunate! Lots of money is what hires and pays people well, and helps those less fortunent by the government having more money to take care of the people that can not for themselves!
The problem is either Obama has no idea what he is doing, or is a committed socialist hell bent of collapsing our capatilist democracy! I for one, think is is the latter. God help our country if this is true!

Tricia, the last line of your post is " VERY " confusing! Anyone that owns and runs a business did it on there own with NO help from the government, in fact the government is what cause most to fail, or make them a little, or lot, less successful then they could be through layers of red tape! How is it even possible that you could buy such an idiotic comment by this president? Hope and change is not a policy, and you didn't build that is a lie! And your following this idiot why?
I think we all can guess why!

I thought that was interesting, what Steve Marino said, about Obama being a committed socialist. It's fascinating how many people continue to claim this. However, Obama's track record seems to indicate that either he isn't interested in being a socialist president or he's just a lousy socialist. He hasn't been pushing against the free market very well, and corporate profits just keep going up and up.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/10/24/the-best-presidents-for-the-economy.aspx

Furthermore, would a socialist president hire Tim Geithner and Larry Summers shortly after entering the Oval Office? I don't think so.

Jay, if Obama is elected to a second term, I hope the hell your right! The reason that so many are concerned about this, is obamas actions and distain for those that built this great country, as well as the great men that wrote our constitution! It would also take more then one term to bankrupt this economy, and we are headed in that direction fast.
If he does indeed bankrupt this nation, how will company's across the land fare? How will those that own stock in these company's make out?
This fear is real, and to ignore the warning signs could be catastrophic for ALL Americans and the American experiment may be no more.
This still is the greatest nation on earth, and I would just like it to stay that way!
Having said this, I think that there are enough people that see the damage Obama has done, and is about to do, and he will be voted out of office on Nov. 6th!
It could be that Obama is just completely incompetent, but it doesn't look that way to me. His actions and words lead my to believe otherwise!

Also, there are plenty of socialists in this country that wish to see our capitalist democracy fail! There are also defenders that will try to poo poo anyone that raise such concerns and to make them seem " radical"!
Does anyone out there remember when the soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev spoke before the United Nations and took off his shoe, slamed it on the podium several times, and anounced to the world that " communism will rule the world, thru force or fruition" could we be going thru fruition? I sure hope not, but am not nieve enough to not pay attention to warning signs!

Does anyone else things it's hilarious that in response to Tricia's well thought out and eloquent response, Steve simply writes "Tricia you are very niave". Looks too me like the guy who can't write more than one short sentence and back up his words is the naive one. You may disagree with her view, but she stated it very clearly. You should do the same.

SteveM: OH..so you are saying that the effects of policy change don't show until further down the road? So the Bush Sr. policies just didn't manifest themselves until after his term? I see, so the recession we are in now must be GWB's fault and the hope and change that Obama promised is just a work in progress and we'll see the fruits of HIS labors in a couple years. Great, I'm voting for Obama then. Thanks for your help.

No, that's what you are saying, but thanks for your input!

Scott Brown's new ad - wonderful. Go Scott you are truly theone we need in Washington. Hope you win!

http://www.scottbrown.com/people-over-party/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=et&utm_content=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scottbrown.com%2fpeople-over-party%2f&utm_campaign=1991899_270658_Scott%20Brown

JohnR, you are the hilarious one. Some things don't need any more than a succinct comment. And vis-a-vis your other comment about me being selfish because I want people who don't spend frivolously, then you are naive and presumptive as well ... I am most sure I donate more to charity in a year than you do in ten.

JohnR, I just went back and re-read these series of posts, twice more! Your interpretation of what I wrote has absolutely nothing to do with what I was saying! How you could have interpreted this to mean what you said is just mind blowing!
And to think someone like you who has no idea what he is talking about, is voting in this election , is scary!

Steve M - no benefit in trying to talk sense to JohnR - he is one of those that makes big blustery statements and can't back them up with anything close to the truth. In fact, I believe he may just be a troll sent out to do the devil's work.

Tricia thinks like this lady in the you tube ?

http://youtu.be/6JB7fhN5-RI

If you say "yes" to any of the following, you should vote for a Republican (1) Do you like pollution? (2) Do you want to gut our natural resources? (3) Do you like war? (4) Do you believe in Creationism? (5) Do you want to restrict stem cell science research designed to help cure diseases? (6) Are you against equal pay for women? (7) Are you against abortion even in the case of rape? (8) Do you like to discriminate against LGBT? (9) Do you support Romney and the like to hoard the Global Wealth off-shore? My idea of a representative is someone who will work in the best interest of the citizenry and future generations not someone interested in maximizing their own party's GREED! Do yourself a favor and vote for ALL THE DEMOCRATS!!!

Tricia - you have gone from incredibly naive to incredibly moonbatty. Be honest with yourself, this has nothing to do with Scott Brown - it has EVERYTHING to do with the fringes, of which the left is particularly obnoxious and the right approaches it. The question is, do you want a person you cannot trust (warren) and who will get nothing done as a partisan hack, or do you want real progress (Scott Brown)? The sensible among us choose Mr. Brown.

Tricia has a very sad and naive view of life! She really needs to stop listening to liberal propaganda and talking points, and start thinking for herself!

Tricia, when Obama loses, and the people that you have been listening to tell you bad thing are going to happen to you, try to find the truth, you can find it and see it, if you look in the right places! Just take off those blinders and' FREE' yourself from the made up stuff, and start living with the 'TRUTH'! It's much less stressfull living in reality!

Well, I for one, am very,very scared of the tea party. I agree with Tricia on many, many things. If the tea party was so good for this country: our people and our land: they would be more backed by Women: they would be backed by more Conservation groups, not just hunting: they would be backed by more Human Rights groups. The fact is they want women to suffer: as they have stated over and over again in their anti women positions: they want the land to suffer as they have stated over and over in their anti stewardship statements: they want 47% of us to suffer as Romney clearly pointed out. Yes, I think they are a group of plain, mad rapers.

'... plain, mad rapers.' Moonbat alert. Check meds now!

The tea party stands for not bankrupting the nation and freedom, how about you?

Sandy Smith, you're are doing a great job! Your intelligence shines up against the misguided arguments you are battling on this thread. Keep up the fight!! I liked your Thomas Jefferson quote:) GO DEMOCRATS!!!

Ha! Wishful thinking on your part? Democrats not showing up at the polls in 2008, is that why Obama did so poorly back then?

No, independents and republicans alike voted for Obama in hopes to put an end to the racial divide in this country! What they failed to see, was that Obama had no idea how a capitalist democracy works. His idiology is far different then anyone we have elected to office, and quite frankly, does not work, and has never worked anywhere in the world where it has been tried!

You're right. So, if Warren wins we all can check the box for minority, when applying for a state job. After all if Obama, Warren and Tierney win, those are the only jobs which will be around. Businesses will shrink in scale and become like the dinosaurs, extinct. With the exception of Trojan, endorsed by Tommy (Mumbles) Meninno. I am so proud of this state, Duval Patrick and his appointed liar, Annie Dukin, who also checked the box as qualified, probably put down that she was from the Penobscott Tribe. His lieutenant governor, the I got away with 100 plus mph in a state car, totaled it and only had to pay book value. If you or I did that, the staties would have us in jail. Poor Sal Dimasie in prison, Patrice out of prison but in a car accident. And John Tierney believing his lies, which by Seinfeld means he's telling the truth. And our beloved president not coming to the aid of our people in Libya who were being slaughtered while nothing was done to rescue or mitigate the damage. The cover up was almost as Good as Monica Lewinsky's dress or Tricky Dick Nixon telling us, he's not a crook. I am afraid Massachusetts, we need a clean slate. I'm voting Romney, Brown and Tisei on November 6 and would hope everyone eventually will see the light. Things have to get better, they have to, don't they ? Oh yeah, I heard food prices are going to triple within the next year, really ?
I think I've had enough of the last four years. If Romney fails, well, Hillary in 20016 ?

Republicans have probably broken records in lying in this campaign necessitating "fact checking" and "truth squad" segments. Republican's negative attack ads show how desperate they are that most people are not fooled by their deceiptful commercials. Thank goodness the momentum keeps building for the Democrats!!!

Tricia, where do you get your news, msnbc, the daily show or Colbert? Must be msnbc since you are a full 180 degrees out of phase.

Steve, I like NECN, Brian Williams, Ch 7 (although can't stand Hiller!!!), Huffington Post, Rolling Stone Magazine. I also love to watch Jon Stewart (Colbert annoys me), Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, and Saturday Night Live. And, of course, I'm a huge Michael Moore fan!!! Thanks for asking:)

Ah, Tricia, that explains where your skewed ideas and poll numbers come from...however I applaud you for not sinking down to the lower msnbc level...at least you may get some accurate information once in a while from the sources you mention. When I was younger I had some of your views, but you will see over time the errors of your ways I am sure.

Steve, with regards to your last comment about having some of these views when younger. I don't doubt that. Obviously when you are young, you are hopelessly optimistic in humanity and as you get older you take on more responsiblity in life and end up more selfish. I'm nearing the threshold of "young" to "old" (I think) and I'm afraid I will turn out like you. Hopefully there are enough young, positive, and innovative people in our future to give us the figurative "slap in the face" sometimes.

Small businesses are NOT hurt by the Obama policies overall. You have them confused with BIG business. Mom and Pop's do better under Obama.

Absolutely not true Sandy, small businesses are hurt by Obama as he continues to take what he can from us to fund welfare programs.

Sorry cwh, I will stop referring to her as Marsha when she starts doing her job and not wait for the feds to do it for her. It is really obnoxious to watch as Democrats in this state continue to vote party line just because. 3 straight Speakers indicted by feds NOT Marsha! She closes her eyes to Democrat wrong doings! Look at the Tim Cahill thing. What did he do that Galvin hasn't done? I saw 3 ads last night with Galvin explaining how he has made voting access easier. Cahill went against the Dem's and he is paying for it. They are like the mob in this state! When those things stop, I will stop. Deal?

Brown is a Republican; ALL (Tisei and Romney) Republicans are cheerleaders for the superrich. Warren will work hard to give EVERYBODY equal opportunities to live healthy productive lives. Thus, making the world a better place. Realistically, there is no such thing as bipartisanship and that is why it is so important to vote for ALL the Democrats...Tierney, Warren, and Obama. When a deceiptful Republican ad comes on the tv or radio just cover your ears and go lalalalalalalala!!! You know the ads; the ones where they try to sound like democrats that care about the middleclass.

Tricia, you say you don't like the dishonesty of the republican ads, yet you say you are supporting Tierney, warren, and Obama. So let me get this straight, you think it's ok to vote for Warren, a women that lied about her race so she could get a job that should have rightfully been given to a minority? Wouldn't that be racist and utterly dishonest?
Your supporting Tierney, a sitting US congressman that visited an illegal gambling operation twice, and his family benefitted from its profits in the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and your ok with that?
Obama doesn't know the truth from a lie, look at the attack in Libya, they viewed this terrorist attack in real time and he said there still investigating to " see what happened"! This attack lasted almost 7 hours, and we had an attack force less then an hour away, and he let them DIE! Shameful liar!
Your children, if you have any, will just learn that it's ok to be a lying, cheating scumbag! Is that how you want to raise your children? I don't!

@Buzz
You need to get out a bit more and stop relying on talking points to influence your thinking. If you actually opened your eyes and mind you'd see that Romney, Brown & Tisei are more "fair" in their positions and have no plans to make any drastic changes as you seem to espouse. 4 years is a very short time to make any changes and if things are not getting better you can vote them out. Obama has had his 4 years and is leading us down a path of destruction. To give him 4 more years would solidify the overthrow of the USA as the number 1 superpower and position us behind the likes of China, Russia and God knows who else. Democrat minions need to take the blinders off and see the big picture. Take pride in what our country stands for.

Buzz, you really know your campaign ads, kudos.

Buzz - did you cut and paste that from a Warren website?

While the races may be close for Obama and Warren,Tierney will not even come close to a win.

John is 100% correct.

Don't worry Tricia your government handouts will be safe either way.

Tierney? Momentum? LOL!

Tricia, small buisnesses are struggling under the Obama leadership. What do you think happens when you raise taxes on the company's that employ the middle class?
Their already struggling without having to come up with substantially more money, so where does it come from?
Payroll is most company's biggest expense." THIS" is where they will look first!
A crushing blow to the hard working middle class! No little tax cut by anyone could offset their loss. This is why you don't tax " anyone " when times are tough!
I know it's a favorite propaganda tool for democrats to play class warfare, but its all just Bull S---!!!

Thankfully the momentum keeps building for Tierney, Warren, and Obama since Republicans admittedly stand for: pollution, anti-science (creationism, don't believe in global warming, don't believe in stem cell research etc), bigotry (anti-gay rights, suppress women's rights and voter's rights, immigration etc.)....shall I go on? Or am I embarrassing you? Oh and the latest...at least a dozen Republican Senate candidates are against abortion for rape victims...YIKES!!!

Wait until your business starts doing well then see how you feel. Their hands will be so far inside your cash register you will need food stamps.

Buss, is your new business making EBT cards?

Good one Steve, but no, sorry!

I couldn't read all of these comments and not make one myself. Do you really think someone like Elizabeth Warren would ever court the fire house in Tewksbury and other communities, or go to a boxing gym in Lowell? I think NOT! After this election you will never see her again, in my opinion. She is a Harvard elite who cares nothing for the middle class which her party has destroyed. Those of you who vote for her, good luck. If she is elected we will have two Democratic Senators just like in the Kennedy years. How soon we all forget how that was. Brown, in my opinion, votes with his head and heart not his party affiliation.

cwh, be careful there! You want to stop giving scientific based medical treatment to those scientists that invent or find them? Radical!

Evolution is in FACT a theory so all scientists would fall under your ban. The core is believed to be scientifically settled but there are fringe ideas that can and are changing. Therefore it is the theory of evolution!

Careful MHH, you are probably being too rational.

The AMT is an absolute mess, effecting more and more of the middle class every year. It needs to be repealed or adjusted.

Don't forget to keep your tires inflated as Obama told us! This should save enough money to offset the two dollars more per gallon we pay at the pump since he took office!

Word.

But Buzz, the republican platform isn't about taking away these things to people in actual need. It's about finding ways to provide opportunities for these people in need to get these things on their own steam. Handouts may feel like you're helping and in many cases you are, but in many other cases you are enabling a bad habit. Nobody is suggesting eliminating food stamps and republicans are interested in finding a way to provide health care to everyone. The difference is how we accomplish it. Simply taking more from the people who have it and giving it to the people that don't isn't the answer. It's far more complicated than that.

Buzz, best of luck to you with this crowd! I'm reminded why I stay away from reading things on patch. Thanks for reminding me that there are still good people around. :)

Sean, not to mention that overtaxing does damage to the economy and all that work within it! "Easy " handouts to those that do not necessarily need them to just get " A VOTE" does nothing for them except to keep them down and dependent on the government! It keeps them from the freedom of independence and self worth!

Bye cwh. Don't let the electronic door hit you on your way out.

Yeah, Steve. No worries! Hope you enjoy your day taunting people on a message board. :) :)

cwh - and you're back. Just like O with the lies. Knew it was too good to be true.

cwh, Yeah, I hear you!

You're right. We pay either way. Would I rather pay 20$ a year in taxes for a homeless program, for example, or 40$ annually for more cops to drag the homeless people out from under my porch? An oversimplification, but one that I hope makes the point. Adults pay their way; adolescents just assume that they're bulletproof, and can handle anything that comes along on their own (of course, they come running back for help, don't they, when they need it)
.

Overtaxing? We're just about the least-taxed of all Western countries. Which is why our education, healthcare, and transportation are some of the WORST, and most expensive, in the Western world.

Suz - you are right on! It's time we put the blame where it belongs! The Red Sox flop this year - Obama's fault! Hurricane Sally wouldn't a threat here if it wasn't for those damn liberals (bet it doesn't affect NH). And all the progress this country made during the Bush years has been wiped out. The useless war in Iraq - done; Osama bin Laden - dead; using the Constitution for toilet paper (endless signing statements, holding prisoners without charges, leaking the names of CIA operatives) - over.
So I think you should head to NH, I'll even pay the toll for you

Suz, your right on, try not to listen to the brain dead!

Suz, Republican policies will hurt you as local aid gets cut so that Romney can get an elevator installed for his car in La Jolla with his windfall tax breaks. So, Romney and the like are the real welfare leaches. Republicans only want to dismantle all the programs that make our country great. So, if you get your way, you can look forward to another prop 2 and 1/2 coming soon along with cuts in education/police/firefighter budgets.

Suz, you are right, too many entitlements, so please, help MA and Obama out and give up your entitlements, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid God forbid you ever need it. The right has made entitlement a bad word. All it means is you contributed to it all your life and you deserve the benefit when you need it.

Tom, I have never heard ANY republican EVER say that they wanted to end ss, Medicare, or Medicaid. I think you may be listening to liberal propaganda! What they have said, is that these programs are unsustainable, and if we don't FIX the problems and out of control spending, that we will lose these benefits! No one wants this, and it will never happen if the are smart enough to start fixing the problems now! The problem is the democrats and Obama are more interested in making republicans "look bad" by spreading falsehoods to scare people like you, then sitting down with republicans to fix the problems!
Don't fall for it Tom, it's just nonsense!

I started my first job at 13. Don't you see that when the wealthy pay a 13% tax and I pay a 20% tax, that more of my money is going to cover the income taxes they don't have to pay? For example, the $77,000 deduction the Romney's took to feed their horse, This is not about redistribution; it is about stopping welfare for the rich. They need it far less than those swiping EBT cards.

My God Sandy, won't you and others ever get it? The tax rate they are paying is additional to what they already paid on the money when they earned it in the first place. You add the 13% on top of what they already paid originally. You are penalizing people for making intelligent choices. As someone who has been working since you were 13 (I started at 12 by the way, with two paper routes one morning and one night), I would have thought you would have a better grasp on how taxes work.

Sandy is another one of those % people. If you are paying 20% you probably paid less than $10,000 in taxes total. Romney paid $6,200,000 in taxes last year. That is likely more money than you paid in your entire lifetime.

Sean Ward, you don't know me and you don't know what I make so to even throw out a figure that is no where near is just plain dumb. Yes, I guess I am in the 47% because in the middle 80's I took food stamps for two months right after my third son was born until I could get back on my feet. Since that time, I have taken nothing I haven't earned at work. But I will tell you, that you made my point well. How much more in tax dollars would have been collected if Romney had paid equal to my 20% if he only paid 13% total? When you take the percentage from us working people to help the non working wealthy, you are hurting us far more than them. We, who have to make house payments, not buy a $3 M house and tear it down. We who have a budget to follow to meet utilities and grocery bills so the companies can stay in business and we can eat. We who have to borrow to pay for our children's education because we aren't wealthy enough to pay for it outright, etc, etc.

Sandy, you are not one of the 47%, as you used food stamps when you needed them, then stopped when you didn't need them. You are exactly the kind of person I want my tax dollars to go to - someone who is truly in need - not the people who see welfare and food stamps as a career.

You said 20% so you are the one who threw out a number. I just did the math. I'm also not suggesting that you pay more. I'm saying why does it cost him $6 million to be an American but only costs you $10k? I'm saying we should take less taxes from BOTH of you because we should stop letting the federal government waste trillions of dollars.

Why even leave a reply to a comment like this? I'm going to go talk to some moon-hoax people instead, and try to convince THEM that we really did go to the moon.

@Jean

If you weren't so blind you'd be able to look in the mirror to see a real "tool".

She is who she says she is? She is tremendously insincere. One might say she is two-faced (one white, one red).

Nahant Jean - you obviously don't check Scott's votes...I do on Megavote. Go Scott Brown, a voice of sanity in insane Massachusetts.

AMEN !!

Anne - thanks for the link. You are of course 100% correct in what you say. I hope that others listen to what you are saying. I am so surprised that so many people don't get this.

your remarks are "Ionic"

Duval Patrick dont let the door hit you in the Ahass????????????? and take your drapes with you! . . . . . .he is Obama's go to boy, Ive never seen a Governor when asked any questions not even against him questions . . . . .say to the Press ' Im not going to answer that question! .I pay your Salary Mister and I want ANSWERS . . . .so why would you chose to be in politics?????answering questions to the public/press is you DUTY as governor . . . .. Yu think you're the next Presidential Candidate in 2016?. ????? not. . . .

Hi Buzz...the letters are way too far apart for a typo. Just admit it was a brain fart. We all do it from time to time. Sorry to hear you switched parties. I don't agree with some of the repub platform, but for a fiscal conservative the is no other alternative.. And there are SO many lib politicians that turn my stomach I could never vote democratic...Reid, shumer, Durban, pelosi...Tierney, Kerry ugh!!! How can you stand to be affiliated with that trash...you are better than that I just know it.

Typo, brain fart, call it what you want...typo sounds nicer.

You want to talk about people that make me want to puke? McConnell, DeMint (just typing his name makes me want to barf), Bachmann (damn, my dinner is in my throat..)

Time for austerity at home and entitlements to become balanced with the private sector. Which means all current pensions in all areas of local, state and federal government should be reduced by one third, in order to get ourselves out of this debt. crisis.

that's Kool Buzz, with a K. Probably before your time, based on your liberal views. Some day you will come around to a conservative view...I have faith in you.

BUZZ OFF!!!!!!!!

Steve, Nah...just a typo. For the record I used to vote Republican. The Republican party has become far too extreme, and yes, I've certainly moved to the left. I've moved far away from the narrow minded GOP.

Thanks Viv. Sorry I ruffled your feathers. No hard feelings, though. My donation will be in your honor.

The Buzz comment at 9:51 am is the funniest post I've seen so far in this election cycle! He said he used to be a republican but the party has become to extreme!
The republican running for president today would have been a moderate to to liberal democrat 20 years ago! The current president is a socialist! Thanks for the laugh!

If anyone is interested, go back and look at John F Kennedy's fiscal policy, if he were alive today, he would be a considered a conservative republican! The leadership today in the Democratic Party 1) Obama 2) Reid 3) Pelosi are ALL socialists chosen by the deocratic congress! If you could take this group back to the 50's, they would be jailed as socialist sympathizers! The Democratic Party today is not about hard work, it's about building government dependency! Do we remember "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" JFK 1960's! My how things have changed in the Democratic Party, WOW!

To each his own. If Obama is a "socialist" in your view, than so am I. So be it, whatever. We are all entitled to our opinions. Truth be told, Obama is not a socialist. That's just a dirty word right-wingers like to throw around. Big deal. Have at it, doesn't bother me. Many good people have been called worse.

Actually Buzz he is a socialist. Perhaps you should go look up the definition and go study up on Obama's beliefs. There's nothing wrong with being a socialist. I don't personally think it works but you are certainly entitled to.

BUZZ: Vote austerity, not "Go Broke in USA" Remember Buzz, high interest rates means more value to our money, no depreciation, no inflation. Bernake has to go along with Obama, Tierney and Warren. Why would you vote for an all in out liar. Waren lied on her applications and all other forms, she checked off the minority status box. That's like Buzz applying for a job and checking off the Box marked: Black, you might get hired Buzz, but is this fair. Stop look at the world through, Obama, Warren and Tierney Rose colored glasses. You're drunk on the Koolaid Buzz Light year, go back to your toy box !

"a vast accession of strength from their younger recruits, who, having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of '76, now look to a single and splendid government of an aristocracy, founded on banking institutions, and monied incorporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures, commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry." Thomas Jefferson. These are the ideals our country was founded upon. If you want to call it socialism, then by all means call it what you want. It is in fact Americanism.

Like Watergate, all the facts are only going to be in front of the electorate after the election.
Meanwhile, the administration will just continue to lie and stonewall.

Exactly and Romney hasn't exactly been clear anyway. Plus, the government was specifically developed unlike business to prevent takeover. Romney thinks he can violate everything the forefathers established.

Nikki, that seems to be the plan with this administration!

Nikki, Words to remember and live by.

Geez, people. Check out your quotes before throwing them around. Thomas Jefferson did NOT say or write this. Jefferson did not support socialism, but equality and that is why I support Jefferson.

George, elections have been lost on both sides by silliness like this. Until we have a viable 3rd party to pick advising people to do this is a sure way to put Obama back in for 4 more years.

I couldn't agree more. Well said Jim.

Typo in last sentence: twenty to thirty TRILLION in dept!

Romney has a plan....nobody knows what it is though. Obama can turn this mess around now that he has fixed most of the Bush debacle. And, no, Obama is NOT a socialist; check your definitions. Nor am I. BUT I don't believe my tax dollars should increase to pay Romney's $777,000 HORSE FEED bill. BTW, GWBush was the WORST president in the history of our country!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
The comma was a breath!

Many socialist nations and their leaders believe this as well!

JM, You are a follower of Ron Paul,...not much "wisdom" in that.

I agree, no one died and were tortured needlessly with watergate because our president tried to hide the truth so that it would not hurt his " POLL NUMBERS"!
If Nixon and Clinton were impeached because of their actions, Obama should not only be impeached, he should be removed from office, and prosecuted!

Perhaps waterboarded in that military prison that was going to be closed down year one!

Yes of course, Benghazi is worse than Watergate, but the press has pushed this issue under the rug until after the election. You want to see parties at odds with each other.
Wait til after this election. No one in the Senate or the Congress gets along with or likes working with Obama. So, If Obama is re-elected our country will endure another four more years of Grid Lock.
Indictments on Benghazi and even impeachment proceedings, like what happened when Nixon tried to hide the Watergate issue. The voters have no idea what's in the wind after the election. Politicians are already discussing on how the impeachment charges will be presented.

It was indeed tragic. But in the long run it hurt far less than 9/11 under the Republicans. The loss of lives during 9/11 and the attack on American soil is just so hard to absorb and recover from. Also, I don't need that again as I am contemplating retirement and can't afford another big stock market drop like 9/11 and 2008 under Republicans.

Hint... One type signs checks on the front, and the other type signs checks on the back.

Which kind gets charged with assault?

http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1133190993/Danvers-selectman-faces-assault-charge

Guilty until proven innocent right Klassy? What a perfect time to charge someone with assault.

To all you independent thinkers and voters, with Obama up by double didgets in mass., a vote for Scott Brown in this election would provide the nessesary "BALANCE" for mass.!

And other polls just released show Warren up by 7 points. Very fluid!

It was a tragic accident. However, the War on Women is in the lawmaking of things against women. Telling me I can NOT have an abortion is insulting. Telling me my pregnancy from rape is God's intention is definitely not supporting the trauma I am going through. Paying me less for doing the same work as a man is telling me I should walk two steps behind a man and I won't stand for it. As an individual, I should be treated with far more respect. Oh, and I am a "senior citizen" and maybe won't face these trials, but these men are still attacking me, my choices, and my rights.

They may have. She showed incredibly bad taste in the way she reacted to Brown canceling the debate to deal with the hurricane.

Or, as in the Brown/Coakley election, they are lying to the pollsters. Many have taken this route lately.

Crazy stuff very simple go ask your self are you better today then 4 years ago .the answer is no . Obama has failed and people who voted for him find it very difficult to admit this has happened. You can't make it up we are in worse shape today. Plain and simple

Sandy, with a balanced budget that we had back then, I would agree with you. We now have a deficit so large, that we are about to go bankrupt. Also, unemployment was under 5 percent back then. Today it is at 8 percent! Raising taxes in such conditions when company's are struggling to make ends meet, would create great hardship on the middle class workers that work for the company's that Obama wants to tax. The money has to come from somewhere, and most company's biggest expense is payroll, this is where they will look first.
The problem is instead of Obama tring to fix the economy caused by the housing bubble bursting, he added the largest entitlement in worlds history at a time when we could afford it least, and ignored the larger and more importent problem, and pee'd through almost 6 trillion dollars of money that we don't have, with a 10 trillion dollar dept already in place!
He is unqualified for the job, and should be removed!

It should also be mentioned that the growth rate slowed significantly after Clinton raised the tax rate!

We should be trying to FIX problems, not create them!

Sandy, the welfare reform act driven by republicans, and signed into law by Clinton, saw 7.5 million people come off welfare and back to work, leading to productive lives!
Is this what we're seeing under Obama? There are more people on public assistance then ever before. These are the people that deserve better!

It is a matter of the times. We are trying to recover from an economic crisis brought on by the Bush years. Had we simply stopped the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy for two years, we would be in much better shape. The cuts would be back in effect and our country would not have the debt. But no, simple people don't like simple fixes.

Thomas Jefferson did not say this: Gerald Ford did. Please check your facts. I suggest monticello.org.

Lock step. Like a House that only passed 2% of legislation and got full pay because they had to obey Norquist, Rove and Koch brothers???

I want the same things, but I would describe myself as a Libertarian, not a Tea Party member. Sorry, but the Tea Party members I see scare the heck out of me, and Salem Tea Party evokes images of 1692.

@john: you are probably from the "grass roots" tea party. That ideology was thrown out the window as the tea party gained "steam". It is now controlled by Karl Rove and friends; you know, the ones who controlled the GW Bush administration.

Agreed!

George Bush took out a "Small Business" Loan, paid himself half and declared bankruptcy. The taxpayers picked up the bill, but there was no GOP whining about that. It happens on both sides. The sad thing is Romney raped states like Indiana of blue collar jobs and then criticized the unemployed for not being employed.

The two of them are leaps and bounds better then Obama, the worst president in our history! The problem is Obama has no experience at ANYTHING. This is why we are having problems in EVERY area!

"worst president in our history", Yeah, you need to calm down.

Well thank you for sharing your brilliance with us! We' re all so much smarter for it!

Cover up Sandy .... Your ignorance is showing.

I find it to be the other way around. Liberals think for example that corporations aren't taxed. Every dollar made by a corporation is paid out in salaries or distributions which is all taxed. If you tax the corporation you reduce the payouts to it's investors and employees and end up just collecting less tax on that end. Also if you tax the corporation itself it just makes this part of the cost of business and increases the prices of it's goods and services to the consumer which is usually the poor or the middle class so effectively all you accomplish to to make things more expensive for the poor and middle class.

John, capital gains are taxed at a lower rate than salaries to encourage investments. I would rather see people no matter how rich keep more of their investment proceeds so that they can reinvest it than see it go into the government black hole.

John, I couldn't agree more about a tax overhaul! That is why we need a Congress that will work with President Obama. The importance of this is proven in the past year when the GOP House absolutely refused to pass legislation like the jobs bill and the farm bill. If the President encourage the same legislation that Romney proposes, the House would shoot him down; take their ball and go home like they have in the last two years.

I am a decent person. I could never support the anti women, anti environmental, anti Christianity, anti human rights, anti working class that Romney portrays.

Don't be afraid sandy, Romney is none of those things. You just have to stop listening to propaganda. You'll see the light if you do!

Steve, I have heard the "rightist" theory on abortion and rape. I have heard Romney say he is against equal pay for women doing the same jobs as men. I have seen the oil sand pits in Canada created by Romney loving big oil. I am originally from the Midwest and I have lived in the neighborhoods hurt by Bain capital. I have heard and people confirm that Romney cut off a guy's hair because he was gay. Most of his charitable giving was to the Mormon church of which he is a member and they do NOT believe in the holy trinity as established at the Council of Nicaea. How can you say that Romney doesn't portray these things? This is indeed Romney...maybe you had better turn on your lights.

Sandy, my light is shining brightly, I'm trying to pull the string on yours, but there appears to be no bulb!

geez Sandy, Romney is none of those things, except in your clouded racist mind.

Gee, Steve, racist? Now the conservatives are pulling the racist card; just because they don't have a good argument. But then, that happens all the time. Well, it doesn't work for my factual statements about Romney because we are both white. Try another card.

@ Steve Marino...that's because I use solar; much brighter and more dependable.

Sandy, that was quite clever, but you still seem a little dim to me!
Also, most of the solar company's have gone under due to very little demand, and have taken billions of our tax dollars with them!
Thanks Obama!

Steve Marino, you paint a rosy picture of the Reagan years. I was a voting, taxpaying adult back then, and remember a much different story. Reagan DID reduce overall tax rates early on, but within 2 months raised them again -- which he did 10 more times during his tenure. The stock market's biggest crash ever occurred on his watch, and the economy tanked all the way into the early 90's. Hardly an economic utopia. The Cato Institute's tribute to Reagan is quoted and requoted a million times on every rightwing blog and message board, so I thought you might appreciate a little outside reading, to round out your perspective (I've avoided liberal references, as I get the idea you would discount them):

This is what the Libertarians had to say about Reagan, taxes, and the national debt back in the day:

http://mises.org/freemarket_detail.aspx?control=488

"The recession of the early 1990s describes the period of economic downturn affecting much of the world in the late 1980s and early 1990s."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_1990s_recession

Why Reagan Raised Taxes and We Should, Too:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-16/why-reagan-raised-taxes-and-we-should-too-echoes.html

"Ronald Reagan Myth Doesn't Square with Reality"

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20030729-503544.html

My standard position: In any given situation, there is only 1 set of facts. Opinions aren't facts, and an opinion that is proven is no longer an opinion--it's a fact.

John, stop spreading rumors, Romney hates pussy, just ask Sandy.

Yep, I bet he tortured animals when he was a kid. That has proven to lead to pure evil in man. Steve, Romney only hates hard working, independent thinking women.

So he hates his wife?

...and the American people are idiots - at least here in MA.

Obama winning is understandable, but Warren winning is hard to figure. Kennedy winning is simply an embarrassment (would he have won if his surname was Smith?), and Tierney winning is simply unconscionable.

Well, starting a business is out of the question right now. I do not want to face an uphill battle only to be called evil.

The real reason I don't like him is because he believes in taking from those who have whether they earned it or not and giving it to those who don't have whether they deserve it or not.

My wife, traveling in Moscow right now, indicates the sentiment is disbelief. They are still trying to move out of the socialist society. They can not understand why we are headed that way.

Alan, you make way to much sense for the followers of Fox talking heads. They just can't wrap their closed minds around it. Those accusations are made only by the extremists and this country has fought hard to keep extremism at bay. 10 of 12 tea party members up for reelection were voted out of office across the country.

@Sean; do you really believe that making the wealthy pay an equal share of income tax as do much of the middle class taking away from them? We do need a tax code overhaul and I will be content when all Americans contribute an equal portion/percentage of their income to the country that gave them the opportunity. I was all for Romney's proposal for a 20% flat rate and the reduction of deductions, but when he didn't expand on which deductions to throw out, I became disillusioned.

Sandy, tax revenue gives the government opportunities, not the government giving hard working people opportunity. It is a lack of government that breeds success, and freedom from government intrusion, such as over taxation and regulation.
This has been what has made this nation the most prosperous in the world! Now it is time to FIX what is not broken by doing just the opposite.
Can you emagine if we had elected Carter to a second term? Reagan did just the opposite of what Carter and Obama did, and are doing, and we had prosperity for decades.do you really think that doing the very opposite will have the same results?
A rational thinking person would not!!!

@Steve: We have gone through an economic disaster, along with the rest of the world (except maybe China because people can't stay out of WalMart). The US has fared better than many, many countries. We could have fared better with a temporary tax hike to help boost people losing jobs, homes and livelihoods. The tea party chose to protect the yachts and mansions at all costs and a bad situation got worse. Big corporations chose to hold more cash than ever before rather than hire. And then the tea party held our "debt" hostage which is UNCONSTITUITIONAL, that now brings us to this "fiscal cliff". To blame Obama is just plain stupidity. He worked very hard to help this country. All of this government spending has been to keep people like you from losing your entire retirement savings, as well as helping people keep their homes and continue to be able to eat. As the economy turns around, the rate of the country's debt lightens. That has NEVER been a problem with the wealthy. So, go count your money while the middle class continues to try to rise out of this mess the tea party created. But then, I believe Iceland had a better plan....hold big business accountable for their own mismanagement and give government monies to the people.

Sandy, it's not only the unemployed that are having a hard time or that don't feel their future is certain. It's the people that still have jobs too. It's not just big corporations that are having a hard time, it's little ones too. When the corporation has trouble so do the people that work there from the top to the bottom. I run a small corporation. In 2009 our billings dropped 60%. The first one to lose was me. It's a small company like I said so I've never made alot of money off it. We burned through our entire cash reserve trying to avoid having to do layoffs like everyone else was. After about 6 months the reserves were gone, we started laying people off. Our creditors were not getting paid either which I'm sure led to similar problems for them. The only one that still got their full share that year was the government. What I'm saying is that the solution is not always to just go grab more money from corporations and investors to send to the government to hand to people the corporations and investors had to lay off to afford the tax. Corporations and investors use the money they don't have to send to the government to hire more people and buy more goods and services. What does the government do with it? They give it away to foreign countries that hate us or spend it waging wars or lining the pockets of politicians and their friends on both sides. Both sides caused this problem Sandy. Taking more money away from people who still have jobs isn't the solution at any level.

Sandy, Sean is right, I too have taken a financial hit already as a small buisness owner.
I would like to avoid layoffs, and cuts to benefits to my employees, but with the hefty payroll taxes pending, I fear it is enevitable.
As you have apparently been told, not all buisness owners just care about themselves.
Then have middle class family's to look out for, and bad policy hurts ALL!
This is bad policy for the rich, the middle class, and the less fortunate as well!
If you do just the opposite of what Obama is proposing, we will all win!
Oh, and Sandy, if you could not find a job during the Reagan years, it was by choice.
The economy was so strong back then, that anyone truly interested in working could easily find employment. More so then at any time in our life time.

Also, your last statement, give government monies to the people, the money IS the people's, stop taking it away and see prosperity reign!

Your liberal slant on everything is all that counts in your mind, we get it!

How does ones opinion that differs from yours make then a bully?

Alan, I was also a voting, less tax paying adult, running a buisness back then, and those times were the best for buisness and for my employees as well. To bad we don't have leaders like Reagan to fix this mess!
The huge tax cuts were what got the economy moving forward fast. I know that you liberals are in Denial over this, and have been for decades, but this works. John F Kennedy had simaler beliefs, and enacted the same measures with similar results.
You can post all this B.S. you want by gelous liberals, but it won't change facts that we lived through!
Why don't you learn from democrat J.F.K.?

Not only that, Alan, Reagan gutted our manufacturing industry. During the Reagan years I was very poor. That is the time I had to go on food stamps briefly. Reagan's plan was to boost the wealthy and gut the middle class. But, why I really hate Reagan is his refusal to acknowledge the AIDS epidemic. At that time I lived near Ryan White and totally supported the child's fight against ignorance.

Steve, you might live in an alternate universe. You must have forgotten about the five years of depressed economy, and dire predictions of the biggest depression ever --yet to come by the mid-90s (there were even best-selling books about it). Taxes went up a few % under Clinton, and we were in surplus again in short order. I was there. I saw it happen.

Meanwhile, I note you haven't written a word about the trillion$$ that Bush racked up by running 2 wars outside the budget. Or about the $13 trillion in no-interest, no oversight bank loans in 2007-2008. Speaking of banks, what was that thing in the late 80's about the S&L ripoffs of the American people, aided and abbetted by the Reagan/Bush gang? No disrespect intended, but I think you're playing loose and fast with the facts just to be Right.

Alan Winter, I swore I was going to ignore this thread after the election, as there appears to be noe benefit trying to talk sense to left wing loonies, but I've got to tell you, you can't say 'no disrespect intended' and then say someone is living in an alternate universe - another typical left wing smear that only adds to the problems and negates any point you may think is helpful in getting someone to agree with you, which by the way I don't. My new years resolution is to not refer to people like you as moonbats anymore - you should consider some sort of resolution that makes you sound more middle of the road as well.

Alan, most of your so called facts are from revisionist history. My how what actually happened years ago changes when you don't pay attention! Unfortunately Alan, I am one that pays attention! Go sell it to the brain dead that do not, and supported Obama without checking the facts, and just listening to his lies and propaganda!
In respect to Bush, I do not defend him, but lets get the facts straight.
Bush spent 4 trillion in 8 years defending America in war abroad, as well as home land security. He also never vetoed wasteful spending measures by the Democratic congress because he just wanted to "just get along", and was an idiot for it.
Obama has spent 6 trillion dollars in less then 4 years! A staggering number unparalleled in American history, and on what?
GOD HELP US ALL and the uniformed that voted for this disaster, for they will be the ones to suffer the worst.

Alan, did you thank the republican congress for the surplus during the Clinton years?
I did, I thought that was a wonderfull thing that they wrote that as well as welfare reform. The country did so well because of it. It's just a shame that the voters were fooled so badly by all the lies about conservatives and their intentions this time. It's to bad we have to wait another 4 year to see hope and promise like we had from 1981- 2007!

But you guys said that the first time Obama got elected, and the middle class pays less taxes now than before. You said this about Clinton, too. The problem is you keep accusing these people of doing things they're not actually doing. Here's some objectivity on the issue:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnovack/2011/09/18/tax-breaks-for-middle-class-just-part-of-the-story/

How about the 3.8 percent capital gains tax? Is it only the rich that own homes and have investments? This tax is built into Obama care, and the middle class will suffer the worst! Lies, Lies, and more Lies!

Alan, the new payroll taxes won't hurt the middle class in you world either, right?
Go try and find actual fact, and not made up crap by people that hate Capitalist Democracy!

Sorry, I don't get this one. Why would I say buy the more expensive car? Why would anyone? How is this an analogy about Obama (who I don't a crap about). I don't think the average person is as stupid as you seem to think they are.

This is some very interesting reading, and educational, too.

http://www.nationofchange.org/ten-numbers-rich-would-fudged-1353335225

Progressive journalism is where you get your facts? Really? That is nothing more then reading for socialists and lies about capitalist democrocy!

Thanks for the link, Alan! It puts things in perspective. The old fashion conservatives are NOT in charge anymore: it is all about the greedy tea party now and I don't trust any conservatives in Congress because they will toe the tea party line.

BTW, people get screwed on car deals, appliances, furniture, etc. every day of the week. Not everyone compares prices and on any given day a car might be $17000 and the next week it is higher. If you live in a big city; it is nearly impossible to compare prices at every furniture store; especially without using the internet. So much for the analogy; big business screws us all the time.

If you're too lazy to compare prices and get the best deal, it is on you, not so called big business. The market rules what the price should be, and those who do not look for the best deal perpetuate the companies who charge more.

Thanks Steve, I quess Sandy proved my point. How about Sandy's view of the tea party? I quess the view point of over taxation is now viewed as "greedy"! Funny that this country started with the same ideal! My how some minds are lost in the lie of socialism.

Hi Steve - yeah - it's a little surprising...I think Sandy is an older guy like me - you think by now that light would have dawned on Marblehead (sorry Sandy couldn't resist). It will be a real crime if our taxes go up by more than one cent, because every penny the government spends is pretty much wasted. We pay for 27% of the UN bill that supports 'peace keepers' in the Congo - Over a billion total (worldwide) for that little project, and the peace keepers are rabble rousers. We the people have lost control of our government and it makes me sad. I guess I make too much to get an Obama phone. I already feel the pain with a doubling of my health insurance costs at work. You cannot tell me that we the middle class are already being taxed more than ever before - another Obama lie.

Steve, it is the middle class that are going to take the biggest hit unfortunately. Did you know that built into Obama care is a built in capital gains tax of 3.8 percent for home sales? How do you think people about to retire will feel about the thousands of dollars they will have to pay the Fed. When they sell their homes upon retirement? There are millions of people that are counting on that money to get them to their end of days. NO MORE! Gone baby gone!
I guess we all have to pay our far share, including those that can't afford it.
So much for not raising taxes on the middle class! Lies, lies, and more lies!
Buckle up!

Steve I had heard about that 3.8% - very worrying, but I also heard something about it only affecting certain people - yeah right - there is enough in O-scare to crucify the middle class...it is already happening, as my company is afraid to do anything to expand. My health insurance will almost double in cost this coming year. I guess it isn't considered a tax on the middle class when it is hidden in amongst other charges. This is one of the most deceitful and arrogant administrations I've experienced in my life.

Ya, the payroll tax isn't a tax either, just ask a liberal.

I am a liberal, and I don't give a damn about the national Dem-TeaGOP horse race, or about political opinions. I'm a registered independent, and trust the American people to rise to the occasion when their lazy asses have been pushed and insulted enough.

Sorry Alan I refuse to trust the American people when so many of them are illegal and receiving their Obama phones. I applaud you for wanting to institute policies to see that people who need help get it - but I am appalled by your lack of insight into what is really going on in this country right now.

Alan, if you don't give a damn about political opinions, maybe you should stop giving them!

John, the real problem that some people think everyone else is stupider than they are. I'm unenrolled, and did not vote for Obama this time, so you're wrong again. And the national Democrats are nearly as compromised as the TeaGOP, but there are many more Dems, at the state and local levels, who are working for the people than there are Tea Partiers or Republicans. That's why so many got voted OUT by the people this time.

More progressive journalism! TRASH!

I get a kick out of the way 47% (apparently 51% actually) of American's think of corporations. This article makes one point about corporations not paying enough tax. Every single dollar a corporation makes goes into someone's bank account and they are taxed on it. Whether that is a salary, a bonus, a dividend, a gain, you name it. What is the point of the corporation itself paying a tax when all the proceeds are going to be taxed anyway? All taxing the corporation directly will do is make less funding available for paying salaries, stock holders, investors, vendors, and anyone else participating.

Sean, the group that wrote that"crap", does not believe in a Capitalist democracy in the first place. Progressives believe in redistribution of wealth. As you know, people that work hard for their money should be no better off then those that do not. This is their belief.
As far as corporate tax, the rate of tax to a c-corporation is 35 percent. This is the highest in the industrialized world! This article is stating that is is among the lowest.
Then, as you know, when the money is taken in salary, it is taxed at the highest rate of 35 percent as well. This does not count s.s. and Medicare. This rate is also due to go up another 4.6 percent, not to mention the new payroll taxes and 3.8 percent Capitol gains tax built into Obama care come January 1!
Does this sound like we're not paying our "fare share"?
As you know again, this is one of the biggest reasons that our economy sucks. So lets make it much worse! Ya, that will work!
They just are ignorant to what is to come. POOR SOULS!

Sean, I speak of Ronald Reagan because I know liberals are bitterly jealous of the success he gave to this country. He cut the tax rates in half at a similar time in history to what we are going thru now. The economy exploded and lasted for decades. So now, we are about to do the opposite to try and get the same results? Could it be to break the bank on purpose? What exactly is obamas purpose if we know what he is doing will have the opposite effect?