Cynical Nation

The link is bad. But I agree with you. The leadership of the democrats has been all talk, but no action. They should cut the funding now, but only few have the guts to do it.

Personally, I really LIKE these "NEW" (Blue Dog) Dems!!!

"Conservative Democrats as well as lawmakers concerned about the possible impact on Israel had argued for the change in strategy.

I've said that these Conservative Democrats are going to impact the overall Democratic agenda...and I'm hoping that they continue to do so.

To get any kind of tax increase through, it seems they'll also have to go through that NEW wing of their Party.

So, yes, I like this NEW development very much!

Senate, with Rep & Dem approval, just voted to "discuss" the Iraq War. Discuss what? I may ask. How will leaving Iraq be beneficial to the US and ME relations? I'm serious.
Thank you

The Repugs used their time to ram through anti-American legislation designed to destroy the middle class, well, when they weren't on their endless corporate-funded vacations.

The stupid Dems are using their time to have nice Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood non-binding chats.

What a bunch of retards.

Barely, you're a real goofball.

The Democrats, have gotten even more corporate contributions than the GOP in three of the last four Presidential elections - Bill Clinton (twice) and Al Gore received more corporate support than their GOP oponnents. I believe Kerry may have broken that string.

Suffice to say, the Democrats have long been as big a fans of corporate junkets as their GOP cohorts.

The tendancy of government is to grow, even under the most cautious leadership.

The primary reason for the explosive and, I think most would acknowledge, CORROSIVE growth of government from the 1930s to today has been the embracing of "government solutions" and "big government" by both "Moderate (Country Club) Republicans" and Liberal Democrats alike.

Corporate America hasn't opposed Big Government, it's regulated competition out of the marketplace.

In fact, no constituency has used government as effectively for their best interests as has Corporate America - they've shifted most of the tax burden from corporate taxes (where the bulk of the tax burden was up until the mid-1960s) to working folks paying the personal income tax, and they're now pushing to move the costs of health care away from the corporate sector (some 85% of Americans are insured through their jobs) to the average taxpayer via some form of Universal Health Care.

And from their own vantage, they've done exactly what they SHOULD have done - pressed to gain the best deal for their own industries.

I agree, JMK, the Dem weaklings are no better in the end. Nobody is going to stand up to the Corporate owners of our government. We are fucked.

Our jobs are leaving, cheap labor is pouring in. Corporations are making record profits, the middle class is going bankrupt (or would if it weren't illegal) ... the alarming foreclosure boom just hit Wall Street.

It will only get worse. The Robber Barrons brought on the Great Depression, and, having failed to learn from history, we are set to repeat it.

It simply can't work. Nobody can rationally explain how destroying the middle class to enrich Fat Cats will work in the long run.

I think we agree on political corruption and disagree over the effects of Free Trade and globalization, BH.

There have been some jobs exported FROM the U.S. and others imported INTO the U.S. thanks to Free Trade.

There are also many hands-on jobs like construction trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters), financial auditors, direct care health workers, and many others that simply can't be exported because they must be done on site.

The economic evidence supports the view that merica has gained more jobs than it's lost through Free Trade - as a recent example, Toyota is building a $1.6 billion plant to produce SUVs in Mississippi.

I agree with you on illegal immigration - it must br brought under control, because not only is a natioal security issue, it's an economic disaster for American workers, because it puts a persistent downward pressure on wage rates. It directly impacts low and unskilled wage rates (the "floor") and as the floor is lowered, that puts a downward pressure on all other wage rates as well.

Free Trade makes some skills no longer viable in advanced nations. Over the pas forty years, we've been exporting most of our small manufacturing overseas. That's been very bad for U.S. seamstresses, for instance, but very good for U.S. consumers.