National Debt $16,217,000,000,000+

[mawilson 2,133]

Look at Ryan's budget. No balance until 2040. And that only under more than rosy assumptions. Romney stipulated during the campaign that he supports the Ryan budget. No guessing required.

Let's look at Obama's. Ryan's budget was never implemented.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Double the DEBT, not the deficit.

As in "spend the same amount as ALL the previous presidents before him combined".

Bush did that in 8 years.

Obama will double it in 7 (including whatever Bush spent).

We agree. Bush was a huge mistake.

Let's look at Obama's. Ryan's budget was never implemented.

And yet, he has been in congress for a number of years now...

[mawilson 2,133]

Actually, more than half the voters wanted Obama and less than half the voters wanted Rmoney. That's why the latter lost and the former won. They both ran on a vision for the country. Rmoney's vision lost, Obama's vision won. No trickle down, voo-doo economics. America rejected it. Clearly.

America did what America had to do. Doesn't mean it's the right thing for America. America elected G W Bush - twice.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

He draws his mandate from over 300 EC votes and by the majority of the popular vote. It is the American way. You need not like it and you are free to voice your discontentment. You are only required to abide by it.

Pffft! There is no mandate. America decided on no change, therefore, no mandate. America wants the status quo.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Pffft! There is no mandate. America decided on no change, therefore, no mandate. America wants the status quo.

Obama did not promise the status quo. He laid out a clear agenda and he was elected - comfortably so. That is a mandate for the agenda. If America wanted the other agenda, Mittens would have won. He did not.

[JohnR! 5,495]

America elected G W Bush - twice.

That is debatable... W was appointed president, by the SCOTUS, in 2000 with no mandate and In 2004 he was elected with no mandate either.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Gegel

[one...two...tree 2,762]

What should be the plan for the $16.2 Trillion and growing debt?

End the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy. End the war in Afghanistan. Invest in future energy - build a new economy around energy independence. Stop giving tax breaks to U.S. corporations that set up offshore tax havens. That would be a good start.

[mawilson 2,133]

That is debatable... W was appointed president, by the SCOTUS, in 2000 with no mandate and In 2004 he was elected with no mandate either.

Bush had no man date?

End the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy.

Ok, you saved 70 billion dollars per year. $1.03 trillion (this year alone) still to go. What next?

[JohnR! 5,495]

Bush had no man date?

A politician's sexual life is not of my concern, regardless of party or political persuasion.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Bush had no man date?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Half the American people decided they didn't want Obama. The other half decided they didn't want Romney. Where is the mandate in that? Every member of the House was up for election this year, and the Republicans are still in charge of the People's House.

America has spoken. Doing nothing isn't working for Congress.

[mawilson 2,133]

End the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthy.

Ok, you saved 70 billion dollars per year. $1.03 trillion (this year alone) still to go. What next?

End the war in Afghanistan.

Great - that's another 40+ billion.

Invest in future energy - build a new economy around energy independence.

Invest implies that we have money to invest. We're broke. You want to spend MORE money to get out of debt?

Stop giving tax breaks to U.S. corporations that set up offshore tax havens. That would be a good start.

How much would that save?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Reagonomics believed that by growing the economy, you create more jobs and a bigger tax base - that's one way you bring down the deficit. However, both Reagan and G.W. Bush believed that the single biggest way to grow the economy is to cut taxes, whereas Obama following Keynesian economic theory that expenditures, especially investments spur economic growth and that you'll get back tenfold what you spend by creating jobs. Both ideas aim at job creation, but the difference is in the data. The Bush Tax Cuts failed miserably at job creation and added significantly to the debt. Tax cuts alone do not create enough new jobs to offset the costs. It is not revenue neutral.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Commie Appeaser

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Obama did not promise the status quo. He laid out a clear agenda and he was elected - comfortably so. That is a mandate for the agenda. If America wanted the other agenda, Mittens would have won. He did not.

Keep telling yourself that, and make sure you are well stocked up on antacids. I fully expect this Congress to hold Obama hostage for the next two years, and if the hearings on Benghazi gain any traction, cries for a special prosecutor to be appointed, and a clamor for impeachment proceedings.

Edited November 8, 2012 by The Patriot

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Keep telling yourself that, and make sure you are well stocked up on antacids. I fully expect this Congress to hold Obama hostage for the next two years, and if the hearings on Benghazi gain any traction, cries for a special prosecutor to be appointed, and a clamor for impeachment proceedings.

They might try. And if they do, they'll pay the price in 2014. They already paid a price this time around. Lost the bid for the White House, lost Senate seats and lost House seats. They can block and become irrelevant in 2014.