Governments typically finish in the red each and every fiscal year, there's nothing abnormal about that. The question is, how much. You say it's 5 trillion. And I say when you combine the 800 billion spent for the war (+) additional 800 billion or so that must be borrowed to make up for the 800 billion taken away from 'programs' and allocated to the war (-) about a 1/2 trillion from that 5 trillion figure that is interest accrued (+) about another trillion or so used for homeland security here at home and at our bases and embassies around the world: you end up with a deficit of about 2 trillion and not 5 trillion, with the remaining 3 trillion (rightfully) used in the 'war on terror'...Point Being: Republican is the party of economists, not Democrat. [/quote]

Where do you get these figures? They're hugely exaggerated and wrong. Where did you get 2 trillion, or 3 trillion or 5 trillion that you cite? Why do you refer to them as deficits. Do you uinderstand what a budget deficit is? It is the annual difference between what the federal government spends and the revenue it takes in. Do you understand what the national debt is? It is the unretired debt which the US Treasury owes to those who have lent funds to the federal government. The Congress has authoriized a national debt of $10.5 trillion. When President Bush took office the national debt was about $5 trillion. From then through 2006 while the Republicans were in control of the Congress, that debt rose to almost $10 trillion. Those annual Congresses made spending decisions (such as Earmarks) that greatly exceeded anticipated revenues.

By the way, someone posted that the last budget surplus was under Nixon in '69. Not so. The federal government experienced surpluses 1998-2001. Also, interest on the national debt is estimated at about $250 billion annually.
[/quote]

This should make some people happy.

09/07/2008
USA Today/Gallup: Obama 44, McCain 54 (McCain +10)

How come no one uses McCain's middle name. And what terrorists are you referring to Apple? G. Gordon Liddy?

I say lets examine how many women and children McCain killed in the 25 bombing missions he flew before he was shot down. If he killed one then he is a terrorist.

Yay! We're finally confronting the liberal belief that American soldiers in Vietnam were, in fact, terrorists.

Let's hope we don't have to wait much longer for them to get off their saccharine kick of how our current soldiers are "heroes" too so they can get back to their jeers and spitting and Cindy Sheehan.

Yeah, but consider the profits that Dick Cheney's buddies at Halliburton have been making from the war...even before they were caught stealing from the American taxpayer...with impunity, of course. And it doesn't matter that the only weapon of mass destruction in Iraq is Halliburton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxoiZdBSi-g

By the way...how come nobody's posted any poll results today?

Apple

About time ... maybe there are open spots on Air America for these two when their contracts are up.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html

Weather Underground? I was expecting something closer to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fglOsEpFfGQ&feature=related

Rebuttal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEajOYOE5Yw&feature=related

No comment on the use of John Sidney McCain's middle name?

The following is from Newsminer.com, August 28:

On Oct. 22, 2006, the Anchorage Daily News asked Palin and the other candidates, “Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?”

Her response: “Yes. I would like to see Alaska’s infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now — while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.”

Palin’s support of the earmark for the bridge was applauded by the late Lew Williams Jr., the retired Ketchikan Daily News publisher who wrote columns on the topic.

Williams wrote on Oct. 29, 2006, that Palin was the only gubernatorial candidate that year who consistently supported the Gravina Island Bridge, the Knik Arm Bridge and improvements to the Parks Highway.

Already did last night...

It's humorous that Palin was shielded by the McCain people from appearing on Face the Nation or Meet the Press or some of the other more substantive news programs. Yet they contend she's ready to serve as president, should something happen to McCain.

Ready to be president? She's not even ready for Face the Nation.

They did arrange an interview with Charlie Gibson whose not known to ask probing, difficult questions.

How come you haven't posted the electoral college map as it is today?

How come you're still stuck in Vietnam?

I just got these from Don Tomasso.

Fuck New York City and South Florida, I'm gettin' me a bottle a hooch and movin' to Alaska!

G.O.P. family values.

That's what gets me with politicians in both parties: the hypocrisy. It's especially galling with the GOP, because they're so quick to throw their "values" in your face.

Who are those girls?

Didn't Michael Corleone ask Fredo that question in Vegas?

Many of those, as if not already obvious, are fake.

Now Ted, let me behind the wheel! Mary Jo in the back! Whoo!

See, citing your sources isn't so hard.

Sorry, the family is OFF LIMITS. Sarah Palin deserves all the scrutiny that she can stand, but not her children.

She is a beautiful, intelligent and aggressive woman. Good for her. If it wasn't for the fact that she supports everything I loathe, I'd really like her!

Even if it fake, she looks hot

Absolutely.

And you ask dt why he's stuck in Vietnam? Probably for the same reason that you're stuck in Chappaquiddick.

McCain ahead in national polls; Obama up in electoral votes

(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain has inched ahead of Sen. Barack Obama in national polls, but the Democratic candidate holds a steady lead in the most recent Electoral College estimates.

In national surveys, McCain leads by two points -- 47 to 45 percent, according to CNN's poll of polls released Monday night.

In the Electoral College standings, the most recent survey shows 243 electoral votes either safely in Obama's column or leaning his way. At this point, McCain can claim only 189.

Many of the state polls used to determine the Electoral College standings, however, were conducted before the conventions.

Monday marked the first time McCain passed Obama in CNN's poll of polls. VideoWatch how the race has tightened »

On Saturday, Obama was up by three in the poll of polls. That lead shrank to just one point Sunday, before disappearing Monday.

In the most recent survey, eight percent of respondents said they were still unsure about who they were going to vote for.

The poll of polls is an average of five surveys: CNN (September 5-7), ABC/Washington Post (September 5-7), CBS (September 5-7), Gallup (September 5-7) and Diageo/Hotline (September 5-7). The poll of polls does not have a sampling error.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday shows McCain and Obama tied at 48 percent.

The poll, which was conducted Friday through Sunday, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. It was based on 1,022 telephone interviews.

Republicans are hoping that if McCain can close the popular vote gap, he can also make gains in the electoral gap. The Electoral College will ultimately decide who takes over the White House.

Although polls across the country are open on one day, the election is not a national poll but a series of 51 state-level elections that decide the members of the Electoral College.

Technically, voters aren't choosing a candidate but a slate of electors who have pledged to vote for that candidate when the Electoral College meets.

With 538 electors up for grabs, the candidate with more than half -- 270 -- wins the presidency. The number of electors from each state equals the number of senators and representatives the state sends to Congress

Both candidates are turning their focus to battleground areas as they try to stack the states in their column.

According to CNN's electoral map, the states that could go either way are Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia.

McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are campaigning Tuesday in Lebanon, Ohio, just 30 miles from Obama, who is in Riverside. No Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio.

Obama's running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, is campaigning in Missouri.

Both parties are putting a lot of emphasis on Missouri. For the last century, the state has voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election except one. (Missouri picked Adlai Stevenson over Dwight Eisenhower in 1956).

McCain and Palin campaigned there Monday. They're hoping the state's landscape will help them take its 11 electoral votes.

The state has the 13th oldest population in the country, and Obama has struggled with older voters.

Also, 37 percent of Missourians are evangelical Christians, according to the Pew Forum. That's substantially higher than the 26 percent nationally.

If McCain can take Missouri and tilt the toss-up states of Florida and Ohio, which also have older populations, he will pull ahead of Obama.

I could say the same about Obama.

Try 270towin.com

It seems the most realistic: 207 to 174 Obama.

Biden: Palin would be "backward step" for women

As always, you're such a master of obvious sarcasm, SC. Bravo.

Incidentally, I'm not stuck in Chappaquiddick like poor Mary Jo Kopechne because fortunately I don't ride in cars with Ted Kennedy, nor do I let any of my friends accept rides from Ed either.

So, in effect you're saying that my statement doesn't rate your "Rainman" signature?



BTW - I took dt's statement about VietNam as being sarcastic. How come you didn't?