The Republican establishment recognizes that major cuts to Medicare and Social Security are not politically acceptable. The Tea Party people who want to make major cuts to the budget excluding the military, which necessarily means major cuts to popular programs, would produce a calamitous election result for Republicans in 2012. The Republican house now faces some difficult times. If they continue to support tax cuts and cuts to popular programs, as their Tea Party supporters want, they face electoral punishment. If they continue to support tax cuts and do not cut these popular programs, the budget deficit cannot be reduced although it is not clear to me that Republicans care at all about the deficit.

Yes, People who are found guilty of felonies.

Actually they are not. To be guilty of a crime there have to be intent or negligence neither of which is present in this case. There are accurately described as undocumented. These are people who grew up in this country and for all practical purposes are Americans. Why do you insist on wanting to evict these people who have done nothing wrong, have no other home to go to and who merely want what every American child-youth wants. The comments of people on this thread suggest that it is pure bigotry.

How can this guy, with a straight face, complain about the extension of unemployment benefits and its addition to the national debt while lauding the tax cuts for people who don't need it.

It is inexcusable to brand youth who were brought here as children as criminals. This column and many of the responses are a perfect example of loutish bigotry.

Your references to New Orleans and Gary are beginning to sound as though this is a race issue for you.

Go away until you learn how to live with people in the world.

Let me get this right. You people are mad because Obama is going to eliminate some pork paid to insurance companies so that they can provide what medicare does for considerably less.

Why should I subsidize you freeloaders?

The eye actually passed over Plaquemines Parish and I think Slidell.

What is wrong with you people in Lousiana that you elect such incompetent politicians. You obviously need the fed to look after you.

Your comparing Greensburg, Kansas with New Orleans is just silly. How many people does Greensburg have? I think it is about 2000. These people are mostly people with resources. They have family and friends in adjacent places to help them. Many of the people in New Orleans had no one to turn to other than those who were similarly affected. Furthermore, Greensburg did recieve some outside help.

If you think those are comparable cases, think again.

Since you don't seem to know it, many of the people of New Orleans worked to rebuild their own homes. Some got ripped-off by unscrupulous contractors. Are there people who could have done more or better. I am sure there are but I met many people in New Orleans who...

You said with regard to the Mississippi Gulf Coast that "Because it ISN'T!"

You obviously haven't visited the Mississippi Coast. I can take you to some places that look pretty horrible yet. Barber is also obviously more competent that Louisiana politicians--always has been always will be.

Conservatives lack credibility on the issue of George Bush. Most supported and still do support his botched occupation of Iraq. People who do that obviously dont know the difference between competence and incompetence.