Slim might be a stretch, I wouldnt swing the other way and say she is obese either The 80% number seems to be froma single Gallup poll in 2009 http://www.gallup.com/poll/3340/presidential-ratings-first-lady.aspx You will note that there was a long stretch in the 60s/70s/80s where poll numnbers sat under 65%, and beginning with Laura Bush we see numbers around 80% It would be interesting to see what the number would be if the poll had been done in early Fall 2010, following the write ups about her vacations.

If I could be so bold as to highlight two problems with your analysis The first is with your attribution of the standard of living to the higher percentage of union workers. There are many reasons, in particular the strength of US based manufacturing while rebuilding post-war Europe and the start of 2 income families. Additionally, much like the current Social Security problems, there was a lot of living on future dollars. I can maintain a very high 'standard-of-living' on my credit card... for about 6months The second item of note, I would wager that size of the unionized private sector workforce has shrunk not because of external pressures... but because of the unions' own parasitic actions. Unions have become self consuming.

This is certainly one way to examine falling housing prices. I will go with the simpler explanation... housing has been grossly inflated, and in many markets is still priced well above value as determined by land availability, cost of new construction and median household income in the region.

a brief comment on pesticide spraying. when properly used, these GM crops REDUCE the total amount of herbicide/pesticide applied the resistance in the cash crop, allows farmers to target their applications to best effect, when the weeds and crop are both less mature, achieve a higher kill rate of invasive plants and allow the cash crop to establish a root system and canopy that will retard future weed development farmers actually do want to use less chemicals as a whole, they are expensive and problematic to apply. plus many farmers are environmentalists

Education prices wouldnt fall because of the 20 year sunset clause on the loans So we would instead see the risk being pushed to the taxpayer, and this would incentivize colleges/university to continue to push up tuition rates. Another difference is that one outworking of falling home prices is that individuals are upsidedown on their mortgages, but the house still has value and foreclosure/bankruptcy is an option. Student loans dont have this same structure, there is no equity and the individual cannot generally be relieved through bankruptcy.

if we build a bridge the river will come!

While a step in the right direction, this proposal isnt nearly aggressive enough. Workers under 50 should be able to move all of their contribution in to a private account at a minimum (I would in truth prefer that it came in to my paycheck and not some govt run program at all) Those currently receiving benefits or going on SS soon will receive their payments not because of continued SSI withholdings from current workers, but by the redeeming of all those IOUs. That will happen on the balance sheet by moving funds from the General Fund back to Social Security, and doesnt require earmarked withholdings at all. Let stop pretending there is a lockbox for withholdings and just call it an additional tax like it already is

let me guess, you are a union guy whose job could be learned by any 10/hour brrista with 1 week of on the job training. a sense of entitlement isnt actually a marketable skill that commands salary perks

part of the issue is that the word 'cult' has so much negativity attached to it the word 'crusade' also is quickly overplayed when discussing religion but not when discussion the search for a cure for cancer. the word 'evangelical' has a negative connotation when discussing religion but not when discussing a promoter of the iPhone 5. Sensitivity to being deemed a cult can be understood... the easiest way to avoid this is to not try to blur the lines between your own theological positions and those of the traditional, orthodox church (which is where documents like the Nicene Creed become useful in identifying what should be considered orthodox)

your perception is valid and true. I work with a number of practicing Mormons who are wonderful members of society. I also work with many Jews who are wonderful members of society. I also work with a number of agnostics who are wonderful members of society The difference between these groups is that the Jews/Agnostics/etc dont say they are Christians while not adhering to the core tenets of the Christian faith. This doesnt make them bad people, it doesnt make them insincere... but being nice and counting the Bible as one of the scriptures you use doesnt give them free license to alter the core meaning of the word 'Christian'.