PLEASE... Don't try to tell everyone what Romney MEANT TO SAY, or what he was TRYING to say (frankly, MOST intelligent [which, therefore, excludes Liberals/the Media] people KNOW what Romney was saying). Romney doesn't NEED defending... Just VOTE FOR HIM IN NOVEMBER, and we'll be BACK on the RIGHT TRACK!

One of THE BIGGEST problems (with respect to CUTTING SPENDING) is this "Base-Line Budgetting" - wherein THIS YEAR'S budget is based on LAST YEAR'S budget PLUS some automatic GROWTH. THAT has GOT TO GO! Every Tax Dollar that is spent HAS to be JUSTIFIED, and any GROWTH to ANY program should ALSO BE JUSTIFIED! WE, who live in the REAL WORLD, know (especially during these past several years of economic difficulties) - that YEARLY RAISES are NOT guaranteed... In fact, MANY of us have take PAY CUTS - to keep our jobs. ONLY the GOVERNMENT (and Unions) think they are ENTITLED to ENDLESS GROWTH!

I agree! There is (clearly) a PERFECT BALANCE between TAX REVENUE and the TAX RATE: Too high a tax RATE, and tax REVENUE decreases... Clearly, a tax RATE of ZERO would generate ZERO revenue. The UNANSWERED QUESTION is: What IS the PERFECT (low) RATE that maximizes REVENUE? Unfortunately, we have ONE political party which believes that RAISING RATES increases revenue (despite the EVIDENCE to the contrary). As long as THAT party is in power, we will NEVER be able to find that PERFECT RATE. Clearly, over the past MANY DECADES, we have had congresses which have OVER-SPENT like there's no tomorrow... Well, it's tomorrow!

Unfortunately, do to the amount of DEBT the government has amassed, we DO still need increased REVENUE - in order to PAY BACK the staggeringly large amount of (reckless) overspending past congresses have done! The FIRST STEP is to STOP accumulating MORE DEBT. Coupled WITH THAT, is the need to not just take in the revenue necessary to blanace the budget, but to BEGIN the arduous process of PAYING OFF the debt we owe! You're NOT going to pay OFF the debt by JUST spending less!

And, WHAT, pray-tell, fueled the Clinton Surpluses, you dolt? It was: A) LOWERING Capital Gains Taxes; B) the Dot-Com bubble (that burst, creating the collapse that "W" inherited); C) The Welfare Reform Act - that Clinton signed into law (that took capable TAKERS OFF the Government hand-out line, and got them taking care of themselves - AND paying taxes [or, at least, NOT Taking tax dollars]). And WHAT do you think would have happened to Clinton's surplus, if 9/11 had happened, say, 8 years earlier? You STILL think there would have been a surplus? You STILL think Clinton would have RAISED income tax rates (which, by the way, DIDN'T result in the increased revenue increases the Dems. expected.)?

Did MONICA lend her that Blue Dress?

Democrats campaign is in the Soptic-Tank!

And WHERE, pray-tell, would ANY of these programs be WITHOUT Insurance Companies? It is THEY who take on the LIABILITY of those whom they insure/cover, and it is THEY who consider the RISK any individual (or group) poses to the well-being of the WHOLE (and the COSTS to each individual to COVER the on-going CLAIMS) - or didn't they TEACH YOU any of this in school (ANY school)?! Without the PRIVATE Insurance Companies, all you have is GOVERNMENT TAKING from those to EARN income, and GIVE IT to those who don't (earn or DESERVE IT)!

AGREED! I REALLY WONDER if escrick (and other "the rich don't pay their 'fair share'" mantra chanters) pay MORE than $42,500.00 in Federal Income Tax (annually) - THAT is what 17% of $250,000 is, after all... UNLESS they ARE paying MORE than $42,500.00 in taxes, then I really don't give a RAT'S REAR END what PERCENTAGE of their money they're paying in taxes (other than agreeing that EVERYONE should be paying the same RATE [if not the same DOLLAR AMOUNT (which is the REALLY FAIR way to pay taxes)])!

PERHAPS she should ALSO do a little Google search "china builds coal power plants" and see ANOTHER BIG difference between China's progress and the Liberal's RESTRICTIONS on OUR progress! Mandating electric cars is NOT the solution to the U.S. Economic (or energy) problems! When WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT Electric cars, the DEMAND will drive the supply (NOT the other way around)! And Ethanol has driven UP the price of food (corn, in particular)! Nice job Liberals!

Well... In "honor" of the Chic-fil-A protest, I went OUT OF MY WAY to eat at Chic-fil-A today (AND, as a special slap in the face to Mayor Bloomberg, I order a LARGE DRINK [that's GREAT THAN 16 oz.)!