The Numbers are In...

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

This is about an update, so put it on the news to find out what happened. :D

[SintonFan]

*hint* Open song debate right under your nose.:p

[Emerson1]

Politics are stupid.

The country will be the same as it was last week. It could of been Borat that won the last spot.

[handNthedirt]

I just got back from buying myself a case of Jack, and a box set of Merle....y'all should take heed as well, America's day of reckoning is just around the corner.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

I personally think that his is a great time for America. America has been waiting twelve years for this. :clap:

[handNthedirt]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I personally think that his is a great time for America. America has been waiting twelve years for this. :clap:

do you have any predictions for the too near future?

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by handNthedirt
do you have any predictions for the too near future?

Just optimistic about the future is all, but I predict great things for the American economy.

[formermbcouns]

huh? lol



Originally posted by handNthedirt
I just got back from buying myself a case of Jack, and a box set of Merle....y'all should take heed as well, America's day of reckoning is just around the corner.

[Ranger Mom]

I haven't had any complaints actually. I have had the same job for 15 years and my husband for 23. Each year we make more money than we did the last year.

It really hasn't mattered what party was in office at any given time as far as our money situation went.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Ranger Mom
I haven't had any complaints actually. I have had the same job for 15 years and my husband for 23. Each year we make more money than we did the last year.

It really hasn't mattered what party was in office at any given time as far as our money situation went.

Well, let's hope the good times keep rolling for you, then. ;)

[Pudlugger]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I personally think that his is a great time for America. America has been waiting twelve years for this. :clap:

You will be humping 9-5 to make my Social Security payments son, so enjoy your victory now while you can.

Oh Shadenfreude :)

[shankbear]

rock on pud

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by Pudlugger
You will be humping 9-5 to make my Social Security payments son, so enjoy your victory now while you can.

Oh Shadenfreude :)
.
ROFL!:clap: :D

[spiveyrat]

Originally posted by Pudlugger
You will be humping 9-5 to make my Social Security payments son, so enjoy your victory now while you can.

Oh Shadenfreude :) :clap: :D Dang that was funny!

[wedo]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I personally think that his is a great time for America. America has been waiting twelve years for this. :clap:

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[bulldogman06]

Economics has little to do with the government, and way more with the people. The government really cannot affect the economy that much, it has everything to do with how each business runs and the buyers.

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by bulldogman06
Economics has little to do with the government, and way more with the people. The government really cannot affect the economy that much, it has everything to do with how each business runs and the buyers.
.
Tell that to the head of the committee who sets interest rates. What's he called?:D
.
Lower taxes mean better economy, more jobs and better wages. This is undeniable now. Look at the numbers.:p

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by SintonFan
.
Tell that to the head of the committee who sets interest rates. What's he called?:D
.
Lower taxes mean better economy, more jobs and better wages. This is undeniable now. Look at the numbers.:p

I hope you were being facetious. ;)

[Old Tiger]

I made a decision once. It was not to sucker into peer pressure.:smoker:

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Tiger WR
I made a decision once. It was not to sucker into peer pressure.:smoker:

Casey just says the darndest things.

[Old Tiger]

Gary, refer to my The Donkey Show thread. I will bump it for you to see.

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I hope you were being facetious. ;)
.
You can always call me if you'r not sure.:p

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by SintonFan
.
You can always call me if you'r not sure.:p

Sounds like a plan. :rolleyes:

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Sounds like a plan. :rolleyes:
.
Well, you weren't sure so I thought I'd help. Go ahead and roll your eyes at me.:p

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by SintonFan
.
Well, you weren't sure so I thought I'd help. Go ahead and roll your eyes at me.:p
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:

[Blastoderm55]

Anyone else see the stories about the quick rise in gas prices. Local stations went up about a dime overnight. Apparently the demand from Tuesday to Wednesday was significant enough to warrant an increase. :p

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
...
.
I still don't understand your whole point.:clap: :p

[Old Tiger]

BBDE you JUVENILE! :mad:

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by SintonFan
.
I still don't understand your whole point.:clap: :p

Kind of like you don't understand politics. Oh, FACE.

[Old Tiger]

It's not nice to face people :(

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Just optimistic about the future is all, but I predict great things for the American economy. :confused: :confused: Looks to me like the economy is doing just fine the past 3 years.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
:confused: :confused: Looks to me like the economy is doing just fine the past 3 years. You call inflation the sign of a good economy, or skyrocketing prices in gasoline and commodities a sign of a good economy?

[Blastoderm55]

Nah, he must be talking about the disparity between stagnant minimum wages and the ever-increasing pay of CEOs. The economy's always good if you're rich. :p

[JasperDog94]

Nope. I'm not crazy about CEO's making millions in bonuses either, but that's what capitalism is all about. That's one of the things this country was founded on. Show me where a society works that has socialism (rob Peter to pay Paul) and we'll talk.

BTW - I'm doing much better now than I was 6 years ago and as a minister I can assure you that I'm not rich.

[mustang68]

Originally posted by bulldogman06
Economics has little to do with the government, and way more with the people. The government really cannot affect the economy that much, it has everything to do with how each business runs and the buyers.
You are obviously to young to remember when the "Gov." stopped spending after the Vietnam War. When this spending stops :eek: Look out:thinking:

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
Nope. I'm not crazy about CEO's making millions in bonuses either, but that's what capitalism is all about. That's one of the things this country was founded on. Show me where a society works that has socialism (rob Peter to pay Paul) and we'll talk.

BTW - I'm doing much better now than I was 6 years ago.

Nobody ever advocated socialism, it's just the fact that the government has passed into law things like removing the cap on tuition that make it more difficult for people to be able to pay to go to college. CEOs are getting overpaid and getting pay raises while the minimum wage hasn't gone in in years. The overall appreciation of the employees at the bottom of the totem pole has decreased. The CEOs only make the decisions, but it's the working class man and woman who make the company run. The Republican agenda has been that of a hands-off government in the free market since the early 1900s. This is apparent in the Republican idea of no unions in companies, and the decrease in worker's rights, benefits, and protection. Over the past few years, monopolies have been developed and nothing has been done or said about it. A prime example is the merger between Bell Communications and AT&T. The Sherman Antitrust Act was implemented to break up Ma Bell, but here it is again, going in full force, and the government has sat idly by doing nothing. I'm glad that you have seen good times, I wish any man or woman who works hard to get a better way for themselves and their family, but that is not the case for everyone. Look at the dissolving of the middle class in America. America is experiencing a new Gilded Age, with a class of the haves and the class of the have nots.

[Old Tiger]

numbers, yay!

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
The overall appreciation of the employees at the bottom of the totem pole has decreased. This is a very subjective thing. Very hard to quantify.


Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Look at the dissolving of the middle class in America. Based on what numbers?


Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
This is apparent in the Republican idea of no unions in companies, and the decrease in worker's rights, benefits, and protection. Again, show me the numbers because I'm just not seeing it.

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
This is a very subjective thing. Very hard to quantify.

Based on what numbers?

Again, show me the numbers because I'm just not seeing it.

Then you should go out and talk to people. Look at the all the local business that are dying. Yes, our community has a brand new Wal-Mart chock full of jobs that pay $6 an hour. And at what cost? Since opening, 4 LOCAL businesses, that's families busting their butts to make money that would put them in the middle class, have been put out of business. Odds are, in about 3 months, I'll join those people and lose my pride and be forced to go work at the same Wal-Mart that cannibalizes local firms. And where does that money go? A mom and pop shop becomes successful, they build a home, and put their kids through the public schools. All Wal-Mart's money goes right back to Arkansas. Hell, we aren't even going to receive any tax money from them for the first years since Wal-Mart refused to move in unless the city arranged for proper water supply for them. Huh? When we started business, we had to get our own water supply. But not Wal-Mart. They received land right next to our high school for dirt cheap, and don't have to start paying back our county until their store is well into the black, while those of us who ARE THE AMERICAN DREAM OF PRIVATE OWNERSHIP see nothing but red.

I congratulate you on your success, sir, but get out of your box and take notice that not everyone is sharing in it.

[Old Tiger]

Butthead: I'm like angry at numbers
Beavis: Yea there's like to many of them and stuff

[mistanice]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
Anyone else see the stories about the quick rise in gas prices. Local stations went up about a dime overnight. Apparently the demand from Tuesday to Wednesday was significant enough to warrant an increase. :p

So you noticed too. :D :clap:

[Sinton94]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I personally think that his is a great time for America. America has been waiting twelve years for this. :clap:


FOR WHAT?

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by Sinton94
FOR WHAT?

Checks and balances that actually get something done. Clinton did great with a Red Congress keeping him in check. This could actually save Bush's legacy.

[Sinton94]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
[B]CEOs are getting overpaid and getting pay raises while the minimum wage hasn't gone in in years.

There is no such thing as getting overpaid and the minimum wage is not the problem. Trying to raise four kids with no education and then depending on the goverment to take of you is the problem.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
I congratulate you on your success, sir, but get out of your box and take notice that not everyone is sharing in it. I am sorry that you are struggling. I pray that things turn around for you, but you should heed your own advice, get out of your box and see that things aren't all bad.

[Sinton94]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
I am sorry that you are struggling. I pray that things turn around for you, but you should heed your own advice, get out of your box and see that things aren't all bad.


GREAT ADVICE!:clap: :clap:

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
I am sorry that you are struggling. I pray that things turn around for you, but you should heed your own advice, get out of your box and see that things aren't all bad.

I've already acknowledged they're not all bad. I'd be complaining a lot more if we were being huddled into concentration camps. Of course things could be worse.

[Gobbla2001]

the only way to fix this mess is for everyone to get a gun, point it somewhere near their head, and pull the trigger...

then everything will be fine in America...

[Sinton94]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
I've already acknowledged they're not all bad. I'd be complaining a lot more if we were being huddled into concentration camps. Of course things could be worse.


You got to be kidding!:confused:

[BTEXDAD]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
Then you should go out and talk to people. Look at the all the local business that are dying. Yes, our community has a brand new Wal-Mart chock full of jobs that pay $6 an hour. And at what cost? Since opening, 4 LOCAL businesses, that's families busting their butts to make money that would put them in the middle class, have been put out of business. Odds are, in about 3 months, I'll join those people and lose my pride and be forced to go work at the same Wal-Mart that cannibalizes local firms. And where does that money go? A mom and pop shop becomes successful, they build a home, and put their kids through the public schools. All Wal-Mart's money goes right back to Arkansas. Hell, we aren't even going to receive any tax money from them for the first years since Wal-Mart refused to move in unless the city arranged for proper water supply for them. Huh? When we started business, we had to get our own water supply. But not Wal-Mart. They received land right next to our high school for dirt cheap, and don't have to start paying back our county until their store is well into the black, while those of us who ARE THE AMERICAN DREAM OF PRIVATE OWNERSHIP see nothing but red.

I congratulate you on your success, sir, but get out of your box and take notice that not everyone is sharing in it.

I disagree with the tax abatements, but they are necessary in today's times in order to be competitive in bringing in businesses. It's not just Wal-Mart that gets these abatements though, although they are a good example. It wasn't something that just started in the 2000's. It's been around for longer than that, just getting more and more prevalent.

However, you argued the point earlier about inflation. Wal-Mart does bring in lower prices. I try to support mom and pop stores as much as I can, but if you purchase everything from small retail places, you'll wind up spending 25% more money and in essence, you are creating your own personal inflation.
I assume you personally buy all of your stuff from locally owned stores. Nothing from Wal-Mart, Target, Foley's, Lowe's, Sutherland's, etc? Do you always go to the small car dealership at edge of the small towns, or do you sometimes go to the megasize lot dealers in big cities? If you go to the bigger stores or car dealers ,why?

Gas prices are down 30% since May and if Democrats helped to open up more drilling in Alaska (where the residents actually want it) and off the west coast, the U.S. could become self sufficient in oil and gas production and not have to be so concerned with maintaining some semblance of order in the middle east.
Minimum wage should be raised, but certainly not going overboard with it. Minimum wage can also have negative effect on mom and pop stores, maybe even more so than with a large chain store.
Pelosi, when asked about troop withdrawals from Iraq said "We will push for a small withdrawal by the end of the year (to make a little showing to American people), but I can't comment on the timetable of any withdrawals after that."
That's what Republicans have been saying past two years. They can't set timetables for withdrawals until things are operating as necessary in the region.

[JasperDog94]

Let's look at the overall numbers:

Millions of jobs have been created.
Low inflation.
Stock market at all time high.
Budget deficit. (I'm with you on this one. The current administration has done a terrible job on this one.)

3 out of 4 ain't bad folks.

[Old Tiger]

money money money.....

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by Sinton94
[QUOTE]Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
[B]CEOs are getting overpaid and getting pay raises while the minimum wage hasn't gone in in years.

There is no such thing as getting overpaid and the minimum wage is not the problem. Trying to raise four kids with no education and then depending on the goverment to take of you is the problem.

There are plenty of people without children who have difficulty making ends meet. I'm thankful that I'm not one of them at the current time, but so long as my customers' disposable income tanks, while their utilities and health care sky-rocket, my bottom line will continue to dwindle. Gets to the point where people (in my store's case) will stop buying quality furniture and instead go buy the crap at Wal-Mart that has to be assembled just because it means they'll also be able to afford milk and toilet paper.

[Sinton94]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
Checks and balances that actually get something done. Clinton did great with a Red Congress keeping him in check. This could actually save Bush's legacy.


Not in all areas and we'll see, but it's not Bush's legacy I'm worried about.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by BTEXDAD
I disagree with the tax abatements, but they are necessary in today's times in order to be competitive in bringing in businesses. It's not just Wal-Mart that gets these abatements though, although they are a good example. It wasn't something that just started in the 2000's. It's been around for longer than that, just getting more and more prevalent.

However, you argued the point earlier about inflation. Wal-Mart does bring in lower prices. I try to support mom and pop stores as much as I can, but if you purchase everything from small retail places, you'll wind up spending 25% more money and in essence, you are creating your own personal inflation.
I assume you personally buy all of your stuff from locally owned stores. Nothing from Wal-Mart, Target, Foley's, Lowe's, Sutherland's, etc? Do you always go to the small car dealership at edge of the small towns, or do you sometimes go to the megasize lot dealers in big cities? If you go to the bigger stores or car dealers ,why?

Gas prices are down 30% since May and if Democrats helped to open up more drilling in Alaska (where the residents actually want it) and off the west coast, the U.S. could become self sufficient in oil and gas production and not have to be so concerned with maintaining some semblance of order in the middle east.
Minimum wage should be raised, but certainly not going overboard with it. Minimum wage can also have negative effect on mom and pop stores, maybe even more so than with a large chain store.
Pelosi, when asked about troop withdrawals from Iraq said "We will push for a small withdrawal by the end of the year (to make a little showing to American people), but I can't comment on the timetable of any withdrawals after that."
That's what Republicans have been saying past two years. They can't set timetables for withdrawals until things are operating as necessary in the region. Bravo!:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
the only way to fix this mess is for everyone to get a gun, point it somewhere near their head, and pull the trigger...

then everything will be fine in America...

We can't afford the bullets! :doh: Maybe go deaf though! :D

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
We can't afford the bullets! :doh: Maybe go deaf though! :D

hell, anyone can get a bullet...

if you can't get a gun sign your name on a sheet, we'll get people with guns to kill the people without 'em before killin' themselves...

[Blastoderm55]

Originally posted by BTEXDAD
I assume you personally buy all of your stuff from locally owned stores. Nothing from Wal-Mart, Target, Foley's, Lowe's, Sutherland's, etc? Do you always go to the small car dealership at edge of the small towns, or do you sometimes go to the megasize lot dealers in big cities? If you go to the bigger stores or car dealers ,why?


All vehicle purchases my family has made, including two for commercial use, have been from the dealer that is right down the street from us. Can't hide from the big-box examples though. They're unavoidable, especially when its week's end and all the bills have been paid and not much is left for groceries and leisure.

[Sinton94]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
There are plenty of people without children who have difficulty making ends meet. I'm thankful that I'm not one of them at the current time, but so long as my customers' disposable income tanks, while their utilities and health care sky-rocket, my bottom line will continue to dwindle. Gets to the point where people (in my store's case) will stop buying quality furniture and instead go buy the crap at Wal-Mart that has to be assembled just because it means they'll also be able to afford milk and toilet paper.


You sound like a very intelligent and hard working person and I wish you nothing but the best.

Goverment better do someting about Illegal imigration first and foremost. It is the root cause of most of our problems.

[Black_Magic]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
Let's look at the overall numbers:

Millions of jobs have been created.
Low inflation.
Stock market at all time high.
Budget deficit. (I'm with you on this one. The current administration has done a terrible job on this one.)

3 out of 4 ain't bad folks. Well the stock market always goes up. slower sometimes over time but contiunues to rise even in poor economic time. Jobs are being created NOW, but if you look at the overall last 6 years growth is low for a 6 year period. we are just now creating jobs after 4 years of poor job growth. SO, overtime of the last 6 years its poor. in the last Year its been good . calculate the 4 poor years of job growth into the last year and a half of deicent growth then you still have poor job growth... Inflation has started to creep up of late. in any account inflation has been low for the last 12 years... BUDGET DEFICIT- Well it takes no rocket scientist to realize that when you cut revenue( tax money the government brings in) and increase spending, you will have growth in a deficite....We DID have a surplus when Bush took office.. now we have a record deficite... The only thing I can say about the current administration is this. We have had no more attacks since 9/11.. BUT when you consider that Islamic extreemist dont have to travel half way around the globe to attack us because Americans are all over the place Right in thier own back yard and that they dont have to come to a heavily defended America to kill americans , its not such a great feat.. Terrorist only have to cross from syria or Iran into Iraq inorder to get at American. They dont have to get on a plane, go though customs, ect to kill americans.

[BTEXDAD]

I sincerely hope, the check and balance system works for U.S. Hopefully democrats and Republicans will continue to lead the country forward and find a way to stablize Iraq.
Howeve, all this I've been hearing about subpoenas for this and subpoenas for that will do nothing but waste time.
I realize there were witch hunts going on with Clinton, and some of the Democrats in office still remember that and want revenge, but everyone looked like little kids arguing back then and you would think both parties had learned something from the past(but probably not).
I can give credit to Bush and Rumsfeld for having Rumsfeld resign. If Bush would have stuck by him, there woudl have been months of arguing before Rumsfeld would have basically been forced to resign anyway.

[Blastoderm55]

At the very least, his resignation will make it seems as if the party is attempting to move forward. Very good strategy in his resignation, whether it was forced or not.

[Gobbla2001]

we need peace.... pipes...

[Old Tiger]

:dispntd: :smoker: :)

[BTEXDAD]

Originally posted by Blastoderm55
At the very least, his resignation will make it seems as if the party is attempting to move forward. Very good strategy in his resignation, whether it was forced or not.

I can agree with that, Blast, although it was too late. Bush is very loyal to his people, to the point of being hard headed. If Rumsfeld had resigned back in summer, it probably would have had positive effect (for Republicans) on at least a few of the elections.
It will help with transition though. Rumsfeld would have been first one targeted by Democratic congress, so this is that much less time they have to spend on that.

One thing that I NEVER even heard mentioned in campaigns. President and (Republican) Congress did put together the Medicare Part D program for prescription drug coverage for Seniors. Although it's not the greatest plan in the world, it's somethign that's been discussed for a long time and helps many seniors including the low income people that Republicans supposedly ignore. They can get their coverage with no premium(free).

But as mentioned by several, the deficit is way up. With Medicare part D costs, Katrina, Rita and the other huricanes last summer, along with cost of Afghanistan and Iraq, budget would have been busted even without the tax cut.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
Jobs are being created NOW, but if you look at the overall last 6 years growth is low for a 6 year period. we are just now creating jobs after 4 years of poor job growth. SO, overtime of the last 6 years its poor. Inherited recession plus 9-11 equals tremendous job loss. Nobody from either party could have had positive job creation numbers during that time period.


Originally posted by Black_Magic
in any account inflation has been low for the last 12 years... Agreed.


Originally posted by Black_Magic
Well it takes no rocket scientist to realize that when you cut revenue( tax money the government brings in) and increase spending, you will have growth in a deficite....We DID have a surplus when Bush took office.. now we have a record deficite... Do you not realize that the government is taking in more money AFTER the tax cuts? Two years after the tax cuts the government is taking in more money. Economics 101. Give people more of their own money, they spend it in the economy, local/state/federal governments collect more taxes off of the extra money being spent, the economy grows.

The reason for the defecit is because of the war in Iraq and Afganistan AND this administration won't cut spending in other areas.

[Black_Magic]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
Inherited recession plus 9-11 equals tremendous job loss. Nobody from either party could have had positive job creation numbers during that time period.

Agreed.

Do you not realize that the government is taking in more money AFTER the tax cuts? Two years after the tax cuts the government is taking in more money. Economics 101. Give people more of their own money, they spend it in the economy, local/state/federal governments collect more taxes off of the extra money being spent, the economy grows.

The reason for the defecit is because of the war in Iraq and Afganistan AND this administration won't cut spending in other areas.
I dont know Who will actually buy that Clinton left Bush with a recession. Clinton had the best economic numbers of all post WWII PresidentsLINK (http://www.forbes.com/2004/07/20/cx_da_0720presidents.html) THIS LINK PROVES IT I Agree that Tax Cuts were needed and in some ways good. BUT the fella making $1,000,000 did not NEED a tax cut and that portion of the tax cut should not have happened. It contributed BIG time to the debt. The War in Iraq is one HUGE mistake and had nothing to do with terrorism that caused 9/11 Iraq and Al Queda had no ties and Bush admitied that. Remember why we went to IRAQ? WMDs.... None there. Thousands of Americans dead for a mistake or a Lie ( it still may remain to be seen). I wonder if Bush had spent the amount of resouces he spent in Iraq hunting down Binladen and finishing Al Queda if we would not had been world better off in nearly every way Including Reputation around the world. In any event. Bush has a 37% approval raiting. the nation has given Both houses of Congress to the other party. The will of the people has spoken. They want a different direction. I think ti will happen or more seats will be lost in two more years including the one at the top.

[mustang68]

We live in a country which stipulates the we have a government ".... of the People, by the People, and for the People."
Niether the republicans or democrats fit this bill.
IMHO "we the people" need to reassert our right of governance by electing people who REPRESENT US not who represent and answer to the "party" which ever it might be. I do not want my representative to vote party line; I want him to vote TEXAS line and more specifically WEST TEXAS line.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Black_Magic
I dont know Who will actually buy that Clinton left Bush with a recession. Clinton had the best economic numbers of all post WWII PresidentsLINK (http://www.forbes.com/2004/07/20/cx_da_0720presidents.html) THIS LINK PROVES IT I Agree that Tax Cuts were needed and in some ways good. BUT the fella making $1,000,000 did not NEED a tax cut and that portion of the tax cut should not have happened. It contributed BIG time to the debt. The War in Iraq is one HUGE mistake and had nothing to do with terrorism that caused 9/11 Iraq and Al Queda had no ties and Bush admitied that. Remember why we went to IRAQ? WMDs.... None there. Thousands of Americans dead for a mistake or a Lie ( it still may remain to be seen). I wonder if Bush had spent the amount of resouces he spent in Iraq hunting down Binladen and finishing Al Queda if we would not had been world better off in nearly every way Including Reputation around the world. In any event. Bush has a 37% approval raiting. the nation has given Both houses of Congress to the other party. The will of the people has spoken. They want a different direction. I think ti will happen or more seats will be lost in two more years including the one at the top. Clinton's first 7 1/2 years were some of the best our country has ever seen. BUT we were headed into a mild recession at the end of the Clinton era and without Bush's tax cuts, that recession could have been terrible.

[BTEXDAD]

[i]Remember why we went to IRAQ? WMDs.... None there. Thousands of Americans dead for a mistake or a Lie ( it still may remain to be seen). I wonder if Bush had spent the amount of resouces he spent in Iraq hunting down Binladen and finishing Al Queda if we would not had been world better off in nearly every way Including Reputation around the world.
In any event. Bush has a 37% approval raiting. [/B]

Where did WMDs go? Saddam definitely had them because he used them against Iran and against the Kurds. There was no evidence of them all being destroyed.
IMO the chemical and biological weapons wound up in Syria or somewhere else in the middle east.

Herbert Hoover was pretty close to that 37% level for his approval rating in the depression, but I've read where only two presidents had the approval rating drop lower than Bush. One was Abraham Lincoln (and many now consider him to be our greatest president of all time).
The other was Harry Truman before he dropped the nuclear bombs on Japan. His approval rating went up again after that.
Truman's predessesor, FDR, also went from being one of the most popular presidents to being one of the most unpopular (just like Bush). He was unpopular because of the length of time US spent in world war II, and popular because of the fact he got US out of the great depression. However, main thing that got US fully out of the depression and into the golden age of baby boomers and manufacturing advancements was the war.