exactly

democrats and republicans are basically the same thing (just sold out to different special interests)

professional politician ruling class believing that the people exist as a source of income and wealth for them. sort of like the vampire bat feeding off of cattle in the night. who cares if the bat is brown or black. it still is sucking the blood of the cow and slowly killing it

republicans , I think, are supposed to be the party which opposes change or government involvement in citizens lives and democrats are the party supposed to 'embrace' change and demand government concern and involvement in citizens lives...

But in the end, they are PEOPLE first, and not so terribly different

As someone else posted previously, the Democrats have been in control of the House and Senate since January 2007..

Are we to believe that they had nothing at all to do with what has been going on?

3 years of controlling the legislative branch and no culpability?

Nice try..

I know for a fact the dems didn't START it, they just make it worse (as all partisan politicians do). It's much like going from one Roman emperor to the next-all the old corruption and evil from the last one is still there, with some new corruption and evil to boot.

That is weird, could be a sign the HC industry wants to be on board with reform? No way and sounds like a Rovean plot so Obama can no longer say he's fighting the HC lobbyist special interest...besides the HC ind spends about 4 Million a day to defeat HC reform...what's a few bucks for this shindig.

~~~


Other poster: Civics! Simple Civics...2007, the DEMS did not have a filibuster proof majority nor a President who would not veto their bills...egads. Plus the DEMS did support the banking reforms the Dippic and the GOP wanted...remember?

You put it ever so eloquently, quiet, my friend.

haha... You don't need a filibuster proof majority to set the legislative agenda when you control both chambers..

So basically, what you are saying is that even though they controlled the agenda they simply did nothing. Well... That is very impressive governance.. I would be proud..

Your people even rejected implementing the 9-11 Commission's recomendations...WTF dude?

2001-2010+ GOP agenda? Who knows? Who knew? Whatever it was it did not fair well....eh? The GOP STILL don't have any real ideas anymore...other than just say No. Another fine mess...

2007 Democratic Congress agendas: (still ongoing)

"Introduction

"... America needs-- and Americans deserve-- a New Direction that provides security, prosperity, and opportunity for ALL.

With integrity, civility and fiscal discipline, our New Direction for America will use commonsense principles to address the aspirations and fulfill the hopes and dreams of all Americans."

I. Real Security - At Home and Overseas

* Implement the proposals of the 9/11 Commission.
* Require the Iraqis to take responsibility for their country.
* Begin phased redeployment of US troops from Iraq.
* Double the size of Special Forces to destroy bin Laden and terrorist networks like al Qaeda.
* Fully man, train and equip our National Guard and our police, firefighters and other first responders.
* Enact a GI Bill of Rights to honor our commitment to US veterans

II. Energy Independence - Lower Gas Prices

* Create a cleaner environment, and free the US from dependence on foreign oil, with initiatives for energy-efficient technologies and domestically-produced alternatives.
* Increase biofuels sold in the US
* End tax giveaways to Big Oil companies.
* Enact tough laws to stop price gouging of the American public.

III. College Access for All

* Increase tax deductions and tax credits for college tuition.
* Slash interest rates for student loans.
* Expand Pell Grants, the need-based, undergraduate federally-funded program

IV. Better American Jobs. Better Pay. Prosperity for All.

* Raise the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $5.15 since 1997.
* End tax giveaways that reward companies for moving US jobs overseas.
* Affordable broadband access for every American.
* Renewed US commitment to research & development.
* Educate 100,000 new US scientists, engineers and mathmaticians in the next four years.

V. Retirement Security and Dignity

* Fight privatization of Social Security
* Expand tax incentives for middle-class and working families to save
* Pension reform via greater transparency and fairness, and protection for older workers.

VI. Affordable Health Care

* Promote stem cell research that offers real hope to milions of American families who suffer from devastating diseases.
* Fix the Medicare prescription drug benefit by negotiating lower drug prices and ending wasteful giveaways to drug companies and HMOs."


Here are the results so far:

http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=sr-110-1-119

"Frank was and remains a stalwart defender of Fannie Mae, which is now under FBI investigation along with its sister organization Freddie Mac, American International Group Inc. (NYSE:AIG) and Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH) – all recently participants in government bailouts. But Frank has derailed efforts to regulate the institution, as well as denying it posed any financial risk. Frank’s office has been unresponsive to efforts by the Business & Media Institute to comment on these potential conflicts of interest".

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080924145932.aspx

The housing problems started before the dems were in majority.

And how much of the time the dems have been in have they had the control to do anything?

It has only been one year. 2009.

That is all

Bush threatened to veto the whole time he was in office that last year.

Noone can blame the dems under Obama for anything.

The bank bails were done under Bush.

The economic downfall ball started rolling way before Obama. If we do not fall into depression then Obama has done what he set out to do.

I agree with the first part. It started in 1977 with the Community Reinvestment Act. Then in 1992 we had the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act added. Then in October of 2000 HUD required Fannie Mae to dedicate 50% of its business to moderate and low income loans. Stupidity and greed.. A recipe for financial disaster..

I guess I don't have to clarify who was in power when these things were implemented.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
AND THERE NOT .

In 2005, the Senate Banking Committee, then under Republican control, adopted a strong reform bill, introduced by Republican Sens. Elizabeth Dole, John Sununu and Chuck Hagel, and supported by then chairman Richard Shelby. The bill prohibited the GSEs from holding portfolios, and gave their regulator prudential authority (such as setting capital requirements) roughly equivalent to a bank regulator. In light of the current financial crisis, this bill was probably the most important piece of financial regulation before Congress in 2005 and 2006. All the Republicans on the Committee supported the bill, and all the Democrats voted against it. Mr. McCain endorsed the legislation in a speech on the Senate floor. Mr. Obama, like all other Democrats, remained silent.

Now the Democrats are blaming the financial crisis on "deregulation." This is a canard. There has indeed been deregulation in our economy -- in long-distance telephone rates, airline fares, securities brokerage and trucking, to name just a few -- and this has produced much innovation and lower consumer prices. But the primary "deregulation" in the financial world in the last 30 years permitted banks to diversify their risks geographically and across different products, which is one of the things that has kept banks relatively stable in this storm.

As a result, U.S. commercial banks have been able to attract more than $100 billion of new capital in the past year to replace most of their subprime-related write-downs. Deregulation of branching restrictions and limitations on bank product offerings also made possible bank acquisition of Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch, saving billions in likely resolution costs for taxpayers.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122212948811465427.html

Not to mention that the GOP Congress took over in 1994 so they had 12 years, 6 with a Repulsivan president...I think what we're seeing is an effort to pretend the Dippic years meant nothing in judging the present GOP. We also hear excuses like "all politicians are crooked" or they spin the facts to cause doubt.

They are throwing crap against the wall and hoping some of it will stick...

Isnt' that funny that Clinton takes some responsibility for the wall street issue and I believe some of the housing issue because the "deregulation happened during his presidency.

I guess bull crap can come from anywhere huh? Not talking about Clinton here at all.

This is a defeatist attitude that doesn't help anyone accomplish anything.

The people can work within this system and get a government that represents them.

At no time will everyone be happy, that is just a fact.

Psst....

Hey Liberals and all those who lean slightly to the left.

If you wanna blame Bush for all of the ills of the country....

Why don't you look up Obama's voting record during his short time as a Senator.

If it's all the Republicans' fault....then SURELY Obama voted against every single one of the spending bills that Bush and the Republicans put up to a vote. Right??

He HAD to have voted against every one of them for him to have had NOTHING ( as you so loudly proclaim ) to do with the situation at hand.

He ( Obama ) and the entire Democratic party simply cannot have voted for ANYTHING Bush did, for them to be completely innocent in the way things have gone.

I feel that the Republicans have watered down the health care bill too much.

the republicans don't have enough votes to water down anything...

it wasn't the Republicans. they pretty much were not allowed to participate

it was the conservative /middle of the road Demrocrats


but after todays election in Mass it may not matter