One of the parts of this problem never addressed by the left or the media in this debate, is that the current president signed into law increasing all tax rates for everyone...this has already happened. Now he contends to only want to raise taxes on a sliver of society, but he has to pass another law to change the one he already signed...why is the fact he already signed a law to raise everyones taxes ignored by the left and the media?

Oh no! You mean the public will blame based on "feelings" rather than facts. That is the lefts idea of news worthy. The only idea the left has to stop the bleeding is to tax more. The sheep ignore the increased taxes will mean the govt will only borrow 38 cents on every dollar spent instead of 40....

Mouse - Am I to believe your only capable of one liners when comments are made that are not verbatim with your book? I said what I believe in and you said I didn't have a clue. Yada even went as far to say I was a liar, as if they were rubbing their crystal ball and knew exactly what I was thinking. According to you, if they didn't vote for Obama, their automatically a racist!
Ok Mouse, Anytime you want to have a civilized conversation/debate on what us tax paying American's feel needs to happen to turn our country around and return to the financial stability we once were, I'm all ears! But Mouse, my only request is leave the "Blind Party Following Strategies for Dummies" book behind, because you will actually have to have a thought on your own and hopefully your suggestions contain some sustenance! If your not capable, then let the one liners continue and we will all know who truely doesn't have a clue!

916WI said, "You are such a clown! The "evidence" you cite of your claims is polling data of 1000 people in a country of a couple of hundred million."

Well, that's a surprise from you. I was expecting you or RetiredAirForce to bring up that the poll was probably D+6 or D+8.

We saw Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight and Drew Linzer at Votomatic nail every state correctly in the 2012 presidential election using polls that were conducted with approximately 1,000 participants.

Listen to janesvillean and learn.

If you don't know how statistics and polls work, 916WI, you'd probably just better stay out of the discussion. There is no reason that a poll of 1000 individuals cannot model a larger population.

Poohboy......You are such a clown! The "evidence" you cite of your claims is polling data of 1000 people in a country of a couple of hundred million. I would have thought that you would put less faith in polls after we were faced with all of the polling data that came out against Walker winning the recall election:) Like I said, I along with many other Republicans hope that an "agreement" regarding the fiscal cliff is not made. That way the Bush/Obama tax cuts that the Democrats seem to despise so much are ended and government spending is reigned in. Continuing on the path of trillion dollar deficits feeding a $16 trillion debt load is financial insanity. I'm just glad Wisconsin was smart enough to curb spending the way that it has.......

Mouse - I don't have a clue, why? Because my beliefs don't tie me to any one political party? You were at least 50% correct about saying the Republican's caused this mess but I'm guessing you already know who I'm going to blame the other 50% on don't you? I'm sure you can't possibly accept that the Democrats are just as much to blame for our country being screwed up but yes, they are equally to blame.
I consider myself a Human Being first, Dad/son/brother second, American third and my political beliefs are somewhere on the second or third page of my priorities.

Folks, if us as American's don't stop the finger pointing about what each party has done to screw up our country, all the while thinking our party can do no wrong, we are destined to live in China #2! So far, I've been called a liar, an angry person because Obama won a second term, a racist and lopsided because I'm capable of thinking for myself and all because I agree with some of what both parties say they are for. Based on these posters, they are extreme Democrats who eat, breath what ever the Democrats are saying. But I don't want to leave out the extreme Republican's either because I've seen just as many of these folks on here as well. These two nutjob groups are destroying our country by continuing to feed the politicians "Ego Tanks" by keeping American's fighting with each other and not see what they are doing to the country for their own personal gain. There is no such thing as an honest politician and that goes for both parties. There just isn't! It's all about gaining power for their party or what's in it for them. The sooner the blinders come off for many American's, the sooner the politicians will change their ways because if their not in office, their power is gone.
If thinking this way makes me lopsided, then I want to be lopsided and able to think for myself and determine what I think is right!

916WI said, "You speak as if an "agreement" is the desired outcome for all of us."

No, I have never said that an agreement is the desired outcome for all of us. An agreement already exists, 916WI. Congress and the President have already negotiated and passed into law an agreement on a bipartisan basis. They now call a portion of that law, "The Fiscal Cliff." And it is indeed in the Republican party's best interest to reach an alternative agreement with Congress and the President to the fiscal cliff -- as is evidenced by polling data.

Thetruth724: Your comment was one of the few that made sense here. Shame that the two (Yada,Mouse) are basically clueless and can only react with garbage for answers.

"Republicans have damaged the probability of their winning a national election and now they're working hard to damage the probability of their winning Congressional seats."
---------
You speak as if an "agreement" is the desired outcome for all of us. I'm part of a growing segment of the population that believes that gridlock at this point is the only way for our country to get set straight in the LONG term. Kicking the can down the road, continuing trillion dollar deficits and a $16 trillion dollar debt load with no end in sight is not the correct moves to support.....

thetruth724....great posts!!!

Wow, the stupidity on this blog site is overwhelming! I'm lopsided/lier because I don't keep my thinking to just one party and I'm angry because Obama won!
Yada - I went back and read every post I've done since I started on this site and for you to call me a liar, I'd like to see what you are basing your comment on?
Mouse - Your intelligence is only capable of doing one thing "Follow Blindly"! And don't forget if someone says something other than what your party says you must follow! I'm taking it you have the live by only the Democrats handbook under your pillow so you can study at night, correct?
Is it impossibl for some of you to think on here that you can have beliefs that happen to side with both political parties? I'd like to think not but then again, our country got screwed up by both parties and are equally to blame. There just as many nutjobs on the right side as on the left that have the same idiotic thought process as Mouse!

Paul Ryan is an anti-American Tea PArty joke!

Yada - Based on what?

Between THE TRUTH & WISLADY - Two of the biggest fibbers here. Not sure who is the biggest yet...

thetruth724, I think you have summed up the vast majority of Americans now if they could get away from their blind partisanship we'd be in a better place. Neither major party is offering these ideals as a package but there is one that is.

Mouse - I've yet to read any of your posts that contain any useful information other than insults. You claim I stay in the middle for safety and I'm also a racist. Am I to believe your just an angry person living in your parents basement eating Dorito's, drinking Monster by the case and playing video games while being agry at the world because your life didn't turn out quite how you had hoped?
There's a reason why I'm somewhere in the middle on views Mouse. Its called being level headed and able to listen to an idea from anyone and see common sense within. I don't need to watch MSNBC, CNN or Fox News to figure out what I believe in or how to think for the day.
I'm a fiscal conservative that believes we shouldn't spend more than we are bringing in. I believe gays have the right to be married and get the same benifits as a heterosexual couple. I don't see an issue with a woman having an abortion but at the same time I'm against her using it as birth control time and time again. I'm for healthcare reform but not if it includes hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars of pork spending that have absolutely nothing to do with healthcare. If you have to bribe your own party to get it approved, chances are it's not really all that good. I also understand I'm not owed anything in life. If I want it, I need to earn it! I chose not to risk everything I have in hopes of the American Dream. With that said since I'm working for someone who did, the only way for me to get more money is make that rich person more money so I can get a piece of that pie for myself. That's how the private sector works. I'm able to have all these different views while also being a practicing Roman Catholic!
And yes Mouse I am angry about how President Obama is conducting himself. He's the leader of this country and hes not acting like it. Neither side is bringing ideas forward to solve what is going on. All they are doing is putting bandaids on the wound in hopes of stopping the bleeding! The United States of America can not sustain the spending levels we are at with the amount of money coming in and hope to survive long term. Our current government (Democrat's and Republican's)couldn't keep a Kool Aid stand open for a day the way they run our country. If you or any other blind party follower of either party can't see that, then I can't help you!

"3. RYAN MOVES FROM CAMPAIGN TO 'FISCAL CLIFF'"

A new Washington Post/Pew Research poll on the fiscal cliff negotiations [ http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-... ]:

"If an agreement is not reached, who do you think would be more to blame: (the Republicans in Congress) or (President Obama)? (Options randomized)

Republicans in Congress: 53%

President Obama: 27%

Both equally (VOL.): 12%

Neither (VOL.): 2%

No opinion: 6%"

Republicans have damaged the probability of their winning a national election and now they're working hard to damage the probability of their winning Congressional seats. It will be interesting to see how the Republicans handle the discharge petition filed by Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN). [ http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/en... ]

Teachers currently in college in the state of Wisconsin are required to take a test to get into the School of Education. This is called the Praxis. In order to receive their teaching license from their specialty area, teaching candidates must take a Praxis 2 or what is considered an exit exam to determine proficiency. Wisconsin is ahead of other states in requiring this.

Here is a link that discusses some of the shortcomings of Ryans "Path To Prosperity" (or "Highway to Hell" depending on your income).
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/201...
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According to the Tax Policy Center, Ryans plan would create a windfall for the wealthy. It would also increase Defense funding while making it more expensive for seniors to obtain health care. That's not what the majority of Americans want as evidenced by their vote on Nov. 6th.

This is not something that was recommended by Scott Walker, read the article.

wislady- Above and beyond taking a test, a teacher spends a semester student teaching and is rated at the end of the term by the classroom teacher and others.You have to show some type of ability to get a good rating and recommendation. HM- I wonder if Scott Walker could pass a test to get into the School of Ed and maintain the appropriate grade point average, let alone obtain a recommendation from teacher. My guess is the phrase " Works well with others" would sink him if, by some miracle, he did get in.

wislady -- minimum standards, or minimum wages: pick one.

setinmyways: I agree. Neither side cares about the middle class. Current tax system shows that. As I posted on another blog ... marginal tax rates are 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 31%, 35% if my memory is correct. NOTE the jump from 15% to 25%. Believe the jump occurs on a single taxpayer at taxable income of $35000 and on a couple at taxable income of $70000. Then note there are 2 step-ups between 25% and 35%. Clearly a system that gives some protection to the poor, lots of protection to the rich, and puts the major burden on the middle class. This class warfare of proposed raising tax rates on income over 200K or 250K is garbage if they do not do something to fix this jump of 15% to 25% on the middle class. And that is both parties that came up with these tax rates. Without changing those middle rates, the middle class will continue to bear the burden which I think both the Democrats and Republicans actually favor.

#9 is relating to a test given BEFORE they teach in a classroom, not to "get into the School of Education". Excellent idea, since graduating from a "School of Education" does not guarantee someone is a good teacher.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/...

Let me ask this question: Before anyone attacks the political party they don't like, have you actually read what the other side is proposing or are the comments on here simply based on what is seen on TV? Please understand this is a blanket question and doesn't apply to everyone but for many I would be willing to bet the comments are based on limited information seen or heard on TV or headlines on the internet. At this point its about solving the problems and not putting bandaids to slow the bleeding because at some point the blood is going to run out.

RE: #9 My daughter is a teacher,
fortunately not in Wisconsin. She had to take a test to get into the School of Education and maintain a certain grade point average. UW system was doing this 20+ years ago.

Setinmyways,
Excellent screen name, it shows that you will never be confused by the facts. The cuts dont hit squarely on the middle class and you would know that if you would actually do some research.

Should be holding up a copy
of B. H. Shadduck's "Heavenbound".

setinmyways, George Soros comes to mind. (Dems hidden)

setinmyways you nailed it home on that post!

Shrek, ROLFLMAO, are you serious. The tax reforms would place all the dedution cuts right on the MIDDLE CLASS! Get real if you think the Repubs care at all about people. They are bought and paid for by Grover and others. Thier job is to look out for the rich and make the US what England and Europe was many years ago. A very rich ruling class and then the rest. Sort of simular to the Dickens play. The Dems are no better, they just hide their owners better.

Carlitos, Paul is not a "loser". He did lose the election for Vice President due to a massive amount of plebeians that blanket America embracing socialism.

Carlitos,
Have you read both sides proposals for avoiding the fiscal cliff? I doubt you have because the Democrats have only submitted a vague verbal plan, while the Republicans have submitted a detailed plan in writing, very much thanks to Paul Ryan. Get your head out of the sand and realize that the Democrats are LYING to you and are using you as a tool to enrich themselves. They dont care about you or your childrens future, all their actions are about getting more for the "ruling class" that they are trying to create. The rhetoric about helping the working class is just lies, look at actions, not words.

carlitos it is a joke, the idea the GOP or the dems have any clue what they are doing, I agree. Path to Prosperity... LOL If both parties want to assist in that, they need to go away.

I like #9 idea.

And none other then the Loser holding the pamphlet that would destroy the working class, why his pic as a picture headline, such a Joke.