Originally posted by

Adam S.

Sure, except all the polls indicate six-in-ten Americans support (http://www.pollingreport.com/iraq.htm) the timeline for getting troops out of Iraq in 2008 - be it March or April. You and the Republicans are completely out of tocuh on this issue if you think that people support Bush on this. People elected Democrats to Congress precisely to end the war and that's what they were doing. Democrats are much more certain to lose if they were to give Bush another blank check for the war than they are by demanding change that 60% of Americans support. People understand there's no military solution to this war, and that we must follow the Iraq Study Group's advice towards political reconciliation.

As for taxes, the American people understand these aren't new taxes but a repeal of the Bush tax cuts that primarily benefited the wealthiest people in the country (tax cuts that did help middle class families, such as the child tax credit, will be extended). They also understand it's not fiscally responsible to run huge defecits, increase spending, and promise the world like the Republicans did.

Democratic candidates outraised their Republican counterparts by nearly 30 million. Polls indicate strong support for Democrats in Congress and for the presidential candidates, whereas 60% of Republicans are unhappy with their selection and by a 45-45 are split on whether they will win the White House (my guess is they won't). I'm pretty confident right now.

My first comment: since when did we become a direct democracy? I really don't care what the hoi paloi think about Iraq. They Iraq Study Group did suggest a political solution. So what is that going to be? Pull the troops out and let Iraq handle it themselves? How about we remove our 60+ year occupation forces from Germany and Japan first?

I, for one, do think we'll pull out of Iraq. But then, I'll bet you, that the violence will increase (proving we weren't the reason), a real civil war will break out, and the Kurds in the north will declare independence. From there, God knows where it will lead. If that happens, all those deaths are on our hands, whether Republican or Democrat.

On more thing: can we please stop playing with euphamisms? Repealing a tax cut = raising taxes. If my taxes were 15% and they're going to be 20%, that was a raise in taxes. No matter that terminology you used to get to it. Plus, when it comes to tax breaks, if you give a 5% break across the board, it will benefits those who pay the most more than those who pay nothing. That is simple math. Stop worrying about how much the rich pay (its still the lion's share of the total tax burden) and worry more about reducing spending (pork and foreign aid come to mind first). Isn't that how a person handles his own debt? Why should the government be any different?

But this all comes down to one real problem: all sides are playing politics, trying to increase their power and their party's power (both Republicans and Democrats) instead of trying to do the best for America.