...yeah that was a pretty interesting article about Bain Capital. . .and from the guy who gave us trickle down economics during the Regan administration...only too resign in disgust as I recall, when Regan didn't follow the rule book. . .

jerseyswamps- stop peddling nonsense...and I'm not a liberal!

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2012/10/16/debate_rules_obama_romney_camps_agree_to_bar_follow_ups_at_town_hall_debate.html

she's not asking the question, but she may try to expand on them. Either way it will be worth a laugh or too to see these guys dance around the truth of our present state of the union. Are they both lawyers? i bet Mitt is too. I find it alarming how many of our reps are lawyers. I find the whole profession tainted and dirty. Yes, reps and lawyers. There is little truth or justice in either jobs..

First of all: Candy Crowley is a first rate journalist...second: the Debate Commission rules does not permit her to do follow ups. If you read the rules George you will see everything is carefully scripted down to almost doting the eyes and crossing the tees.

CNN Journalist might even make Romney answer the question that was asked, oh God, that would be awful !

Spooner, The rules are always tight but past moderators asked follow up questions despite the rules. Candy already said she was going to ask questions. The rules were just amended for her to ask follow up questions.
Typical liberal. Always using late and wrong information.

yeah I read the rule spooner. It's funny that a bunch of lawyers have to "protect" these powerful men from answering questions from anybody. I know, it's in the fairness contract these two worked out but it's still ridiculous. thanks for clarifying nothing

"CNN" and "journalist" should NEVER be used in the same sentence.

Gary Johnson ran a republican erlier this year. He's part of the dog and pony show too. He's just miffed that he couldn't muster even 1% of the primary vote.

The stock market is not the only game in town for retirement savings. On the other hand, Social Security is broke because all the money was spent, so what's the difference between you losing your savings on Wall Street (if you so choose to invest it there) or the government spending it all?

I'm sorry, Frank, I may be slow but I'm stu...well, never mind. Is it possible you could post some documentation about what you claim? For instance, "...it was people who never bought a stock or bond in their lives if republicans achieved what they wanted to do which was take everyone's social security pension and gamble it on the market..." Please, explain or provide a data point for that statement. I can make nothing of it. Additionally, could you provide point me to the source for the info you posted about Reagan and S.S.

Now that's true objectivity on display. I guess you forgot about the first Twin Tower bombing and Clinton refusing to go after Bin Laden, two of the more egregious errors you make in your synopsis.

Paul- what's that got to do with Frank's reply!

How are the wars unpaid? Do we owe the troops money? Do we owe lockheed for missles? I don't understand this unpaid logic. Medicare runs a $500 B a year deficit. Is Medicare unpaid for too?

Spooner, read much? Frank wrote: "not to mention he was asleep at the wheel 10 months into his presidency when 9/11 happened." What other part of my reply to Frank didn't make sense to you and I'll gladly explain further?

Paul - first of all...he was replying to 'bd' Second: the subject was SSI. Third: maybe I'm reading this different...
..
bush took the unemployment rate from 4% to over 10% . he took us from a surplus to debt while lowering taxes for his rich buddies while waging 2 unpaid for wars a decade long each at $10 billion each a month. then he presided like a deer in the headlights when we suffered the worst financial meltdown since the depression . not to mention he was asleep at the wheel 10 months into his presidency when 9/11 happened...

...your telling us that this is not true. . .you got to be kidding me?

Spooner how are the wars unpaid? Do we owe money to the troops? Medicare runs a $500 B a year deficit. Now that is unpaid for....except for we borrow the money and pay interest on it. The interest is also unpaid for so we borrow the money and pay interest on that too. UGH!! $16 TRILLION DEBT!!!

Paul- I reccomend you read "Against All Enemies" by Richard Clarke. Clarke served under the Reagan administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence, Under the George H.W. Bush administration as Chairman of the Counter-terrorism Security Group, and Under the Clinton administration as National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism. He was later demoted to an advisor role at the beginning of the George W. Bush administration. If you want a non-partisan perspective of the failings with each of these administrations before and after the 9/11 attacks, this is a great read. Stating that Clinton refused to pursue Bin Laden simply isn't true at all.

Obama in the 1st debate you said this.

Obama says he "suspects" that he and Romney have a similar position on Social Security. He wants to talk about Medicare, "the big driver" of deficits.

According to White House budget - 2012 SS spending = $773 Billion versus 2012 SS revenue = $635 Billion. Social security caused a $138 B deficit in this years budget

Medicare spending 2012 = $730 Billion vs medicare revenues of $203 Billion creating a $527 Billion deficit for 2012.

Together SS and Medicare had a 2012 deficit of $665 Billion

What's Obama's plan to fix this?

oh bummer- Obama made proposals to address SSI & Medicare last year in the Grand Bargain...but when Cantor, Ryan, etal found out that he wanted tax increases also to reduce deficit by $ 4T. . .they deep sixth the deal. . .the same recommendation by the Simpson-Bowles commission.

There's not even ONE PENNY in SS--and hasn't been since LBJ transferred the trust fund to the general budget in 1966.......................the gubmint's been lying to the easily fooled......

....and if there is all this $$$ in the trust funds---why did Milhous threaten the payments if the debt ceiling wasn't raised???? How does the treasury affect the trust fund???? Why not send checks from this "trust fund""??----because it doesn't exist...

Social Security is not broke...I've seen you make this comment before. I guess you figure if you write it enough times it will start to become true. Go to Thomas Sowell's page and see if you can search for Social Security. If not, I will direct you to his response to such a ludicrous comment.

Spooner - the debt will grow by some $12 trillion so cutting $4 trillion is a start but thats like putting a stick of gum in a dam leak. Obama went back for more tax increases....increases that hardly dent the problem but is all part of the class warfare. Stop the fixation on small increases in tax revenues when the problem is the trillions of spending. BTW I support raising the rates on those who make over $1 million. This will generate $50 B a year. We only have to find another $1.5 Trillion to balance the budget.

BTW - did Obama take his ball and go home to cry? These programs are still running a deficit.

Since I sense you get the debt problem, are you willing to see Medicare and SS cut back to balance the budget? If not, what do you propose?

oh bummer- you prefer the Romney/Ryan plan promoting the a budget that's 20% of GDP. . .that's an estimated $9T austerity over 10 years reduction. . . almost guaranteed to sink the US economy into a Depression, especially with GDP falling now. . .

You support spending money we don't have, adding to the debt and creating more and more interest costs and dependancy on borrowing from China? What is your solution if no cuts? How are we oing to pay $1 trillion in interest costs in a few years? Is that your solution?

How do we balance the budget? You do support a balanced budget right just like they do in PPB, Ocean County and State of NJ.

"....especially with GDP falling now. . ."

So Spooner you admit despite $7 trillion in new debt under Obama and trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see to fund Medicare and SS that GDP is FALLING. A falling GDP is not good now is it. WHAT'S YOUR SOLUTION? BORROW MORE AND SPEND MORE???

One reason why you might want to reconsider is your pseudonym "forthekids".
Ron Paul write in...un-huh, I can't think of anything that might help our situation more than that. On the other hand, if Obama continues on the path he has carved so far "the kids" are the ones who will get the bill - $at least @20 trillion dollars worth of debt. Do you have kids...grandkids? Do you really want to live off their opportunities to have a better life?

If you're being serious on items 1, 3, 8, and 9, it really saddens me that you have the same right to vote as I do.

It saddens me the Republican party put up a puppet for the billionaires in Mittens Romeny, watch him lie tonight when asked if he would raise taxes on the wealthiest.

Please tell me which candidate is going to cut the deficit?? Our country had a balanced budget the last time a SRK took office, eight years later we were in our worst economic crisis since 1929, both of these guys lie, talk out of both sides of their mouths. They are only interested in the lobbyists and special interest groups, this is exactly what our founding fathers did not want, a small percentage of people controlling most the the nations wealth. We broke away from England and our countries mantra was we will not stand for taxation without representation, now we are taxed while these crooked politicians bleed us dry. Time for a Independent party to rise up and fight these PIGS.

It ain't Obama for sure. He already doubled the debt and its going to $25 trillion with annual interest costs to China of $1 trillion. I;ll vote for you if you will agree to balance the budget. What will you cut first?

Vote Republican, voting for Romney will mean you will not have to suffer the way I did and got a $15,000 bonus, think about how much taxes I paid from that bonus. Fox is a blessing to the working class Republicans to get the word out there to convert Liberals. I always tip working class Republican and liberal women generously at hotels, waitresses because they can get the country together to go Republican, this Liberal supported belief women want to work side by side with CFOs and CIOs is a myth, Romney supported women and had them in employed so that they can get home and prepare dinner for their husbands they get home from work running the business.

Foreign governments hold about 46 percent of all U.S. debt held by the public, more than $4.5 trillion. The largest foreign holder of U.S. debt is China, which owns more about $1.2 trillion in bills, notes and bonds, according to the Treasury.

More debt = more interest costs = more debt = more borrowing from China = S&P downgrade!!

Oh stop already...some the people that "hide" their money in foreign banks are the very hollywood stars you all support at the movies! Get a life and stop with Romney's $$ already...its getting old, besides the fact there are more important issues that need to be reviewed since his country is going to hell in a hand basket!

...that's still no excuse for him not releasing his taxes...like his father did?

Actually, Spooner, there is no requirement for him to release his taxes, so what's the real deal here? Have there been any indictments forthcoming from the IRS that would insinuate that Mr. Romney cheated on his taxes? That should not be confused with many of Obama's appointees who actually did cheat on their taxes. Have you ever heard of Tim Geithner, Treasury Secretary? You'd think a guy that Obama thought could run our finances should be able to get his own taxes right. But then again, Obama was ready to appoint Jon "I don't know what happened to billions of dollars of investor's money" Corzine to the position. Oh well, wishful thinking. Let's forget the minutiae and get to a real problem; what will happen to Big Bird?

A Reaganesque landslide is brewing among Real Americans

oh bummer- maybe you haven't heard. . .but months back...the Democrats said this will be a close election. . .

"Real Americans"...that's quite interesting. . .and a Reagan landside too!

Sesame Street makes millions off the puppets and do they even pay income tax on their profits.....Big Bird is not paying his fair share!!!

What cuts SHOULD BE MADE to cut the $1.5 TRILLION DEFICIT? Gotta start someplace......WHERE FRANKIE?????

Actually, Big Bird's salary is almost $315,000 per year. You can read all about it in my latest blog on the GT Patch: http://gloucestertownship.patch.com/blog_posts/will-you-be-at-the-million-muppet-march (shameless plug).

Here I was starting to treat you as someone who had some serious points to make, Frank. Have you ever read the Constitution, Frank? Can you tell me chapter and verse where it describes the guidelines for funding the arts or media of any type? I didn't think so, Frank. Is it the job of the federal government to keep a standing army, Frank? Maintaining the military is the job of the government...we can debate the amount spent but not the task. On the other hand, the government has no business supporting TV programming and Big Bird, who, BTW, pulls down $315,000 a year and should receive no part of taxpayer monies. Thanks, Franks.

Sesame Street is mostly run by its own foundation through charitable giving and its licenses. The fact is PBS makes up 0.0017% of the US budget so it was really stupid of Romney to even say he'd cut it. He's also on record as saying he'd cut funding for the arts and Ryan's budget cuts NIH funding, including important cancer research.

Phil its not stupid. We spend more than we take in. Either everyone gets a pro rata cut or you start with the easy ones. That's the excuse, its only a small amount. Well all these so called small amounts total $1.5 TRILLION more than we have each year.

If Sesame St gets theirs, someone else has to make up for it. Where do you want to start?

Another Obama success story. More people unemployed. Millions wasted.

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/battery-builder-a123-won-249-million-federal-grant-143806554.html

In terms of losses, A123 isn’t as bad as Solyndra. It received $249.1 million in federal funding in 2009, less than half the $535 million Solyndra received. But that doesn’t change the fact it’s now in bankruptcy.

Frankie you should move back to Phila with all your thug union friends.....

http://www.ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html

Now admit you were wrong!!!

oh bummer, what's said about that is 50% of filing taxpayers make less than $32K in AGI. That is the real problem here, not the who pays what amount in taxes, but no one seems to want to address that. And I just looked at that chart, I can't believe $112K is top 10%. Is this individual file or each return (i.e., couples count as one in this, with combined income)?

Phil it's a spending problem. There is only so much you can get by raising taxes on anyone. Go for it and raise taxes on $1 million. The brings in maybe $50 B a year tops. We have a $1.5 trillion annual deficit. Our government both sides has let spending get out of control and with it the debt.

In 2008 spending was $2.9 T
In 2012 spending was $3.6 T

Spending went up $700 B a year with no way to pay for it.

Maybe you better check with a financial adviser. I started my IRA AKA a SEP with $150K. Before the end of the year I will be putting in another $100K. I'll bet he is calling it an IRA because people don't know what a SEP is. A SEP is an IRA for corp business owners. You are limited to in a percentage of you net worth.

How much does his taxpayer funded pension get him?

I love this, and this was used on Sarah Palin, good call on using this same formula on Biden, but you have to be stronger than that and attack Liberals on the whole, we need to make the entire country RED, and Liberals are in the way, you cannot expect Corporations to grow if you have blue states.
We need to win the fight on terrorism and that is not just the extremists, it also includes Liberals, they are in the way, and Americans should be driving foreign cars, I am yet to see any good American cars, I agree with Romney let the industry file bankruptcy, everyone was buying cheap Toyota cars, Toyota was the number 1 selling car for the working class when Obama bailed out the American car industry.

Vote Romney, vote for the country to rise again and let us not have any more blue states.

President Obama’s Taxpayer-Backed Green Energy Failures

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/10/18/president-obamas-taxpayer-backed-green-energy-failures/

You are wrong, wrong, wrong. President Obama did more for the American people than Ronald Regan, He cleaned up the mess that George Bush left us with.

Is this what you mean by cleaned up? F A I L U R E!!!!

OBAMA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS RECORD OF FAILURE

I am often reminded of what Obama said at the 2008 DNC: “If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things.” Every day, his campaign is making it smaller and smaller, and the President’s poll numbers keep dropping and dropping.

25 million unemployed

$7 Trillion in new debt.

$1 Trillion in WELFARE SPENDING

47 million on food stamps

$1.5 Trillion budget deficits

$500 Billion in UNPAID Medicare spending

$500 Billion in UNPAID Social Security Tax cuts

OBAMA LIES. AMERICANS DIE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQBSTomBWls

IT WAS YOUR JOB OBAMA. YOU FAILED. STOP BLAMING OTHERS.

OBAMA - what HAPPENED TO THE DEBT??? YOU ADDED $7 TRILLION TO IT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaQUU2ZL6D8&feature=endscreen&NR=1

There you go people. "Free" . Can someone who supports Obama explain to me how this stuff is "free"? The doctors, nurses, lab, equipment manufactures are all donating the input?

NOTHING is FREE someone ( & my guess the taxpayers & NOT the ones paying into it as it is NOW) that nothing new

Stop it jerseyswamps, you are muddying the waters. FlippyFlop above must be right because Obama told us that Romney is against mammograms for women. Obama told us Romney wants to cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood where women can get mammograms (actually, P.P. is the biggest abortion provider in the U.S.)...Oh, wait, Planned Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms. I can't believe it; Obama lied again...and again...and again...
FlippyFlop, please...give it a rest.

OBAMA was voted most likely to get high and lie.

As a high school kid, Obama wrote, he would smoke “in a white classmate’s sparkling new van,” he would smoke “in the dorm room of some brother” and he would smoke “on the beach with a couple of Hawaiian kids.”

He would smoke it here and there. He would smoke it anywhere.

Parents - is the the type of person you would allow to hang out with your kids in our great BRICK schools?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-and-his-pot-smoking-choom-gang/