Congress pulls U.S. back from brink, averts default

and so the worlds only remaining superpower continues to dilute its credibility with these ongoing displays of how not to govern a country... for years the US banged on about the Soviets being captive to ideology yet this whole circus has been about nothing more than the lunatic fringe that is the unelected Tea Party attempting to impose its will on the American people...

Main beneficiary to this crisis was Wall Street, investors may appreciate one more such slowdown.

America's number one enemy is no longer al Qaida.

It's the tea party.

Whilst they may have imploded under the weight of their own stupidity, the damage they have caused may be irreparable and they can surely try to strap on this suicide vest when they choose. Let's face it, they aren't capable of learning from their errors.

According to S&P, the government has lost 25 billion dollars during the shut down. Ted Cruz and 40 other minority Tea Party idiot members did not accomplish anything. I do not think a majority American voters are not willing to go through this all over again. I wish I could fire them all.

In other news: Tricorn hats, 90% off!

According to S&P, the government has lost 25 billion dollars during the shut down.

@globalwatcher--I would have thought that money had been saved.

Or does S&P mean that 25 billion was lost by companies contracted with the government who lost business?

I just wish this partial temporary shutdown could go on a lot longer. The American people need to wake up and either take their federal government back or build a new one from scratch. These past two weeks have not been a crisis to effect such action. Its merely been a circus.

No, the past two weeks has shown the American people that Republicans suck, and are to blame for most of what causes America problems.

It came at a price, a very real price.

But it was worth it.

I thought both sides were wrong. And this will happen again sooner than you think. To all those saying this is totally the Republicans fault as are all the problems in America, you keep drinking that Kool Aid.

It was just a farce produced and directed by RepDems, Inc. Everybody made money by selling before the shutdown, then buying during the shutdown.

I thought both sides were wrong

You were wrong. The Republicans caused it.

If a party wants to change a duly passed law, there is way to do that. You can challenge it in the Courts. When that doesn't work, see, you win elections, and then pass bills,-- which requires both houses of Congress. And then the President to sign it into law.

That how it works.

It came at a price, a very real price.

But it was worth it.

I am not so optimistic. If this Tea Party idiocy is not banned, we will go through the government shut down every month, and I am afraid one of these days, we may accidentally go off the cliff (default) as the financial market is very complex. I am listening a speech of Ted Cruz. This guy truly believes that he is fighting for the principal, but he is the last one to know he is actually hurting America and American people.

"until Feb 7"

Feb 7 will come soon enough, and the national debt will still be around $17 trillion..

Global

You can't ban idiocy. You can break its back. That is what happened yesterday. And that is why real Americans are pleased as punch right now.

But you are right. The idiot Right has not been crushed. But it looks like they plan to turn their ire on fellow Republicans. Which is delicious.

If they do, hello Speaker Pelosi.

JTDanManOct. 17, 2013 - 08:11AM JST

Global

You can't ban idiocy. You can break its back.

Well, actually there are some legal teams are rising up to restore an integrity of US congress.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/10/16/dershowitz_what_ted_cruz_is_doing_is_deeply_unconstitutional.html

What Ted Cruz is doing to shut down the government is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

America's number one enemy is no longer al Qaida.

It's the tea party.

Whilst they may have imploded under the weight of their own stupidity, the damage they have caused may be irreparable and they can surely try to strap on this suicide vest when they choose. Let's face it, they aren't capable of learning from their errors.

"until Feb 7"

Feb 7 will come soon enough, and the national debt will still be around $17 trillion..

@JT

You were wrong. The Republicans caused it.

Wrong again, the Dems started by wanting an increase on the debt ceiling, the Repubs to their credit said, NO, in simplest terms. Why should you be given money when you have a history of being totally belligerent when it comes to finances.

If a party wants to change a duly passed law, there is way to do that. You can challenge it in the Courts.

That was the idea, until the Dems and the president started to use ghetto Chicago threat tactics.

When that doesn't work, see, you win elections, and then pass bills,-- which requires both houses of Congress. And then the President to sign it into law.

Exactly, so then why Liberals couldn't wait a year?

That how it works.

In theory, it should.

You can't ban idiocy. You can break its back. That is what happened yesterday. And that is why real Americans are pleased as punch right now.

Real Americans, so Americans that are for spending cuts that believe the government should be small and the people should be self-reliant and build a strong America without big government interference are NOT true Americans?

But you are right. The idiot Right has not been crushed. But it looks like they plan to turn their ire on fellow Republicans. Which is delicious.

If the Right are idiots (and I'll grant you some of them are) then the Dems are eccentric incompetent dolts.

If they do, hello Speaker Pelosi.

Oh, good lord....

I'd like to think this has exposed the tea party for what it is. It isn't just a Democrat dream or endless material for comedians, it is something more sinister. If it was limited to rallies with misspelt signs and speakers of the calibre of Glen Beck, we could sit back and enjoy the show. This is dragging down the Republican Party, and has held the nation to ransom. Thoughtful Republicans, knowing they have lost 5 out of 6 of the last elections on the popular vote, should be the angriest of all following this debacle.

U.S. lawmakers were poised Wednesday to vote to raise the country’s debt limit

US debt ceiling has already exceed more than constitution limit back in 2011 for paying the bills . Law makers will raise the debt ceiling again in 2013. In the future, they will raise again and again. It is worse than chronic long term cancer. When debt is added with interest, it will be sky rocketed and approaching to the Mar planet.

According the medical solution, someone who has cancerous Arm should be amputated for saving life. US finance needs to be cut more spending(Austerity) for the avoiding long term pain and suffering. Default may be dirty word for the rest of the world. However it will become the reality for the nation of high unemployment and 30% of food vouchers dependents. Very high unemployment means, government is getting less tax from residents. Unless US export is competitive, trade deficit will keep rising from foreign nations. That twin engine of deficits are making impossible for US to repay the debt.

If someone who is heavily indebted, it has no choice for facing the reality. Short term pain is better than long term consequence.

There was really never any doubt in anyone's mind that this is how the scenario would play out. The whole thing is an object lesson in the ways politicians team up with the media to manipulate the public.

Bass - "That was the idea, until the Dems and the president started to use ghetto Chicago threat tactics."

Haha. :-)

Is there a guide book for that? 

Just as I posted back on Oct. 4, it's a non-event, bread-n-circuses. If either of these two parties or the Tea party had an epiphany about how they are destroying a great country, they would line up in two lines on top of the capital building, b&#%h slap each other once, and jump.

Is there a guide book for that?

I think there is, it's called; "Government Dependency, from a liberal socialist POV"

US debt ceiling has already exceed more than constitution limit back in 2011 for paying the bills . Law makers will raise the debt ceiling again in 2013. In the future, they will raise again and again. It is worse than chronic long term cancer. When debt is added with interest, it will be sky rocketed and approaching to the Mar planet.

According the medical solution, someone who has cancerous Arm should be amputated for saving life. US finance needs to be cut more spending(Austerity) for the avoiding long term pain and suffering. Default may be dirty word for the rest of the world. However it will become the reality for the nation of high unemployment and 30% of food vouchers dependents. Very high unemployment means, government is getting less tax from residents. Unless US export is competitive, trade deficit will keep rising from foreign nations. That twin engine of deficits are making impossible for US to repay the debt.

If someone who is heavily indebted, it has no choice for facing the reality. Short term pain is better than long term consequence.

Why is it, you can understand this and most liberals can't? Oh, you're using logic. A characteristic trait that liberals seem to be devoid of.

hehe.. grab a bucket of popcorn rest of the world, this will be really entertaining.

I am posting a list of Tea Party members. You can go and click on your state to see who they are. These Tea Party were driving a reckless train almost to go off the cliff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tea_Party_politicians

These fools in government have done nothing but prove they are only in it for themselves. Both parties. They all have their cronies getting the hookup, they prosper while the rest of the country suffers, and they sit back, smoke their cigars, and laugh at us. In the US they have a straight ticket voting option: you automatically select either all of the Democratic candidates, or all of the Republican candidates. They need a new option: the straight ticket "oust the incumbent" vote, that automatically votes for someone NOT in office. I think most Americans would find it very, very useful at the polling place.

@global

Thanks! And while you're at, just in case you forgot, here's a list of all the Dems in congress! let's vote all of them out of office. Always happy to help!

http://www.democrats.com/congress

These fools in government have done nothing but prove they are only in it for themselves. Both parties. They all have their cronies getting the hookup, they prosper while the rest of the country suffers, and they sit back, smoke their cigars, and laugh at us. In the US they have a straight ticket voting option: you automatically select either all of the Democratic candidates, or all of the Republican candidates. They need a new option: the straight ticket "oust the incumbent" vote, that automatically votes for someone NOT in office. I think most Americans would find it very, very useful at the polling place.

Well said! So many of us are tired of party politics and the blame game that creeps up whenever representatives are in hot water. As Washington stated in his farewell address: party politics will only "distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another..."

Everyone has different beliefs and different needs, and because of that the government needs to be a unifying entity.

Time to cover your shorts and go long the market. DOW 20,000 by Dec. 2014.

megosaaOct. 17, 2013 - 10:17AM JST

hehe.. grab a bucket of popcorn rest of the world, this will be really entertaining.

Warren Buffet call this circus as a political pornography. He well said.

Time to cover your shorts and go long the market. DOW 20,000 by Dec. 2014.

The Chronic@Are you employed by a securities brokerage? I think there might be a rule in JT against posting commercial messages.

Well said! So many of us are tired of party politics and the blame game that creeps up whenever representatives are in hot water. As Washington stated in his farewell address: party politics will only "distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another..."

Everyone has different beliefs and different needs, and because of that the government needs to be a unifying entity.

No arguments here. I'd go a step further and hold the president also accountable since he's so good at dodging these arrows, both parties hold a lot of what's happened and congress is just horrible. As I said before, I have my share of problems with the GOP, but it just infuriates me when liberals talk as if their ....don't stank! We should be united, but the ideologues on both sides are the people that make it hard.

@GalapagosnoGairaishu: Nope: Just a guy who plays the market.

GalapagosnoGairaishuOct. 17, 2013 - 10:57AM JST

Time to cover your shorts and go long the market. DOW 20,000 by Dec. 2014.

The Chronic@Are you employed by a securities brokerage? I think there might be a rule in JT against posting commercial messages.

To my understanding, it is still okay as long as source is not disclosed. I think this has been already circulated in US.

Debt deal just passed in the House: 285-144 Thanks John "Where's my scotch?" Boehner and tea party infantiles for hurting the US people and economy. What a waste of time.

I think what is being missed in the discussion is that the show-down over the budget shows the truth about the budget being a political document as much if not more so than a financial document, -one properly subject to all the whim, currents and foibles of politics, and how this is actually a good thing, an outgrowth the Founder's intent, to make decisions by the federal national government difficult to make, because, with firsthand knowledge of central government ala Great Britain, they did not trust central governments to have the best interests of the individual at heart. That's why the Founders intentionally set up the Senate to represent the States, since the House of Representatives represented individual citizens (at least until passage of the 14th Amendment)

Republicans are being blamed for lengthening the stalemate, but looking at what exactly was shut down, I think we can see that what was shut down was deliberately done so to enrage the populace,

Now, Liberals want to blame Republicans, and Conservatives want to blame Democrats for the showdown, but the truth is neither side of the Aisle has been faithful to the fiduciary duties required of an elected representative of the republic in regards to federal budgets, and have not been for a long time. Think about this, the last time a federal budget was presented, acted on, and passed by Congress was in 1997, and prior to this year, the last time an actual budget was presented to be acted on was 2009.

In 2010, the Democract-controlled Congress did not even act on the Budget (so you cannot here blame Republicans). Instead what we've had are "continuing budgetary resolutions" to keep the government running, stopgap measures, which goes against the spirit of federal law: The U.S. Constitution (Article I, section 9, clause 7) tells us that "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time." The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, and current law (31 U.S.C. § 1105) stipulates when the President is required to submit a budget.

Part of the Republican response to passage of the ACA/ObamaCare was a pledge to 'defund' Obamacare, since monies must be appropriated by Congress, and Congress can choose not to fund an Act, even, if said Bill is signed into law. I see this move by Republicans as legitimate. The The problem is that the modern federal government is bloated with bureaucracy (granted we can thank W for adding more bureaucracy than the past 5 presidents put together), and directly impacts citizens more than it should, or was intended to, than at any previous period in American history,

Republicans caused a lot of misery for a lot of decent people.

Roll over, Boehner. Let us scratch your belly. Nice you got a standing ovation; however, the bill passed was virtually identical to the one that had been sitting on your desk for a month. This is like praising your child for finishing their summer homework in October.

The bill does, though, require a House-Senate conference committee to try to agree on a budget. Remember how the GOP required the Senate to create a budget as the price of the previous clean CR? Well, they did so, and this new proposal is basically the same House-Senate conference committee that the Senate Democrats have tried to create nearly two dozen times since then. The GOP has resisted, arguing that it all might be a trick to raise the debt ceiling. Which is now being raised. It’s thus fair to say that this whole ordeal has been for nothing whatsoever.

So now we go to committee. Ryan already has proposed allowing Sequestration to lapse while taking an equal amount of funding out of Social Security and Medicare. This is like a kid trying to compromise with his parents, saying he'll eat an equal number of dessert bites for those of spinach he forgoes. It is not going to work.

Democrats are ready to compromise and both discretionary spending and entitlements. The Tea Party likely is not. We'll see if the shellacking the GOP is now undergoing will encourage more moderate members to work more closely with the Dems to create a fresh budget.

Galapagosgairaishu

" There was really never any doubt in anyone's mind that this is how the scenario would play out. The whole thing is an object lesson in the ways politicians team up with the media to manipulate the public. "

Exactly. I predicted this scenario from the start. The overwhelmingly democrat-biased media would portrait the Republicans as the bad guys and Democrats as the snow-white angels, and eventually the Reps would cave. In reality, of course, it takes two to play a game of chicken, and you could just as well portray the Democrats as the ones holding the country hostage in order to get their latest and greatest entitlement program funded. But with the media acting as the de-facto propaganda arm of the democrat party, this outcome was inevitable.

Yes willi,

It's the lap dog media's fault for tricking the Republicans into doing this. Pass the kool aid.

you could just as well portray the Democrats as the ones holding the country hostage in order to get their latest and greatest entitlement program funded.

Throw him in the the "I haven't learned anything" pile.

Next?

What a joke this is.....why wait till last hour? Looks like pre-planned move for investors and bankers!! Poor just keep getting poor.....

I find it a bit amusing that everyone is taking this theater so seriously.

In general, people never learn.

Time for the parasites to go back to their non-productive positions, and send out the welfare checks. The furloughed masses didn't lose a penny. Smoke and mirrors. The can just has a couple more little dents.

According to S&P, the government has lost 25 billion dollars during the shut down.

That's from the economy, not the government.

It's a large number but still manageable for a $13 trillion economy.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/disapproval-of-gop-peaks-in-blame-for-the-budget-crisis/

Disapproval ratings for the government shutdown:

Congress Republicans - 74% disapprove, up 11% (54% strongly disapprove)

Congress Democrats - 61% disapprove, up 5%

Pres. Obama - 53% disapprove, flat (39% strongly disapprove)

59% of conservatives disapprove of Congress Republicans

32% of liberals disapprove of Pres. Obama

49% of moderates disapprove of Pres. Obama

80% of moderates disapprove of Congress Republicans

It is amazing that there were still 144 Republicans in the House who voted no, who would have preferred economic disaster to a health care bill they feel intrudes on personal freedom. Essentially these are sentiments left over from the Civil War, when confederate states left the union and invited mass devastation because they didn't like the idea of a national government telling them what to do.

Look at the numbers:

--77 out of 144 GOP reps who voted no represent former Confederate states. That's over half.

--All 24 Republican reps from Texas voted no.

--All 9 from Georgia voted no.

--All 6 from South Carolina voted no.

Not getting what you want is no reason for going to war against your own country. You'd think this lesson would have been learned by now. It hasn't. And unfortunately these modern confederates will live to fight another day.

I can't believe this was all caused because some nutters in Washington disapproved of a healthcare scheme where everyone pays into it for the good of everyone. Do these people want the poor and elderly to go sick because they can't afford healthcare? Would they really hold the US to ransom for that? Looks like they would.

How can a country allow itself to get into that position? Are there no contingency plans? I can't imagine any other country doing something so stupid.

17 trillion debt (+7 trillion over the Bush debt) is something to which one must pay attention. The sudden jump in debt is not in fact the original problem, but a response to the original problem. The original problem is that the mortgage crisis led to another stock market crash, which led to unemployment and reduced tax base. There are also the two "non-profit" wars which Obama took time winding down, which cost a lot of money. In a recession, shrinking the money supply will lead to a long term depression. It happened during president U.S. Grant's term, and it also caused the great depression of 1929. Blindly shrinking the money supply and causing a depression is like crashing your car into a tree instead of the using the brakes because it leads to faster stopping.

It seems there is now 1.5 trillion a year in quantitative easing; this is money which the Fed uses to but up paper in the public market. A lot of it is now being used to by US bonds indirectly, to keep the interest rate down; a necessetiy because foreign buyers have already been dwindling. But other paper is bought as well. How effective is this in rejuvenating the economy, lowering unemployment, and raising the tax base? First of all, it has certainly avoided a depression, so far. There is moderate growth in GDP. There is ENORMOUS growth in the stock market. So it would appear that most the stimulus money is supporting the already bloated financial sector. This doesn't do much for unemployment, nor the tax base because capital gains are not taxable in the US.

Oh yes, the financial sector also provides capital for new businesses and industry. But if the financial sector wasn't addicted to using billion dollar supercomputers to get a split second edge on price differentials over competitors, they would actually have to pay more attention to venture business to make money.

Now, what does ACA have to do with stimulus and the bloated stock market? Absolutely nothing, if fact. It's just an attempt to rationalize health care, rather than relying on a hodge podge of different systems which are currently taking care of the unprotected, and which are currently also supported by federal or state tax funds. Yes, there will be some additional cost for people who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks and died ... well we are a civilized country aren't we?

The problem is not ACA, the problem is that health care in the US causes twice as much as in comparable industrialized nations. This is a structural problem that needs continuous attention. My suggestion is creating a lower level of doctor, below surgeon, who can be trained faster and hence work more cheaply. It's certainly better than the current calls for denying some people any health care at all.

Obama panders to the military industrial complex, he panders to the financial sector by pouring stimulus money through the stock market, and he panders the populace by making temporary tax cuts permanent to the especially great benefit of the ultra wealthy. Finally, he tries to rationalize health care with the ACA so the increasingly poor poor don't have to forgo health care. And about which of these acts does a certain group choose to claim that it will ruin the country and for that reason we are better off crashing the country first?

We are in the fiscal mess we are in because, since the early 1970s, tax revenues have been unable to keep pace with government spending. Real government spending has increased almost twice as fast as government revenue. In 1970 our total government debt equaled $371 billion. Today it stands at $16.8 trillion. Even if we adjust for inflation, federal government debt has increased more than eight times what it was in 1970. Things have only gotten worse following the financial meltdown of 2008. It took from 1789 to 2001 to accumulate a federal debt of $5.8 trillion. However, our government officials have added a nearly identical $5.8 trillion in four short years between 2007 and 2011. The 10 highest monthly budget deficits have all occurred since February 2009. During the Obama administration, the federal government has accumulated more new debt than it did from the time that George Washington became president to the time that Bill Clinton became president. Since President Obama entered the White House, the national debt has increased by an average of more than $64,000 per taxpayer. In fact, Obama will become the first president to run deficits of more than a trillion dollars during each of his first four years in office.

Ratings firm Standard & Poor’s said the government shutdown had already taken $24 billion out of the economy and will cut growth in the fourth quarter significantly.

The tea party terrorists and their fat cat corporate bankrollers, the Koch brothers, should pick up the tab for this totally useless display of stupidity. Can we say anything other than these people are losers, not to be trusted in government. They are destroyers of the fabric of America. Brothers with the ghost of OBL. OBL would be very proud of the tea party. They are doing more damage to America than he could with his hijacked planes. The tea party republicans are trying to hijack America.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-us-default-risk-may-be-passing-but-a-downgrade-could-still-lie-ahead/2013/10/16/e9c75e72-368f-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html

The U.S. default risk may be passing, but a downgrade could still lie ahead

This news has just released. The cost of borrowing will be more expensive and it will go up. Your mortgage, car loan, credit card interest, student loan and business loan all may go up accordingly. This is a serious loss to American consumers and business owners.

I blame this political porno to Ted Cruz and all Tea Party members. They are a bunch of idiots. Ted Cruz is now collecting the most contributions for the 2016 election (I am rolling my eyes). He is an opportunist and is looking for "what's in for me". Is he doing what is the best for us and country? Hell, No. It is all for him.

CraigHicks... rather than train up low level doctors for the poor, why not just have everyone in America pay a small portion of their taxes into funding a universal healthcare system? That way everyone pays a form of insurance and allows everyone to be treated free or at as low a cost as possible. Everybody wins - the poor and elderly have access to the same levels of healthcare as those higher up the social ladder.

Hiring doctors with fewer skills for the poor and elderly isn't really the way to go. Not only does it create rifts between doctors, but how much confidence will it give the populace? There needs to be a system that allows everyone to be treated the same no matter what their income is. The value of a person's health and well being should not be dictated by how much they can pay to have treatment.

This is all about Obama seizing the core authority from Congress. Obama actually threatened to take the USA into default. The United States would not have defaulted in a traditional sense. The US takes approximately 10 times more in interest payments in revenue than it uses to service its interest payments on its debt. In a situation like this, it would be up to the President to instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to pay the sovereign debts of the United States based on the 14th Amendment. No President except Obama has ever exercised the aspects of the 14th Amendment to usurp Congressional Authority over the purse strings.

Tea Party will be remembered as a twice 4-letter term.

This is all about Obama seizing the core authority from Congress. Obama actually threatened to take the USA into default. The United States would not have defaulted in a traditional sense. The US takes approximately 10 times more in interest payments in revenue than it uses to service its interest payments on its debt. In a situation like this, it would be up to the President to instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to pay the sovereign debts of the United States based on the 14th Amendment. No President except Obama has ever exercised the aspects of the 14th Amendment to usurp Congressional Authority over the purse strings.

Crazy Joe, I see why you call yourself what you do. Not the Joe part. Obama has been elected twice in landslides. Can you move on? Obama resisted the demands of the tea party terrorists for the better of the country. Thank God he is President now and not Romney or, shutter to think, Bush. The USA would be in default right now if either were in the White House now.

Heaven forbid what would have happened had Mitt the Moran been elected - the tea party lunatics have had no problem putting a gun to the head of the entire country as it is, imagine had they had that corporate whore Romney on the end of the strings....

They could have bypassed this shut down BS simply by acting like responsible adults right from the beginning.

Now we can all get back to business as usual until January when the next deadline ticks around.

Children being dickheads in control of the govt. using black mail and other unsavoury tactics to prove a point does not help the cause you flaming mungs !

The success of funding the Obamacare is not depending on US residents or citizens. Obamacare is under mercy of largest bond holders Chinese and Japanese banks. They have got less confidence of buying US treasury bonds due to the shut down. According the latest news, both nations are diversifying their investment for safer heavens. US treasury is no longer the safest and reliable parking space for their savings. Obama wanted to show off to his electorate as Santa Clause. He will borrow more for delivering his sweet promises for his voters However he will not contribute any cent from his pocket.

Reality is Obama likes drunken sailor for spending money like no more tomorrows. Future President will needs to raise Tax or cut very large spending for not becoming default. However default will become sooner than later like time bomb.It is the legacy of spending more than entire revenue since 1970s. Both political parties are guilty for making US is heavily indebted today. There are a few good men in both White House and Congress.

A round of applause for the 87 Republicans who voted to resolve this idiotic mess. They did the right thing.

Boehner should have done the right thing a lot earlier and brought the vote to the floor. It would have passed, like it did now, and saved the country and the integrity of its democratic processes a lot of grief.

@Thunderbird2 ... "why not just have everyone in America pay a small portion of their taxes into funding a universal healthcare system"

The ACA, Obama's signature legislation, is a universal health care system, partially funded by taxes (as is current non-universal health care also). Your point is what?

@Thunderbird2 ... "Hiring doctors with fewer skills for the poor and elderly isn't really the way to go ..."

Eyes shut holier than thou knee-jerkism ... or maybe you have vested interests, if so please disclose. Do you have any comment on or suggestions about the fact that US health costs are twice that of comparable industrialized nations? Did you see that in my post or did it not make it past your subconscious censor?

Did you know there is currently legislation pending in California to allow nurse practitioners to see patients without doctors present, so that patients in rural areas where doctors will not now go can get medical care without having to travel 100 miles? Of course doctors are fighting it tooth and nail. So far, the vested interests are succeeding. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/08/nurse-practitioner-bill-moves-on-with-substantial-amendments.html

I think my idea is a good one, because it works at the supply & demand level rather than trying to fix prices below what the market will bear. However, there are many other ideas ... please look at the bipartisan website http://www.concordcoalition.org/ for a lot of information and ideas about how the country might respond effectively to current challenges. It don't necessarily endorse all the ideas as presented, but at least it is serious bipartisan discussion.

This is all about Obama seizing the core authority from Congress. Obama actually threatened to take the USA into default.

The facts are not in agreement with your statement. Congress is split in two.. That means one full branch of government, the executive branch and half of the other branch responsible for fully enacting law were in agreement. It totally lacks credulity to state one half of one branch of government is "the core authority...." Truth demands that the record state that figuratively, 1/6 of our government was against Obama's health care LAW and demanded that their will be imposed upon the American people. So with the Supreme Court, the Executive Branch and half of Congress affirming Obama's health care LAW someone is trying to assert that Obama is seizing the authority of Congress. If failing to observe the truth wasn't so sad it would be laughable. As long as the U.S. Senate is against a bill that the U.S. House of Representatives approved, then be so kind, sir, not to pass off as truth, that "Congress" is a united term when you are speaking of only 1/2 of congress. The facts are that 1/6 (not even, when you consider the Democrats in the House: but honesty dictates that I concede the majority decisions as the entire 1/6 portion of our government) of our federal government was trying to usurp power. Guess what? The presidential veto is in our constitution, look it up! Oh how I wish we could stick to the facts. Facts like the tea party are losers.

PM,

"Boehner should have done the right thing a lot earlier and brought the vote to the floor. It would have passed, like it did now, and saved the country and the integrity of its democratic processes a lot of grief."

The tea party wish to bring down the government and destroy America and anyone else they can take down with them, they care not for integrity or the democratic process.

Savour the moment of their wanton self-immolation, as the flames burn brightly with the vengeance of their own stupidity.

the Dems started by wanting an increase on the debt ceiling

So the Democrats started this mess by saying we should pay our bills? That's the gist you get out of this? Those who say that we do not need to keep our country's finances in proper order should be exposed for how dangerous their position is. First off, if you can't see the difference between creating debt and paying your debt I truly feel sorry for you. I certainly hope you are not allowed to have a credit card. Because there it is not wrong to want to curtail the amount you add to the card but you have to pay the bills. As a country it is far more important. The idiots in congress who try to pass off refusal, or delay for that matter, of raising the debt ceiling as a noble cause, are really just saying we are not going to pay the bill.

Please give the Democrats the credit for wanting to raise the debt ceiling. Please do that. It is a compliment to say the Democrats are willing to pay the bills that our country incurs.

@global

I blame this political porno to Ted Cruz and all Tea Party members. They are a bunch of idiots. Ted Cruz is now collecting the most contributions for the 2016 election (I am rolling my eyes). He is an opportunist and is looking for "what's in for me". Is he doing what is the best for us and country? Hell, No. It is all for him.

Just give it up, it's done, you guys got what you want, move on. You can't shoot a dead horse, so what's your reason for trying to excoriate the Republicans even more? By the way Cruz, in case you haven't known is a politician, like Obama, the EXACT same thing can be said about him and ironically, they do. How about that?

@zurcronium

The tea party terrorists and their fat cat corporate bankrollers, the Koch brothers, should pick up the tab for this totally useless display of stupidity.

Do you say the same about George Soros? Just sayin'....

Can we say anything other than these people are losers, not to be trusted in government.

At this point, I think Jay Z could run the country better than both parties, because both especially can't be trusted.

They are destroyers of the fabric of America. Brothers with the ghost of OBL. OBL would be very proud of the tea party. They are doing more damage to America than he could with his hijacked planes. The tea party republicans are trying to hijack America.

I'm not even going to comment on outrageously funny and hysterical rant.

Obama has been elected twice in landslides.

By mostly people that want FREE stuff, yes, we know. That's why, he's been dubbed, the Welfare stamp President.

Can you move on? Obama resisted the demands of the tea party terrorists for the better of the country.

Obama didn't risk anything. As usual, the man was MIA when it comes to talks or ANY kind of negotiation, instead of gong in like a true leader, which is the biggest joke, he send his sacrificial lamb, Reid to do the talking for him, some leadership. But, hey, I wouldn't expect any less from this joker.

Thank God he is President now and not Romney or, shutter to think, Bush. The USA would be in default right now if either were in the White House now.

Hey, NEWSFLASH for you, we already got downgraded once on our credit rating, but of course, it was Bush's fault like everything else, because Obama, the anointed is far from being a flawed individual. And with the $17trillion that the president and liberals never want to talk about! the borrowing can only go so far. Again, Detroit, California....why are they in such a mess...liberal policies and the rest of the country is next. Thank God, we have 3 more years (and counting until the real celebrations will start Jan. 20, 2016) of this progressive....I mean, centrist. Lol

This crisis was engineered by Republicans. After all the noise and all the drama they stirred up, they lost. It's a disaster for them. All they managed is to make Obama look good, and themselves look ignorant, vicious, and above all, incompetent.

Only lemmings and people that haven't the insights as how politics work would think that Obama looks good now, so....

The Obama/Dems won, we are still spending more, unfortunately or great grandchildren will be the true losers!

The Obama/Dems won, we are still spending more, unfortunately or great grandchildren will be the true losers!

Math is not a part of a liberals forte, that's why?

I love the USA and the USA military but look at this waste of tax dollars. My country government is just as bad.

http://m.military.com/daily-news/2013/10/07/new-air-force-planes-go-directly-to-boneyard.html

Eyes shut holier than thou knee-jerkism ... or maybe you have vested interests, if so please disclose.

So, is it a vested interest to oppose a clearly designed second class health care system for those who are lesser advantaged. If so I can state without equivocation that I am fully opposed to subjecting less advantaged citizens to lesser trained medical staff. How many wealthy people will be under the care of these second rate medical staff?

And please don't try any of that b.s. about defining a vested interest. I am astute enough in economics, finance & for that matter disclosure of vested interests that I do not need your brand of schooling. I find your attention; to detail in accounting of public finances appalling. It doesn't have to be knee jerk to be simplistic. Some people can dwell over material for months and still not understand . Besides arrogantly summarizing economics, by throwing in a bit of history, which can't be summed up simplistically and never in a few paragraphs I want to highlight a gross misstatement. "This doesn't do much for unemployment, nor the tax base because capital gains are not taxable in the US." Capital gains are taxed. For those unclear, stocks sold at higher price than they originally paid are one category of capital gains. I do know it went from like 28% in 1997 to 20%, then down to 15% in 2003. Not only that in 2003 they also made provisions for lower income people to pay less than 15%. It got extended to 2012 and I simply forgot what happened since then. But forgetting is nowhere near as egregious as stating capital gains are not taxed. To try to pass off like you are so knowledgeable about economics and the U.S. financial status and then make a blunder like that calls all your so called facts into question.

I do know a lot of facts. However to try to summarize today's economic downturn would be folly. To try to say it is just so simple and those who are in power just are missing such solutions is hubris in my opinion. I try to stick to things that reasonable people can agree upon when commenting in a forum or similar venues. I can certainly handle formulating my thoughts through research if I have to produce a white paper but I don't think this is the place to condense voluminous work into a few paragraphs.

I believe everyone deserves access to the same level of health care. I believe that our country needs to pay its bills and I think congress should be taken out of that process and focus on the budget process (creating bills - double entendre intentional). At the very least raise the debt limit in a timely fashion and stop tying raising the debt limit to other legislation. It is just ignorant. To me it equivocates to sending your debtor a note when the bill is due and saying we really need to talk about your prices. When it is time to pay the bill, do so, or lack credibility financially.

This is how all empires die. America is no exception.

This is how all empires die. America is no exception.

America is not an empire, never was, but I'll let it slip.

Plastic Monkey

Half came from former Confederate states indeed. And people where all the hate comes from...

Regardless, Nancy Pelosi controls 198 votes in the House John Boehner controls 87. And Rafael "Ted" Cruz controls 144.

Thanks to the neo-Confederate 'patriots.' Pelosi is now the leader of the House.

Deee-li-cious.

Love the article I read that mentioned a random survey of people in the US asked if they would prefer to pay for Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act and the vast majority chose the ACA, not even realizing they are the same thing!! Classic!

America was an empire, that is dying although it still has military in 130 countries (according to Ron Paul).

What you can read above is typical mode of operation for republicans. They totally screw things up, then blame others for their own screw ups so they can try to screw things up even more. Now it is Obama, he is the black guy they love so much, who forced the House to withhold funds from the government and then try to bankrupt the country. That Obama has got some strong voodoo, eh republican tea party folks. He winks and nods and you just dance to his tune. All this talk about debt by the republicans is just wasted words. The last two Presidents to balance the budgets were Clinton and Carter. Republicans cannot balance a checkbook let alone the US government budget. Reagan, Bush all blew out the budgets by giving tax breaks to the rich and running up spending like fools. The massive annual debt that Obama has been lowering year over year comes from the bush tax breaks and his unfunded wars, which were we all know now were based on lies. So $24 billion was wasted on the foolishness the republicans attempted in the last month. And the US credit rating may go down again as well, like last time the republicans held the country hostage. $24 billion. But for republicans that is nothing. They wasted $3 trillion on the fake war in Iraq. Now that is really running up the US debt at $3 trillion for a failed war. They must be so proud of that. And although I know the republicans will never understand this, let me say again, Obamacare is revenue neutral and will not add anything to the debt.

Half came from former Confederate states indeed. And people where all the hate comes from...

So now you want to to say that, people from the South are racists? No more racists than the majority of White Americans that got Obama into office

Regardless, Nancy Pelosi controls 198 votes in the House John Boehner controls 87. And Rafael "Ted" Cruz controls 144.

If that WERE try and I know how Pelosi governs, San Francisco is a backdrop for the Walking Dead series, leaving her in charge, rest assured, the US will be on a road to never coming back.

Thanks to the neo-Confederate 'patriots.' Pelosi is now the leader of the House.

Just like you're sure Obamacare will be a success? Lol

Deee-li-cious.

OK, now it's time to start talking about how to reduce the deficit and the debt. We had to handle some other stuff from batshit crazy Republicans but that's behind us now.

So we're agreed that it will take a mixture of reduced spending and new revenues? How about starting with government waste.

"batshit crazy Republicans"

How about the batshit crazy additional $7 trillion added to the national debt since Obama took office?

The US govt is back as of 7:36 PST. Panda Cam is back.

If you want to watch other creatures who don't like sex and don't know the earth is older than 6000 years, tune into FOX.

Yawn . . . .

Obama statement on what's next:

First, he says, a long-term budget to bring stability and encourage growth. "We shouldn't approach this budget as an ideological exercise ... just cutting for the sake of cutting. ... Remember the deficit is getting smaller, not bigger ... The challenge we have right now are not short-term deficits, it's the long-term obligations we have around Medicare and Social Security." Obama says we need to cut corporate tax loopholes and increase investments in things like infrastructure and education.

Number two: "We should finish the job of fixing our broken immigration system."

"We should pass a farm bill." Obama says it should include not just support for farmers, but also food assistance for Americans who need it.

Just listening to Obama speak now and he really is a very good speaker. I think those who don't like him just can't handle his intelligence and his skill as an orator. Are they afraid of him perhaps? He is up against some bitter and twisted idiots in the GOP but he is definitely trying to tackle the big issues that face the US. He still wants to sort out the immigration situation, he's tackling health care, he got OBL, he cleverly avoided getting too involved in Syria, and he is reducing the deficit. Bush didn't dare tackle health care and immigration, he just wanted to show off his big gun. Go Obama!

Just listening to Obama speak now and he really is a very good speaker

I was just watching Obama speaking. Agree.. As a matter of fact, I have a collection of his speeches in the past and studied. His ability to articulate in communication is just amazing. He does not waste his breath.

@JT

If you want to watch other creatures who don't like sex and don't know the earth is older than 6000 years, tune into FOX.

And if you want to study real American history of the proper definition of what socialism is, talk a nice walk or drive through Detroit or California and watch real life drama unfold as how to kill a town, city, state. The political party that says, they are for the people, the working class, the downtrodden and left them, NO turned them into blood sucking governmental zombies.

@superlib

OK, now it's time to start talking about how to reduce the deficit and the debt.

Lol, finally after 5 years, you guys actually realized that there is a deficit and debt??? Say it ain't so! This a ground breaking NY Times headline NEWS. Heck, I'm getting on the phone with my contacts to let them know!

We had to handle some other stuff from batshit crazy Republicans but that's behind us now.

Yea, but you liberals now put us....excuse me ARE going to add up more debt within weeks, WEEKS and then you'll once again ask for an increase again and again, and so this maddening perpetuating cycle I site nightmarish gift Dems will give us again and yet again....

So we're agreed that it will take a mixture of reduced spending and new revenues? How about starting with government waste.

Priceless, it's like watching the time: Jimmy Swaggert did his big TV confession. LMAO!

Just listening to Obama speak now and he really is a very good speaker. I think those who don't like him just can't handle his intelligence and his skill as an orator.

He is a great speaker, I'll give him that. There were a lot of leaders in the past that were amazing orators and they could swoon people off their feet, one guy in particular comes to mind.....

Are they afraid of him perhaps?

NO! Just annoyed that he turned out to be one of THE worst politicians to ever govern....NO, wait, you need to be present to do that....well, you get the picture.

He is up against some bitter and twisted idiots in the GOP but he is definitely trying to tackle the big issues that face the US.

We must have all seriously been asleep. What big issues? Watching Msnbc again?

He still wants to sort out the immigration situation, he's tackling health care, he got OBL, he cleverly avoided getting too involved in Syria, and he is reducing the deficit. Bush didn't dare tackle health care and immigration, he just wanted to show off his big gun. Go Obama!

1) He wants to give blanket amnesty to all illegals, that's his way of handling the immigration problem, OPEN BORDERS.

2) Healthcare....just waiting for that bomb to go off, already set my timer.

3) With the help of Bush and the advice of Bush to use SEAL Team 6. Hey, give credit, where credit is due. Also, he didn't get OBL, SEAL Team 6 did, they should get the real credit.

4) Syria? You are joking, right? I have never seen such a banged up, botched up mishandled, embarrassing moment in my life, that one actually emotionally hurt. Who had the last laugh...give you a clue, it wasn't Obama that's for sure!

5) Actually, to Obama's credit, he did deport more illegal immigrants than Bush, on that point, he gets an A+ as for wanting to show his big gun, Obama already tried that ( see #4)

@global

Lol

Hundreds of foreign military bases and we're not an empire? Sure, whatever you say.

The US is a hegemony, not an empire. Try to be more precise; sloppy characterization is useful to no one.

Triumvere,

Uhm, either the US is a hegemon, or the US has hegemony.

Try to be more precise, indeed....

I just want the craziness to end. We need serious cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and the military if America wants to survive. As for passing the debt on to future generations. No. The CBO says that by 2025 the debt will become unstable. The farthest the endgame can be pushed out to is the early 2030s. Either we get our act together and bite the bullet or there won't be any future generations of Americans.

bass4funkOct. 17, 2013 - 09:55PM JST

@global

I blame this political porno to Ted Cruz and all Tea Party members. They are a bunch of idiots. Ted Cruz is now collecting the most contributions for the 2016 election (I am rolling my eyes). He is an opportunist and is looking for "what's in for me". Is he doing what is the best for us and country? Hell, No. It is all for him.

Just give it up, it's done, you guys got what you want, move on. You can't shoot a dead horse, so what's your reason for trying to excoriate the Republicans even more?

I would like to make sure Ted Cruz will not rise up again like Glen Beck (Tea Party-CO). This time, Glen Beck is running against Mark Udall (D). Previously he was running against Bennett (D) and his attempt failed. The Koch Brothers are already pouring money (millions) for Glen Beck campaign 2016. We are already working hard against the Tea Party here.

jeff198527Oct. 18, 2013 - 06:01AM JST We need serious cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and the military if America wants to survive.

Without that retirement income, most retirees will need welfare but that's going to go away, too. Really, can no one see that there is a extreme element in this country that is seriously looking to kill off a huge chunk of the American population, primarily the middle class who are a thorn in a political extremist's side? Starve us, freeze us, take our money away and deny us healthcare Yep, that will do it! Wonder if any of them will find a country willing to take them when they can't live in the U.S. anymore?

Its time for a massive Moderate party to start making itself big enough to overtake the Republicans. We need a party that is not too liberal and not too moderate and knows when the right time to be open-minded or conservative minded depending on the situation.

I've known there have been far lefties and righties for ages. Where is the middle ground?

@global

I would like to make sure Ted Cruz will not rise up again like Glen Beck (Tea Party-CO). This time, Glen Beck is running against Mark Udall (D). Previously he was running against Bennett (D) and his attempt failed. The Koch Brothers are already pouring money (millions) for Glen Beck campaign 2016. We are already working hard against the Tea Party here.

Well, if that's the case. Cruz has got my full support, I'll contribute in any way I can and good on the Koch brothers. Don't worry, you guys have George, who himself has billions and donates money for liberal democratic causes. No difference. I don't want the rest of the US to become another Detroit or California, it's enough of the liberal mindless, madness! And Kudos to Beck, who also has millions to spare for conservative causes.

@jeff

I just want the craziness to end. We need serious cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and the military if America wants to survive. As for passing the debt on to future generations. No. The CBO says that by 2025 the debt will become unstable. The farthest the endgame can be pushed out to is the early 2030s. Either we get our act together and bite the bullet or there won't be any future generations of Americans.

Then why would you vote for Obama?

@honest

Those would be the Independent party. I feel the same way.

bass4funkOct. 18, 2013 - 07:43AM JST

@global

I would like to make sure Ted Cruz will not rise up again like Glen Beck (Tea Party-CO). This time, Glen Beck is running against Mark Udall (D). Previously he was running against Bennett (D) and his attempt failed. The Koch Brothers are already pouring money (millions) for Glen Beck campaign 2016. We are already working hard against the Tea Party here.

Well, if that's the case. Cruz has got my full support,

LOL. You have no own ideology derived by economics and law. You have just given me a reason why I am fighting against these radicals someone like you. US does not belong to these minority radicals. Remember, US public is a centrist, not too far right, not too far left. We are very confident we can beat Tea Party here again.

LOL. You have no own ideology derived by economics and law. You have just given me a reason why I am fighting against these radicals someone like you. US does not belong to these minority radicals. Remember,

Well, you go do that, but let me ask you, how's that Hope and Change working out?

US public is a centrist, not too far right, not too far left. We are very confident we can beat Tea Party here again

Then you should be embracing the Tea Party if you think like that.

US does not belong to these minority radicals.

I agree!!! It NOW belongs to the majority of Leftist radical loons.

America did avert a default - it averted getting it's debt under control. The extremist Democrats will not be happy until the middle class is completely destroyed and made dependent upon government. Obama will never cut any entitlements not matter how wasteful or detrimental to the nations future. He could care less whether or not future generations will be saddled with paying for the money spent by current generations. The welfare state will make no one but the elite's happy. I am looking forward to 3 more years of opposition to every extreme socialist policy initiative Obama pursues. America will be in constant crisis until a president is elected that isn't bound to the failed ideology of collectivism.

@wolfpack

Right, beautifully said. Like I keep saying, go to California and see what a once amazing and gorgeous state it once was, now for the last 30 years liberals have been running the show there and things have gotten worse, the state has become for the most part, a giant ghetto. Don't even want to talk about San Francisco.

bass4funkOct. 18, 2013 - 10:11AM JST

@wolfpack

Right, beautifully said. Like I keep saying, go to California and see what a once amazing and gorgeous state it once was, now for the last 30 years liberals have been running the show there and things have gotten worse, the state has become for the most part, a giant ghetto. Don't even want to talk about San Francisco

Bass, California is still beautiful with many talents. You do not belong to the Northern California that is filled with white color liberal professionals anyway. You only belong to the Southern California that is a labor intensive defense contractor conservative city like Los Angeles.

bass4funk,

I wonder why you can't see that Liberal, Democratic and Republican are meaningless terms.

This is all smokescreen.

To hide the every tightening clamp.

Freedom and Democracy, bollix.

@bertie

I kinda agree with you, I think both parties are useless, but I'm just angry about the lies and spin that liberals are the best thing for America, when in actuality they are the same. If they didn't talk all the time as if Obama was the greatest thing since sliced bread when he isn't. I'd be all for a third party and kick everyone out of congress and start all over again and choose real people instead of these corn-raised politicians.

bass4funk,

Close but no cigar.

Liberals, Dems, Republicans.

What's the difference?

It's all just a smokescreen to make it look like you have some kind of a choice.

Cash or cheque?

Six of one or half a dozen of the other?

You support the libs, the dems or the republicans . . .

Whichever you support, you are rooting for the same guys.

The 1% super-rich, getting super-richer, at the expense of ordinary guys like me and you.

BertieWoosterOct. 18, 2013 - 09:25PM JST

Good| Bad

BertieWoosterOct. 18, 2013 - 09:25PM JST

What's the difference?

There are big differences in economics ideology between the two.

I do not feel like explaining, but you can study that through polisci text books.

@global

California is still beautiful with many talents.

Really? Yeah, long time ago. How about idiots Like Kanye West, the Kardashians, Lindsey Lohan, the liberal rich out of control ilk. Ok, I'm from California, I know it like the back of my hand. So why is SF and L.A. Counties so crime ridden and out of control, dirty, poverty, drugs everywhere?

Now why is Orange County clean like Japan, you can walk almost everywhere at any time, eat off the floor, unemployment not nearly as high as in L.A.? I'll tell you, it's a very conservative area, conservative values.

You do not belong to the Northern California that is filled with white color liberal professionals anyway.

You are 100% right, I don't belong in a drug infested part of the state where I'm surrounded by zombies of liberals that perpetuate the cycle of relying on government dependence and hopelessness.

You only belong to the Southern California that is a labor intensive defense contractor conservative city like Los Angeles

Well, Orange County to be exact and yes, I love it. Because people actually do what people are supposed to do....work! Something that liberal America has forgotten to do.

finally. some people understands macroeconomics.

One thing is for sure: Ted Cruz has set himself up on the path for the White House in 2016. The Democrat field will be VERY weak, and if Hillary gets the nomination we should have little trouble with the Benghazi albatross that hangs around her neck (who wants to elect someone already guilty of an impeachable offense?) The Republican establishment already had their go with Romney, so now we get ours with a Cruz/Palin ticket. Palin is the only reason McCain stayed in the race in 2008, and with her on the ticket Cruz will win over any Democrat challenger.

@homeland

Let's hope so we can all get out of this financial quagmire the Dems all put us, keep putting us through. Believe me, in the next upcoming years as this Healthcare is fully implemented and the costs skyrocket which they will Democrats will be curse word.

They say the Republicans didn't get anything from the bargain. Not true. They got 8 years of Hilary! Thank you tea party and the GOP.

absolute joke of a government for what is almost a joke of a country.

rrantaOct. 21, 2013 - 01:43AM JST

They say the Republicans didn't get anything from the bargain. Not true. They got 8 years of Hilary! Thank you tea party and the GOP.

And I am convinced she's gonna run. Amen.

Right, beautifully said. Like I keep saying, go to California and see what a once amazing and gorgeous state it once was, now for the last 30 years liberals have been running the show there and things have gotten worse, the state has become for the most part, a giant ghetto. Don't even want to talk about San Francisco.

California is booming. People are moving there from the failed republican states in droves. Democratic control of the state is leading the state and the nation out of the bush recession. Property prices in the bay area went up 40% in the last quarter alone. Facts, not worthless opinions by partisan hacks.

But regarding the republican hostage taking, more good news for the realists in America. Now even old people want to dump the republicans after they nearly bankrupted the government and ran up massive debt for decades. This is from a recent poll.

On the key question of whether GOP control of the U.S. House of Representatives is a good or bad thing for the country, voters over 65 (who went Republican by a 59/38 margin in 2010 and a 56/44 margin in 2012) said “bad” by a 47/46 margin. More dramatically, those between 50-64 years old said “bad” by a 61/35 margin, a group that went 52/47 Republican in 2012 and 52/46 in 2010. In a comparison of confidence in Obama or “congressional Republicans” to “deal with the problems facing the country,” over-65 votes prefer Obama 45/33, and those 50-64 prefer the president 48/28.

Gotta thank Cruz and the tea party terrorists for this. It is all on you. Keep up the good work.

Congress didnt avert default. They increased their nation's 'credit card' limit. They decided to not pay off debt, but spend more money. The chance of default is greater now.

Very misleading titled considering Congress is the reason government was shut down in the first place! It's not at all as if they saved the day!!

Americans overwhelmingly despise the Teapublican lead Congress for their misuse of power, disrespect of our president and nation!! We look forward to 2014 state elections when we will rid ourselves of many of them! We are determined to put in place a Congress that will work with our president and for the people over and above Party! One has only to consider today's polling of record low 26% approval. Senator McCain (R) assured his fellow members, this is down to staffers and immediate family! Ha!!

Congress didnt avert default. They increased their nation's 'credit card' limit. They decided to not pay off debt, but spend more money.

The money has already been spent, whether they decide to increase the debt limit or not.

Problem with the U.S. is, in bad times, they borrow money to help revitalize the economy (which is understandable up to a point, like how people need help in their bad times). But in good times, they don't pay it back (or at least not pay it back as much as they borrowed).

Good times will come to the U.S. again - it's all cyclical. Watch how much they pay back. They'll probably first spend the surplus on new projects or let it go as tax breaks.

Good times will come to the U.S. again - it's all cyclical. Watch how much they pay back. They'll probably first spend the surplus on new projects or let it go as tax breaks.

Back in 1994, US enjoyed good time due to Internet and Software export. Getting good times again, US unemployed army should work for free for exchange of food vouchers. US export will be competitive due to the free productive workforce. When the industry is getting profitable, those unemployed people will gain the real employments. Miiltary and politicians should cut half of their pay for repaying debt. All citizens should contribute their gold and saving for reducing the mountain of foreign debt.

All free trade agreement harmed US interest. US should protect the own market and shrinking working population.Back in 1997, South Korea and Thailand suffered financial crisis. Suprisingly their citizens donated gold and jewelerry for the sake of the nation. Both nations are enjoying prosperity, high employment and freedom from debt at the moment.

The problem of US debt crisis is spending and spending more without restraint. In early next year, Congress will allow to raise the debt ceiling again. It does not make sense for borrowing more for repaying never ending debt cycle. Sound like someone who can not afford to buy the gasoline is showing off his new car on driveway. Car without gasoline is lifeless. Borrowing more debt without ability to repay is pointless. Default is an answer for never ending debt cycle.

Tax break will not balance the federal budget. It will make more deficits and making more red on spreadsheets. More tax to rich is needed for life support of US finance.

Bush infamously boosted "the course of that nation is not depending on other". Reality is US is surviving with hand outs from Foreign banks. It is unacceptable and can be described as national humilation. Enough is enough for Santa Clause or Obamacare.