Democrats Should Pray There's No Federal Government Shutdown

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The Senate presently has 51 Democrats, 47 Republicans, and 2 Independents; and those coming up for re-election face Tea Party tribunals:
DEMOCRATS
Diane Feinstein in CA
Tom Carper in DE
Bill Nelson in FL
Daniel Akaka in HI
Ben Cardin in MD
*Debbie Stabenow MI
*Claire McCaskill MO
*Jon Tester MT
*Ben Nelson in NE
*Bob Menendez in NJ
*Jeff Bingaham in NM
Kirsten Gillibrand in NY
*Sherrod Brown in OH
*Bob Casey in PA
Sherrod Whitehouse in RI
Jim Webb in VA
Maria Cantwell in WA
*Herb Kohl in WI
INDEPENDENTS
Bernie Sanders in VT
Joe Lieberman in CT
REPUBLICANS
John Kyl in AZ
*Richard Lugar in IN
*Olympia Snowe in ME
Scott Brown in MA
Roger Wicker in MS
John Ensign in NV
Bob Corker in TN
*Kay Bailey Hutchison in TX
*Orrin Hatch in UT
John Barrasso in WY
*Condemned to Political Death Row by Tea Party Tribunals

Jeugenen of MA 3:59PM March 18, 2011

Pray? TAX THE CHURCHES!!!!!
Pray? GET THE RICH OFF OF WELFARE!!!!!
Pray? IF THERE WAS A SHUTDOWN THE COUNTRY WOULD DEFINITELY BLAME THE GREEDY, EVIL, LIFE SUCKING gops.
Pray? QUITE ASSUMING THAT YOUR PRAYERS ARE ANY MORE POWERFUL THEN ANYONE ELSE'S.
gops are elitists, money mongers who have found a way to steal from the public.

Pake of WY 1:53PM March 05, 2011

According to the Treasury Department, federal revenues increased 40% in the 2 years after the Bush tax cuts, along with the shift in who carried the biggest burden.
Bush's problem was that he spent too much on 2 wars (that is not to say that the wars themselves were or were not necessary - I make no claim either way) that had a rediculous amount of money wasted away through bad judgments and corruption after the successful invasions, coupled with an unpaid-for prescription program, and a collapse of the housing market (which he warned Congress about many times, but got blocked by the Dems).
Clinton "surpluses" were an accounting gimmick that you should know about by now if you were paying even the slightest attention.

junior of DC 9:18PM February 25, 2011

Rich paid more actual dollars with pay cuts. By 4.06 %. Than if no tax cuts.
If you read the link it explains.
Clinton surplus is myth. Doesn’t exist. Is moving money from one account to another. Again, read the link.
Yes, Newt was. Clinton never balanced a budget before Newt arrived. Government had to be shut down twice for short period of time before Bill would sign a balanced budget...
Read links, given to explain what I wrote. Might learn...

Bill Hedges of MO 9:17PM February 25, 2011

There is a difference between the absolute amount of taxes paid, and the percentage of the total. If the rich have most all the money, it works out that they pay the highest percent of the total. How else could it work?
And so if the Clinton surpluses are a myth, then can we wish away the Bush Debts by calling them myths too?
And you seriously think Newt was the center of the good times? If right wing methods work so well, why did things suck so bad under Bush?
And I agree, stop spending on the war.

Rick G. of NH 6:40PM February 25, 2011

Bush tax cuts to rich INCREASED government revenue. Not deseased:
“According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Bush tax cuts actually shifted the total tax burden farther toward the rich so that in 2000-2004, total income tax paid by the top 40% of income-earners grew by 4.6% to 99.1% of the total.”
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/lying_about_bushs_tax_cuts.html
Debt comes from overspending your financial means.
Clinton got Newt and the boys. With CONTRACT WITH AMERICA, good times came for Clinton. You're giving credit to wrong person.

Bill Hedges of MO 6:29PM February 25, 2011

“Factcheck.org and the Clinton Surplus”
http://quaap.com/D/clinton-surplus-factcheck
“Did Bill Clinton Really Create a Budget Surplus? Part 1”
http://thephantomrepublican.blogspot.com/2006/04/did-bill-clinton-really-create-budget.html
“The Myth of the Clinton Surplus ”
http://www.craigsteiner.us/articles/16

Bill Hedges of MO 6:15PM February 25, 2011

When Clinton was running the show, everything was great! Remember the Government Surplus?
When Bush was running the show, tax cuts for the rich, debt for the country.
Back in 2000, every republican was running around saying "It's not the government's money, it's your money!", well, in response, I say "It's not the government's debt, it's your debt! Pay for it!
Tax the rich at 39% rate we did under Clinton, and I bet things will start to work out better. The rich benefit from bank bailouts and stock market rescue plans, how about they start paying for it. They hate socialism, unless they are the one's cashing the checks.
As for the war, we should raise a war tax of 2% for the duration of the conflicts. I bet well be out of Iraq and Afghanistan by Easter.

John Perry of FL 3:22PM February 25, 2011

I agree with stopping the wars, but what about the billions that were given to the banks? I'm looking at you, Goldman Sachs. They have record profits, again, and we're left with a government shutdown? What, did Paulson take all the money?

Angela Davis of LA 3:15PM February 25, 2011