in 1814 when they burned Washington. We should have erected a monument and left well enough alone. Washington has created more problems than it has solved - and is working overtime to create more. Neither party is running presidential candidates who have an ounce of faith in the American people's ability to solve their own problems without Washington's help.

What, no mention of the war in Iraq?
I guess Walter just ran out of room...

So what do you do?

Everytime efforts are made to take the power away from the CEOs and put into the hands of the people -the right screams: "SOCIALISM!"

Sadly, none of the likely Pres. candidates offer any hope, just more of the same, or worse.

"In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." The Constitution is often given no more than lip service, and when it is invoked its meanings have been twisted beyond recognition. Executive power has been expanded beyond anything intended, and the federal government power has usurped much of what should have been left to the states. Good luck on taking it back.

"Congress, doing the bidding of environmental extremists, created our energy supply problem" is a flat out lie.

The real reason for the energy supply problem is the monopolistic control of the energy supply by the big monopolistic corporations.

Most if not all the laws that congress and other parts of the government make are the direct result of someones or some corporations plan for making a profit. When you say Banks are encouraged to make a certain kind of loan it's because someone has passed a law that makes it profitable for the Banks to make that kind of loan.

When you say that the government creats the problems what you really should say is that certain people who control the government creat problems for some people while creating profits for themselves.

The solution is simple. Get the government OUT of people's business, out of economics, out of trying to influence how people should live their lives. At the LibertyDiscourses(dot)blogspot(dot)com website there is a very good article entitled "The Spiritual Foundation of Liberty."

There are some things that we do need government regulations to protect the public. However, I do agree with the fact that whenever the politicians get involved it becomes a mess.

I agree with "Timj | 6:23 a.m." in that a lot of the mess in Iraq is due directly to politicians putting up barriers and preventing the military from being a military. If the members of congress has courage enough to actually declare war, rather than authorize military action, that would be a great step. If you look at WWII, the military was allowed to be a military, and not a political machine.

Also, look at your local government. Howmany municipalities still take charge directly of trash collection, rather than contracting it out. There is a reason that many local government services are being contracted out. The government is so inefficient at doing anything that it is cheaper to pay somebody else to do the work.

Who was it that said that for every complicated problem there is a simple answer that's wrong? Anyway, what happened to the no URL rule evidently broken by "Christian Prophet" 9:22?
I suppose the next thing we'll hear from these fanatics is that the Great Depression was caused by government bureaucrats conspiring to make stock prices lower so that everyone could afford to buy them.

Hey, "Ultra Bob" -- learn to spell!

And you're correct ... certain people (Congress) create the problems for some people (the rest of us).

And, no, you're incorrect about the energy supply problem. The so-called "big monopolistic corporations" aren't really monopolisitc, and they've been severely restricted in their growth -- whether that be drilling, refining, storage or whatever.
The real problems (plural) are international growth (China, India), restricted access to domestic supply, and our own inability to either conserve or discipline ourselves to smaller vehicles and less driving. And, oh yeah, we aren't good at alternative energy sources -- yet.

"Sadly, none of the likely Pres. candidates offer any hope, just more of the same, or worse."

There's got to be something wrong with the process when three of the worst candidates on the planet and in the history of earth (save perhaps Jimmie Carter) are vying for US President.

This country is full of smart, capable men and women and we get these three turkeys? God help us!

You obviously mistyped. You didn't mean to put power in the hands of the people. You meant put power in the hands of the government. If power was really with the people (individuals) there would be no cry of socialism. When the government masquarades as the people we get the kind of problems Walter is talking about.

"The solution is simple. Get the government OUT of people's business, out of economics, out of trying to influence how people should live their lives."

We tried getting government out of people's business and we got debacles like Enron, the sub-prime melt-down, and several other debacles that I can't recall off hand. Williams hit the nail on the head this time (like he usually does).

Those who vote Republican worship big business, elect CEO's to run the country, shout down the little guy who is tired of being a slave as "socialists" and can't understand why the country is being run into the ground while those in power get filthy rich.

You hit the nail on the head on that one. You took the words before I had a chance....

wrz...let the chips fall. Let the businesses fail. Let the people who did the stupid loans learn a lesson. Prosecution of the Enron's is successful.

How low do you want the government to interfere? Do you want to submit you loan for a new car to them to make sure you aren't being gouged and that you got a great deal?

Government completely screws things up. Look at the war on poverty, SS as has been mentioned...

go read the books by John Stossel or Bernard Goldberg.

TO wrz: You don't have to like any of the candidates, but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to think that way. Your guy Mitt didn't run a campaign that was good enough to win, but then he turned around and endorsed McCain about 10 minutes after losing. If you can't do that, then write Mitt in and you'll be able to declare "I didn't vote for HIM (Obama/McCain), so don't blame MEEEE!" It won't improve anything, but you will still feel superior.

To Mark B 12:31, your mentioning of Mitt endorsing McCain sounds like sour grapes. Who was he supposed to endorse? Obama or Clinton? Fat Chances. Who do you really like? maybe it's time to come out of the closet.

Neocons REFUSE to move forward, don't they?

Some are STILL fuming that their boy, Mitt Romney, was not accepted by the American people as a viable candidate.

Can you say, STUCK?

Why is it that Republicans always whine about bigger government and then vote in CEO's who immediately gain control of their lives even more than ever?

"wrz...let the chips fall. Let the businesses fail. Let the people who did the stupid loans learn a lesson. Prosecution of the Enron's is successful."

Enron did fail... and took a lotta investors with it. How can you call prosecution of Eron successful? It scammed millions of ordinary folks.

"How low do you want the government to interfere? Do you want to submit your loan for a new car to them to make sure you aren't being gouged and that you got a great deal?"

I want them to control Savings & Loan organizations so we don't get another Keating. I want them to control derivatives/futures market so we don't get exorbitant oil/gas prices run-ups. I want them to control the drug industry so we don't get sick from using drugs from China. I want them to control meat packing plants so we don't get sick from e-coli. There's not enough space to list all the "I want them to's."

"Government completely screws things up. Look at the war on poverty..."

If you want poverty look at some third world countries where governments are weak.

"SS as has been mentioned..."

And what's wrong with SS?

I think higher energy costs are actually a good thing. I am not a wacko environmentalist who thinks we should all go back to the days of the horse and buggy but we have enjoyed super cheap energy for too long. We as a nation have developed some very wasteful habits.

I think the price of gasoline has gone a bit too high and unfortunately it may go higher still, but we need to get used to over $2.50/gallon gasoline because it is here for the long haul.

If everyone just cut out the waste (driving when you don't need to, leaving the lights on all the time, driving 10 miles to save 10 cents a pound on chicken, taking 5 shopping trips instead of 1, etc., etc.) then the demand for oil and other forms of energy would drop significantly.

Thanks for coming out of the closet. You want government to control everything. If you've actually done some reading on the subject you'd know that government control almost always results in higher prices and lower care.

Social Security is broke, that's what's wrong with it. Only fools would want government to regulate everything and everyone.

And actually, there are countries that do what you wish...North Korea, Cuba, you know communist countries...We know how well those actually work.

go do a little studying, and not from your usual places of worship (Moveon.org, MediaMatters, HuffingtonPost), and learn that government control and interference does nothing to protect the consumer. Prices are always higher because competition is eliminated in the name of "protecting the consumer".

High energy costs - Good suggestions. To which I add:: Take you foot out of the carburetor and slow down. Stop driving you house (two bedroom, kitchen, living room motor home, etc) down the road. And get rid of your gas guzzling SUV's.

My point was that if Romney could endorse McCain, then wrz, who's clearly a Republican, should too, or else just write Romney in. What I'm tired of is this "lesser of 2/3 evils" stuff that has the intended purpose of lifting yourself by trashing the real candidates as unworthy of support. Posturing and phony. Where were they 6 months ago when there were over a dozen candidates? NONE of them measure up? Please.
As for me, I'm not looking to anonymous ridicule from folks whose opinions were formed in the 1950s, who throw around words like "socialism" as if they think they're the only ones to ever read a book, and who are still convinced the New York Times lost Vietnam. Having said so, I must say McCain looks way too much like GWB, who I believe was a failure. I am impressed with Obama's handling of the attacks on him, and think we need a change to someone who won't try, as Bush did, to remake the entire executive branch in his own image. I back Obama, and would like to see someone like Richardson or Biden as running mate. Let the pop gun attacks begin.

I'm not a wacky conservative but I need no pundit to tell me what to conserve and what to throw away.

I am not a wacky conservative who thinks whoever is in power should be raised unto a pedestal, but it looks like the tide is turning quite rapidly in that the country is leaning way more left than right.

Thank God.

Who are the neocons trying to kid?
The unholy alliance between government and big business controls EVERYTHING.