Let's be real. Does our Federal Government have a budget anymore? Should the largest economy in the world HAVE to borrow money from anyone?

If it isn't an income problem, then it is a spending one.

Nah its a tax code problem.

Look, CA is willfully ignorant about fiscal matters and economics and since he isn't willing to educate hiimself, he should probably be ignored in government.

(and no, Obama didn't double the debt, for that matter.) And the GOP had TWO 8 years periods where they DID double the debt: Reagan's presidency and Bush II's

What Ogion wants to make it sound like I don't understand is that Obama's first term ended in a less than 14 trillion national debt and after his second term we are looking at 20 trillion. Which No government on the face of the planet (but ours) is foolish enough to hang around their necks. The second term was not about sweeping up after Bush according to Ogion's reasoning.

it is an income problem. U.S. taxes are too low. When you have people like Trump and companies like GE paying ZERO taxes, there's a serious problem. Want to get surplusses back? Raise taxes on the rich and corporations they way Bill Clinton did. Stop with the stupid tax cuts business. We can't afford them.

Our federal government does indeed have a budget... when Republicans actually opt to do their jobs and not try to fuck with our debt ceiling.

During Bush's 8 years, Democrats as a minority never once blocked a budgetary or spending bill despite being vehemently against the war. Its called doing yer job.

"he should probably be ignored in government."

Wait? I thought this was supposed to be a democracy? or at least representative government.

Sometimes you gotta shovel shit with the other muckrakers and groundlingsn

Actually, no, we are looking at $18 trillion, up from $10.5 when Obama took office, and will be a lower increase than either Bush or Reagan. And you don't really seem to understand the relationship between deficits and debt. Bush was running MASSIVE deficits by the end of his term. that takes time to reverse if you don't want the economy to crash. Obama has reversed that, cutting the deficit by 70%. Yes, debt went up a lot, but because the US was in deep trouble when he came in. That's just the reality.

" Raise taxes on the rich and corporations they way Bill Clinton did. Stop with the stupid tax cuts business. We can't afford them. "

And stop spending like the taxes we're cut in the first place. We cannot afford that.

I refuse to believe that in a country that made wal mart huge, and has many of the richest ppl on the planet, that we cant raise taxes and fix our deficit.aa

It's representative of 320 millino people. The fringey loonies who want to spin whatever silliness can be safely ignored while the rest of us get on with it.

If you think fixing the defecit is easy tell me all the things you will cut. Usually its something moronic like the endowment for the arts... yea thatll fix us. Cut that out.

Government can be pretty damn useful too. The National Parks are amazing. You cut taxes ppl always wanna ruin our monunents and parks first.

Look, if we want to reduce spending the #1 item is the military, which is such a bizarre fetish in the US that that's not going to happen. We have tremendous underinvestment in the US, but naturally that's where people want to cut who want to.

In fact, the budget balance is in good shape by historical standards. But of course ignore that fact.

"http://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-debt-has-increased-more-under-obama-than-under-bush/"

Now as a percentage not a chance. Yeah Obama is under Bush. That wouldn't be because he started with a much bigger number though right?

@Ogion
@CA
I'd love to see some statistics or reports or something to quantify the claims you're both making. CBS probably doesn't count though, sorry.

Not once did I say cut taxes. guys (you're trying to build a pathetic strawman) I am telling you its a bad idea to cut taxes and spend like you haven't.

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/government-debt-to-gdp

Here is a bar graph one debt to GDP

@CA - Thanks!

No problem. If I'm a fringe lunatic, at least I can be a NICE fringe lunatic :-)

Voting for 3rd party candidates traditionally hurts Democrats more than Republicans. Essentially any vote for anyone but Hillary is a vote for Trump.

The Republican Party includes a statement in its official party platform about porn: "Its harmful effects, especially on children, has become a public health crisis that is destroying the lives of millions. We encourage states to continue to fight this public menace and pledge our commitment to children’s safety and well-being."

They then voted for their candidate a man that appeared in a porn movie:
But by day’s end, Trump faced reports that he had appeared briefly in a pornographic video in 2000.
In the 13-second clip posted on BuzzFeed’s website, Trump is seen on a street in New York fully clothed surrounded by young women as he uncorks a bottle of champagne and pours it over the bunny-ear Playboy logo printed on the side of limousine.
It is unclear if Trump knew at the time he was being filmed for a porn video, which BuzzFeed said featured "fully nude women posing in sexual positions, dancing naked, touching themselves while naked, touching each other sensually, rubbing honey on themselves, taking a bath, and dressing in costumes."

^I'm not a trump fan, but I think the above says more about buzzfeed than it does about trump.

Hold on. I gotta find this film for "proof"

"Voting for 3rd party candidates traditionally hurts Democrats more than Republicans. Essentially any vote for anyone but Hillary is a vote for Trump."
I'm sure Bill Clinton would disagree :)

What the above says about Trump is that he's more about promoting himself and making a buck, than paying attention to what he's doing.

"Voting for 3rd party candidates traditionally hurts Democrats more than Republicans."

Do not worry, with all of the Republicans bailing on Trump. I am confident this isn't a traditional situation.

Again, a vote for a third party is a vote for a third party candidate. A vote for TRUMP is a vote for Trump. Anything else is fear-mongering.