Gleaning Facebook: State of the GOP Presidential Race

The Republican Crazy 8s game is down to five with Cain, Bachman and now Huntsman out. I think Perry will be next to go. Ron Paul is not in to win, so he stays. Gingrich and Santorum will have decisions to make if they can't stop Romney in SC.

Stranger things have happened, but it is difficult to imagine that the American people will choose the paper-doll candidate as our president. It looks like he has the GOP nomination about locked up, though.

Comments

Carol Payne

So, what are you wearing for Easter?

Drew Fountain

dont forget Karger. Other GOP candidates (especially ChickenHawk Newt) set fire to the Republican log cabin, so Fred Karger had no chance.

John Countryman

The irony is that Huntsman was the only one with any sense or maturity.

Duane Parsons

I can now breathe a slight breath of relief as Jon Huntsman has withdrawn as a Republican candidate for President. IMO, he was the most qualified and would have been the most difficult to defeat in November, but he had touched the hand of Obama and never gained any traction with the not-Romney conservatives who are more interested in “beating” Obama than “winning” the election with a rational candidate that believes in science. Huntsman would have been a formidable opponent that may have won the “middle” in part because he has never signed a pledge.

Terrell

Huntsman is evidebce that even Ronald Reagan could not compete in the GOP this year. He's as conservative as any of them, but reasonable and reasonably polite. You gotta be absolutist, unbending, and demonizing of Obama to be considered by the current GOP.

Drew

You're right Duane. The present Republican nomination seems more akin to a TV Reality series (including the weekly eliminations). I would prefer the politicians say "hey - he's trying, but I can do better : here's how ...." and present some constructive ideas and counter-plans.

Terrell

Carol Payne: whatever is clean and near the end of the clothes rack. Fascinated that you are interested to know

Carol

It's a Wendell W Barnes Jr-ism

Wendell W. Barnes Jr

It's what we say whenever we want to change the subject!

Terrell

Y'all don't dig political haggling?

Carol

I hear enough of that on tv   I read fb to find out important stuff like who's gonna wash their hair tonight and where they ate and what they think of every play in MY favorite sport, football...

Repost from Monthly Marathon: A River Walk 2006

This is a repost from the now-defunct blog Monthly Marathon. I first posted this in March 2006.


A River Walk

3.5 miles around downtown last night and 5.6 miles today down the levee (above) to the confluence then up First Ave to the Silver Creek trail. 58.1 miles for the month. Here are a few more pics I took along the way:

Our courthouse reflected in the Oostanaula



The confluence of the Oostanaula (left) and Etowah (right) rivers to form the Coosa River. The bridge at the right is the Robert Redden Footbridge, a former railroad bridge that rotated on the center column so steamboats could continue up the Oostanaula. The bridge at the right takes Broad Street across the Etowah to the foot of Myrtle Hill.




The Silver Creek Trail crosses the Etowah on another railroad bridge turned footbridge (above) then follows little Silver Creek for three-quarters of a mile as it cascades down to the river.


I've lived in Rome since 1962, but I was completely ignorant of these picturesque downtown views until last week!



Notice the nearly vertical sandstone and shale layers, evidence of the crumpling of the former sea floor here in the Ridge and Valley province between the Blue Ridge and the Cumberland Plateau. At our school I can take my kids out to the driveway cut and pull shell fossils and crinoid stems from the crumbly sandstone.



The creek flattens a little as it nears the river.




The 1913 postcard (above) shows a mill on Silver Creek. I suspect the foreground is a bridge over the Etowah and the mill was at the mouth of Silver Creek. Or else it is high water on some other section of the creek. If anyone knows where this picture was taken, please let me know.

The Iowa Caucuses

My take on the crazy Iowa Caucus effect on the horse race:

•Biggest Losers: Michelle, Rick P., Newt. Rick's out and Michelle and Newt are back in their "waiting for someone else to crash and burn" mode.

• Big Losers: Ron Paul, Mitt Romney
Paul did not live up to expectations and Romney after running for years lived up to his exact expectations, a 25% ceiling -- he could not improve on the %age or the actual number of votes from Iowa.

• Big Winner: Rick Santorum
The Tea Party started coalescing around him, as the last ultra-right guy standing, at exactly the right time. Santorum, who royally failed my "Comfort Test" during the debates, seemed to loosen up and get real in his victory speech tonight. If he can keep that level of sincerity and comfort -- horribly mistaken and misguided but sincere -- he may surprise us further.

• Bigger Winner: President Obama
Republicans were unable to increase the caucus participation over their 2008 numbers - a hint that Iowa may stay in the President's column in the fall. Newt gave him wonderful sound bites to use in his ads against Romney in the Gen'l Election, and surely there's a way to juxtapose the truth of the President's kept promises from Iowa four years ago with Romney's silly rants about the President being "in over his head". Should Romney falter in NH the radical difficult-to-elect Santorum would be most likely to replace him. The GOP candidate with the best shot, IMO, at defeating the President, Huntsman, gets his last shot in NH but as a relatively reasonable conservative doesn't seem to be catching on with the current radical GOP.

Were the Founders Libertarians?

I can't believe I am linking to David Frum, but here goes. He does a good job, in this 2010 essay, of debunking the claims of Ron Paul acolytes that 20th/21st Century libertarianism is a return to founding American principles.

"Eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year"

There was nothing poor about this meal!

I, of course, am an educated man. I have degrees from accredited and respected institutes of learning. I am a science teacher. I am not superstitious.

But why tempt fate?

Above you will find photographic evidence of my wonderful New Year's Day lunch, prepared expertly by my beautiful and brilliant bride.


My storytelling friend, Tersi Bendiberg, has reminded me via Facebook, of some of the delicious traditions for the first day of the year in several posts including a link to the (gasp) New York Times -- I guess Damn Yankees also have some concern about fate. Tersi also reminded us of wonderful storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham, who left us during the past year. Tersi tried to excuse her superstitious cooking as a tribute to Kathryn, but we're not fooled, Tersi.

Well here's our menu --

• Cornbread muffins. Cornbread is a mandatory accompaniment to the other dishes. It would be the height of folly to face the New Year without this quintessential American bread. Sheila used very little oil substituting apple sauce for some of it. They were great. No apple taste though. (The girl is trying to spare my ticker.)
• Turnip greens with carmelized onions. The greens represent the folding money you can expect for the next 365.25 days. Ours was crisp and fresh when it was chopped, and, I believe, in high denominations. What a great way to enjoy fresh greens. Just a little olive oil to grease up the onions. And of course I added a bit of hot sauce at the table.
• Hoppin' John with turkey sausage served over brown rice. The black-eyed peas represent the coinage available for the coming year. I choose to believe the rice kernels represent correctly cast votes this election year. (You know I couldn't avoid that!)
• Plain cold water to drink. The water represents our wonderful planet and reninds us of our need to be good stewards.

 I led a grace and we sat at the table, for a change. We are bad about gathering around the evening news to eat, which cannot be good for digestion. We all enjoyed it, though Lil is not fond of the slightly sweet aspect given to the greens by the onions. I loved the bitter/sweet combo of greens and onions.

An absolutely delicious meal. I had extra helpings of everything, just to be safe. I'm expecting those riches this year, but even if it doesn't work in that fashion, it was a yummy All-American way to get 2012 underway.

 "Eat poor on New Year's, and eat fat the rest of the year?" Nope. I ate rich today.

In Praise of Toilets

 I vaguely remember, as a very young child, having to use a chamber pot on a cold night -- probably at my grandmother's house. 

And I remember the cold walk onto her back porch in Porterdale, Georgia, where a cold little room had been added, with the cold seat.

I remember the path from the back door of our neat little parsonage in Dunkinsville, Ohio, out to the tiny smelly little shed with the bench punctuated by a couple of oval holes cut into it. And similar little sheds with crescent moons cut in their doors at little country churches like the one at Cartecay, Georgia. I remember Boy Scout camping trips and the temporary latrines we dug with our little camp shovels. I remember getting out the camp shovel again when our well went dry out in Booger Hollow, after Sheila and I were married, and finding a private spot in the woods near our little log cabin.

Well, folks, I have moved uptown. For Christmas this year I have purchased and installed an American Standard, Cadet 3, Dual Flush, Elongated Bowl, Water-efficient toilet: the very lap of luxury. Thanks to Deena (not her real name) this was not a blind choice.

You see, I am a card-carrying member and a director of the Coosa River Basin Initiative. This is the premiere environmental group in northwest Georgia. The CRBI mission is to conserve and protect the water resources of our wonderfully diverse watershed. And, I have to admit, for years, Sheila and I have wasted great amounts of water every day through our relatively new but highly inefficient toilets. Two flushes have been necessary as often as not, and each flush was using a couple of gallons of formerly pure water. So when we needed to call in a plumber to repair a toilet, we decided to use the opportunity to upgrade. I headed out to the a local big-box home supply store to find an efficient replacement and found Deena.

I had located the row of toilets and ascertained that the store carried two dual-flush models. Each offered a choice of one gallon or 1.6 gallon flushes and proclaimed itself wonderfully efficient in evacuating whatever contents necessary. Both were "chair" or "comfort" height. The pricetags were were the only obvious difference: one was $99, the other $198. The enthusiastically helpful Deena was johnny-on-the-spot (pun-intended, of course) to help me reach the right decision for my family. 

"Now, Mr. Shaw, both of these are good toilets. But the Cadet 3 here has a stronger flush, and you know what that means. If there's something left in the bowl, now what do you do?"

"Well," I sadly admitted, "I flush again."

"That's right, Mr. Shaw, and there goes the water savings right down the toilet. With the Cadet 3, one flush will do. Use the button on the left there for Number 1, and the one on right for Number 2. That's all it takes."

I was a little concerned about the height of the bowl. After all we have used a standard height bowl all these years. Would we find the higher seat uncomfortable?

"Well, now Mr. Shaw, we can put your mind right at ease about that. I think you'll find the 'comfort-height' just right. Just step right on over to our displays on the main aisle and try it out."

Deena led me to the busy main aisle, pointed to one of the "comfort-height" models, pulled out her tape measure to demonstrate its exact height, and then with a sweeping gesture invited me to sit and test it out. She observed with folded arms as I nestled my nether regions onto the porcelain throne, while assorted Romans with bemused expressions pushed their buggies past us. I expressed my approval of the comfort afforded by the increased height as a young family strolled by and the Daddy greeted me with "Hey, Mr. Shaw! I'm Jackie, remember me?" 

I laughed with Jacky awhile and explained that I was "trying out toilets". He reminisced about witnessing a pre-school child trying one out more completely at a different big-box store. 

"Oh, yes," Deena exclaimed, "we've had that happen right here. We have to cordon off the area, put up hazardous material tape, and call in a team in rubber gloves and masks to clean it up!"

Despite that disturbing image I was sold. Deena called in a young man to lift the 100 lb. box onto a flat cart, and I bought my 2011 Christmas present for myself. I got it up the stairs at home all by my self - no small feat. It is now installed and, I must say, flushing beautifully.

And I went online to sing Deena's praises at www.bigboxhomesupply.com -- I may not have gotten that link exactly right.

Gleaning Facebook: Christmas Eve 2013

Tonight, if all goes as planned, I will have an opportunity to reflect on these words of Christy Davis, my wonderful former student, as I stand in the annual Trinity nativity scene, shepherd's crook or wise man's gift in hand -- feeling the cold air on my face; smelling the hay; hearing Christmas carols punctuated with traffic noises, whispered talk among the viewers, and the animals milling about the scene; and watching denizens of the 21st century trying to recreate the wonder of those gathered at that humble stable at the beginning of the first. These are among my most cherished minutes of the Christmas season.

I think we downplay Christmas too much by making sweeping statements about Christ's divinity and the ultimate sacrifice to come. The magic of Christmas is that He arrived in the lowest of circumstances to a family that had been overlooked. Poor, hungry, and desperate for rest, they found the manger and the Child was born surrounded by animals and His parents. Isn't it interesting that in our lives, the most concrete examples we'll see of the unwavering, unfailing, and unquestioning love of Christ are our parents and our pets?

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. Love, expressed though undeserved, and always meant to be passed on without conditions or judgment.

Merry Christmas Eve, y'all. May you have shelter and food, warmth and safety, but may you also feel love beyond our own understanding and pass it on to someone who didn't earn it...Just like we did.

As we received, so may we give. - Christy Davis, FaceBook, December 24, 2013

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From Ralph Noble: "And while our elected leaders like to brag about how much they’ve cut spending, they wash their hands of its real-life consequences. Per capita state spending on education, for example, has fallen by 21 percent since 2008, according to Carolyn Bourdeaux of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, yet when local school districts complain that it has become financially impossible to pay their teachers and keep their doors open for a full school year, the governor and state legislative leaders refuse any responsibility."

[The article from the AJC about "Schoolkids: 'Will work  for food' signs?" seems to be no longer available]

Raymond Atkins

We just took a week's worth of food to a family whose Food stamp assistance was cut by 25%. These are real people, and they have nothing to eat.

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E.B. White comments on Christmas... 1949

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We enjoyed a beautiful service of carols and readings and an excellent meditation by David Campbell at Trinity this afternoon. Then we joined the folks in Mobley Hall to suit up for the nativity scene. Sheila and Brannon stood two shifts (angels at 7 & wise women at 8:30.) I was a wise man (type-casting) at 7:30 and Lil an angel at 8:30). This is the way we have spent Christmas Eve most years for several decades. A treasured tradition.

Sheila and i wish a very Merry Christmas for all our friends!

Jennifer Kellogg We were there for the Brannon and Sheila angels, except I thought Brannon was Lillian until we ran into Lillian on our way to the car. Always wonderful to see the Shaws but we missed seeing you!

Ruth Baird Shaw Gil and Janice drove by and saw you all in the nativity scene.
Terrell Shaw The service included communion and ended with the passing of light from the Christ candle of the Advent Wreath to each person while we sang Silent Night.
Barbara Jean Smith Merry Christmas!
Susan Cherones Christmas Blessings!

Nena Dake Merry Christmas!

Marsha Yancey Atkins Merry Christmas!

Ruth Pinson Merry Christmas!!!

Betty Smith Franklin Love this...have great family stories of it.
Elizabeth McGinnis Johnson MERRY CHRISTMAS
Laurie Craw See y'all sometime before Brannon leaves for her next adventure.

----------------------

Ruth Baird Shaw

I do not know any more perfect angels than those three!

Christmas 2011

 -----------------------

This will be remembered in our family as the Christmas that the girls were awakened at 9:30 with a knock on their doors and their mother's sweet voice, "Merry Christmas. That's the good news..."

Church was at ten this morning. Needless to say, by the time the Shaws arrived at Trinity the remaining seats were on the front row.

David Campbell was eloquent as always and proclaimed a bit of good news I had somehow missed in the past: the Greek word "lego" was translated in at least one place in the King James Bible as "sing" so that gives some precedence to imagine a lot of singing in the Christmas story. Don't we all want those angels "singing" rather than "saying" their good news?

--------------------

Joan Shaw Turrentine

Thank for sharing this story, Terrell.

Ruth Baird Shaw

Joan, I remember when you recited Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Can you still recite it?

Gleaning Facebook: Christmas 2011

 From Brannon's Facebook...

Snow on the magnolia.

White Christmas!

Christmas Eve.

Through the Skype we all will be together.

Home. Stockings.

Space heater. Not warm enough.

Gleaning Facebook: Nativity 2011

James Schroeder and Brannon Shaw as Joseph and Mary

 

Gleaning Facebook: A Non-Commercial Christmas

I apologize to my fellow Americans for failing to do my part for the economic recovery this Christmas. Maybe we can help a little during the after-Christmas sales.

This is our least commercial Christmas in our lives, I s'pose. Events intervened to prevent a lot of Christmas shopping, and we don't want our Christmas celebration time taken up with frantic last-minute gift-related activities. So we four will do things instead of buy things. We will give time, fellowship, love, donations, and good wishes instead of presents.

Sooooooo... I wish all of my Facebook family and friends a joyous, stress-free, reflective, "doing" Christmas and a wonderfully productive, meaningful, and happy 2012.

Boy! It's good to be back in good ol' Rome, Georgia! And in time for a few minutes of reflection in the Nativity Scene at Trinity on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Comments

Sarah L. Flannigan My kind of Christmas...and welcome home.
Jenifer Beaver I am seeing posts like this from a number of friends on facebook. It is so nice. I can't afford decorations, food for the season/entertaining and then buy more gifts on top of that. I choose decorating and cooking. Merry Christmas! I might see you tonight.

Barbara J. Gale The most wonderful gift is having my family around me...
Duane Parsons I am sure y’all did your part during the trip at gas stations and restaurants. <grin> With a consumption economy, now that gas attendant, waitress, etc. will be able to spread the wealth in their community.
Terrell Shaw True, Duane! And in NJ real old-fashioned gas pump attendants.

Joan Shaw Turrentine So glad you are home safe and sound!

Lynne Crothers Williams Hope you didn't come home to any storm damage.

Ann Gore Merry Christmas to all the Shaws! Love your post, true meaning of Christmas. Love, the Gores.
Betty Smith Franklin Merry Christmas to All! Have had many good memories of Rome this season....

leaning Facebook: Home from NYC

 Home, sweet home. Home at last!

Jim Ellington
Welcome, home, ya'll!!!

Lyn Davis
Glad you are home safely! Can't wait to see you!

Tersi Bendiburg
So thankful you are back home happy and safely.

Barbara J. Gale
Welcome home. I know everyone is glad you are home at last.

Gleaning Facebook: Perkins

Having dinner w my youngest at Perkins in Bristol VA. ... Five more hours maybe? It's a long way from NYC to Georgia's Rome.

Comments

Jann Heaton Skeen
did you miss our f-2 tornado??!

Jim Ellington
Eat a bread bowl for me, Terrell!!! LOL!

Terrell Shaw
Jim, spinach &. tomato omlette with (i hate to admit) pancakes. Yum. Jann, I had to experience the F2 vicariously thru Facebook. 

Jann Heaton Skeen
LOL!!!! Have a safe trip and Merry Christmas to you and yours. 

Monica Sheppard
That is near my parents and we just drove home from there today! It is about 5 hours. Safe travels!

Paula Graves
We just drove by there around noon. 

Jagdeep Singh
Remember we do it twice every year ... good news - soon u will be off the never ending I-81 

Tersi Bendiburg
Safe travels.

Sarah L. Flannigan
I miss Perkins...

Martin Penland Teem
Careful Dad. It isn't the years it's the miles.

Ann Gore
Be careful coming home!

Gleaning Facebook: One More Night in NYC

Headed South about midday tomorrow. Lil and Peter brot me some great Mexican take-out tonight. As usual I've enjoyed eating here.

Ruth Pinson
Have a safe trip back south...ya'll...ya hear? Merry Christmas my friend!

Terrell Shaw
Thanks, Ruth. And a Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Jennifer Peppers
Have a safe trip there and back. And Merry Christmas to you and your family. 

Sherry Jean Sims
Be safe. Merry Christmas to you & yours

Kathy Wilson
Be safe.Merry Chritmas to you and your girls.!

Gleaning Facebook: From Gwen Perkins

Your big midsummer get together reminded me of my family reunions. My mother was one of 15 children; my father, of 7, and as a result i had 56 first cousins. I feel so at home in crowds. Happy Holidays.

Gwen

Rest in peace, Harry Morgan

Seventy Years Ago

(December 8, 1941)

To the Congress of the United States:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Gleaning Facebook: A Good Place For All

“Inequality gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder.”

- President Barack Obama

"This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in"

- President Theodore Roosevelt

Two strong, thoughtful, brilliant men. Both wonderful writers long before they became presidents. Both strong supporters of enterprise and a strenuous life. Both cognizant of the dangers to liberty from unfettered greed and money in politics.

Comments

Roger Wade

yeah teddy......

Brian Barcomb
Noticed your first quote. The problem he fails to mention unions. Unions play a very large role in our country's political landscape by forcing membership and then using dues to promote politic figures and ideology that maybe contrary to members beliefs. Also the President continuously mis-speaks when he says "democracy". The United States is a Republic. TDR was more of a Progressive than Conservative. IMHO, the single best thing he did was to lead the battle to set aside land as National Parks

Brian Barcomb
Ironic.... a friend of mine made this post tonight and you commented on Mr. Obama and TDR. " Have you noticed that the 20th century presidents most trupted when you were in school were the liberal/statist. Teddy Roosevelt, imperialistic statist. Woodrow Wilson, anti-semite statist. FDR, war-time statist. LBJ, mega-statist. Only Kennedy was not particularly statist. By comparison, we were taught next to nothing about conservatives like Coolidge."

Terrell Shaw
Good Lord, Brian. Are you going back to the old John Birch fight. Of course we are a republic which is a representative form of democracy. I know of noone who advocates a "pure" democracy. Let's not get all twisted up in semantics.

Terrell Shaw
Your "statist" language is quaint.
Our history is replete with examples of the tension between the "common welfare" goal of the Constitution and the "blessings of Liberty" goal. Teddy Roosevelt and Barack Obama are excellent examples of men who adamantly demanded we balance the two.

Brian Barcomb
Free enterprise, free markets, and competition without government interference..... Less government involvement in individual freedoms and less entitlement programs

Terrell Shaw
I suppose you've heard my "moderation" sermon, but I can't help but preach it one more time. I am a firm believer in the notion that evil lurks in the political extremes. Unfettered capitalism (pure greed) is evil. Unfettered socialism (statism) is evil. Most of us agree on that. We have a devil of a time agreeing on where to place the fulcrum to achieve a balance. In my opinion the fulcrum was moved too far right about thirty years ago, causing an extreme redistribution of wealth toward the 1%. That's an imbalance that will wreck the republic, IMO.

Tersi Bendiburg
Agree with you, Terrell in the "evil lurks in the political extremes..."

Brian Barcomb
According to the IRS, the top 1% of income earners Pay more than 38% Of all Federal Income Taxes while earning 20% of All income. The bottom 50% of all income earners (less than $33k) Earned 13% of All income And paid less than 3% Of federal income taxes. The whole "fairness" doctrine has to be thrown out the window when debating taxes and redistribution of wealth. Telling the top 1% that they must pay more taxes (when they already pay the lion's share) so the bottom % can pay less is a flawed argument. Redistributing wealth from the top 1% will only harm the economy even more. It will force American made $ in tax sheltered accounts in foreign countries vs investing in the US economy and it will also shift jobs out of the US.

Terrell Shaw
If your argument were true the economy would have tanked in the fifties, sixties, and seventies when the top rates were much higher, or even in the nineties when they were considerably higher than now. The fact: highly progressive tax rates have not hurt the economy in the past. The Bush tax cuts on the other hand nearly wrecked us.
Progressive tax rates do not stifle entrepreneurs. Tax cuts to the wealthy do not "trickle down.
Those who gain the most from the blessings of this wonderful country should shoulder a much higher percentage of the financial load.

Terrell Shaw
BTW the tax cuts that do help the economy are those given to the middle class such as the one the GOP is fighting right now. Middle and lower classes actually spend their small "windfalls" and thereby goose the economy.

Thanks for the debate, Brian. Gotta sleep so I can teach tomorrow -- provided I don't get fired for arguing with one of the guys that hires me.

Brian Barcomb
no...no...no... Primary difference in political opinions and beliefs..... A personal who prospers from sweat, blood, and hard work should not have to pay a higher percentage than an individual that *choses* to live off entitlement programs. A person that works hard and sacrifices for the American dream should not be penalized. The person that lacks the desire to further their lives and choses to live off gov't $ should not be rewarded. "trickle down" is a matter of economics. If you tax the 1% we are speaking of even more, the less money you will have in the economy. That money will not be reinvested in the economy. Less money in the economy will equal an increase in Consumer prices and inflation.

Brian Barcomb
Haha... Always love a good political debate. Have a great day tomorrow!

Terrell Shaw
Again, a main difference is your seeming belief that people profit only from "sweat, blood, and hard work". That is part of it and should be rewarded, but is only part. The highway system, justice system, postal system, sewage system, education system, military system, trash disposal system, etc., etc. and many more etc.s are also involved. The rich owe a much larger debt to society... and will still be hugely richer than many equally sweating, bleeding, hard-working folks of lesser means. I don't want communism, that doesn't work. But I do support what I consider a moderate progressive tax. That is what truly raises all ships as it did in my youth. A strong middle class makes America strong. G'nite.

Tersi Bendiburg
@Terrell. No. No communism, please, that's why our family left Cuba. Very, very scary.

Terrell Shaw
That's something Brian and I can agree on, Tersi. 

Duane Parsons
Brian, et al: It looks like your IRS numbers may be correct, yet many of us (me especially) have no clue about percentages, so I looked up the dollar value. Taxpayers with an AGI (adjustable gross income) of $159,643 or more in 2009 constituted the nation's top 5 % of income earners. To break into the top 1 %, a tax return had to have an AGI of $343,947 or more, which was 10 % lower than the 2008 threshold of $380,354. The income threshold to break into the top 0.1 percent also fell dramatically from 2008 to 2009, from about $1.8 million in 2008 to $1.4 million in 2009.

“In 2009, the top 1 percent of tax returns paid 36.7 percent of all federal individual income taxes and earned 16.9 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI), compared to 2008 when those figures were 38.0 percent and 20.0 percent, respectively.”

“…as in 2008, the top 1 percent no longer pays a larger percentage of total income tax than the bottom 95 percent. …. During 2009, the bottom 95 percent (AGI under $154,643) paid 41.3 percent of the total collected, a larger share than the 36.7 percent paid by the top 1 percent (AGI over $343,947).”

Some are still trying to dismiss concerns about rising inequality as somehow foolish. But the truth is that the whole nature of our society is at stake. I am sure the tax fairness debate will go on, but I still find it difficult to understand why so many 99 % conservatives are fighting the battle for people making over $343,947 a year when some undoubtedly must be liberals. http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html

Thank you Mr. President

I continue to be very proud of my vote in 2008. Thank you Mr. President for your efforts to unite us, despite the stonewalling of the opposition party and the name-calling and pettiness that you have encountered day-after-day. Thank you for living up to the overwhelming majority of your promises despite the stubborn recession that turned out to be even worse than any of us realized in 2008. After a fight of 100 years beginning with Teddy Roosevelt, you have helped us achieve, as you promised you would, a universal healthcare program. It is among the most conservative programs of its type in the world, but it is a vast improvement over the system it replaced.

Here is an Op-ed from the LA Times:
In Praise of "Obamacare"

You Done Lost Yo' Apples

Yesterday a Facebook friend admitted to falling through her ceiling. I had to tell her this story, famous among the Shaws.

My Uncle Bill was an electrician. This day his baby brother Jack was his assistant. When they arrived at the house their knock was answered by a prim older lady who sweetly and with great condescension explained that, "If you boys do a good job and don't leave a mess..." (in her upscale spotless Atlanta home) "...I'll give y'all a big bag of apples to take with you."

Later while Bill worked on the outlet in the bedroom below and Jack snaked a new wire across the attic, Jack lost his balance. Suddenly Bill was covered with dust and and debris and, looking up, saw Jack's legs dangling from a tangle of insulation, sheetrock, and wiring. Without a pause he looked into Jack's frightened eyes peering down through the dust cloud, shook his head sadly, and chuckled these immortal words, "You done lost yo' apples."

In the forty-five or so years since then, every mess-up in our family has elicited that retort: "You done lost yo' apples."