Great Pick. No attorney is a wonderful pick. Our Federal Government is run by attorneys and attorneys can not run a business they can only run their mouth and try to change our Contitutionial Laws because that is all they know how to do,

Paul Ryan is a great pick because he comes across as a young, EXPERIENCED professional with financial insight to the way the federal budget works and it's shortcomings. The opposition will piss and moan, make up things he never said to try and scare people regarding budget cuts, and do all sorts of diversionary stunts to deflect from their record - which is a proven failure, but I personally am thrilled with the choice. Ryan's a good guy - not the greatest orator but I'll listen to a Cheesehead with common sense anyday over Palin's whine or Biden's conjecture. The unions will be upset but guess what? Overinflated pensions which are not in line with the public sector can't be sustained forever. Wake up, there is no Santa Claus and it's time we do what's good for the country and not for a select few who keep these other bozos in office by their ignorance in voting blindly.

Good choice if you're not old and relying on medicare for your health concerns.....WAIT!.....Many Floridians ARE old and retired and relying on medicare for their health concerns. Whoops! If these 2 are elected, you are toast.

Wow....Feel like I'm watching one of my favorite shows...*Glee

"Substantially restructures Medicare; cuts Medicaid, food stamps, and transportation infrastructure; and it reduces the top tax rate from 35% to 25%."

I think this pretty much says it all. This is not the pick for you if you are elderly or low income. He is your man, however, if you are wealthy enough to be in the top tax bracket. The highest bracket was reduced from 39.8 to 35 under George Bush. I'd like to known when my middle class tax bracket is going to go down.

Unions had their place in history, they have no place in our future they serve only to serve themselves. Anyone with talent can negotiate a better deal independently of any union, they no longer represent the trades/industry they purport to serve, only a minority of the workers in any one industry are members yet the union makes decisions for the whole, that is not the values we should respect as Americans.

This is Paul Ryan proposal for Medicare. You can educate yourself:

http://www.kff.org/medicare/upload/8179.pdf

Voted "Biggest Brown noser" by his high school class, he has reached his life long ambition. Pity the poor, that's all they are going to get. The money belongs to Herr Mitt.

What's an $8,000 voucher and $22,000 out of pocket expense, for retired Floridians on fixed incomes, for healthcare?.............A vote for President Obama

Like the Masked Blogger when he said..." I myself am not a fan of exorbitant salaries CEO's and board members receive by any means..... but you have to admit the pensions for some public employees is way out of line with people in the private sector." I may not like the exorbitant salaries paid to Ben & Jerry's executives but I don't have to buy their ice cream but I have no choice, I must pay for the impossible to maintain pensions and salaries of the civil servants. Expenditures must be cut... What part of "we are out of money do you not understand?" If you can't get a job that pays what you want, take a job that pays less. Did you really need that 50 inch flat screen TV, Cable and Smart Phone? As a Floridian I like Rubio but feel Ryan is a good choice and with the economy the way it is maybe Ryan is a better choice. We are Americans, we must tighten our belts and get on with bring back America to it's place in the world, debt free. To do that we MUST cut spending.

I think Ryan is a solid pick for Romney. He solidifies Romney's increasing down-the-line conservatism - he's young and energetic, and he's thought of as a policy guy, which will hopefully do a lot to shift the silly nature of the political dialogue we've seen this far in both campaigns towards an actual, substantive discussion of issues.

That's all academic, though. I completely disagree with all of the policies on the Romney-Ryan ticket and will vote Obama-Biden.

Amen masked blotter. It is such a shame that something for nothing is what so many strive for.

Equating professional associations to unions is a huge stretch and beyond ludicrous not to mentioned only a small minority of doctors belong to the AMA and neither the AMA nor the ABA decides who goes to college or how much a graduate makes the free market does.

Reaganesque!

What is a riskier chance is to have Social Security and Medicare go bankrupt and then no seniors have any benefits. That is what this nation faces. Some hard choices must be made for our nation, our children and grandchildren.

To play the fear card does not move any politician to do the right thing now and save those programs that I and millions of seniors invested in. Time to give me the money and let me invest it at a higher rate of return, the money belongs to me and I can pass it along to my son and his children as a financial legacy. That is what makes sense.

Doing the same thing and expecting different results with Social Security and Medicare only leads to bankruptcy.

Wow, lots of passion! Here are some simple solutions:
1) Transfer ownership of California, yep all of it, to China in exchange for our debt. (It's going to fall off anyway but don't tell the Chinese)..
2) Put every current and future retirees on Social Security, no more federal, state military, postal, or local pension plans of any kind, savings and SS thats it.
3) Nationalize oil companies, utility companies, banks, and health care-take the greed/profit out them.
4) Outlaw all Insurance companies, Wall St. Stock and trading, and Attorneys.
5) The National Dog shall be the Bulldog (because if I'm solving all the worlds problems I want this one), and a bulldog picture on the new one billion dollar bill!.
6) Everyone is to stop worrying so much its just an election. Has any election in our lifetime really changed anything, really, (OK I'll admit Clinton did better than most but no real lasting change). This whole thing is just a dog and pony show being used to divide us!
7) And If your not having fun-you are not visiting downtown Gulfport often enough :)

So many pseudonyms! Lots of opinions - lots of pseudonyms??? No one wants their real name connected with their real opinions?

Listen Cecilia - you're breaking my heart!

Will the tires hurt more the first time or more when Ryan backs up the bus? Just think. .. ... with ryan there will be a President to sign the bills AND some one to tell him which ones to sign. I don't understand. .. ...if Bush was so good why is he and Cheny not front and center at the Tampa affair? Not a peep, only words in hidden meetings and closing elevators doors and they left office with such strong feelings from our countrymen towards them Ah-Hu mmmm . .. ... Just think no safety net to to tangle up the Bosses, free to invest in the sweat shops of So.America and China tax free plunder kept in foreign banks, WOW!!! Bob Marley/Tiny Tim here we come! Bush on steroids, yeah there's a thought. Obama's shoring up the economy, but no surplus yet, why I bet Mittens and Ryan can really nail the lid on the coffin . YA THINK! No jobs, no pesky safety net, Potters field here we come.What are they serving over at the soup kitchen?

So sorry just an oversight:
#8 Justin Bieber and Rap music shall not be played on the airwaves.
Wow, I love having all this imaginary power! But seriously I'm happy to see someone else with a light hearted view on all this:)

It is painful to see people already in enemy camps, getting news and opinions without thinking and reflecting. I also worry about people thinking they can invest their own money and do better than social security. As a former banker with 25 years experience, no that will not work. Why not go to pro pubLica today and read their remarkable compendium of articles on Ryan. Fair and unbiased, well thought out journalism. Try it for a change. It might be hard to look beyond your own already formed opinions but we need people to stop and think.

Which is exactly the point anyone who thinks we need 4 more years of Obama is not thinking, he is ruining our nation and he must be stopped.

Eight yrs. of Bush and you'r worried about Obamha serving four more [LOL]

Rather than laughing the mere thought should make you cry

When Ryan talks about dems wanting a 'transference of wealth' their actually hiding the 'transference' their talking about. Medicare is the largest medical ins. co. in the country, as S/S is the largest mutual-fund. Both of these entities are self-funded with replenishment factors assuring their solvency. Why do you think the 'privateers' (Medicare-advantage cos.) spend millions in advertisinf trying to get a piece of that of that so called broke program called Medicare?..because it isn't broke! S/S same story. Except the guys who want that gem are the '401-guys', ya, the same ones that crashed your investment portfolio! Do you really want these crooks handling your money? Well vote for Romney-Ryan and thats what you'll get.

Medicare solvency: 58 million seniors at $100 per mo. = 5 bill. / 800 mill., or 69 bill. / 600 mill per annum., or (since they seem to like 10 yr. projections) 700 bill. per decade! Now do you understand why the private ins. industry wants to have this!

If you're rich and racist, your gonna love, Romney and Ryan

If Romney wasn't right and white enough for you...
Enter Paul Ryan
Now there's a bumper sticker with real meaning

Great discussion peppered with a lot of name calling and melodramatic conclusions.
It certainly is easy to tell who likes the handouts and who believes we should assume responsibility for ourselves. The point is, our national debt is not sustainable
and current projections are not encouraging. Over 100 million people are receiving some type of govt support - a third of our population.
50% do not pay income taxes. The top 10% pay 70% of all income taxes. The easy answer is - tax them even more. Except that will not work - take all of their income, 100%, and that will not make a dent in the $16 Trillion debt.
The tax code is far too complex and must be reformed. Entitlement programs have ballooned under both Republican and Democrat administrations/congress. Why? Because politicians use handouts to buy votes. Those on govt support tend to vote for the govt that is supporting them.
Until tax laws are changed and entitlement programs are reformed, we will not recover - it will only get worse.

We have a national problem that we cannot solve until we realize that personal responsibility is OUR problem, one the govt cannot solve.

Rick what does the color of one's skin have to do with being president or vice president? Sounds like you might just be the racist here.

P Ryan is the perfect candidate to assist the democrats to do a clean sweep. His budget plan is so popular. Everyone wants less or no Medicare! yeah. Everyone wants more tax cuts for the 1% so we can all enjoy trickle down economics! I'm thrilled he is on the ticket.

Romney & Ryan will try to abolish Social Security & Medicare - too radical to be elected.

Wow, look a Kool-Aid stand - right here in Palm Harbor!

Our family left France to escape Socialism, and you people embrace it? And don't call it otherwise because that's what wealth redistribution is when it comes down to it.

Well said Jack Sprat....the only truly reasonable comment so far....Ryan is a nice choice

If the gov't. is so broke from S/S & Medicare then tell the 'privateer-parasites', i.e. the private medicare advantage cos. and the big investment banks that try to trade your S/S for their 401K's and funds to take a hike! You think they will?...Hell no! They want the most overly-endowed of ALL the gov'ts programs to be transferred to their coffers This modern day 'carpet-bagging / Robber-Barron' idiocy is coming to dismantle OUR gov't. and some of you goons have bought the conservative line that it won't affect you. Think again 'bucky', you'll be the first to go under!

Romney should have selected Tim Pawlenty or Olympia Snowe, both of them talented and responsible leaders. By selecting the extremist Ryan, he embraces someone whose budget proposals would destroy the ability of the future elderly of this nation to be able to get medical care when they are least able to pay for it themselves, and least able to navigate the pitfalls of greedy private insurance companies. Romney could have attracted centrist Republicans and independents, but now he is going to lose them to Obama. Sad, but it was his choice, and he blew it.

The government is nearly $16 Trillion in debt. We cannot keep spending. Ryan has a plan. I can be adjusted. He doesn't expect it would be accepted in total. But it is a serious effort to get our fiscal house in order. If we don't do it now, it will be chaos in the future. If you think it wll hurt seniors to get this under control now, wait a few more years and few trillion more in debt.

The Ryan budget plan is to gut the middle class, and the poor, even further than was done over the past thirty or so years.

There has been so much wealth transference in favor of the ultra rich that it borders on the criminal; oh wait, stealing in accordance with acts of Congress seems to be legal.

Therefore, those who control the political power, the top 1 or 2 %, plus those corporations who put profit above ethics (particularly enabled by the Citizens United 5 to 4 decision of the Supreme Court), can dictate the fate of the other 92% of Americans.

Social Security simply needs a bit of tweaking, and Medicare needs a bit more plus some serious cost controls like allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, just the way the private insurance companies do now.

Unfortunately, some Americans simply don't care about anyone but themselves, and they are willing to let the elderly and the disabled and the poor suffer whatever the "free market" will bring them.

For those greedy people, Mr Ryan offers a wonderful opportunity to pull even more out of the pockets of those least able to defend themselves.

Nice touch, Mitt.

SS and Medicare are broke and under funded by about $70 Trillion (this assumes that each year we put money in, we are "owed" that level of service). In fact, both SS and Medicare no longer show positive cash flow. This now will start to increase the deficits (if accounted for accurately). For SS, there are now 3 workers for each retiree. When started, there were over 20. Berny Maddoff is chump change compared to our politicians who have sold us this scam. If you are under 55, there will be no SS or Medicare as we know it UNLESS something changes. Those are the FACTS.

If it wasn't for the destructive cut-tax-revenues schemes of the George W Bush administration, while simultaneously launching both a legitimate war in Afghanistan plus an unjustified and unnecessary war in Iraq, we would not be talking about whether Social Security and Medicare had substantial cash flow issues in their futures.

Both the Domenici (Republican)-Rivlin (Democrat) panel of the Bipartisan Policy Institute (founded by four of the greatest Senate Majority Leaders this nation has known, two Republicans and two Democrats), as well as the Simpson (Republican)-Bowles (Democrat) commission, have called for a combination of spending cuts and (Horror!) tax increases to bring us into greater balance as well as reduce the national debt, as was done during the Clinton era.

Cut the crap about "funding problems" for these two critical programs for current and future elderly Americans, and, instead, pay attention to the two-part-solutions recommended by both of these careful and responsible panels.

For Jack Dolac
You state, "Ryan has a plan. I can be adjusted. He doesn't expect it would be accepted in total. But it is a serious effort to get our fiscal house in order. If we don't do it now, it will be chaos in the future. If you think it wll hurt seniors to get this under control now, wait a few more years and few trillion more in debt."

I know I have heard someone say something almost identical to that concerning something else, and the Republcans fought it tooth and nail. Now who said it and what was he talking about?

Oh I remember now, it was President Obama and he was talking about the Affordable Healthcare Act! I wonder if you could share your feelings with us on that?

"I wonder if you could share your feelings with us on that?"

There is nothing affordable about the Affordable Healthcare Act. It is a simple and straightforward redistribution scheme that does nothing to reduce the cost of healthcare.

OK enough of this nonsense, effective right now I declare all debts both public and private null and void. Look the world did not end, nor would it.
Use your perspective: we could not be a Nation with out Socialism, (schools, taxes , roads, defense, etc are all "socialist" and "Communisim" comes from community, liberal from liberty, these are not bad words and in moderation benefit all of us, the US dollar is just a score keeping device we can change anytime we want, grow up.
If this does not settle it it will be settled with Sabers, or Marqaritas, at 6pm arrgh! :)

I think the partisan rhetoric on both sides in this thread misses the point. The point is do you want more or less government control or you life or not.

This is not about helping people. This is all about control. Both political parties are to blame. Politicians can no longer make promises that taxpayers cannot keep. We are broke!

Republicans will kill Social Security & Medicare.

Neither party wants less government. They both know the more government the more money goes into the coffers of the industries that pay their salaries.

Remember when being a public servant was a duty not a carreer path. Congress and Senate members who are paid for their whole lives not really standing for anything other than their next paycheck. Presidents and V.P. who are just working towards their "retirement" job.

Our system is so broke and the people in charge, love when the middle class fights itself over the minor differences they at us to keep us looking the other way.

Was Bush a lying bastard? yes. Is Obama a lying bastard? yes. Is Romney a lying bastard? yes.

If you haven't figured that out by now, then who should really be asking the questions?

How about the 400 billion, yep 400 BILLION, our leaders have spent, so far, to rebuild Afganistan, (seem their stone masons make more than American Masons). Or the bombs we drop that cost 1.5 million EACH, seems to me we could find a cheaper way to blow up buildings and maybe just send the surviviors some fleetwood trailers... These Medicare and SS budget problems and cuts are just the tools being used to divide and distract us from real mis-spending issues. In a great country like ours we should be ashamed that anyone goes without food, shelter, medical, education, or opportunity. You can see this as a burden on society but ultimately it's better to lift someone than step over them, this is what will makes us a great country, "United we stand-divided we fall". I think our issues stem from not having a clear limits/priorities for our Government and letting them distract and divide us. Congress spends hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars on research to study the homosexuality of seagulls, how much methane cows put out, bridges to nowhere, etc. They spend billions of our tax dollars rebuilding countries that we spent billions making into rubble, they even give 10 billion to Pakistan, etc, then sell us on the idea that we are broke and the American people, rich and poor, must suffer, what a load of crap! It is simply time to for the American people to bring back tar and feathers, apply liberally, then rinse and repeat, as often as necessary.....:)

To RMS
No one seems to want "more" government, until they "need" government. Ask any Republican Governor of a state that has been hit by a natural disaster, if he wants less federal government when it comes to federal aid. Ask any corporate CEO if he wants to give up his corporate tax breaks. No need to ask the 1% if the want to give up their Bush tax break, they are willing to spend millions to keep them. Ask a grandmother on $25,000 a month dialysis treatment if she wants to give up medicare. Ask a single mother with a child with a serious injury or health issue if they want to give up medicaid. Ask a college student if they could afford an education without government loans. Ask yourself, how much are you ready to cut defense. Ask manufacturers how they would survive without roads and bridges. How many cops, teachers and fireman should be let go?

And, not everyone is "broke". There is a segment of society that has amassed amazing wealth over the past thirty "trickle down" years.

Ryan is just another right-wing ideologue apologist for the wealthy. Never worked a day in his life and yet he has the "answer" - Hogwash!

My point is made by Rick. Every discussion devolves into R vs D. No one needs government. The role of government is to protect our property. We give government certain roles like police, fire fighting, EMS and the military to protect us. Natural disasters occurred well before FEMA and people rebuilt their communities. Again the issue is giving government control by giving it power. That is the issue!

Citizens of America unite against government power! Take control by taking your power back!

I only point to what the late great George Carlin once said in one of his skits, he must have had tea leaves to consult-

"That’s right. They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around a kitchen table and think about how badly they’re getting !@%# by a system that threw them overboard 30 @$!#' years ago. They don’t want that. You know what they want? They want obedient workers . . . Obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork. And just dumb enough to passivel
y accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it, and now they’re coming for your Social Security money. They want your !@%$!$' retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street, and you know something? They’ll get it . . . they’ll get it all from you sooner or later cause they own this @$#!' place. It’s a big club and you ain't in it''- GEORGE CARLIN

RMS
Not sure how I "made your point". I think you made mine, you can't cherry pick the programs "you" think are important and disregard those that others rely on for survival. Here in lies the problem with the "conservatives" argument. Thank you RMS for demonstrating my point so well...

Rick makes my point again by using the word "conservative", an attempt to put a person in a box of their ideological design.

The issue is bigger than that. It is about taking back the power from all politicians at every level regardless of party. Unless and until that happens America is just another Greece but with no one to bale it out.

Power to the people!

Swiffer,
Perhaps you could explain to us what you meant by this statement?
"AND he never wore his pants halfway down his backside."
I'm pretty sure Bernie Madoff "never wore his pants" down there either.
Does that put them in the same club?

RMS makes my point yet again.
Liberals understand that government serves a purpose and that is to protect the rights of "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness of all Americans.
The conservatives feel, government is only their to serve their needs and the suffering of others is better than any sacrifices they (conservatives) might be asked to make. Thanks once again for helping me make my point...

But wait;
Tell us what you meant by
"AND he never wore his pants halfway down his backside."

See, Rick thinks in terms of liberal vs conservative. That divides the people. There is a political saying that if you are not at the table you are on the menu.

Too many on this thread want to put their party at the table. I do not want to be on either of their menus. I own the table and I will decide what I eat.

Citizens unite against the menu makers!

If Obama gets elected there will be nothing to eat so you won't need a menu

So Micheal what do the voices tell you we should do?

first Obama is not a Capitalist he is a Socialist, second if you want to argue about grammar and misspellings please go back and re-read your last comment, third you don't know what I read or what I listen to so please do not assume you do, lastly Obama has had 4 years to get something/anything right and all he has done is screwed things up and gone on vacation, there are only two choices in November, the only sane choice is Romney, unlike you we must live in the real world not some theoretical one we living not writing a thesis.

great so you agree, Romney is the best choice, the tri-party debate should be saved for another time as 3rd parties right now, in this election serve not the public good oh and sorry about the misspelling
but if your gonna throw rocks be prepared to get some thrown back

Michael I happy to agree with you about the flat tax but, I will again remind you we must live in the real world, saying neither is good and here is what we should do is NOT being realistic, we have only 2 choices and if the USA is to be saved from the "handout" mentality and fiscal irresponsibility we are currently faced with it is Mr. Mitt Romney, The news is going to do whatever it wants even if your cry its problems from the tallest building, get over it save America and vote Romney

For Mr Spratt, in response to your 01:39 comment:

It sounds as if you may have been out of the country for most of 2011, and unable to view your favored propaganda network on the foreign TV.

President Obama had worked out a tentative deal with Speaker Boehner, somewhat along the lines of the revenue increase + spending cuts recommendations of both Simpson-Bowles and Domenici-Rivlin.

But Boehner got his fanny spanked by the lunatic fringe of the Tea Party members in the Republicans in the House of Representatives, and the deal fell apart.

There was no way that Obama could then successfully push for Simpson-Bowles in the Congress considering the failures in the House where even the Republican Speaker could not control his own party coalition.

What ever happened to swiffer wet pet?
They never answered the question, what did you mean by,
AND he never wore his pants halfway down his backside."?
Did you get could up in the moment, and your true "colors" came out?
Come on, be the first Republican to admit how you really feel. They say the truth will set you free...

There's quite a few 42 year olds who still act immature socially, as much as there are these "want to be gangsters" today but Mr. Ryan has earned the respect of most of his colleagues (in both parties) and proven he can handle the heat despite his perceived youth. The reference? He's not some punk and has done more to try and enlighten people about our looming economic crisis more than almost all of his peers.

Are you insinuating that President Obama is a punk who "wore his pants halfway down his backside."?
Come on, if you're a bigot, admit it.
Your premise is funny, considering there hasn't been a republican in the past decade that didn't help create or even recognize the "economic doom". Tell me, of all the Republican initiatives over the past 30 years that have not led us to the "economic doom"
Enlighten who?
Are you refering to the wealthy folks that have him in their pocket?
You do know the only real job he has ever had was a politician and whatever "ethical" money he has made was government money. So as a "public servant" how did he gain such wealth?

One thing to note everyone pays taxes as if you live in as home or apartment you pay property taxes if you but food or other items you pay sales taxes and corporate taxes but many are hidden taxes so saying poor and middle calls so not pay tax is a total lie as they do

Ryan is the third rail for Romney....instant death. A brave but doomed choice. I won't be voting for them. Why do all of the pols want to reduce or eliminate benefits to our citizens but don't say much about the immense amount of money that is squandered by sending it to countries that hate us? We could put a dent in the debt if we would just quit sending money to others and take care of ourselves. Oh, and by the way, how much money is being spent in Afghanistan? They are turning on our soldiers every day. The supposedly "friendly" Afghan soldiers are now killing our own.
I would like to see them all come home and let the Afghans,the Pakistanis and all of the rest of them kill each other instead of us.

When the federal government needs to borrow money it issues Treasury bonds. The largest single holder of Treasury bonds is SS. And SS earns interest on those bonds. That’s the Social Security “trust fund”. So, what’s with all the talk about the “bankrupt” trust fund? And what does Social Security have to do with the deficit? Imagine if you suddenly didn’t have to pay your mortgage, Wow, that would erase a large chunk of debt .Thats what Ryan is engaging in; wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to make good on those loans. SS/Medicare do not add to the deficit by law! Perhaps the deficit hawks are confused or maybe they want us to be confused... The other argument made by SS opponents to raise fear about the national debt is how much our government borrowed from China:
According to the U.S. Treasury US debt was $13.562 trillion held as follows:
42.1 % Individuals and Institutions/ 17.9 % Social Security Trust Fund/ 6.0 % US Civil Service Retirement Fund/ 2.1 % Military Retirement fund/ 11.7 % Oil Exporting Countries/ 9.5 % China and Hong Kong/6.3 % Japan/1.4 % United Kingdom/1.3 % Brazil/1.6 %All other foreign countries. The federal government has overspent with two wars, a huge tax cut for the wealthy, and an unregulated banking industry that led to a this recession. The deficit came about because of Congressional spending, by both parties, not because of SS or Medicare. So what is Ryan actually peddling and why?

Your argument for why you're no racist, because your father gave minorities work...
I guess the same could be said for southern plantation owners...

Listen to what Erskine Bowles the Democrat Co-Chair on the Obama Commission on Fiscal Responsibility said about Paul Ryan's budget.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbzpuqWo6yU

Name calling on this thread is bullying. Plain and simple. Please argue with logic not emotion! You will feel better about yourself and more people will listen to you opinions.

So, I guess we're even

Rick is a leftist insurgent who decries everything American. He longs for the days of Trotsky, or Castro or any place where Communism or Socialism makes progress.
I BET he does this from his 200,00.00 dollar home and his less than 2 year old car while watching his big screen TV (CNN, MSNBC, Al[jazeeriah network (sp) ). You bad bad capitolists ruin it for him. He is probably going to drown his sorrows in a Starbucks Grande Mocha mint expresso, while continuing to write his socialist manifesto and dreamily look out for a possible socialistic paradise coming in the next election........good times.

Just wanted to jump in and say thanks for all of the comments and the good debate in this comment thread. Thanks for staying on thread after this many comments.

Nope. Thats not me u are discribing at all. Outside of the 200000 house being the servants quarters, that's Mitt and Paul you're discribing to a tee.

Now naturally I can't speak for ALL conservatives. I can only speak for the dozen or so I know pretty well. None of them will admit to being racist

Now naturally I can't speak for ALL liberals. I can only speak for the dozen or so I know pretty well. None of them will admit to being socialists

Let's see NCI
One groups interest is treating all mankind as equals.
The other is of course, the exact opposite.
Nice that you share with us all, which way you lean.
Enough said, thanks again for helping me make my point...

For my new friend swiffer,
Ditto

If someone posts to multiple Patch sites in Florida, multiple Patch sites in Virginia and Multiple Patch sites in New Hampshire does that person qualify as a TROLL? If that person then goes into a racism and bigotry routine does he qualify as an Obama Troll?

Thank you Lynda.
Nice comment about Romney's own words.
I hope you don't think thats "fair", to use Romney's own words.
Ok, it might be fair but with him being on both sides of every issue at one time or another, it sure will get confusing... and you know easy it is to confuse the right. Hell the idiots at FOX Snooze can do it to them...

Paul Ryan on Fox News "Special Report" being interviewed tonight at 6pm, by Brit Hume...... something tells me it won't be a spliced interview like CBS did.

NCI
Are you one of those right wing stalkers?
Thank you for the compliment, by taking the time to look up what I choose to read.
I'm sorry, but I never found anything you had to say, worth the effort. And although I have no idea why you would care, I have property and business interest in all three states. Now, do I have to go out and buy a watch dog, or is that the extent of you stalking?

A Troll is a Troll is a Troll. You should just stop bothering people.

Barasso might be a patch employee stirring it up all over the place. You are all racists because you are against a black man = lots of posts, lots of activity, patch wins. I smell a patch troll!!!

It might not be prudent to tell my right wing stalker where I'll be on election day.

Did it ever occur to you that Jethro Gibbs (NCI ESS) may be a left wing troll trying to make conservatives appear to be not the sharpest knives in the drawer. If so, it is a brilliant move because he is succeeding.

Excellent point! So, do you think I need to get the attack dog to fend off the stalker? I remember how a conservative treated Gabbe Gifford, and the children in Oklahoma City. They do appear to be an unstable bunch...

I must admit when debating the issues with these guys, I do feel a bit like Ali in the ring with a bunch of featherweights...

Maybe Paul Ryan's record will matter too.

http://www.rlc.org/2012/08/11/the-paul-ryan-record/

Wait, so if the Gran Old Tea Party is against this sort of a thing, and Ryan votes for exactly what they hate, why do they hate Obama for doing so, but are energized by Ryan having done the very same?

Could it be racism? Coincidence? Something else?

Useful information for Christians about Ryan budget proposals:

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/13/nation/la-na-ryan-catholic-20120813

http://franciscanaction.org/news/exec/Franciscans%20Call%20for%20Gov.%20Romney%20to%20Speak%20with%20Greater%20Dignity%20for%20the%20Poor

http://www.catholics-united.org/content/media-advisory-catholics-protest-paul-ryan-georgetown-university

http://www.catholics-united.org

Thanks, but aside from religious issues, Maureen Dowd had a terrific column today.

You can read it at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/opinion/dowd-when-cruelty-is-cute.html?hp

Hi everyone,

I had to remove a few posts for violating our terms of service. Also, I should point out that it's easy to spot Patch employees and their comments. We all have these Patch logo icons on our comments, like the one you see on my comment. What does Paul Ryan have that you feel will help or hurt Tampa Bay (or your town) specifically if his ticket is elected in November?

In today's Financial Times, on page 4, there is a very informative article on the selection of Ryan as Romney's running mate.

The header of the article noted that Ryan voted for three major laws which which substantially increased the US national debt:
(1) The June 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug Act;
(2) The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) of October 2008; and,
(3) The Auto Industry Financing & Restructuring Act of December 2008.

The article goes on to note that some Republican strategists are concerned that the pick may give the Obama reelection effort a big boost. One such Republican is Mark McKinnon, a former strategist for George W Bush, who said that the Ryan selection was a “bold” and interesting choice, but one that meant Republicans would: “Probably lose. Maybe big.”

So, the issue for the GOP election team will be whether Ryan's many negatives will far outweigh any excitement he brings to the previously dull Romney candidacy.

Thank you for the defense Chris,
I take it from whenst it came and paid it no mind
Sorry Rollo,
I thought all you featherweights had realized, you'd been knocked out of the ring.
Give me something worth debating and I'll continue to make you all look like the sheep being led by the FOX (pun intended) that you are...

DOT
That was a good article by M. Dowd
She is a great writer and a brilliant woman.
I really enjoyed her finish:
The secretive, ambiguous Romney was desperate for ideological clarity, so he outsourced his political identity to Ryan, a numbers guy whose numbers don’t add up.
This just proves that Romney will never get over his anxiety about not being conservative enough. As president, he’d still feel the need to prove himself with right-wing Supreme Court picks.
Ryan should stop being so lovable. People who intend to hurt other people should wipe the smile off their faces.

Leave it to Patch who has all the journalistic chops of the night clerk at the GAP to edit comments that just point out obvious items outing a shill violates the TOS? I cannot see how. But when your shill claims everyone else is a racist.......crickets........go figure. you're not long for the world as soon as everyone catches on you'll be like THE Onion funny but no one takes it seriously.

Oh my goodness Mr. Tomasi, I'm surprised you didn't get a written hand slapping, by the editor, for your critisim . :-) LOL!

Cheese with that?

No thanks rick. Had my wine earlier with dinner. Just FYI - "LOL" usually means the comment was posted in jest. No whining going here.....;-)

Sorry Mtober
It wasn'i meant for you.It was aimed at Little Rollo.
Sorry for the confussion

Children, children; let's try to keep this focused upon the actual issues, and leave the extreme name-calling for the playground.

Now, as for the thanks for the Dowd link, that wasn't me (but, yes, I certainly agree that it is worthwhile reading).

Paul Ryan pick means Romney takes Florida easily.

Romney has favored a constitutional amendment that says that no one can be president unless he or she has run a business in the private sector for three years.

So why did he pick a VEEP who, if the amendment passes, will not be eligible?

In other ways too, Ryan's voting record is pretty much like Obama's:

http://www.rlc.org/2012/08/11/the-paul-ryan-record/

It is almost as if Romney wants Obama to be his VEEP. Someone who supports RomneyCare.

Paul Ryan will help Romney explain to the Seniors in Florida how Obama transfers out of Medicare some 700 billion dollars to pay for Obamacare. In others words money is taken away from seniors or the Elderly and given to others.

$700,000,000,000 is a lot of money for the Elderly to lose out on.

MediCare-Democrats have stepped on a landmine.
http://nation.foxnews.com/charles-krauthammer/2012/08/15/krauthammer-democrats-have-stepped-land-mine-medicare

Paul Ryan will cogently explain to the Seniors in Florida what they democrats have done to MediCare, basically gutted it.

Who doesn't love it, when the same people that constantly shout "OBAMA IS A SOCIALIST", and then try to get us to believe "OBAMA HAS GUTTED MEDICARE"?.
Come on FOX FOLLOWERS, get a story and stick with it, otherwise people might think you may not be trustworthy...

Obama Raids Medicare

Obama in 2009: Obamacare Raids Medicare
http://www.nationalreview.com/media/video/313973

President Obamas 700 billion medicare problem
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/314024/president-obama-s-700-billion-medicare-problem-james-c-capretta

It will be very interesting to Floridians when Ryan and Biden have their debate. I am sure this will be a topic of interest to the elderly in Florida.

Of course it is a biased source. Nearly every source cited in all of the above posts is biased. Very, very few of us will actually examine the pure facts. We won’t take the lime to read actual legislation, executive orders, treaties, etc. We will only consume what somebody has summarized and packaged for us. And we will gravitate towards those sources which align with our beliefs. The very few who actually do make the gargantuan effort to do so would certainly never post in a forum like this.

Obama In November 2009: One-Third Of ObamaCare Funding Comes From Cuts To Medicare

President Obama admixing it on a You Tube Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Ha7RNpn24&feature=player_embedded

How ObamaCare Guts Medicare

http://socialsecurityinstitute.com/blog/how-obamacare-guts-medicare

More evidence

NCI
Your postings are unfair. Some may be reading them at work. And falling asleep on the job is frowned upon

NCI ESS have you actually read the Affordable Health Care bill, or do you just gain a bunch of people's opinions and make them your own?
Having read it, I'm do not think it is the answer, but it's something to get the conversation started. And don't just blame the president for a bill that is filled with pieces from Republican Congressmen/Senators just as much as Democratic side of the House and Senate.
This is a joint Bill, it's just another thing the Conservative Press can slam to Obama in the labeling fearmongering that is going on with both sides.

Romney’s right: Obamacare cuts Medicare by $716 billion. Here’s how.

Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/14/romneys-right-obamacare-cuts-medicare-by-716-billion-heres-how/

The Floridian Voters are old enough to decide for themselves. However, I believe Obama has created a Shell game and has gotten got in the act. Seniors need to be treated a lot lot better than being lied to.

Again a blog posting, you didn't you actually answer the question, if you have read the bill instead of letting other people's opinions dictate yours?
There are redistributions of the Medicare funds, but if that as far as you are going to take the agrument, it looks like straight cuts. Like this gentleman does. Read the bill, also look at the history of the bills and see which party put in certain parts.
Republicans are just as guilty as Democrats on this bill. But you won't hear the Republicans talk about their portion of it.

Just establishing the FACTS. FACTS ARE IMPORTANT.

Facts are extremely important, so that is why I go to the public records and source material. You are establishing "truths" based on opinions not facts. The blogs, youtube, or biase journalist sources (FOX News & CNBC) are all selling an opinion to a known consumer base. Fox news which on public corporate documents says, they only do factual news 1.5 hours out of a 24 hour cycle (CNBC is just as bad). All are selling an opinion to fit where they donated money is going, also where they know their consumers want to be taken.
The facts are in what was approved and voted upon. And what is being budgeted which can all be found in public record. The facts are concrete evidence that can't be disputed, always follow the money.
What some reporter takes out of those records and shows half the picture isn't a fact, it is a representation of opinion. So you are showing some facts with those reports, but only the facts that fits those particular opinions. Just like the people who are extremely behind the bill will also not address the negative side of the bills, and they are plenty of that as well.
It is what it is a bloated bill that is misrepresented by both sides.

There is an excellent analysis of the radical right's lies - repeated again and again by NCI whatever - about Obama and Medicare, and you can access this debunking story at:

http://mediamatters.org/mobile/research/2012/08/16/a-guide-to-the-right-wing-medias-dishonest-medi/189385

Yes, ObamaCare Cuts Medicare

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/08/15/yes_obamacare_cuts_medicare_more_than_romney_287499.html

Just the Facts. Facts is Facts

Boy, the right wing extremists won't stop with their total distortions, as Mr/Ms NSIESS makes clear when he/she parrots the talk radio luantics who talk about "cuts."

As for this deceptive effort by the right wing to talk about "cuts"; from Time magazine's website:

"…they come from eliminating a MASSIVE SUBSIDY to private insurers and gradually reducing the rate of growth in payments to some providers. These changes, while not catastrophic for Medicare, are important. Under the ACA, the federal government will substantially reduce the amount it spends funding Medicare Advantage, which is privately administered insurance offered to Medicare beneficiaries. About one-quarter of Medicare recipients are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage. In theory, these plans are supposed to manage health care spending better than fee-for-service Medicare. But they don’t actually save the federal government any money. They cost, per patient, 14% more than traditional Medicare."  

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/08/16/fact-check-obamacares-medicare-cuts/#ixzz23kqspaZ0

Here is an excellent analysis of Romney versus Obama on so-called cuts to Medicare:

http://theweek.com/article/index/232092/who-cuts-medicare-more-mdash-romney-or-obama

Mr NCI seems to tell half of the story, hopefully by accident, and not by intent. It's like talking about the poor table manners of the guy your daughter is dating, without also talking about the fact that the guy you would like her to date, instead, is a drunk and a serial abuser of women.

Floridians, look up the book Panic in Paradise and read about the lies and cover up here in Florida during the 1920s and 1930s. They sealed records for 60 years to protect the people who stole the deposits in the banks!! All the Cronies working together to steal it all. People died not knowing how they were lied to by the bankers, politicians, newspapers, developers, lawmakers etc. It's all documented in the book. Every fact is proven with the unsealed proof. History is repeating itself but instead of the Floridians being robbed now it's the taxpayers in the whole country/world. Look it up so you can learn how it works. Read the book! "Panic in Paradise"

How can anyone vote for Obama again. Left or Right, he has been terrible as a President. Thats the point. He has done more damge in four years than any president, ever has. Period.

Democrats Vulnerable On Medicare
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/16/158915032/weekly-standard-democrats-vulnerable-on-medicare

The facts keep rolling in. Trouble with the the facts are that they are facts.

NCI meet PISTOL, PISTOL this is NCI
I think you two will really hit it off...

Everyone assuming that a ".com" or ".org" are giving the complete story without distortion for 95% are going to be distorted facts. Especially in the case of ".com". Also check your sources "NPR" and "RealClearPolitics" are huge fundraisers for the Conservative movement. "TheWeek" and "MediaMatters" are more liberal publication which also are fundraisers for the Liberal Movement.
I'm still waiting on someone to actually quote the bill itself.
American Patriot's posts comes closest to the actual Bill itself, and a brillant bi-partison portion of the bill. Amazing what happens when both sides work together.

Rick Barasso. What part of terrible do you not understand. Forget politics or party affiliation. Came in with a democratic congress. Real Inflation, up. Unemployment up, Debt up. Again how is he being elected, because of his celebrity? I don't care how charming a person is if he's terrible at his job, which he is.

Ryan Battle Intensifies Over Medicare

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/health/policy/battle-over-medicare-savings-intensifies-between-obama-and-paul-ryan.html?_r=1

Where is Joe Biden?
What is Joe Biden doing?
What is Joe Biden saying?
What planet is Joe Biden from?

I would also like to point out since we are big on the blame game and using propaganda media as sources in this agrument.
Where is the Fox News outrage over Dave Mustaine's comments over Obama. When the Dixie Chicks did basically the same thing we heard about it for months.
Fox News said,"Even if you don't like the president as a man, you should respect the office." Not hearing that when a Democrat is in office. I don't hear the outrage from the Conservatives like you did over the Dixie Chicks.
Strange how when the shoe is on the other foot how people act. The major new sources are propaganda machines. When Dixie Chicks were happening CNBC was quiet, now that it's the other way around Fox is quiet.
Just pointing out how our media is selling only what their viewers want to see.

Start from the top and read 'em all and what do you see? Exactly what they want you to be....divided we fall. Let's be nice and agree that it's 50-50. Now what do we do? Continue to throw rocks?
Should we try to understand what we have done to ourselves over the last 47 years - after all, we are the voters and we theoretically have the right and the power to decide who works for us in govt. It is govt by and for the people. Isn't it?
Or maybe not. When we have almost half the voters swayed by what they choose to watch and/or see and hear, and almost half disagreeing because of their choices, the ultimate determination is made by a very few people who do their own research and their own thinking and come up with a rational conclusion according to their values and expectations.
Are we better off today than we were 47 years ago? 12 years ago? 3 1/2 years ago?
That's the real question and regardless of all the stuff the politicians throw at us, we are the final arbiters and, in the end, we get what we deserve.
What do you think you are really entitled to? It all comes down to that simple question. Both parties have escalated govt support programs for at least 47 years in a misguided strategy to buy votes. Is yours for sale? I have voted for Republicans and regretted doing so. I have voted for Democrats and had similar regrets. But sometimes I was right and things seemed to be better.

I respect the rights we have; I will think long and hard before casting my vote.

Here's more fact-checking, so that we can take the lies out of the discussion, and keep the truths first and foremost in our minds:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/aug/16/barack-obama/does-paul-ryan-want-turn-medicare-voucher-program/

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/aug/15/stephanie-cutter/ryans-plan-includes-700-billion-medicare-cuts-says/

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/aug/15/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-said-barack-obama-first-history-rob-me/

Why thank you, Mr Sprat, for your helpful comments. The only thing you missed is that PolitiFact even won a Pulitzer Prize for their excellent journalism.

As someone who spent two careers in gathering and analyzing intelligence, first in the Navy with military intelligence and later at Chase with business intelligence, I found it essential to differentiate fact from fiction.

PoilitiFact.com ( www.PoilitiFact.com ) has done a great job of that, and anyone who regularly views their site, as I do, note that they are "equal-opportunity criticizers" who give candid assessments on politicians and media across the political spectrum.

In other words, whomever someone favors, they are always bound to annoy you at some point because they will tell you (and everyone else) about the distortions of EVERYONE, including your favored politician or group. But, if your favored candidates are bigger liars, then you will be more annoyed by PolitiFact than someone whose favored candidates lies or distorts much less.

But there are other good sources, including FactCheck, and even Snopes (a bit less on politics but lots of on e-mail myths), so someone should always do a myths versus realities check using these sites, as well as PolitiFact.

Sounds like Right Here's favorite candidates are caught out in big lies more than their opponents.

Gee, I wonder who that could be. Actually, tabulating the lies by candidate, or by party, is rather easy.

But, no candidate is immune form being caught in lies, whether big, or small.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoMBH9GAsww&feature=channel&list=UL