state + local

"The Democratic senator said he is open to finding more efficiencies in government entitlement programs." But NOT to cutting any actual spending. If there is one thing a Democrat will not allow is less spending. They will cut mythical spending from the future which hasn't occurred, but when it comes to actually reducing the deficit now they will never do it.

The DEMs think they have a 100% mandate and want to shove their wants down Republicans throat. Yes, the DEMs should get 60% of what they want BUT, the Republicans owning the house deserve at least 40% of what they want. I don't like the idea of raising taxes on anyone but I'd rather see the taxes go up on folks earning $500K and above and not lose my tax deductions for; mortgage interest, medical etc. I say give into the DEMs a little and let them raise rates on 500K plus but, insist on REAL spending cuts to health & human services, defense and the DC bureaucracy in general. Balance!

Good for you Al! You have started addressing the issue by going after the medical device tax that you and Amy pushed through without reading!! You are the leaders that have got us in to this mess, and you will now fix it? Forward!!!

How do you win an election when Santa Claus is your opponent? That is the question Americas young people must address in 2014 and future elections. The Democrats are destroying their financial future with trillion dollar annual deficits and pooh poohing real unemployment of 14%. The liberal media covers for Democrats at every turn.

Chablis28 I agree with your plan but I don't think the Dem's (which I am) think their was a mandate with the elections. It was just how we felt with Bush et al thinking they had all the answers. Those tax cuts haven't helped since they began in the early part of his first term. What about that fact?

Franken says you can't make tax reforms in two weeks. Well, Al, what have you been doing all summer and fall because you knew this day would come. Worthless.

Make real spending cuts.

Run, Al, run. See Al run. Watch Al say anything as he starts worrying about his reelection. When it comes working on real solutions to real problems, Franken is still Stuart Smalley. A self-absorbed stumbling idiot.

callmeron " If there is one thing a Democrat will not allow is less spending. They will cut mythical spending from the future which hasn't occurred, but when it comes to actually reducing the deficit now they will never do it" THE BIGGEST MYTH IS THAT PROPAGATED BY THE REPUBLICANS THAT IT IS THE DEMOCRATS WHO ARE THE BIG SPENDERS. Ronald Reagan was handed a national debt of less than $1T and tripled it in 8 years. George W Bush was handed a budget surplus, a prosperous economy and spent it into the biggest national debt in US History. Reagan doubled military spending in his two terms and Clinton trimmed it down. Bush, in turn, expanded it into the biggest entitlement that is feasting on the government trough. Everything that the Republicans accuse the Democrats of is actually true of the Republicans. Reagan taught them the Stalin, HItler propaganda technique and they've been using it ever since.

Why do we sit by and let them talk about cutting the programs that actually help people, and give the bloated, wasteful, unneeded military budget a pass? Military and national security spending take up half of discretionary spending. Frightening how brain washed we have become.