Why do our politicians have so much trouble addressing

[joemurphy]

obvious and glaring problems?

1. Iraq. Everyone knows it's now a morass and that our continued presence there is doing neither us, nor the Iraqis, any good. Bush lied to the country in order to get us there; he continues to lie to us about the present situation. We have no timetable, no concrete goals, and no plan for success. Congress should simply cut off funding and bring our troops home. It'll be years before we get the U.S. Army back to the state it was in before the war. We might as well do what needs to be done.

2. Katrina. New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf is a disaster. Bush wasn't ready and we paid the price. Now we have to rebuild the levees and rebuild New Orleans. Shilly-shallying around with plum contracts to favored Republican outfits like Halliburton, playing games with the mayoral elections, and prolonging the agony of the displaced makes no sense. New Orleans needs to be rebuilt. We might as well get on it.

3. The Deficit. There are two problems with the deficit. Iraq and the Bush Tax Cuts for the Wealthy. We need to get out of Iraq and we need to start making the wealthy pay their fair share. Otherwise, we'll be a debtor nation with more and more of our GNP tied up in interest payments and our kids will be starting life in a hole. The deficit is going to burden our economy for years. We need to address it.

4. Gasoline. We need to force Detroit to build cars that get more than 18 mpg. We need to impose a windfall profits tax on the oil companies that have been profiteering on the backs of the American public. This isn't rocket science. We need to get at it.

I could go on and on. It's patently obvious what we should be doing. Instead, we do nothing or worsen the problems. It's very discouraging to me. I'm having another bad night.

[rodeodance]

1. 5 Health care!

[joemurphy]

3. Yes, Health Care

5. Health Care. Why are we the only civilized western nation without national health care? Every European country of any consequence has a system in place. We have zero. Something has to be done. We're doing zero.
Meanwhile our citizenry suffers. Insurance and pharmaceutical companies, however, make record profits. We need to get on it. If it means oversight and controls, so be it.

[Yupster]

5. I agree that national health care

in 2006 is a winner and will eventually have to happen no matter which side anyone is on. It's the only answer.

[Demeter]

2. Because There's Nothing In A Solution for Them!

Maybe we should have larger incentives: fix this or face a firing squad, perhaps.

Salaries, perks, and the threat of removal from office by election or indictment doesn't seem to be sufficient motivation. Of course, taking the corporate thumb off the scales of Justice might make a difference....

[Yupster]

4. Before we leave Iraq, can we

get all the Iraqis to America who worked for us and the current Iraqi government and armed forces?

I really think one Killing Fields in my lifetime is enough, and I think this one will be different because it will be guys getting their heads sawed off on tv each night.

We owe it to the people who tried to help us to get them out before we leave.

[joemurphy]

6. Lou Dobbs might not like it, but I think it's a good idea. n/t