Ladies and Gentlemen, I Present "abc" the Economist wrote on October 08, 2008 09:46 PM: Hey "abc,"

With your vast knowledge of economics, explain to us now EXACTLY what the new Democratic majority in Congress has done in the last 20 months that has led us to the economic situation we are in today?

Your's is a post hoc fallacy, or one of false cause. If it is not, answer the question above.

abc wrote on October 08, 2008 09:08 PM: Good letter to the editor yesterday:

This is 'change'?
President Bush has been in office for more than 71/2 years. Almost two years ago, consumer confidence stood at a 21/2-year high. Gasoline cost about $2.20 a gallon. The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. Americans were buying houses and taking vacations.

But Americans wanted "change," so in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress. And, yes, we got "change." In the past year, consumer confidence has plummeted. Gasoline peaked at more than $4 per gallon. The unemployment rate is more than 6 percent. Americans have seen their home equity drop by trillions of dollars, and it's still dropping. Foreclosures have not bottomed out yet. The Dow Jones industrial average has taken a nose dive. Our 401(k) plans, stocks and mutual funds have almost evaporated.

No matter what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tell you, the president has no control over these issues. However, the 535 members of Congress do, and it is currently a Democratic majority.

What has this Congress done for the past two years? Absolutely nothing. Its approval rating is lower the president's -- at least he is in the double digits.

Now Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate for president, claims he is going to really give us a change, with the help of a Democratic Congress.

Just how much more "change" do you think we can stand?

tokaloshe wrote on October 08, 2008 07:14 PM: If the LVRJ is wrong, are you telling me our next president will be the big phony liar? are you kidding me?
The guy is like Mike Brady, in the debate he said he did'nt want russia causing any mischief around the world.
America needs an idiot right now?
He has stated that he will stand up and negotiate with anyone, iran, north korea, cuba. he bought your vote for a thousand dollar stimulus check? he won't answer questions about acorn, reverend wright, or ayers, and what little he says about any of it is a documented lie. His father in Kenya was a communist and was basically thrown out. Michelle Obama said that never once was she proud to be an american until barack was named the democratic ticket? So you think she should be in the white house? wow, you don't even have to be a patriot any more. We all talk about who we elect and we get what we deserve, this is one of the guys that should be thrown out for his pushing pushing pushing on sub-prime loans, instead some of you revere him like he is the golden child annointed by god himself to save the country? elite media won't expose him for what he is, do your due diligence, this guy is going to raise taxes on the american people if he gets in and if you look at the great depression that is precisely what made it longer and more painful in 1932 was the overburdening taxes on americans.
http://www.sodahead.com/question/163002/?tko=polls_recent

Sad Summerlin wrote on October 08, 2008 06:42 PM: kentankerous -

I was supporting you, sir... but I was also going one step further in that it took an entrepreneur to launch it to the market. Sometimes great technology is invented with government grants, but the application of that technology is not realized until the private sector gets it's hands on it...

This is why I think getting some good money into research institutes and then allowing for that to be commercialized is the ideal way to solve our energy crisis...

Remember -- Xerox and PARC only wanted to use the Mouse for Copiers... it was Jobs that saw it in the hands of every child and adult using it for a computer...

You are right to point out the snide reference:

"Which government agency was it, precisely, that invented the "mouse"?"

They are wrong about the invent part as you accurately say... but "we the people" would not have the mouse without the private sector... I am guessing that is what they meant... but who knows anymore... :)

kentankerous wrote on October 08, 2008 06:29 PM: yup, engelbart in 1964 invented the mouse while working on a federally funded research program, was my point. it wasn't invented inside a government agency, but it was invented with the help of federal dollars. Lots of great research that makes a lot of capitalists a lot of money starts with a federal grant - not work being done inside a government agency, but work the government recognized as important and helped fund. Big difference, I think. The editorialist's snide oversimplification of what a 10 year $150B investment in alternative energy R&D would look like is what I was attempting to address.

Sad Summerlin wrote on October 08, 2008 05:32 PM: kentankerous --- Douglas Englebart in 1964 invented the mouse... it had wheels on it...

Bill English, builder of the original mouse, invented the so-called ball mouse in 1972 while working for Xerox PARC.

Steve Jobs commercialized it with the LISA and MAC.

On to the debate --- again...

This IS Obama's election to lose. McCain has absolutely no clear vision right now... Obama is riding a wave of negative sentiment and the US main stream media has done a fantastic job of laying the blame 100% at the Republican's feet. Unfortunately, the blame needs to be shared between the Republicans and the Democrats on this one... and if we all took off our partisan glasses for a moment, we would see that both candidates represent nothing but the status quo and us blindly turning over more power to our government.

Perhaps that is exactly what Americans want... we want to turn over the responsibilities of our lives, our mortgages, our jobs, our services to someone else so that we don't have to think about it... Imagine what it would be like if all we had to do was turn over a majority of our money to someone else to manage to ensure we have basic needs of life met...

Hmmm... Anyone remember the movie WALL-E from this summer? Perhaps there's a message there...

Or better yet... why not turn America into Iceland... 70% tax... people content... where is the innovation that comes from that group?

It sounds wonderful... until some other society that has drive and responsibility decides to tell us we are lazy and we need to live by their rules...

timinator wrote on October 08, 2008 05:10 PM: kentankerous, I thought it was the DARMA Initiative.

kentankerous wrote on October 08, 2008 04:28 PM: Q: Which government agency was it, precisely, that invented the "mouse"?


A: It was government spending via grants to Stanford Research Institute that funded the project that the inventors of the mouse was working on when they invented the mouse. DARPA, Air Force, and NASA monies.

karl wrote on October 08, 2008 03:10 PM: A couple months ago the R-J (Republican Journal) predicted John McCain would be the next president.
Of course many of us knew it was just more right-wing propaganda disguised as your friendly neighborhood newspaper.

And now? Now the R-J's editorial board seems resigned to the reality of a soon-to-be-elected President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

They aren't particularly quick but they're catching on.

James wrote on October 08, 2008 02:13 PM: Helenweasel is desparate. She/he can't accept the fact that her/his pathetic GOP candidate, John McMetamucil, will be headed for an expensive retirement community after the Novemeber elections.

You can relax now, John (and you too, Helen). Take your cup o' meds and learn to enjoy a quiet, calm game of bridge.

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