Is this not correct...Congress just voted a 4% raise to 2 million govmt workers and themselves a raise also? They are taking care of themselves instead of cutting spending. The total US budget figure never goes down...how many of us have had to cut off our cable, cut down our food purchases or clothing in order to balance our budgets? They are using the few people (compared to the whole populous) who even pay federal taxes, to cover their spending problem!! WE CAN'T AFFORD THE RAISES, NEW CARS, CABLE BILLS, EATING OUT, PENSIONS, HEALTH CARE! Just as we ajust our budgets they need to ajust the Govmt. budget first then ask for tax increases once they have the National budget balanced!!

IT is not a democratic or a republican problem. It is an American problem. I am so sick of both parties blaming each pother. Make them adhere to the same stuff we all do. Put a flat tax in place and get this @!$%# behind us. Awe wait this is government it would be to easily. Bunch of unless BASTARDS ALL OF THEM. It is time for a new amendment. term limits for everyone.....

Middle class will go over cliff while rich politicians continue to point the finger at each other. The pols designed the cliff so they would be unaffected.

Lets restore medicare and social security and get rid of Obamacare. Obamacare robs the middle class to enrich insurance companies. No budget no Obamacare.

Heard this morning that Congress just voted a 4% pay raise for 2 million government workers and also a raise for themselves...they do this when most are not paying attention! Why do the American people have to cut into their budgets in order to have a balance with income and our government does not? Our government just raises taxes so they can keep spending instead of ajusting the National budget!!! Just as States have to balance their budgets, our Federal government should have to also...this needs changing b/c our federal government is not responsible with the tax money they receive! There also s/b new conflict of interest laws addressed regarding how the money is spent...but that is another discussion entirely!

I really don't understand why so many of the comments here blame the President for spending. Did we miss our Civics 101 class, never read the Constitution, failed basic American government? The President is the leader of the Executive branch. The Congress holds the country's purse strings. It is the Congress that decides taxes and spending. People to have an educated debate on what ails this country we must first understand how our representative democracy works. If you have a complaint about spending or taxes take it up with your legislators - the create the law. The President can either sign or veto it and even his veto power can be trumped by a 2/3rds vote. And lets not forget our ever active judicial branch who decided corporations are people and their campaign donations are an exercise of the First Amendment. Our system was designed to limit power - a system of checks and balances. We do not have an almighty powerful President. The Founding Fathers were rebelling against a monarchy they were doing everything in their power to avoid that experience again. Let us all be rational, reasonable and why not try a little common sense. It is useless to continue to regurgitate the talking points of political leaders who have failed miserably to apply any of the above.