What are your thoughts on President Obama's news conference? Did you watch it?

He didn't tell us something we already didn't know. What pissed me off was that he is now lowering the charitable contributions and taking away the mortgage interest. That leaves the average American with more TAXABLE income. So rather than raise taxes, he cuts out people's deductions when they file their taxes. He just raised taxes without raising taxes. My husband and I do not own a home. Land prices in the bay area of California are out of control. We rent a nice townhome for a reasonable amout of money. We don't have to worry about mortgage interest statements, but millions of Americans do buy homes to get that tax credit at the end of the year. They just got it yanked out from under them. Not once have I ever heard of welfare reform or Medicaid/Medicare reform that targest the chronic abusers. We've got people going to emergency departments for the sniffles and a cough or "not feeling well." That right there is the main problem. We've got blatant abuse and no one seems to want to talk about cutting costs there. If the government would boot off the chronic offenders of welfare and health programs like Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security, that would help the economy. We'd get people who don't work out working and paying taxes. Those taxes would generate revenue. But no. No one wants to make some woman with a dozen kids get off her a*s and earn a living like the rest of us.

I think he made one very important point: the rate of growth over the next ten years will determine the ultimate amount of the deficit and if we do not grow, we will fail no matter what. If the infrastructure and spiralling out of control health care & education costs are not addressed, we cannot grow. If these things can be addressed, the ultimate growth will justify having spent the money to take care of these things. That's what is never mentioned by his critics. They are using a 2.2% rate of growth assuming that most of these things won't be tackled. He is using a 2.6% rate of growth after addressing the problems. Interestingly, on morning TV, a Republican opponent in the senate was asked why they don't come up with a better plan if they think the Obama plan is so awful. His answer was: "It's up to the president to propose legislature." So even if he feels that the Obama budget will ruin the country, he presumably won't even try to make substantial changes. He'll just pan the budget and cry about the ruin of the country. Pretty feeble.

I agree, I didn't intend on watching it--but I had Fox News on and since my show was pushed back to 8pm central time, because of this snooze fest, I just left it on Fox News. I didn't hear anything new, I passed the time mocking him and playing a game on my laptop. But yea, it was boring and pointless--as usual. He didn't say anything he hasn't been saying for the past 2 years. I have a question... will it EVER be his fault? Will he ever be forced to take responsibility? Don't get me wrong, I didn't like Bush, but the attitude that Obama has been putting forward has made me long for the way things were. I am just so sick of hearing about how it's "all" Bush's fault. Obviously Bush shoulder's a lot of blame, but for the past 2 years of his administration he had a democratic congress, and from what I've heard, it was about the last year or so that things really started to go downhill. I am the first person who will criticize Bush, but I am so over that now--he is no longer our president. Obama is our President now, and I will not spare my opinion of him any sooner than I would have with Bush. Actually, at least with Bush I can say that at least he kept us from being attacked after 9/11, and if Obama manages to save us some hurt, I will give him credit for that--but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I really hope that people wake up and tell him they are sick of the childish "blame game", he won't listen to a lot of us, but I hope his fans finally get sick of it. I wish I could tell him what change he has brought to me--he made me go from hating republicans, "just because" and swearing up and down I'd never vote for one, to this past November getting to the point that I couldn't bring myself to vote democrat, because they were acting like babies, and I don't like how far left they are going. I am no longer a party-line voter, I have learned so much about political parties, and reality and the fact that common sense is worth more than an Ivy League education!

I didn't watch it, but I figured it would be all talk with no substance as usual. Seems I was right.

This news conference was scheduled for one reason and one reason only: to push his budget. Didn't quite work as well and he has lost quite a bit of his charismatic appeal. Same old, same old, people quickly get tired of that. I don't think he quite got around to rallying up the masses to call up congress to push this. I suppose ACRON is in charge of that. They got enough money from the stimulus bill to do that as well as to pay for other protests like the staged protests in front of the AIG executives houses;) Anyhow, it was mainly to signal to congress that he'll get his way no matter what they decide but he'll make a few minor concessions, if necessary, as long as his big giant agenda will still be in place. But the message of 'without this budget we are doomed' did not quite make it as well. I think they started to scratch the doomsday stuff and things didn't come across strongly enough anymore that this budget is absolutely needed. Overall, this was one weak and overly dull news conference we could have lived without. Nothing new, nothing more detail, still all wishy-washy. That icy stare the guy got when he asked about Obama's belated reaction to the AIG bonus fiasco told more than the response he finally gave. That question might have landed that guy on the 'don't take questions from you' list. He simply doesn't take the questions from 'inconvenient' media outlets. He still likes to stay in safe and well rehearsed topics. And no, he won't tell us his true agenda, and he won't tell us how this is all supposed to work out. I think for the latter he doesn't know himself. He just thinks he has to do something, and something quick to calm the masses. Now the message is to back off, sit back, relax, and wait. And if things don't work out, remember, I inherited this mess from Bush, you can't blame me;) There are still enough people who drink the kool-aid to get him through this and be re-elected. His fans have grown quiet but they are still high in numbers. There are still enough people who blindly trust him to fix everything.