Did you watch the Republican Presidential debate on Fox tonight?

Good morning Sigma, Thanks for sharing your perspective. I agree with you 100% that it is TOO EARLY to be focusing on this. However, the first primaries are just over 7 months away. I find it deplorable that individual states got into a war over who could set the earliest primary date. State's actions are forcing the pundits and the public to spend more time on the '08 election than ever before. Shame on them! As for a candidate who is up front about having a plan for real change, you might be heartened to know that of the current 10 GOP candidates, 9 of them support (some feverishly) dismantling the IRS in favor of either the Flat Tax or the Fair Tax. Either would signal significant positive change. I'd love to see the current tax code flushed. But, if you're hoping for someone who fully intends to shake up Washington beurocracy, slash federal spending and entitlements, and focus on real fiscal discipline, then I think THAT guy might be Mitt Romney, who is also a supporter of eliminating the current tax code & IRS. I think Romney is the one who would initiate more reform than any of the other candidates ... Dem or GOP. Before being a Repub Governor of Massachusettes, his professional background was as a 'corporate fixer'. His job for more than two decades was to turn underperforming, bloated, or failing businesses around to profitability. So, change is his forte. And, he did his job so well, that his personal accumulated wealth is approx. 1/2 billion dollars. I have been skeptically researching his background for some months now, and I have to say that I'm really impressed with the guy.

Excellent points, Sigma!!! There are never any guarantees that our elected won't 'wimp out' once they realize that there's always going to be someone who cries 'foul' whenever genunine change is proposed. And, you're also right about the Alternative Minimum Tax. This is a looming disaster, thoughtlessly created to make a few wealthy citizens pay at least some taxes. Now, more and more people are being drained by it. Yet, I remain hopeful. I have never before heard the majority of any party's potential candidates clammoring to disect the IRS. So, maybe we'll see some real fiscal reform out of this election. I hope so anyway. Again, thanks for bringing up such good points!

I have heard of him and seen him a few times. He almost looks to perfect. Of course, I won't judge him based on that. It just seems to me we go on and on with the political system and we don't make any meaningful progress. I have heard about changing the tax system for decades. The government can't even get the old law fixed concerning the alternative tax. Every year more and more people end up paying more taxes because of it. And not so much because they are getting richer. At some point, the due bill is going to come home to roost. You can't spend what you don't have forever. And the pain that major changes will cause will keep the leaders from taking action.

Here ye, here ye, be it known to one and all: No reporting of the cute little bunny is allowed! Thanks for hoppin' on over Charms. Always nice to visit with you!

Good morning EvanHunter, Lost, eh? I've never seen it. Guess I'd have alot of catching up to do on that show. As for the Republicans, McCain is showing very weak in these past two forums. The media may still have him as 1st tier, but I wouldn't count on him getting past the primaries. No offense taken by me over the the ex-Prez joke. Hey, if we can't find some humor in political candidates, then the cartoonists are gonna' be out of a job. By golly, I'm all for protecting the satirists jobs!