When the USA was ataacked on 9/11 Osoma Bin Laden declared he bring down the USA with debt. Now we have a President that is doing the same thing, trying to get us into debt. We need to conserve publicaly spent funds to minimize debt.

Obama said he wouldn't raise taxes on the middle class and give most of us a rebate. What a joke. The interest on debt that comes from taxes is projected to explode to around 25% in the next 20 years. That's what we will pay without a nickel going for the benefit of the public.

If it has to be explained to you you will never see it. Hint: it is not about the percentage of the bill, it is not whether it is good or bad for local communities. Another hint: see videos of Obama on the campaign trail and listen closely. We are in for a long 4 years with an amateur at the helm, enjoy the ride.

Earmarks are only 2% of the whole damage. Its their way of giving a very select few, selected by they themselves, of course, a little tip. If the tip amount is 8 billion, then they take $80 out of the pockets of each taxpayer, like it or not.

Personally, I'd like to see most of these dolts in orange jump suits, splitting boulders in the hot, noonday, desert, Arizona, sun. The way they handled Fannie and Freedie is absolutely stunning.

Like carjackers on crack, they bailed out of the mess they created with a few hundred billion from taxpayers and are now joyriding in the $787 Billion "stimulus". That went so well they decided to pork up the $410 billion Omnibus. Pelosi is thinking about Stimulus 2.

These people must be stopped.

Every billion costs the taxpayer $10. Every trillion costs the taxpayer $10,000. The big spenders have no clue what of the damage they are doing to current and future generations.

This Government will sink us. Remember that Rome was brought down from within.

Hmm Mr. Lowe you seem to get a lot of Republicans responding to your page.

This idea of small government coming from Republicans is glaringly hypocritical at worst. The surplus under Clinton went to one of the largest deficits ever under Bush. Remember Reagan? He had some problems with small government--one of the largest government deficits ever (the largest, if I remember correctly).

These Republicans don't understand basic economics. If money isn't put into the economy, our situation won't improve. No economist with half a brain is against the idea of a stimulus, only how to distribute it.

As for earmarks themselves, they are not bad. This is mainly a political issue. For instance, there were about $18 billion worth of earmarks last year. The Homeland Security office, which has largely been ineffective and unnecessary, has a budget of $40 billion. So why not get rid of that if you're looking for something to spend less on? Earmarks get things done and, more importantly, bills passed.

Put it this way: to the posters above, the next time your representatives have a chance to get earmarks, will you tell them not to?? Most likely not.