This is all so depressing.

[IndianaJoe]

With all the unemployment we now have and the sporadic growth, cutting the deficit by eliminating government spending seems to me to be exactly the WRONG thing to be doing. I'm not surprised that the nattering Republicans want to cut spending (and close no tax loopholes or impose any taxes on their wealthy backers), but Obama and Dems' willingness to go along with them really, really depresses me.

Hasn't anyone had a class in Macroeconomics? Isn't cutting spending doing exactly the WRONG thing right now? If so, why are we going along with something so dismally stupid? OK, I hear the statement that if we don't go along, then the Republicans won't increase the borrowing cap and that would be a disaster. But isn't going along with their spending proposals equally disastrous?

It seems to me that this "recession" is going to be long and horrendous. What depresses me is that no one, Republican or Democrat, seems to want to do what we really need to do -- spend money, particularly government money on infrastructure, works projects, social welfare in order to create jobs. We can worry about the deficit after we get people working, the economy growing, and people paying taxes again.

It looks bad to me. And worse because we're doing all the wrong things when we know better. I'm very very depressed right now. I don't feel like anyone out there speaks for me.

[PDJane]

1. Not to make the depression worse,

And the pun is intended, it IS the wrong thing to do, and it will make things worse. We don't learn from our mistakes, frankly.

I have no idea how the TP folks got into power, but they really are going to f*** things up beyond repair before they are repelled. And yes, I am sincerely disappointed with the Democrats right now, and have been for some time...with a very few exceptions.

[Eddie Haskell]

2. It's a disaster!

Our economy is being held hostage by uncompromising Hooverites. The result will be a vicious spiral into depression.

[Blue Meany]

3. I think you have (at least) 3 groups here:

1) tea party house members who are either too ignorant about economics to know better or are too concerned about placating their constituency to care
2) regular Republicans who do know better and don't want to crash the economy, but don't want the recession to end before the next election
3) Democrats, some of whom would be inclined to do more to help working people and the unemployed but don't want to alienate Wall Street supporters and, in any case, can't get anything passed through the House

[abelenkpe]

5. Sounds about right. Nt

[kelly1mm]

4. The R's are about to play their part in putting out a monumentally

bad bill so when Reid's just really bad bill gets enacted we can say "Wow, isn't that great, we really kick the R's butts on that one. They are finished!" as the job losses continue to mount due to less federal spending. State and local public employment will continue to crater when it is confirmed by our "win" that no more federal help will be coming.

Yep, we really showed them.

[CanonRay]

6. I think you nailed it

we're spiraling down to a crapier and crapier bill, so when it finally passes we're all supposed to sigh and be happy we got screwed (again). I swear it's all scripted out in advance.

[snappyturtle]

7. I, too, am very depressed right now. It's gotten to the point that I'm

lucky to get what absolutely HAS to be done finished. I'm living on the edge. This is after over forty years of work. Once joblessness choked me, I have just frozen. Don't know where to turn or what to do and no one, not even my oldest friends/family is interested enough to offer at least some hope or an encouraging word. Those folks are just happy as hell it isn't happening to them. It WOULD be nice to have someone out there that I could count on to speak for me.