First, let me say this; I am glad Rick Wagoner is gone. His entire tenure has shown he is not competent to lead GM to prosperity. He started as CEO somewhere around 2000 and GM has steadily lost market share since then.

However, I COMPLETELY disagree in the WAY he was removed. regardless of what Obama says about not wanting to run GM, his actions say the exact opposite. A board of directors selects presidents and CEOs. So, essentially, the board of directors runs a company. Obama just assumed the role of board of directors and fired Rick Wagoner.

What I want to know is why Obama is willing to talk about bankruptcy now, rather than $13.6BILLION ago. Wouldn't it have been smarter to NOT spend all that money just to end up at the same point we were at in October? Both GM and Chrysler have had since NOVEMBER to come up with a viability plan and they failed. Is another month (in Chrysler's case) or two (in GM's case) really going to make a difference?

On a side note, with respect to some of the comments I've read here, If Obama and Biden go bye bye, Pelosi does not immediately become President. Check our Amendment XX, Section 4. "The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death (of the acting President) of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of of any of the personson from who the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them." Basically, if the Pres and VP both go bye bye, the House CHOOSES a president and the Senate CHOOSES a VP.

Chuck. I for one would like to apologize for the personal attacks. This place was not created so people could lob personal attacks on each other. It was created to provide a forum for open, honest discussions. Personal attacks are neither. They only discourage discussion. I believe the ease with which we slip into personal attacks is one of the reasons it is so hard to find a good discussion in the country. While I firmly disagree with most of your viewpoints, I respect them. Your ideas, like mine, are protected under the Constitution and therefore you are entitled to think and express whatever you wish.

Now on to my points on the topic listed at the top of the forum. I believe there are some things which government should be somewhat involved in; providing a currency (not market manipulation), keeping me safe through diplomatic and military means, and providing a good infrastructure. The government must keep their fingers out of sports unless it involves a legitimate criminal activity. I do not believe for a second the BCS creates anti-trust issues. Is it a flawed system? Absolutely. Are there alternative that would serve the fans better? Most certainly. However, let the NCAA and the university presidents handle it. Fact is, college football TV ratings and revenue have never been better. Until the ratings and revenues drop, the BCS will remain. Congress needs focus on issues that actually mean something.

First and foremost, these people should never be released on our soil. Just because they have been found to not be terrorists does not mean they meet the requirements to come into the US. There is a procedures and requirement for coming into the United States legally and they need to be followed.

Secondly, I'm not sure how this forum got turned into a discussion on universal health care. The headline is about the Gitmo detainees and what they MIGHT receive IF they are released into the US.

Thirdly, IF these people are released into this country, they SHOULD NOT receive welfare, bailouts, health care, etc. and here's why. They will not be US citizens. I understand they were held against their will for many years. However, they should not be treated as suspects in a crime like citizens are. Fact is, they were found in the theater of war and should thus be subjected to the Rules of Engagement. No where in these rules is it stated that POWs must be released into the country who captured them. Therefore, as much of a warm-fuzzy some people might get by saying these people have to be released onto US soil, there is A) no systems, procedures, rules, etc in place to guide this action, and B) no historical precedence for giving POWs citizen rights.

fdog9,

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I would like to see everyone be able to afford health care as well. However, my point of view is this country simply cannot afford it. If you look at the countries with socialized medicine, they all have much smaller populations than we do. Also, our current system produces the best medical care in the world. People from all over the world come to the US for treatment because they are unable to get it. Perhaps if one were to offer an explanation and a plan about how to get to universal health care and how we can pay for it, I would change my minds. For now, I am not content to make a downpayment on something which does not exist and has no clear plan.

Secondly, the rich already pay their fair share of taxes. The top 5% of income earners in this country already pay something like 70% of the tax bill. Rich people are not evil. By the way, I'm in the middle middle class.

Finally, I welcome the diversity. Where I take issue is when "open-minded" people refuse to have an honest debate. I am not accusing you of this, I am simply making observations based on my own experience.

I could not agree with this more. I live in Ohio and we had people voting about a month ahead of time. We also had people who could register to vote, and vote, on the same day. No checks, just walk up, fill out the paperwork, get the ballot, and vote.

13) No more lifetime health benefits for Congresspeople. What other job can you serve two years and then have your health care paid for for the rest of your life? I'd like to see the breakdown on how much this costs you and me.

I didn't include a lot of your points in my own post, but I agree with most all of them. Especially 7, 8, and 13.

1) Get rid of the current electoral college setup. It is outdated and does not work. I propose either basing it on the popular vote, or modify the current system so each state's electoral votes are divided up by congressional district. I don't understand how it is fair that a candidate can in 50.1% of the vote in Ohio and get all 20some electoral votes.

2) Term limits. I believe congresspeople should have to live with the decisions they make. 2 consecutive terms for
senators, then a minimum of one off. Representatives may have 3 consecutive terms with a minimum of two off.

3) I would like to see the Fair Tax option properly discussed in the open, with the public watching.

4) Budgets which have surpluses until all national debt is repaid. At that point, the budget must be balanced. No more borrowing. Times of war or natural disaster could be exceptions.

5) Make it a law the census remains out of the hands of Congress or the President.

6) Make a Constitutional amendment that forbids the government from interfering in the free market. This includes interfering with the loan process.

7) Forbid the welfare system. Instead, provide training opportunities so people can help themselves. No more handouts. It creates a society of dependence.

8) Forbid the Treasury from printing more money except for the sole purpose of replacing unusable bills, i.e. the $1 bill that's been through the washing machine 52 times.

9) Reduce the corporate tax. Companies move jobs overseas because it is cheaper to produce there. Lower taxes, lower labor cost. Even with the additional shipping cost, moving operations overseas is still cheaper. Lower corporate tax rates will attract more corporations to our shores and allow for more investment in existing factories.

10) Forbid the use of teleprompters for speeches lasting less than 10minutes. (Alright this one is a joke).

11) Amend the Constitutional to demand proper identification for all public officials. All public servants must present birth records or citizenship papers.

12) Eliminate lobbyists. Resources are available to make Congresspeople aware of issues. They don't need to be wined and dined to know there is a mouse that is endangered.