"In a swing through western states earlier this month, Obama sought to brand Republicans as extreme and incompetent, reminding voters the party were in charge when the economy pitched into the deepest recession since the 1930s."

I am so sick of hearing this from Democrats! Anyone with a basic knowledge of the structure of our government understands that it is Congress, not the President, that controls the purse strings in Washington.. The President can effect things by calling for tax cuts or increases, or by nominating cabinet members who will enact bureaucratic rules in certain departments that can effect the economy, but Congress is the controlling entity when you are talking about real effectiveness. The only real historical exceptions have occurred when you have had a President who has been willing to veto actions coming out of Congress in favor of his own agenda (the last instance of that being Reagan, who strong-armed a Democrat controlled Congress into implementing tax cuts that they did not want, resulting in the greatest non-wartime growth in the US economy in history). Generally, the President will announce what he would like to see, and then accept what Congress sends him. Bill Clinton gets a lot of credit from people for the economic growth that occurred in the 90's, but the truth of the matter was that it was a Republican-held Congress forcing his hand on tax cuts and reduced spending that Clinton was not in favor of that spurred the growth. Likewise, when Bush was first in office he oversaw a growing economy with a Republican-held Congress. This economy then took an understandable downturn after 9/11, which Democrats successfully blamed Bush for, resulting in a Democrat takeover of Congress. It was only after the Democrats took control that the economy truly started to tank. The fault that can be laid at Bush's feet is that he was foolish enough to sign everything sent to him by Congress. This includes actions by Congress that forced lenders to write loans to people who a decade prior would have been laughed out of town for wanting a mortgage, setting up a system that was as predictable as the sunrise.

The President gets the blame, because it is far easier to blame one person than 500. This is wrong, and it is in the interest of manipulative, populist politicians such as Joe Biden to keep America thinking wrong.

Normally my first reaction would be to say that the government has should have no right to control this type of thing, and that Muslims should be able to establish a Mosque wherever they want. However, this is the moral equivalent of the Japanese trying to build a Japanese military training camp 100 yards from Pearl Harbor. You would think that there would be enough people in the seats of power in New York that they would be able to use the hundreds of building laws in the city to prevent this (I know, my father was a NY general contractor before moving to NC), and that they would have to political guts to stand for something on this issue. You'd think that, but apparently you's be wrong.

Pretty sure that originally it was Reagan (although you are right about Bush also being adamant about wearing a jacket and tie in the oval office). Here is a story about it: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/01/21/obama-bre...

This is also confirmed by historian and Reagan staffer Peggy Noonan in her Reagan biography "When Character Was King." If you have a photo of Reagan sitting behind his Oval Office desk wearing western attire, I would be very interested in seeing it. Please either post a link or email it to me at editor@political-fringe.com . Thanks!

I am reminded that Ronald Reagan refused to take off his jacket while in the Oval Office, understanding the enormity of his position and that he always comported himself in a professional manner both in and out of the White House. I get sick on my stomach every time I see this clown speak before the American people dressed like he's the shift manager at Denny's. There are not enough words to describe how little this man understands about carrying the Office of the President. He might not care, but the world is watching.

Lisa Miller is my new hero for 2010. This is a travesty that cannot be allowed to stand.