If Obama gets more cooperation from the Republican party, a lot more things can be achieved. I kinda felt that the Republicans are giving him an extra hard time, much more so than with previous Democratic Presidents.

Higher taxes on people who actually create the jobs, which this country needs, will only postpone any turn around in our economy. Moreover, the real estate market will be worse this year than in 2011 because of projected record foreclosures. I predict that higher gas prices this summer will only make our economy even worse because people will have less money to spend on other things. Just look at his refusual to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline project, which would have been a win win for our country. Finally, have you seen higher food prices - that will do nothing to improve our economy.
As long as we have Obama in the presidency, nothing will improve; he is anti-business; anti-innovator; and pro-socialist; pro-welfare state; pro-big government; and an advocator for redistributing the wealth around. That is NOT the American way!

I can't vote because I'm not a U.S citizen, but I would have voted for Obama in the previous election.I would probably vote for him this year too, despite all the troubles and opinion polls. For me its better than the candidates for the Republicans.

I didn't see it and it won't affect anything for me because I live in Canada

AMEN!!!! Yes.

Boner (Boehner) just sits there with a smug look on his face going, "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!" How the hell is anything supposed to get done?

My middle daughter is on our insurance (she's in Grad School) her place of employment doesn't offer insurance, and the ONLY reason she has health insurance is because of "ObamaCare." If some Conservative prick who doesn't want to pay his taxes takes my child's health care away (as my oldest doesn't live with us and has NO health care at all!) I'm going become seriously angry and take action.

WHY is it only called "Class War Fare" when the Middle Class fights back?

THEY AREN'T HIRING with the low taxes they already have! The rich paid higher taxes under Reagan, and there were actually JOBS! The Rich have had eleven years of low taxes and all they have done is outsource jobs, fire Americans and not hire Americans. What harm will actually getting them to PAY their freaking taxes at least at the rate the middle class pay hurt? They (the Right) want it all for themselves and will probably fight to the death to prevent any middle class or poor person from even getting a crumb of the pie, not to mention a piece.

The Keystone pipeline is a scam that will NOT employ Americans (it will employ Canadians and make rich oil barons MORE rich, I don't see that as progress.)

I do believe Reagan's policies are in part the reason we're in such dire straights today. Every president has set precident for his successor to make worse policies than the one before. It's everyone's fault. This lies on everyone's shoulders; mine, yours, the guy next door and everyone else who is of age to vote. We've all made bad decisions, we've all cast the wrong vote or not cast one at all and we all need to step up and fix it. It's such an absurdly daunting task with a bleak outlook and no one really knows how to start.

I tried writing letters to my representatives. You know what I get back in response?

"Thanks for letting us know how you feel, but we're still going to vote in opposition to your point of view. Thanks for wasting our time."

I wouldn't have voted for Reagan, not at all, I agree with you. My point was that the taxes on the rich when he was in office were higher and there were STILL jobs, the Rich were hiring people and their taxes had NOTHING to do with it.

I don't buy the "If you make us pay taxes, we won't hire anybody. Hmph!" that you hear so much from the Right. It's bullshit to say that "no one will be hired if the Rich have to pay their fair share." That was all. The Rich can pay their damn taxes and there can still be jobs. The Right is acting like both can't be true at the same time, and history has proven this NOT to be true. Business owners taxes on their INDIVIDUAL INCOME have nothing to do with their hiring practices, nor their company's ability to hire people.

I actually hated Reagan, but there were jobs when Rich were paying higher taxes BEFORE the Dubya Administration.

That's all very true. What I think should happen is that a law should be made requiring that companies return [x] amount of profit back into the company and it should be over the 50% mark, the rest can line their pockets if they so choose.

This This This This.
Also, this.

I love the part where Obama wants to change the tax code on companies that outsource jobs, that's the way to go! Just think how many Americans have lost their jobs due to big companies outsourcing!

The economy will not recover until the real estate market turns around. The real estate market will not recover until the job market turns around. The job market will not turn around until entrepreneurs find a better regulatory and TAX environment to stimulate hiring of more people. (If you own a business and whether or not it’s barely making it, how can you justify hiring just one more employee and expect to sell products when you, as an owner, face HIGHER taxes or costly Obamacare mandates?) You don’t stay in business when you loose money! Its got everything to do with taxes! The solution to a better job is a better education!

Of all the people who file tax returns, more than 46% DO NOT pay TAXES (and even get a credit back). How can you justify the rest of the people who do pay taxes, to pay HIGHER taxes? The entrepreneur who CREATES the jobs will not hire anyone if they have to pay more in taxes and other business costs. Furthermore, it is irresponsible for homeowners to put nothing down and then expect Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to guarantee the loans with taxpayer dollars? This caused the economic collapse in the first place. Add to this economic lesson the fact that, in three years, the Obama administration has added over 4 trillion dollars in deficits in the name of stimulus; this just has NOT worked. Don’t expect higher taxes on those of us who DO pay taxes to bail out the rest of the country as the solution to the problem. It is a shared sacrifice, not big government to redistribute the wealth. Under his administration this country has moved closer to a socialistic welfare state and not one of a capitalistic paycheck state! This is why the Dodd-Frank Act and Obamacare Act have to be repealed and the Cap & Trade bill should never be enacted. We are going in the wrong direction. This is not the ‘hope and change’ I want. We cannot describe this matter in terms of class warfare; rich vs. poor.
As far as the Keystone XL project, we need to be energy independent and this WOULD be a jobs creating project; it is NOT a scam.
Finally the argument that Obama is getting no cooperation from Republicans is a weak one. When he had a democratically controlled Congress for two years and a 60 vote majority proof Senate, he squandered it; he had no excuses then just as much as there are no excuses now. He did not lead!!

Voting for Obama even if he goes up and says "I like pie" and sits back down.