The last republican pres (remember that) had an unemployment rate of nearly 10% and rising. We are now 7.9% and falling. I'll take that change. By the way, he ended one foreign war and is ending a second. GW started two.....

Oh my, someone needs a nap (and a fact check). Gas prices are not controlled by the President (as stated by GW Bush). Domestic energy production is at an all time high. Electricity prices increased much more dramatically under GW as well. Most of the debt you list also occurred under GW and GW's policies. Much of the new debt is a result of the recession and dropping revenue caused by (you guessed it), GW policies. I hate to blame poor George too much, but BO inherited a mess and all you conservatives seem to ignore that. By the way, BO has; helped assure equal pay for women, ended one war, got some health care reform, changed the economy from losing 700,000 jobs a month to gaining 200,000 jobs a month - just a name few. What have you done?

That beats the last Republican who started two true wars (only one marginally justified), ruined our economy, divided the country, created the Patriot Act,and happen to take more vacation days than any Pres in history. And Mitt takes nearly the ideal positions that brought us that record. In that case it's easy, Obama is the man.

You have to lower taxes to get out of a recession? Everyone knows that? Sorry both those statements are patently false. Lowering taxes can help a recession, but they are not needed. It could be argued our current debt is tightening the financial markets and thus crippling the economy. Reducing the debt could increase confidence in the system and contribute to a rebound. Economic theories don't revolve entirely around the supply side. We have to get out of this simplistic mindset to be taken seriously, Dude.

Wow, that is a convincing argument. How about adding just a bit of actual information? Just saying something doesn't make it so.

Not a great start, but I would say "depends". If your a hedge fund manager and can label your income as venture capitol, you pay 15%, less than 1/2 of what a small business person like myself pays. (i.e. how does Mitt Romney pay 13%?). The same goes for the wealthy that don't work for a living, but make money from capital gains. However, if you make a lot of money as actual pay, then the current rates are not bad. The 4% jump proposed by Obama is certainly no back breaker either. That still leaves our rates lower than most leading nations in the world and will allow the wealthy to continue to amass more and more.

To start, the idea that most people on welfare of food stamps have decided not to work is just not true (most work and many are retired, kids, students etc). I don't like our current system any more than most, but let's work with facts. The problem with flat tax is the rest of our economic system is not "flat" in it's treatment of others. The deck is "stacked" towards the wealthy and has resulted in greater wealth disparity than we have seen in decades. The US now has less upward mobility than nearly all European nations, I find that sad as a tremendous loss of freedom in this country. It's not just taxes, but the entire system is unbalanced.

Another way to look at it is the wealthy draw more from our society (all wealth ultimately comes from a larger whole). Those that benefit most should pay most. In case your wondering, I'm one of those small business people who are supposed to be afraid increasing tax rates, but I just see it as paying back when for success that is given.