I was in support of the Tea Party until it started to take the shape the current GOP. I want a restoration of my federal government; however, I cannot see how such can be done effectively, if we are going to select leaders such as those who instigated the government shutdown. I as a voter and an American citizen am not looking for a "If Obama says it, then I am against it" type stance. Such is ignorant at best, and it is hurting our nation more and more as it allows the Democrats to gain more momentum.

Members of congress say that the issues of the government are too complicated for most Americans to understand. They think the American people are too stupid to see that it is Congress that is muddying up the waters to hide facts and figures from the people they represent and are supposed to be working for. The complexity of government has developed over years of deliberate subterfuge to keep the people like mushrooms, (Kept in the dark and fed manure). Think Whig party

Give the people a break; freedom is taken everytime a law is passed; the best educated lawyer knows less than 1% of the laws affecting the freedoms of our citizens. We know even less. Yet, ignorance of the law is no excuse for violating it. Very scary.

The Ten Commandments, given by GOD to Moses worked for thousands of years and now they are barred from our courts. Just wrong.

GOD help our leaders; please ask GOD for forgiveness and guidance as you create/eliminate the laws; GOD knows best!.

Geoff Grossman

IMHO, the jist is, Freedom OF Religion...Not Freedom FROM Religion. Can any society survive without any form of Government? It's about Self-governance or Self-Rule VS, BIG Government. Socialists Dictating your life via Tyrannical Rules & Regulations is Oppressive. Submission to God's Holy Word isn't oppressive, but LIBERATING. Faithful Muslims know that there is Freedom through Submission. I'm more comfortable following The Ten-Commandments than a Dictatorial Nanny-State-Bureaucrat ideologue or Sharia-Law-Caliphate. I'm not going to loose my head over this argument - for now.

If the Constitution were based on Islam or other fundamental rules maybe your comments would be agreeable but I believe the United States was based on Christian beliefs and law and should stay that way. #1 Freedom of religion. Look what's happening in places like Egypt where Islam believers kill and torture Christians and show me where that situation is happening the other way around and I may understand where you are coming from.

If you support allowing the ten commandments in our courts would you support sharia law as well?
If the answer is no then your argument holds no weight.

There's a reason why the ten commandments AND other religious doctrine are barred from government. Back in the colonial days when we were still under British rule many people came to America to escape religious oppression because Britian had a state religion. People remembered that when our government was being formed and realized that the only way to guarantee religious freedom to all and prevent the formation of a state religion is to keep religion and government separate (separation between church and state). This was so important that it was included in the First Amendment.

I think it's really about freedom. The only way we will be more like Iran is by layering in more laws, rules, regulations and obligations on the majority of Americans that are not in government or the 1% wealthy controlling the lawmakers. I think the tea party is lawful and timely in a time our nation seems to be wanting to tax more, regulate more and make the government the decider of who can win and lose.

I think you forgot about the separation of church and state thing-a-ma-bob. Maybe it is your wish and the Tea Party's that the US was a theocracy...yeah let us model our constitution like Iran...

Geoff- You are a good man !!! God bless.

Give the people a break; freedom is taken everytime a law is passed; The best educated lawyer knows less than 1% of the laws affecting the freedoms of our citizens. Wow! Yet ignorance of the law is no excuse for violating them. Very scary...the Ten Commandments, given by GOD to Moses worked for thousands of years and now they are barred from our courts.

Keep it simple stupid. Seems cliche but I bet the laws passed by Congress will fail to stand the test of time.

GOD help our leaders; please ask GOD for guidance as you create the laws.

Geoff Grossman

I believe we need new eyes and ears and the Tea party brings this to the table.
We need to return to the core believes of this country and we can only do that with the Inforcing the Constituion

Why are the old school Republican Members of Congress throwing the Tea Party Members under the bus? I keep hearing President Obama saying "the majority of Americans" feel like he does and that makes me think he has lost touch with reality. I am sick of the old school gang and sick of President Obama. Serious, just do what the Tea Party Members suggest and if it's a disaster next year they can all be voted out. I have news for you, it won't be, time for a little TUFF LOVE and turning off the crazy government spending.

The Tea Party advances their ideas by creating one crisis after another with a no compromise, testosterone-for-brains attitude. They believe that if they can cause our nation's credit rating to be lowered or they can cause the military to delay or recall an aircraft carrier from the Pursian Gulf using the a self-inflicted method of sabatoge called sequestration, then this will PROVE that Obama is a failure.

Tea Party has many characteristics of a radical, religious-based terrorist organization who replaces physical bombs with national crisis after national crisis!

What's the hold-up with the GOP introducing a bill recognizing English as our nation's official language?

That should be tacked onto a subsection clarifying for the judges that illegal aliens are NOT the "We the people" intended by our Constitution; accordingly, they are not constitutionally entitled to Due Process or any other constitutional rights, only to SUMMARY JUSTICE, same as military tribunals dispense. So that they will have no standing to file lawsuits against our citizens or agencies, and courts will lack jurisdiction to entertain any lawsuits by or for an illegal alien.

Isn't the lottery money suppose to go towards education??? Oh yeah I forgot the government had to put into general fund so they could use it for anything they wanted just like the social security. Obama for a Harvard man you sir are a complete J.A. when it comes to being a president. For the last 2 1/2 yrs you have done nothing but destroy our beautiful nation. Your like the caboose of a train, you lead from behind.

Added note: it is against our Constitutional rights to redistribute wealth - we are not a socialist or communist nation. 50% of Americans don't pay taxes and these are not the rich people. I agree we need tax reform and we need to change our retirement system as well as possibly have a more level percentage of taxes. Remember that the rich are the ones who do stimulate jobs as well as donate a large portion to the various non-profit agencies that help people. Tax them more and taxes passed on costs of products. Change the red tape leading our businesses to go overseas because cheaper.

I agree that there has to be change and while I don't agree with the whole package, it gives room for changes to exactly what is cut as we insist on cutting excess spending instead of majority falling on our defense budget and Medical programs. I believe that we tighten out belts in what goes out to other countries, pass a law that elected officials must come under the laws they pass and not be exempt from them, that they have the same health care we have, that their retirements come more into alignment with what the citizens have, etc. Time to change!

TUFF is not a word, its spelled TOUGH. Your spelling is a lot like Tea Party politics, just because it may sound fine to the average Joe doesn't make it correct.

How is taking money away from Education, Police, and Fire departments while insisting on maintaining tax cuts for Billionaires tough Love? Sounds like bought and paid for love to me. Why are the richest of the rich the only ones that should not feel any pain in fixing this issue? I am all for tough love if it is delt out fairly.

Accolades to Alan Waxman I agree someone needs to go forward with fresh ideas. Old Democrats and Republicans need to be taken to the Virgin islands for recycling. Don't come back until you can make a common sense decision.