This is still the greatest land in the entire world. We need to pursue energy independance immediately...We will do just that as outlined by McCain. Congress is the biggest fault in this, but the American people will not put up with that anymore. McCain sees that and has already charted the course. His choice for V.P. will be vital.

If you want the disaster we're going through now to continue, vote for McCain. He is proposing more of the same, just "costumed" differently. He'd just push the country further down the hole than it is now. The country really doesn't need that.

For the record, I don't favor Obama either. Quite frankly, I don't want either of them. I'm leaning toward Barr at the moment. He's a true conservative (not a far right-wing authoritarian like Bush, et al) but does not buy into the bull crap Bush, et al . . . and that includes McCain) . . .have been shovelling our way.

BTW -- Congress isn't to blame. They have had some really good plans and programs that they have tried to put in place, but have been blocked at every turn by the Reps in Congress and the incompetent and ignorant nincompoop currently inhabiting the White House. Put the blame where it belongs -- on the people trying to maintain the status quo instead of doing what the country, as a whole, said it wanted in 2006.

The president hasn't blocked anything.

He can't sign or veto a bill that doesn't come to him.

The democrat congress is just using that as an excuse not do anything.

They have been back in power nearly two years and have accomplished exactly nothing.

And they have an approval rating even lower than the president.

"Optimists are nothing more than liberal's installing fear into your mind's folks." - Because us True American's "ARE" standing up against liberalism, Communists, radical feminism, homosexuality, affirmative action and quotas in the workplace, the Pledge of Allegiance to be brought back in Public Schools, to get rid of all abortion, to ban same sex marriage fully, to rid America of all illegals, to bring back The American Dream, meaning to finish High School, run for President of the United states of America, without a Democrat Party blocking everything good for this Country without any common sense at all and trying to build their socialist utopia agenda's all around this Great Country of ours, in a land in which life is be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement not like some other third world country.

This is why we need to vote for McCain this Nov. 2008 for President, and, get rid of all liberals in every seat, on the City, County, State and Federal Government.

God Bless America and Happy Birthday America - not amerika.

That's why I put the emphasis on the V.P. McCain is not the complete answer, but Obama is an empty vessel with an unusually lot of baggage.

I'm with the optimist who planted a garden. We planted fruit trees years ago and a garden spot and are storing wheat, rice, water, beans, etc. I feel so much better knowing that we have food here in the house...there is so much produce coming in that we share it and put it in bottles. Food and gas keep going up...but the good Lord blesses us with a bounty for the price of seeds and water. We've always had a garden, even in rentals.

To Sorry,Ken, when did you become an authority? All the rhetoric you've babbled just shows you have little knowledge of what is really going on with the left-wing liberals which absolutely includes Obama. He is an extremist and we think our country is in bad shape now? Wait until Obama and his buddies get hold and you will know fear. All we can do is pray that the Lord will intervene and help turn some of this outlandish politics around and put the right man in charge. Obama is evil and cannot be trusted. McCain may not have all the pretty speaking abilities but he genuinely cares about our country and he served our country. What has Obama done for our country? He can't even make a decision because of his fear of "taking sides". That is what we need to be afraid of.

The president oil man Bush has blocked the items that he has vetoed! The Dems don't control congress, it takes a veto proof majority to control congress and prevent the other party from filibustering legislation. The Repubs had control for many years and this is what is to show for it. Energy independence is more than helplessly plugging holes at a cost of our environment, that is the same as an addict robbing for more dope. We need longterm solutions rather than continue to feed big oil tax breaks while they stick it to you and me!!! I don't want them strip mining Utah, burning tons and tons of natural gas for barrels of oil creating more CO2. I'd rather burn the natural gas in my car than that crap. The republicans are to blame period and the supply problems began long before the 2006 election.

Republicans are the Domestic Terrorists, get your head out of the sand and look around. Pray all you want, but it is Bush, Cheney and all of the Neocons that have us in this mess. Look at all of the corruption and fleecing of wealth that has happened while you and I suffer. This is BS! The 2004 elections we were told we were better off than 4 years before, more people owned homes than ever before. Look now after this all came apart at the corruption by the same big asses that had their hands in the republicans pockets. I have seen nothing but scandal after scandal while the rich get richer. Our infrastructure is falling apart here at home, national debt more than doubled and we are better off? Sorry suzyk but your a part of the problem, you support domestic terrorism.

Why can't Optimists that are nothing more than liberal's figure this out yet?. - Let's get this straight, crude oil is about $55 per barrel, even given the laws of supply and demand, here's how a business (a gas station) works that sells it, right now they buy it at $55, sell it much higher, to off set costs in the future it may go up, if they just sold cheap gas right now, and kept it slightly over that $55, they could only buy 80% worth from their profits, and it would be playing catch-up to try to make it back, and go belly-up and broke. That's why the cost of oil is so high, by speculating, as all business's do. It's not the War that made them go up or the Republican's. Plus it was the Dem's also blocking everything that was good as well that helped it climb upward to.

Brother Chuck Schroeder,
That is one major run-on sentence there. Where the heck did you get your class A education from? Oh it must have been from that socialist program that we call public education. But since you are not a socialist participant, you failed to attend. Am I right?

Brother Chuck Schroeder,
What the heck are you talkin' about there? Try about $145/barrel. That is capitalism, not socialism. You are crazier than the first time you posted. Man get educated there and learn how to set up an argument that has merit. Go to a liberal, liberal, liberal socialist educational facility and learn something. You are a fool if you can't see the problems that have occurred since the 1994 takeover of congress by the Republican Party. That is their fault, they ran the country along with the Bush Administration and they also had a veto proof majority for a long time there. Can't blame the democrats for that.

GAS STATIONS buy it at $55 a barrel right now, it's not refined yet, raw, they up the price for the future, maybe 2 years from now, to $145 right now. It's the truth, do your own research. And I got my education being mostly self educated plus anyone that owns his own business will also tell you this as I have just done here. Question is where were you educated at?. Crude oil is about $55 per barrel, even given the laws of supply and demand, here's how a business (a gas station) works that sells it, right now they buy it at $55, sell it much higher, to off set costs in the future it may go up, if they just sold cheap gas right now, and kept it slightly over that $55, they could only buy 80% worth from their profits, and it would be playing catch-up to try to make it back, and go belly-up and broke. That's why the cost of oil is so high, by speculating, as all business's do.

Who deregulated big oil and allowed them to buy all of the small refineries and close them? Who controlled congress all this time that there was no refineries built? Who was the president then? OIl is closing in at 140 plus per barrel while Bush shakes his finger at all of the oil supplying nations. Yes that is right republicans have been in control, not democrats!

hwy are we not buying more futures rather than making enemies with the oil supplying nations??????

There are plenty of articles about the energy crisis, and plenty discussion attached to them. If I had my druthers, this thread be about the original topic: optimism and pessimism.

I for one believe this country will come out fine, and better than it is now. We face difficulties, but they are not even comparable to the ones faced by our fathers and grandfathers, etc., etc. Where is the revolutionary war? The civil? The famines? The pandemics? The Great Depression? World Wars?

The gloom and doom is simply unwarranted in my mind.

We have challenges, but we as a nation will come out on top. I believe this.

And every time I start wondering about mortgage payments, college tuition, etc., I just remind myself: I live a life that most kings of ancient times would envy in its comforts, opportunities, education, and on and on.

Let's keep a little perspective.