In the early 1900's the top marginal tax rate was 7%, 1 - 5 million were the top rates. And before WWII the rates reached it height under President Harding at 73%, this is for income tax and not for capital gains taxes.

During WWII the top marginal tax rate reached a height of 94% and the top bracket was lowered to $200,000.00.

Truman and Eisenhower had 92% and 91% tax rates with the top dollars earned at $400,000.00 During Kennedy it remained at 91%.

Under Johnson the rate dropped to 71%

From 1965 - 1985 the top rate remained in the 70% But during Reagans years they were slashed of course from a high of 68% to 28% in 1985. They rose a little under the first Bush to 31% and during Bill Clinton it rose to 39% where the top bracket was 250,000 - 300,000. Under the second Bush tax rates dropped slightly to 35%.

This perspective could show one or two things, but interestingly the lower the rates the more greed there is which seems to damage out economy more than paying higher taxes. When taxes were so high during WWII and afterward, there was a huge boom in the middle class and there were plenty of jobs.

Capital gains tax rates have never been higher than 39.9% under President Jimmy Carter, but there was a 50% exclusion and the capital gains tax rate under Kennedy was 25%.

You asked

Do our oath-taking officials have any fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers?

The short answer is yes they do. However, we are a nation based on laws, specifically contract law, if you've ever read the Constitution, it is all about contract law and the governments mandate to follow the law. The President cannot violate the law, the VP cannot violate the law, etc. Contract law = United States of America, that is what makes us different than say a communist, a dictatorship, etc, they follow no laws and happen to feel they are exempt from law. If you want to blame someone blame Hank Paulsen who helped write that shit so that companies like AIG would have benefits, they would loose nothing and there would be oversight. Now you are asking the Obama Administration to break the law, well you all need to make up your god damned minds, are we a nation of laws or not? No doubt AIG is filled with greedy bastards and they got away with murder really. There may be legal remedies, but at this point Hank Paulsen helped AIG rip us off. Thanks Hank, your a real mensch.

I think I'd rather have you around reader than virtueless001, you are more reasoned in your responses, even if they are generally really, really long.

Whenever my dad sends me crazy republican BS I just delete it. It used to send me into a rage, but you know what I just let it go now, I just figured it isn't worth arguing, being angry, etc, so the delete key works really well and we talk about all kinds of things, just not politics anymore.

These guys are geniuses! I love it, can't wait to see the 2010 campaigns.

WAAAHHHHHH.

Tonight.. hopefully Stewart will respond :)

Many women used to die in child birth or as a result of child birth pre-modern medicine. I for one have not intention of going back or having my daughter go back to that time. No doubt midwifery is excellent, two of our three children were born with the help of midwives. our first was not, but each child was born in a hospital, in birthing centers, with doctors and emergency personnel available if necessary. I am not saying home birth is necessarily bad, low-risk pregnancies are more than likely just fine, but high-risk pregnancy, why would anyone want to take the chance?

She does not realize how moronic she sounds! Hilarious stuff.

You should have forgotten about the so-called friendship. I have never heard of such a thing seriously, what the hell, she isn't your friend, a friend understands other friends. A destination wedding, who are they the Rockefellers? Of course a Rockefeller would have been more classy. Just walk away, like you should have done after she was such a bitch. The world does not revolve around her, and you aren't even related to her! Sheesh!

This does sound like high school. Walk away, trust me in the long run you will feel better.

I am not going to read the letters yet, as I am sure Readerreader is here defending Sarah Palin. It seems though that Sarah's so called Christianity has gotten the best of her. So she is saying she didn't find the folks on John McCain's campaign religious enough for her, that there was just something about them, or is something about them, just not good enough, not religious enough, and so of course how could they win an election when those folks simply weren't religious enough. Sarah Palin really is quite judgmental isn't she. She is the one who knows who is religious enough, she is the ultimate judge of those around her. She is a bitch too, and a whiny one at that, she hasn't quit whining about John McCain and that campaign since they lost, and she always say, I am not whining, I don't whine... blah, blah, blah....

John McCain though, has held his tongue, he says nothing about her. He is every bit the gentleman to her incredibly outlandish behavior. She is definitely playing to her base. That base is small, it is the base of the religious right. Can this help her win an national election? Clearly she wants to be President. Good Luck Sarah, you will need it, because you will find that you don't want to pray with the rest of us either.

We saw it last night and my husband loved it, but I actually fell asleep during the movie so it was just ok.