[Hank Rearden]

This panel is pathetic. More evidence that some things (like corruption) never change.

It's not just this panel - it's the whole Big Stupid Government. The damn thing has gone completely off the rails and exists to perpetuate itself and the Republican/'Rat parties.

Just like a cancer.

[johnny r]

What is not mentioned in the article is that the deductibility of home mortgage interest is incorporated into the value of the assets. As such, elimination of the deduction will cause the effected segment of the housing market to collapse. This is essentially what happened in the late 1980's.

[jwpjr]

re: whole Big Stupid Government

Never were truer words spoken! About 30 years ago, mid-70's, I would watch a newscast or read the paper and make the statement "government is out of control." This happened so often that my family just tuned me out, or would mouth the words as I said them. Well, guess who gets the last laugh? I take great delight in reminding them that not everyone fell for the idea that increased government involvement and control of our daily lives would be beneficial.

Truth be known though, the delight I get from rubbing there noses in it is very shallow and really bittersweet. I wish I had been wrong.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Hank, you are so right. I think the mess with FEMA should be a warning to all who thinks making big government bigger and piling another agency on top of already ineffective agencies is a disaster waiting to happen.

I have supported our President from the beginning, but I'm looking at all the things dems have pushed that he's caved on and then had them come back to bite him in the end.. like homeland security and, I'm afraid, this new added layer over FBI, CIA, NSA, etc... and looking at the cost of the IRS -- enough to rebuild the whole gulf coast... you would think he would know by now that commissions only make matters worse .. BTW. what the "H" is congress doing now days? Seems to me all hearings and decisions are being pushed into special commissions... if that is the route we're taking then what are we paying all these representatives for??????

I'm disgusted with the whole bunch right now.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Bush can't lead on issues such as these. Critical issues such as tax reform and SS/Medicare reform has to go through some "panel" or "blue-ribbon commission" or something.

More evidence that Bush wasn't really interested in tax reform only to use said issue as a springboard to win re-election.