[thecavemaster]

"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States...."

In order for the federal government to do the things required of it within the Constitution, circa 2010 with over 300 million people, requires a lot of revenue. Is there waste? Yes, just as in any and every endeavor involving human beings. Is there excess? Yes, ditto. Nothing unites like a common enemy (taxes, "liberals," "socialists," black President... and whatever other nastiness Hoot and his ilk can think of), and that, of course, explains a lot about mid-term elections. The sting of defeat and a common enemy, a black one... White Republicans Unite... and they did. To live in America is to constanly be in the midst of speech and habits and attitudes that offend... that's the beauty of pluralism. Nobody stole America from anybody. Nobody needs to "take America back" from anybody else. Empty, inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to that which is lowest in human nature are poor substitutes for legitimate debate.