7. where does the Republican party go from here, and how will they clean up Bush’s mess?

It was Obama's job to fix Bush's mess. He campaigned for the job. Instead, he's continuing the mess.... We'll see what's left to work with in 2012.

Bush's mess? Obama is the president. He was supposed to fix this so called mess and has instead chosen to leave us a bigger one. You do know that Bush is gone and not eligible for office, right?

The questions is a false dichotomy. Q? How does the Rep party clean up the Bush mess? The false insinuation? Bush made the country a mess ALL BY HIMSELF. Apparently you have no clue how budgets are passed. The "Bush Mess" was voted heartily into law by the Dem congress. The last 2 years of his presidency, the Dems controlled both houses, and that is where virtually all of the deficit increases came from. (or do you forget the 2 trillion voted in at the last three months of Bush?) I am no defender of Bush, just get your records straight. So now, who will clean up the DEM mess, that's right, I refuse to lay it all on Obama. In less than 1.25 years, they have ran up record deficits, that exceed all deficits in the history of the USA. Now they want health care reform, cap and trade, and Banking/Wall street regulations. How do you trust a government, that can not make money running simple restaurants? (see link) Why don't people understand the basics of US political structure? Also check the second link: Party in power. The last time the US budget ran in the black, was when the Reps controlled congress -1995-2001. Every idiot credits Clinton, but it was the congress that passed the budgets he signed.

Perhaps you are too quick to bury us, lest you forget the last few elections - governor in which states ? Now hold a seat in Mass that hed been dem for how many decades ? To be fair - I don't think the electorate is suddenly becoming Republican, just anti-democrat.

It was Obama's job to fix Bush's mess. He campaigned for the job. Instead, he's continuing the mess.... We'll see what's left to work with in 2012.

It's "Obamas' Mess" now! Deal with it!

when one speaks on Politics we should not do as if we are in office! If we are really Americans we should look at the whys and the why nots and tell the facts! A Republican looks at voters as intelligent enough to see things. One, they think most could have a school education that asked them to remember our Constitution and our Bill of Rights! No one should suggest this is true anymore as it is not PC to know the facts. If we did, we would make sure being PC did not deny facts! If we have the intelligence to look at what the Constitution says is right and it is absolutely right as it never denied one American their rights! It was long ago Liberal interpretation by the Supreme Court that said American Africans were not people so had no right of citizenship! But those who vote Liberal have a one of two problems! They either accept there is no such thing as absolute morals or they are just plain ignorant of facts and so vote Liberal. This is how the Communists got power.. they spread propaganda as they did when we fought them! Children in college bought the lies because the Communists already had infiltrated our schools. We may remember a famous Communist leader tell us, and he was an intelligent leader.. he said we would bury you! Was he meaning all out Nuclear War? No, not if you still have a brain! It was already in the works.. the Liberal agenda would stop the war in Nam and even support Communism and more government control against us, not those who violate the laws.. but those who support them! We usually have some control over felons, but not law abiding citizens! If you want to have control over these.. you must use their laws and their Constitution or, in our case, go against their Bill of Rights! You have to have some control of their media, so you generate discontent and complacency, depending on who it is. The media must be controlled and this is the problem the Liberals are trying to deal with now. We notice the lie and bill called the "Fairness Act" which says if you have money we will take it! This is especially true if people support you! You cannot have control if people still have a voice! Example would be the support of abortion and Obama and Pelosi. The problem is that they are lying to us and their own party tells us they are! Obama and some Democrats take 500 billion out of Medicare? It was a program to help us after retirement and this is for all of us. But it did not work with the Obama ideas of health care.. it did not give enough control! Next, not given by Liberal media, but our own Democratic Party.. Obama insists on middle aged parents to pay for adult children's health care.. Yes, that is also in the public controlled health care bill. 2 strikes against those who need health care.. yet he still wants to support those who may make a mistake and become pregnant.. so, your heart operation will be replaced by a baby brain sucking ritual that you had nothing to do with and because someone had Liberal sex education! It is guns.. that is at fault? Ah, it is leaky protection that is still in the wrapper, that is what did it? Republicans can set back and let HONEST Democrats tell us what is going on with Obama and Pelosi! What we need now is a public willing to listen to others besides Obama and Pelosi, who are flat in your face lying to you! It is sad that Democrats have to be honest to protect us citizens! That is how bad things are! Republicans are not going to support the bill as it is, to the extreme, bad for America and our freedoms! Obama is just a man.. he never was ordained as any God.. he cannot tell insist on our accepting what he says is right or wrong. We all have our opinions and must insist on being allowed to have them. It is NOT about health care,, it is about Obama's moral ideas and control of your health care as seen fit by Obama.. like taking 500 billion of your Medicare and then attacking again at middles aged and the senior.. insisting you pay for your children's care even as adults! It is control and what Obama wants and Pelosi, because she does support China over America and we had proof of this! Maybe some want to be under Mao or another. I still want to see mistakes and who we vote in as President! Earl

"What are likely to be the long term repercussions of the Bush presidency on the Republican party?" What are likey to be the long term reprecussions of the 0bama presidency on the Democratic Party?