Energy prices -- Congress should understand that clearing the way for development of all known and theoretical domestic oil reserves would provide at most 6 months of oil at current consumption levels and endanger the environment. They should enact legislation to assist in the development and introduction of electric vehicles and the infrastructure required to support them and other alternative energy vehicles.

Rising food prices -- Congress should reform our farm programs by abandoning food grain ethanol programs to reduce new burdens on American and foreign consumers.

Mortgage payments -- Congress should recognize that free markets have their payoffs and penalties for the greedy and the incompetent, and that those losing their houses will simply go back to where they were: the rental market.

Student loans -- Congress should abolish the 'no child left behind' fiasco that has marched education to the tempo of the most unmotivated and incompetent students.

Sent by theantibush | 12:54 PM ET | 04-29-2008

I'm fed up with the government trying to meddle in the marketplace. More often than not, if government would either butt out or stick to legislation that forces the market to face the consequences of its actions where it would not otherwise, we would all be better off.

Americans are a resilient people. We don't need the government to "save" us. Help us take care of each other, help us take care of our world. The rest is unnecessary.

Sent by Amanda | 2:46 PM ET | 04-29-2008

It bothers me (still, even though I'm no longer surprised) that our President's rhetoric amounts to schoolyard bullying. He just throws his agenda at people (including the American People) instead of making any attempt to form a cogent argument. For all his lies, at least Ronald Reagan formed an argument, even though the facts behind it were suspect at best. I expect the practice of logical argument to be inherent to the character of a president. What I saw instead at this conference was a tantrum by a seriously regressed adult. It's hard to understand how this amounts to leadership--it looks more like a deep misunderstanding of power.

Sent by Mark Elliott | 3:06 PM ET | 04-30-2008