Mistakes were made

  *  Understatement of the decade!!! The American people made a huge mistake by electing a president who lacked curiosity about the world and who stayed inebriated during his formative years.
  *  1) Greedy Americans sought nirvana in abolition of the estate tax, not realizing that only the richest 2% pay any estate tax. Did they wish to establish and perpetuate an aristocracy or plutocracy?  Next came a reduction of the highest tax rate, another gift to the rich, then the abolition of tax on dividends to enrich the rich. The excuse was to avoid double taxation of dividends. More desirable would be to let corporations deduct dividends from reported earnings.
  *  Since the Republican congress went on a spending spree, including an unjust war, these tax policies just added to the national debt, which will have to be serviced by future generations, the interest on which will go to our rich and to foreign countries.
  *  The argument that the government did not need the revenues was short sighted, as the country was deeply in debt, with rising social-security payouts on the horizon. The argument that tax breaks for the rich would stimulate the economy was trickle down theory, the most inefficient conceivable economic policy.
  *  The very rich were not in fact asking for those gifts. Most of them understood that a balanced budget is more important than their additional wealth. Many of them understood that a healthy middle class is more important than a richer wealthy class. Fair minded people don't mind paying taxes needed by their government, provided all others of similar circumstances are paying their share.    *  Thus, the tax breaks didn't even contribute to the happiness of their beneficiaries.
  *  2) My fellow Christian Americans, our Christian Congress and our Christian President were too easily caught up in hate and revenge against the wrong target. It has been a long time since more evil than the Iraq war was projected on the world. How many ministers led discussions of Just War Theory during the run-up?
  *  3) Ignoring warnings about al-Qaida's intentions, withholding funds for international family planning, failing to promote energy conservation (transportation standards & building codes), maligning same-sex couples, all mistakes.
  *  Why would anyone regret the departure of Republicans from Washington?