Maybe it's time to water the tree of democracy with a little blood.

great. any-time audits.

This article is a little misleading. Yes, Bush signed the bill. But, he did want to veto it. Congress authored the bill. Bush signed it and doesn't really have the ability to affect everything that goes into a bill. I think it's interesting that the bill specifically mentions that Bush signed it, but says nothing about who authored the bill or who pushed for those specific provisions.

Bush probably hated the idea of intruding into our private information. He has shown himself a tireless defender of our personal liberties.

I'm not sure how I feel about the IRS knowing I spend my extra money primarily on gas, booze and clothes

Considering that it involves stricter taxes, rac, I wouldn't be so sure that Bush supports it.

I would think a provision like this would bother people who think the government is too involved in our lives.

It does bother me. I'm just saying that I wouldn't be so quick to place all of the blame for it on Bush.

What is with the taxes thing? Seriously. We are facing a deficit of about 6 TRILLION dollars and republicans (I assume you are, forgive me if I'm wrong) complain about taxes? By the way, has your tax rate gone down in the past seven years? Besides ephemeral rebate checks, are you better off now? Unless you're making over 2 million dollars a year, chances are you're not.

So my question is, why are republicans so hung up defending a president who A: has not lowered your taxes but instead has increased spending by unprecedented amounts and B: Is ALSO invading your privacy.

I am genuinely interested because no one seems to have an answer.

Rac, maybe he issued one of his many signing statements, singling out this provision as one that he has no intention of enforcing. He's added more than 800 of them to past measures.

last items i bought on ebay

*Time Turner from Harry Potter movies, its hanging in my car, too bad it doesnt really work

*Dexter season one, brilliant.

*Vintage Prom dress from the 50's, slightly damaged but thats okay i am using it for halloween. prom zombie!

*Vintage Hollie Hobby doll, mint condition. dont ask.

Correction *hollie Hobbie.

I actually don't defend many of Bush's positions and if you have read what I've said in the past, you would know that. I have said time and time again that Bush is not a true conservative. I also believe that he is sometimes blamed for things that are not entirely his fault. Even many liberal sugar members have recognized that.

And I am better off now and making a lot less than $2 million a year, but I think a lot of that has to do with my age, since I was a poor college student 7 years ago.

And I'm confused about what taxes thing you're talking about. Higher taxes in general or something specific? I'm seriously asking.

And how has the president not lowered our taxes?

Now would be a good time for Americans to cancel all of their porn subscriptions charged on credit cards then wouldn't it.

If I had made the same amount now that I made in 2000, my taxes would have been 28%. For 2008, the number is 15%. And I am hardly wealthy.

Steph, you're right, this does bother the people who think government is too involved in our lives. This is just one more warning that "a government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have." You want a bailout from your poor choices? You'll have to give up a few of your freedoms too. Like that silly little sixth amendment...

Yes, Bush should have stood up for his principles and refused to sign this bill, but Lilkimbo makes a good point. Bush's actions are unimportant compared to the people who wrote and backed this bill. These are the people we need to question, but its so much easier to blame Bush, isn't it?

im confused - how would this raise $9.8 billion over 10 years?? and i'll be that data will be shared with corporations who want to use it to target advertising and direct marketing at us. this is why i try to pay in cash for most things... or with a check.

Bush has used signing statements more than most presidents. If this is against his beliefs, why not use one now? He's being inconsistent, or perhaps, this provision doesn't bother him as some people suggest.

Perhaps to Bush it is not about privacy but security - if we can track people's spending habits and compare that information to what we've picked up with phone surveillance perhaps we can catch a terrorist or two.

Good grief....in a few years we'll have more privacy if we move to China, hell with a billion people I'd get lost in the shuffle!

I'm voting libertarian from now on - I hate both republicans who BS and Democrats who BS even more while the white house isn't theirs.

Zeze, I hope you mean that. We libertarians can use all the help we can get.

I don't think anyone is necessarily saying that Bush is against this, just that we should investigate it more and that he's not entirely, or probably even primarily, to blame.

Michelin, I don't think this bill is fair because people who do not need mortgage bailout are still submitted to these credit card checks. I really think it's high time people started reacting to these government actions en massed instead of complaining about them. It is scary to have your rights stripped away, bit by bit.

Zeze, actually in China only 25% of people pay their taxes each year as opposed to 75% of Americans despite the fact that China is a planned economy. There are different kinds of freedom in every country, even the ones that are supposedly the antithesis of the American one.

If I have the right to bear arms, I think I sure as hell should have the right to shop for items within the legal confines of the law at my own discretion.

... without the govt. knowing about it

Cordata, I don't think its fair for anybody! I was simply saying that people ask for so much from their government, and everybody ends up paying with their liberties. I don't think anybody should get a bailout, and I don't think our freedoms should be compromised.

You know what's sad? That this doesn't surprise me at all.

I'm actually more surprised this hasn't been going on already.

There's no guarantee that it hasn't been going on Jude. Could be like the telecoms and stuff has been passed back and forth and we just never heard about it.

True, true.

Yup, I'm sure this is already going on, but if it makes sense, I am a little angry over the fact that the government now admits to doing it!

It's like lying, we all know people lie, but it is worse when they tell you they are lying to you.

I am wondering about this:
"Not only does it affect nearly every credit card transaction in America, such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, but the bill specifically targets payment systems like eBay's PayPal, Amazon, and Google Checkout that are used by many small online businesses."

Curious...could this be a way for them to track how much business is actually being done by these small online shops through ebay, amazon, etc. to, in effect, audit them without going through an acutal audit, to see if they are claiming all the income they are truely making? I could see if they found these businesses underreporting their income and made them pay taxes on what they really took in, that has the potential to produce a boat load of cash....

I was wondering that myself, MartiniLush.