"The public sits through it without realizing they're being ripped."

LOL...what else is new? And it will only get worse if they raise taxes. Watch belts tighten in anticipation of that nightmare...more job losses, pressure on wages, goods and services cut backs during an energy crisis of dramatic proportions...all in the name of hope and change. If they raise the capital gains tax, watch a market sell off to beat the clock...all while housing prices drop and equity shrinks.... a change I can live without.