Real accountability? That begins right there in the congress Mr. Forbes. To point to the senate is one thing, for the House to send the senate legislation that has to be rejected is another. To say you did your job in this fails to point out the work necessary to compromise and produce legislation that the higher body can endorse. Let's not forget that when you arrived in the congress Mr. Forbes you were given a balanced budget and the nation was paying down the national debt. Since you've been there you haven't participated in a single balanced budget, and your votes helped to create 7.5 TRILLION dollars of new debt with no plan to pay for it. You supported the disasterous Bush tax cuts that overwhelmingly went to benefit millionaires and billionaires and contrary to your arguments they did not create jobs. You have held on to your position and for over 135 days now you have refused to pressure the republican leadership to vote on the president's JOBS ACT that was crafted in a way fully paid for and 68% of the nation wanted passed, long ago. But we cannot even get a vote from your party. In fact sir, you refused to even show up to vote on the middle class tax cut extension. You have refused to acknowledge that both past and present treasury secretaries oppose continuing the Bush policy. The policy has been equally attacked by economists from across the nation and they include past and present chairmen of the Federal Reserve and the IMF. Let's not forget here that you have said absolutely nothing regarding what can only be described as obstructionist republican leadership with historic numbers of filibusters. Refusing to speak out makes you complicit in the gridlock sir. The public overwhelmingly is disgusted with this congress, a whopping 91% with negative opinions of the job you are doing. You are harming this nation with actions such as refusing to vote to increase the debt limit and then the next day rail on and on about defense industry cuts. Time after time you have advanced initiatives on this blog without offering any means whatsoever to pay for the spending you advocate. It has just become an excercise in hot air frankly. You have not delivered for the people in my view and after 12 years in the congress only 1 bill you sponsored has become law, with a whopping 56 never making it out of committee. We sent you to the congress to get things done and perform and with public opinion the way it is I would think it obvious that you need to roll up your sleeves and serve the voters more effectively. I believe we deserve votes better than the one you cast to make whatever the House votes for in budget becomes law if the president and the senate disagree. My goodness sir, you are on the judiciary committee. Your refusal to act on a critical piece of legislation for jobs, the JOBS ACT that is fully funded has added significantly to the debt already. You are protecting millionaires and billionaires and if you think that is serving this nation you are sadly mistaken.

It is discouraging that the republican speaker of the House today suggested un-American motives on the part of President Obama...on the day of the State of the Union. This congress is hopelessly broken and has not learned anything with opinion of this body at record lows. The news a republican representative will not attend this speech is un-American. I hope congressman Forbes that you will decide to respect this event and show up.

Congressman, if you think Americans are annoyed with speechwriters I would argue that you haven't been listening to the voters. They are annoyed with the performance of this congress. When a whopping 90% of us tell you of our digust with your performance how can you make the leap to speechwriters?

Thomas G, it sounds like the only form of compromise you think should be done is the Republicans should be the ones to compromise with the Democrats. Sir, you need to look at this from a different view, for two years the Democrats in the beginning of President Obama's tenure, had the capability to push through all those great programs you think are necessary. But ask yourself, why didn't they? Because they knew if their plans failed they could not blame anyone but themselves and we know Democrats have a hard time accepting any blame. So let's not try to pawn it all off on Republicans. Democrats are just as guilty of not wanting to compromise.