"...Higher taxes are the last thing we need. The economy isn't hurting because workers and businesses are under-taxed."

"Breaking our oil addiction will take nothing less than a complete transformation of our economy."

When it comes to taxes, it’s usually a matter of cutting them or raising them. But as any taxpayer knows, the tax code is a complicated being.

A bad economy has been known to sink a sitting president, but a strong one has generally been no guarantee for re-election.

Costs are soaring and millions remain uninsured. For some, it is all about reform of an ailing system. For others, it is about creating a new one.

The fund for retirees will run out of money at some point, the disagreement lies in when. It needs fixing or replacing.

Known as the mortgage mess, the subprime meltdown or the housing debacle, its tentacles reach far and wide and there's plenty blame to go around.

The energy spike is stirring a number of policy debates, ranging from conservation to alternative fuels to some form of carbon tax.

Setting the trade agenda is often a tug of war between Congress and president. It's high profile and emotional because it means jobs and votes.