http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/22/AR2008092202583.html

“The political left always aims to expand the permeation of economic life by politics. Today, the efficient means to that end is government control of capital. So, is not McCain’s party now conducting the most leftist administration in American history? The New Deal never acted so precipitously on such a scale. Treasury Secretary Paulson, asked about conservative complaints that his rescue program amounts to socialism, said, essentially: This is not socialism, this is necessary. That non sequitur might be politically necessary, but remember that government control of capital is government control of capitalism.”
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“It is arguable that, because of his inexperience, Obama is not ready for the presidency. It is arguable that McCain, because of his boiling moralism and bottomless reservoir of certitudes, is not suited to the presidency. Unreadiness can be corrected, although perhaps at great cost, by experience. Can a dismaying temperament be fixed?”
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Conservative George F. Will, September 23rd, on John McCain.

http://wcbstv.com/campaign08/united.nations.general.2.823131.html

Not everyone agrees with the Dems strong arm tactics.

Today at the anti Ahmadinejad protests in New York it turned into an anti-Obama rally as well. (link below) Good job Obama and Democrats. Keep up the good work. Obama will be defeated thanks to you all. Mkaes my life easier.

http://wcbstv.com/campaign08/united.nations.general.2.823131.html

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/PressReleases/31e95745-b802-4ec2-99f4-eb58ea345bf5.htm

DECONSTRUCTING #10: Barack Obama Copies John McCain’s Anti-Earmark Pledge

Barack Obama: “And we will put every corporate tax break and every pork-barrel project online for every American to see. You will know who asked for them and you can cast your vote accordingly.” (Barack Obama, Remarks, Green Bay, WI, 9/22/08)

John McCain Said He Will End Earmark Requests And You “Will Know Their Names, And I Will Make Them Famous.” MCCAIN: “Tax cuts for America’s hard-working families; strong support for small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy. And an end pork barrel spending in Washington, an end to the earmark, pork- barrel spending in Washington. My friends, I will make them famous. I want to promise you, I’ll take an ink pen, and I will veto every pork barrel, earmark spending bill that comes across my desk. I will know their names, and I will make them famous.” (CNN’s “Newsroom,” 9/19/08)

DECONSTRUCTING #11: Barack Obama Copies John McCain’s Government Efficiency Pledge

Barack Obama: “As President, I will go through the entire federal budget, page by page, line by line, and I will eliminate the programs that don’t work and aren’t needed. As for the programs we do need, I will make them work better and cost less. I will create a High-Performance Team that evaluates every agency and every office based on how well they’re serving the American taxpayer.” (Barack Obama, Remarks, Green Bay, WI, 9/22/08)

John McCain Said He Will “Order A Thorough Review Of The Budgets Of Every Federal Program, Department, And Agency.” MCCAIN: “To control spending, I will also order a thorough review of the budgets of every federal program, department, and agency, and I will post the results of these reviews on the Internet for every American to see. While that review is underway, we will institute a one-year pause in discretionary spending increases with the necessary exemption of military spending and veterans benefits.” (John McCain, Remarks At NFIB And eBay 2008 National Small Business Summit, Washington, D.C., 6/10/08)

DECONSTRUCTING #12: Barack Obama Copies John McCain’s Proposal To Create A Standing Financial Market Advisory Group

Barack Obama: “Sixth, we must establish a process that identifies systemic risks to the financial system like the crisis that has overtaken our economy. We need a standing financial market advisory group to meet regularly and provide advice to the President, Congress, and regulators on the state of our financial markets and the risks they face. It’s time to anticipate risks before they erupt into a full-blown crisis.” (Barack Obama, Remarks, Green Bay, WI, 9/22/08)

John McCain Proposed Creating The Mortgage And Financial Institutions Trust Which Would “Identify Institutions That Are Weak And Take Remedies To Strengthen Them Before They Become Insolvent.” MCCAIN: “We cannot wait any longer for more failures in our financial system. Structures like the resolution trust corporation that dealt with the failed savings and loan industry were designed to clean up the system and worked. Today we need a plan that doesn’t wait until the system fails. I am calling for the creation of the mortgage and financial institutions trust — the MFI. The priorities of this trust will be to work with the private sector and regulators to identify institutions that are weak and take remedies to strengthen them before they become insolvent. For troubled institutions this will provide an orderly process through which to identify bad loans and eventually sell them. This will get the treasury and other financial regulatory authorities in a proactive position instead of reacting in a crisis mode to one situation after the other. The MFI will enhance investor and market confidence, benefit sound financial institutions, assist troubled institutions and protect our financial system, while minimizing taxpayer exposure. Tomorrow I will be talking in greater detail about the crisis facing our markets and what I will do as President to fix this crisis and get our economy moving again.” (John McCain, Remarks, Cedar Rapids, IA, 9/18/08)

DECONSTRUCTING #13: Barack Obama Copies John McCain’s Proposal To Bring The Regulatory System Into The “21st Century”

Barack Obama: “These are the principles that should guide the reforms we need to establish a 21st century regulatory system — a system that recognizes our free market economy has only worked because we have guided the market’s invisible hand with a higher principle — that America prospers when all Americans can prosper.” (Barack Obama, Remarks, Green Bay, WI, 9/22/08)

John McCain Said “We Need To Fix The Regulatory System And Bring It Into The 21st Century.” MCCAIN: “Well, I don’t want to raise taxes on anybody. I think that would be the worst thing. He even said that he, quote, ‘Wouldn’t raise taxes if the economy was bad.’ Well, the economy is bad. But the point is that we need to fix the broken system. We need to have an FDIC that will insure every American’s bank deposit; that may need more funds. We need to fix the regulatory system and bring it into the 21st century. Of course we need to have oversight and regulation. And I warned about it. Greed and excess and corruption is beset Wall Street. They’ve treated it like a casino and they need to be held accountable and stop walking away with these fat-cat packages.” (NBC’s “Today,” 9/16/08)

John McCain came out with a six point plan LAST WEEK to help deal with this crisis and get our economy back on the right track.

Obama came out with NOTHING-NADA-ZERO. He punted the political football to Paulson. He showed NO leadership whatsoever.

In Obama’s press conference today, which was several days AFTER John McCain released his six point plan,, look what Obama did today: He copies several parts of McCain’s six point plan and tries to make them his own. That’s not being a leader. That’s being a follower. And even worse, a plagiarist!

John McCain is showing leadership. he gets it.

Obama is showing that he is simply a follower with no plan of his own.

The Obama-Biden team really is the ticket of do nothing and plagiariasm.

Obama is like a deer in headlights. Frozen still and mum on what to do and how to do it.

McCain-Palin ’08
Hillary ’12

Can you believe this is actually from MSNBC? Talking about Biden’s earmarks. In all the years McCain has been in office he has asked for 0 for his state.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX1zGTBaGvA

Make no mistake, the American public itself deserves a large share of the blame for this mess. There are millions of people out there who willingly took on mortgage debt that they knew damn well they couldn’t service when the “teaser rate” on their mortgages expired for houses they knew damn well they couldn’t afford. “But hey, real estate prices only go up, right? So if we get in trouble, we’ll just re-finance and if we can’t do that, we’ll just sell the house and cash in!”

I do agree with this. Absolutely. Also, a lot of people don’t realize that mortgage brokers are totally unregulated–they don’t need to take any classes, get any licenses, or prove they know anything. It is harder to get licensed as a dog groomer than it is to set up shop as a mortgage broker. And with all the money rolling around, every crook or idiot figured he could get in on the action. People buying homes thought they were dealing with a bank official or professional financial adviser–when in reality they were just dealing with a scummy con artist who didn’t know–or didn’t care about–an ARM from a hole in the ground. What a mess.

Hate to break this to ya, jrterrier, but this whole mortgage mess got started when Clinton was president. It was under the auspices of something called, I think, “The Housing Affordability Act” that the Clintons and the Democrats really pushed hard to get through.

Dead wrong. Clinton fought the GOP-controlled Congress tooth and nail to keep tight regulations on mortgage financing. The Housing Affordability Act was all he could squeeze out of them as a concession. It was the GOP that pushed what was called the Gramm-Leach-Bailey Act that was favored by the big lenders and brokerage houses. (Yes, that’s Phil Gramm, McCain’s buddy–I really wish McCain would dump him). Essentially, what they did was allow these financial companies to break the law (the Glass-Steagall Act) by simply changing the law to suit what the bankers wanted. They basically gutted Glass-Steagall. Congress had a GOP veto-proof majority and there was little Clinton could do but sign the damn thing.

It was a rotten, underhanded move that benefited nobody but the same people who landed us in the mess we are in and who we are bailing out now.

Btw, I have forwarded your previous comments to other people because they are so beautifully written, eloquent and thoughtful.

[snip]

Since the Florida debacle in 2000, most states have made voting easier. Ohio now lets anyone get an absentee ballot. This year, Ohio could again decide a close election – and Brunner is inviting the kind of lawsuits and suspicions that destroy public trust.

She said Hamilton County “may face other lawsuits or even challenges to the rights of those whose applications they would process” if her memo is ignored.

Brunner’s web site says she “wants to ensure that Ohio elections are free, fair, open and honest; and to encourage the highest level of participation in our democracy.” So why reject 1,500 voters in Hamilton County and thousands more in Ohio?

An honest mistake? With Brunner’s partisan record, not likely.

Laying litigation landmines to lawyer the outcome if Democrats don’t win? That fits like a tinfoil hat with her irresponsible attack on Ohio’s voting machines.

Raw partisanship? Ring the jackpot bell.

“Well, I tell you what, it helps in Ohio that we’ve got Democrats in charge of the machines,” Barack Obama said on Sept. 3.

I think he was talking about Brunner – the partisan secretary of state who is doing her best to bring Chicago elections to Ohio.