Debate the Debate

Or, we would if we could get someone of a differing viewpoint to spend any real time here. (DJLoo, where are you?!?)

Favorite line of the night: "I have a bracelet, too." I'll see your grieving mother, and raise you a mandate for change!

Actually, McCain would have had the funniest line, but he stepped all over it. Talking about a earmark to study bear DNA, McCain said "I don't know if that was a criminal matter, or a paternal one." Now, that's funny! However, his delivery was like he was reading it off a cue card, flat and without any sense of humor in his eyes. And speaking of eyes - WTF with McCain being unable or unwilling to engage Obama? Was he trying to show contempt for him - or hide it? Pettiness is unbecoming in a presidential candidate...

Guilty secret: I was disappointed to McCain didn't go off. He looked close, but pulled himself back in. There's always next time... My boss was talking about looking forward to the VP debate. I said of course he was, for the same reason that "Shark Week" is always a big hit on the Discovery Channel... Here's a preview of Gov. Palin on Thursday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

I'm out of town until Tuesday. Behave yourselves, and play nice - or else! (Sounded pretty serious there, huh?) Miss me! ;-)

Back in the U.S.S.A.!

Welcome, comrades, to the United Socialist States of America! While everyone was warning us of the dangers of socialized medicine, they missed the lurking threat of socialized financial institutions.

This is way too complex for your humble blogger, even after reading numerous articles from experts. From what I understand, we are going to have to borrow money (fortunately, Bush has China & Saudi Arabia on speed dial), to buy - not property - but nebulous derivatives and investments in over-valued mortgages. Here's a link to Paul Krugman's blog that does a good job of explaining the financial 'shell game' that we are tossing $700,000,000,000 at: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/?scp=1&sq=Paul%20Krugman%20blog&st=cse

As a liberal that has been accused of being a socialist, I'd like to say that I believe it would have been much cheaper to force the lenders to re-write the loans that were being defaulted upon, than to help the banks that bought securities secured by those loans. But, why help people today, when we can help business tomorrow?!?!?

On the plus side - there always has to be a silver lining - those of us who want Single Payer Health care now have another weapon in the 'socialized medicine' arsenal. Plus, health care actually helps people, doesn't cost us Buh-buh-buh-billions of dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mortgage Crisis Smackdown

Okay, TedSpe has decided to stir it up - and more power to him! Instead of debating issues of spirituality and ethics, let's get down to the basics - How do we spread the blame for the banking meltdown? How much is due to predatory lending, and how much is on the people who took out loans they couldn't repay? Shakespeare wrote "Neither a borrower, or a lender be"...so I guess an argument can be made that they're both at fault - goodness knows, there's enough wrongdoing for everyone to share.

Party of the first part - the banks: There are two types of banks that are affected by the 'questionable' practices used in determining the credit worthiness of some borrowers. We have the Commercial Banks that actually made the loans, and the Investment Banks that buy the Mortgage Backed Securities.

Party of the second part - Jane & John Borrower: Ah, the American Dream, aka "Home Ownership". The ideal to which we should all aspire...unless you can't get a bank loan. But, lookie here, the Neighborhood Bank is just dying to give us money. They know we can't really afford the house, but they are going to write it so that we have ridiculously low payments for five years, and then the rates - and payments - are going to go up, up, up! But, the economy is going gangbusters, housing prices are doubling daily, we'll either re-finance or sell our home way before that happens... (Oops, looks like everyone else had the same plan...our house is worth what?!?!?!)

Party of the third part - the lawmakers: These are the folks who made it all possible, in my opinion. Separate the Commercial and Investment Banks, and regulate them differently? No problem! Look the other way when people try to force us to deal with predatory lending practices? Heck, we'll do better than that - we'll shitcan your career (paging Gov. Spitzer - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/13/AR2008021302783.html)!

For myself, I blame the party of the third part. These are the people who are supposed to provide the safety net - regulation - that protects society at large from business run amok (be it banks, big pharma, or Chinese toy manufacturers), and in some cases, even ourselves. They failed us in looking out for our interests, the citizens and the Nation's as a whole!

We know why the banks did it. We know why Jane & John did it. What did Congress (both Dems & Reps) get out of it?

Of course, you may disagree with me. Goodness knows, as a lifelong renter, I'm no expert in mortgages. I did however work in a bank for a long time (too long if you ask me), and I did learn a thing or two about how things work from that perspective. So, please disagree - I could use to be educated about this very serious issue.



Some background, if you haven't already downloaded all of this into your brains:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm-Leach-Bliley_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass-Steagall_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage-backed_security

Depression Watch 2008! Is there a pill for this?

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Oh, wait - that's just the Dow Jones... Time to forget about the 401k, and invest in a nice, sturdy mattress. I'm no economist, but the news sure looks ominous. Good thing we have John McCain to make us all feel better about things. Here's my newest ad effort...

Now, stop whining & go shopping!!!

UPDATE: It looks like I was approximately 29 seconds ahead of my time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6reQLzgywzk

Lazy Sunday

I saw this yesterday, and it made me laugh... I thought we might take a day off from solving the world's problems, and have some fun. So, for the first time ever here at Brushfires - "You Write The Caption"!

Commercials I'd like to see...

I don't watch a lot of television, and, since I live in California the only way I would ever see a political ad would be if I watched Fox News...I'd rather get a root canal without Novocaine! So, I tend to see them on the YouTube, usually after some sort of scandal has erupted. What I've found all too often during this election cycle is that John McCain's campaign will create an ad that take some incredible liberties with the 'truth'. Then, the Obama campaign creates an ad refuting the assertions in the McCain ad. Unfortunately, by that time, the McCain camp has released a new, different ad with it's own special relationship with the 'truth'.

This got me to thinking. I'd like to see Obama (or a 527) come out with their own McCain ad - going on the offensive, but still being honest. It's not as sexy or newsworthy, but it's be nice to see my candidate out front with his message, instead of discussing McCain's ads. Armed with the google, wikipedia, and Windows Movie Maker (tm), I made a commercial I'd like to see. (I know there's a lot of reading. Imagine it's a voiceover by, I don't know, Dennis Haysbert...)






Do you have a commercial that you wish a candidate would make?

(If you don't think this utter crap, please share it with others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaiDlUyKmqU)

Interview Wish List

Just a quickie, since I'm supposed to be working...

If I had a chance to sit down with Gov. Palin and ask her the questions that I feel are relevant to the issues facing our nation today, here is a partial list:

1. Your state of Alaska is experiencing a growth in methamphetamine production, and associated crimes. What if anything are you doing with Alaska law enforcement to combat this scourge? Is there anything that you have learned from that experience that you could apply to drug crime in the nation as a whole - as regards to crack cocaine, and the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs - especially by our teens?

2. How do you feel about the separation of church and state as it is commonly understood in America? Is there a way to reconcile your appearances in your church asking the congregation to pray for a natural gas pipeline, for example, with the concept of separation of church and state?

3. Do you regret taping a welcome statement for the recent convention of the Alasakan Independence Party, a party that promotes secession from the United States of America?

4. It could be argued that you denigrated community activism in your acceptance speech at the recent RNC. Can you see how that might not sit well with the millions of people who work long hours, for little pay in order to improve their communities and the lives of people within that community?

5. How would you explain the fact that when you became mayor of Wasilla it had no debt, but when you left, the town had a deficit of $22 million? Do you think that it is fiscally responsible to leave every man, woman and child in Wasilla a debt of almost $4,000?

6. How do you reconcile your statement that you are a reformer, and against pork barrel spending, when you requested just this past year almost $300 million in earmarks in a 70 page memo to Sen. Ted Stevens? Have you and Sen. McCain discussed the fact that three of your pet projects were on John McCain's pork list?


Wouldn't you like to hear the answers to those questions? Do you have any of your own? Also, what do you think the odds are that we will hear anything like this in the ABC interview? Which, I understand will be taped over two days, providing ample opportunity for do-overs. Does anyone know if the list of questions was submitted and pre-approved?

If you've got nothing nice to say...

Apparently, Governor Sarah Palin is not familiar with this old adage. Not only did she have nothing nice to say about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, she pretty much had nothing to say at all. Well, that's not entirely true - but, then again, neither was Gov. Palin's speech. Since the things I was yelling at my television would get me a righteous scolding here at Brushfires, in the spirit of the aforementioned saying, I will be sparing in my comments about the speech.

When you dismiss and disparage "Community Organizers", you are disrespecting democracy at it's purest. Change comes from the people, the grass roots, and communities acting together to make life better. I found her put downs, and snide asides to be beneath the office to which she aspires. Watching the crowd reaction, I am even less optimistic that the great divide in this country can be healed. (Sigh...)

Fortunately, I am saved from having to list and denounce Gov. Palin's lies, the good folks at the AP have done it for me (http://pantagraph.com/articles/2008/09/04/news/doc48bfd1f453ce5318632211.txt).

Here's something interesting you may or may not be aware of: http://www.washingtonindependent.com/3671/the-reform-candidate . Scroll down to the comments section from this Washington Independent article about Gov. Palin, and read the testimonial of Anne Kilkenny. I've heard a lot of this confirmed by Randi Rhodes today, from various newspaper articles written in the last few months, so I'm willing to give Ms. Kilkenny the benefit of the doubt, especially when you read what another Wasillan (?) says further down in the comments. Sometimes, your arguments are best supported by those who choose to oppose you.

Note: I love the blog, and want to do my best at this, but there are lengths to which I am not willing to go. I will read John McCain's speech & comment later. I don't think my poor cats can stand their mother shouting at the tv two nights in a row. ;-)