Just a little history reminder

[kjrice]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivmL-lXNy64&NR=1

[Captain Mike D]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs

And this one from 2004

[Matt McKenzie]

Mike,
Every voter should be required to watch that one.

[YardleyLabs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivmL-lXNy64&NR=1

There were 25 million mortgages issued in 1998. The settlement in question provided for 15000 new mortgages with less than average value. Is that what you think caused the problem?

[road kill]

There were 25 million mortgages issued in 1998. The settlement in question provided for 15000 new mortgages with less than average value. Is that what you think caused the problem?

Not at all.......it was those evil bonuses paid to AIG employees!!
Ask the ACORN bus driver!!

[Matt McKenzie]

There were 25 million mortgages issued in 1998. The settlement in question provided for 15000 new mortgages with less than average value. Is that what you think caused the problem?

Jeff,
In my opinion, what caused the problem was politicians in both majority parties putting special interests and party politics ahead of the health of our nation. The left was busy pandering to the unwashed masses by promoting this whole "affordable housing" scam while both sides were pandering to the bankers and anyone else who would make campaign contributions. All the while, the Fed was artificially keeping interest rates low so we could all buy big houses and new cars. The sad fact is that many (not all) of our elected officials are dishonest, unethical and/or incompetent. An even sadder fact is that most of us as individuals have been just as irresponsible if not more with our own personal lives and finances. As my favorite Chicago preacher would say, "America's chickens.... are coming home...... to roost.
What is even more sad is that as long as they can keep us blaming the other party and excusing the abuses of those on "our side", they can and will continue to ruin this country. That's exactly what they want. That's why they are stoking this class warfare. That's why the Republicans want you to blame it all on Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. The Dems want you to blame Bush and the bankers. They all just want to employ the 9th law of thermodynamics: "heat on somebody else is heat off of me". And we just eat it up like candy. Just look at the circus about the AIG bonuses. What a great distraction that was. Read some of the political blogs from both the right and the left. Listen to the hate in the words of your fellow citizens. Our government has set the country on fire and we're out here fanning the flames.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, we as a country need to be very careful about the choices we make and the people we follow. The things that are happening here today are eerily similar to the conditions that led to some very tragic things in other countries.

[Martin]

Very well put Matt!

[YardleyLabs]

Jeff,
In my opinion, what caused the problem was politicians in both majority parties putting special interests and party politics ahead of the health of our nation. The left was busy pandering to the unwashed masses by promoting this whole "affordable housing" scam while both sides were pandering to the bankers and anyone else who would make campaign contributions. All the while, the Fed was artificially keeping interest rates low so we could all buy big houses and new cars. The sad fact is that many (not all) of our elected officials are dishonest, unethical and/or incompetent. An even sadder fact is that most of us as individuals have been just as irresponsible if not more with our own personal lives and finances. As my favorite Chicago preacher would say, "America's chickens.... are coming home...... to roost.
What is even more sad is that as long as they can keep us blaming the other party and excusing the abuses of those on "our side", they can and will continue to ruin this country. That's exactly what they want. That's why they are stoking this class warfare. That's why the Republicans want you to blame it all on Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. The Dems want you to blame Bush and the bankers. They all just want to employ the 9th law of thermodynamics: "heat on somebody else is heat off of me". And we just eat it up like candy. Just look at the circus about the AIG bonuses. What a great distraction that was. Read some of the political blogs from both the right and the left. Listen to the hate in the words of your fellow citizens. Our government has set the country on fire and we're out here fanning the flames.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, we as a country need to be very careful about the choices we make and the people we follow. The things that are happening here today are eerily similar to the conditions that led to some very tragic things in other countries.

While I think your brush may be too broad in calling all politicians "dishonest, unethical and/or incompetent", I basically agree with everything else you've said -- particularly your observation that partisan rhetoric is primarily designed to keep the electorate from looking too closely at what is being done in their name.

[Richard Halstead]

While I think your brush may be too broad in calling all politicians "dishonest, unethical and/or incompetent", I basically agree with everything else you've said -- particularly your observation that partisan rhetoric is primarily designed to keep the electorate from looking too closely at what is being done in their name.

They might have an honest bone in their body, but these honest politicians always use some loophole so they have the appearance of an honest politician.

[Kevin Eskam]

They might have an honest bone in their body, but these honest politicians always use some loophole so they have the appearance of an honest politician.

Yea the loophole is taking campaign contributions from the same places that they are giving the tarp money too!

So the lawmakers or 36 of them are actually being funded by the bailout firms!

I dont know how to put the link on here but it is from MSNBC, and the video was "Are Bailout Bucks Being Bought"


HMMM, Should they give them back?