All the unintended consequences. The Democrats weren't out to destroy the economy and damage pension fund investors (or us, here at Castle Argghhh!) when they started putting the arm on the mortgage industry to make loans to less-than-stellar credit risks. They had an honest goal in mind - to get more people otherwise on the margin into home-ownership, and a lot of the positives that derive from that, cascading into 2nd and 3rd order effects.
They were protecting their program when Barney Frank told us everything was okay, and resisting regulation of Fannie and Freddie when the alarm was being raised by the Republicans.
They were being themselves. The same thing is true when the Republicans get their way.
And we let them, because many of us were benefiting, too. Those lower interest rates made the new Castle affordable. No, we didn't use the VA certificate on this place - we put down 20%. I actually really do *own* the land, pretty much, and am paying for the house and barn.
Regardless, what you get is this:
Yeah, it's from the NRCC, the Republicans. So, how 'bout Snopes? They're not known for being in the pocket of the Republicans...
The point? The Dems control the House and the Senate, however ineptly. Give them the White House, too, and think how fast that train wreck can happen.
Giving either party unfettered control of the levers of power is, frankly, a recipe for disaster. Politics is supposed to be ugly. Think about it - the institutions we, as a people, trust the least, according the the annual Harris polls on institutions. A result that has held true whether power was split or in one side's hands.
And you want to *concentrate* it further? Yes, it's frustrating when your pet rock doesn't get the attention you feel it deserves. That just means you have to tweak it, refine it, make it more acceptable to a broader range of people, because, in the overall scheme of things, it most likely improves it.
Everybody just jumping on the bandwagon is a recipe for disaster. Like it or not, the Dems getting control of things in Congress and being able to do some poking around has been both annoying and useful. But it doesn't happen when one side has all the levers, especially when the mainstream press plays favorites.
And we haven't gotten close to the impact on the Court. That's a different post.
They were protecting their program when Barney Frank told us everything was okay, and resisting regulation of Fannie and Freddie when the alarm was being raised by the Republicans.
They were being themselves. The same thing is true when the Republicans get their way.
And we let them, because many of us were benefiting, too. Those lower interest rates made the new Castle affordable. No, we didn't use the VA certificate on this place - we put down 20%. I actually really do *own* the land, pretty much, and am paying for the house and barn.
Regardless, what you get is this:
Yeah, it's from the NRCC, the Republicans. So, how 'bout Snopes? They're not known for being in the pocket of the Republicans...
The point? The Dems control the House and the Senate, however ineptly. Give them the White House, too, and think how fast that train wreck can happen.
Giving either party unfettered control of the levers of power is, frankly, a recipe for disaster. Politics is supposed to be ugly. Think about it - the institutions we, as a people, trust the least, according the the annual Harris polls on institutions. A result that has held true whether power was split or in one side's hands.
And you want to *concentrate* it further? Yes, it's frustrating when your pet rock doesn't get the attention you feel it deserves. That just means you have to tweak it, refine it, make it more acceptable to a broader range of people, because, in the overall scheme of things, it most likely improves it.
Everybody just jumping on the bandwagon is a recipe for disaster. Like it or not, the Dems getting control of things in Congress and being able to do some poking around has been both annoying and useful. But it doesn't happen when one side has all the levers, especially when the mainstream press plays favorites.
And we haven't gotten close to the impact on the Court. That's a different post.
It's one thing to highlight examples of poor judgment, as John did. It's entirely another to waste time and energy assigning blame.
Let's take Frank, for example. Yes, his then-boyfriend worked for Sallie Mae; and your point is? Does that explain Frank's relentless pushback against suggestions from Bush and McCain that we re-examine Mae & Mac three or five years ago? I'll give you a hint: it's "no." :)
It's rare in the blogosphere to see anything that you could share with your friends on the other side. Thank you Jonah!
Excellent post that should be dugg, stumbled etc.
First, they've basically ignored the association between Obama and Ayers, and have pretty much avoided any investigation into the matter. Then they poo-pooed it. Now, they're calling Palin a racist for even bringing it up.
And to top that off, now they're claiming that all the major MSM outlets did in fact carefully investigate the Obama-Ayers connection, and found that there was nothing there.
Incredible.
I used to believe that. Until I noticed that damn near everybody I knew used my faith in humanity against me. Enemies used it to trick and confuse me. People I thought were friends used it to double-cross me. Now I know better. When you assume good intentions on the part of your opponents, you only give them another weapon to use against you.
First, there is his whole "I'm gay and if you don't like something I do you are homophobic" club he beats dissenters over the head with. Until I tell you I have a problem with your homosexuality, don't presume that to be the case, jackass.
In 1989 he had the male prostitute he was hiring come live with him. The guy then commences running his escort service out of Frank's apartment. Frank made several statements to the effect that people were just picking on him because he was gay. Nooooo.
Next you have his live in lover, Herbie Moses, working for Fannie Mae, and institution he has congressional authority over. Add in the money he accepted and I think it's a huge problem. I think it's a problem when anyone's wife, sister, son, nephew, etc has a job with any agency or institution that a congressman has authority over. Even if nothing is wrong, something is wrong with that picture.
Herbie may not "explain Frank's relentless pushback against suggestions from Bush and McCain that we re-examine Mae & Mac three or five years ago?" completely but it's naive to think it doesn't factor in significantly.
There are 535 of them and 300 million of us, and you would think after all these years and instant communications, we could find a few people of integrity, knowledge and honesty. We suck.
It wasn't that they experimented and tried something noble, it was that everyone knew that Frank's boy friend worked for Fanny May and that if it was his wife it would be a glaring conflict. Or that Dodd took a sweatheart loan. But even after a mess developed they didn't go back and fix it; they let it festor, and now we all pay for their enormous egos.
And I didn't say Dems or Reps, there is blame enough to go around. It seems the only law they ever repealed was the 19th amendment. I guess we should be thankful for small favors. I think I'll go exercise my rights a few more times.
Don't get me started on the CRA.
And would it help if I mentioned Jim Johnson, Frank Raines, and Jamie Gorlick? As far as I'm concerned all of them as well as their enablers should be arrested and everything they own seized as ill-gotten gains.
.clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
It might be interesting to cross-reference the list with who's got themselves the most in-hock with the beneficiaries of the Bailout (which isn't us, in spite of how they try to spin it).
Jamie Gorelick.