I am a Indy but like obama

[john_galt]

Since it looks like I set him off I'll have to respond but not right now. I have to be someplace until midnight. Afterwards I'll respond if he hasn't blown a blood vessel in the meantime.

You must know the routine; deep cleansing breaths... breath with me...

[Cheaper2buyit]

dog i am not right is that a Mob person

[lacrew_2000]

Every major party candidate since the Nixon era has used the taxpayer financing...with the exception of Obama. Its currently around $88 million, which is chump change compared to the amount of taxpayer money that could be lost to graft (given to private donors as a kickback). The system was set up to prevent corruption and buying of elections. Not coincidentally, we now sit with $500 billion in unspent TARP slush funds, ready to be spent when the election comes near.

I don't trust any politician, including Obama...so when he violated his pledge and didn't take the public funds, it got my attention big time.

Specifically, which of his policy decisions do you 'like'?

[Cheaper2buyit]

So why be mad if the tarp money not spent then. Nobody has said were we fuck before or did he cause this. All of them I really like when he talks to congress like kids.

[dirty dog]

"dog i am not right is that a Mob person"

SO... you respect me because I have Micheal Corleone as my avatar????

or you don't respect me because I have Micheal Corleone as my avatar?????

[Guest052813-01]

Cheaper, I will start out by saying that I hope the Bamster is a one-termer and he gets his clock cleaned. That being said, you are correct - the President is limited Constitutionally in his powers as head of the Executive Branch to enforce the laws passed by the Congress, to act as Commander-in-Chief of the military, to nominate members of the Judiciary, to mitigate sentences through the use of pardons and clemency and to negotiate treaties with foreign countries. The President can use the power of his "bully pulpit" to influence legislation to be passed by Congress that he supports, but any power he wields through the use of Executive Orders and regulations are granted through congressional fiat. And to answer your other question, the country was really not that bad off until the beginning of 2007, when the Congress was put back into the hands of the Democrats. That's when all of the financial, housing and business problems began.

And DD's avatar is NOT a mob person. It is a frame of actor Al Pacino from the movie "The Godfather, Part II". If DD has John Gotti as his avatar, THEN you could say it was a mob person.

[lacrew_2000]

Specifically, which of his policy decisions do you 'like'?

a. Supreme Court appointment
b. Nuke Arms Treaty with Ruskies
c. TARP
d. Cash for Clunkers
e. GM bailout
f. Took kid gloves off with Israel
g. Healthcare bill
h. Federalizing student loans
i. Cig tax
j. Planned expiration of Bush Tax cuts
k. Cap and Trade
l. Copenhagen carbon deal
m. Cybersecurity Act of 2009
n. Afghan strategy
o. Iraq strategy
p. Expanding S-CHIP
q. Cabinet appointments
r. closing (?) gitmo
s. suspending military commissions
t. repudiating torture
u. Ledbetter Law
v. Stem Cell research
w. Credit card reform
x. Relax don't ask/don't tell
y. Increase EIC
z. Got a dog named BO

[Cheaper2buyit]

the country was really not that bad off until the beginning of 2007, when the Congress was put back into the hands of the Democrats. That's when all of the financial, housing and business problems began. So we have 1person for its not obamas fault.

pretty long list crew2000 I just don't know yet. but since i know a lot of car salesmen who were just waiting to get fired I say Cash for Clunkers it give them one last fat check the rest give 2011 to see if works.

[Bartman1963]

Lacrew: I like the whole list.

[Bartman1963]

By the way everyone. Democrats caused the financial crisis. In fact I just want everyone on this board to know that I personally take responsibility for it. Yep. Me. I did it. I instigated passage of laws that removed the regulations put in place on the stock market after the Great Depression. I personally oversaw the relaxation of regulatory practices in the banking industry. I sat on the boards of AIG, Bank of America, GM, and every group that took TARP money. And right now I am rich beyond all your wildest dreams.

And no, you can't have a freakin' loan.

[wellendowed1911]

I agree with Cheaper- Obama is getting a bad rap for a lot BS he had no control over. I have voted in the pass both Rep and Dem, but I thin k Obama is doing a good job considering what he inherited. I don't agree with all his liberal policies, but he is doing a lot of good things. I really want to know where was Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, Palin & the Tea party when Bush expanded the govt and got us involved in 2 massive wars- one of which was fake and costs a billion taxpayer dollars a day- much of it we borrowed from China.
Bush and the GOP had 6 years of Senate and House control where they could have done something about Health Care. Where was the Tea party when Bush/Cheney were backing secret wiretaps and the Patriot act which violates our constitutional rights. Let's be realistic- had Obama not used a bailout or rescued the Banks, GM and other entities the Unemployment rate would be at least double what is and that's factual. I truly believe the GOP will have their feelings hurt in November- I am ashamed of the majority of the GOP politicians they are not even trying to work with Obama they just want to say NO to everything and it will backfire.

[lacrew_2000]

I don't have my feelings hurt at all. I agree the bank bailouts were necessary to stabilize credit, as hard as it was to swallow. The GM and Chrysler bailout, however, put union members in front of shareholders - didn't like that (probably not legal either).

The financial crisis, btw, had its roots over 30 years ago when the Feds banned red-lining...and it morphed into community action groups targeting banks and accusing them of the practice. The banks responded by giving loans to unqualified people, and selling exotic derivatives to shield themselves. Then they got greedy and sold credit default swaps to each other to try to lessen risk (but really was just a house of cards). How it went down politically:

Started with Carter
Reagan did not enforce
Bush Senior did lukewarm enforcement - banks had to put posters on wall advertising that poor people could get loans
Clinton ratcheted up enforcement, gave banks loan quotas
Bush - by this time it was getting clear that it was a house of cards, but the only good economic data being reported was in housing sector, so he did nothing.

The guilty:

Uninformed borrowers
Community Organizing groups who leaned on banks
The banks
Carter
Clinton
Bush Junior

Special mentions should also go out to Dodd and Frank.

Blaming it on one party or blaming it on who was in power in a particular year oversimplifies things.

But lets look forward. What are we doing right now? The administration is arm twisting the banks into giving out bad loans again. WTF?

Bartman, I can't believe you agree with z.

[Cheaper2buyit]

here we go with the bad loan thing Ok common sense say everyone pays to live some where right you have to pay for a place to stay right be it apt home or trailer. So lets somebody give the data of how many people who rent get put out. Now cross that data with how many people get put out. Are their mortgage brokers on here. Because I used to be one. If for some reason you get behind the banks tell you fuck off you to be atleast 2 months behind before they do anything. In 3 months they can take it. They made more money taking your home then helping don't mortgage insurance gose to the banks not you. So hay you been paying them for 2 years then they put you out and short sell your house. anybody want to talk about that.

[Bartman1963]

I was joking. Except about the list.

[Guest072311]

...personal bankruptcy...some one gets into a home loan, car loan(s), 50 credit cards all over the max!! AND then they get 50 store cards and OH NO, I'm not able to pay them all! Hire a lawyer and BINGO no more debit. That is Main Street at its worse. And who pays for that?

...over and over again!