John McCain will be up in Blaine tomorrow. I hear he’s looking for a new house and thought he could find a steal up in the northern burbs what with the mortgage meltdown and all.
Meanwhile, the rest of us will be heading down to Peavey Plaza to join Speaker Kelliher and Mayor Rybak listening to Adam Levy of the Honeydogs play at a Rally to Restore the Economy.
Should be a good time. Details below:
WHAT: Rally to Restore the Economy
WHERE: Peavey Plaza on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis
WHEN: Friday, September 19, 12 PM
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Sorry - I’m a good Democrat and all, but RT Rybak? I’ve really been meaning to clean the bathroom…
Zack,
You better not inflate how many people show up for your little rally tomorrow. I bet you’ll be lucky to get 100 people.
Chris, I agree 100%,
Everyone knows your endless, bitter insults and ridicule of people who disagree with you will always help Minnesota Republicans win elections.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
No, no, no. Those are not NORMAL insults. TFRWG!
Those are bitter, socially arrested & petty insults by Chris.
It makes all the difference in the world!
________________
Chris, please listen closely. We wouldn’t want you to miss the important parts of McCain’s message as he drones on.
He his humble. He changes positions at the drop of a hat. Listen VERY closely.
He doesn’t know much about history, or Trigonometry.
Palin doesn’t that much about Science Books. Or even the Econ she took.
He was a prisoner, you know.
And she is a GOOD-looking Michelle Bachmann. Will there be a swimsuit competition?
You better not inflate how many people show up for your little rally tomorrow.
I think you are confused Chris-It is the McCain camp that inflates the numbers of people at their functions.
Oh come on guys. Clearly you people have no sense of humor. I was giving Zack the needle over his post about the McCain rallies. If you think McCain is the only one who inflates his number you’re crazy. The organizers of the anti war protests during the RNC said 30,000-50,000 people were protesting when the numbers were well under 10,000.
Mockingbird,
Your sexist comments about Sarah Palin are appalling. What has Barack Obama ever accomplished in his life to qualify himself to be President? If you say he was a Constitutional Law professor, I’m gonna get sick. You know there is a saying about that: those who can, do and those who can’t teach. I’d take Palin’s resume over his any day of the week.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
I’d take Palin’s resume over his any day of the week, because she agrees with me on the issues, she misrepresents the positions of Liberals, insults, and ridicules them, and she effectively exaggerates her own record for partisan political reasons, a continuation of the permanent election campaign we Republicans like to lead America with.
She is perfect.
Palin is also effective at getting her agenda passed in Washington, which is why the Alaskan people have seen about a $1.80 return on every tax dollar spent by Alaskans. Her frequent trips to Washington to get this done for the Alaskan people proves she is indeed quite a maverick, by the true definition of the word.
Maverick: “One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.”
Everyone knows she has dissented from the Republican politics and ideology we’ve seen during the past 8 years in the White House. She may sound the same, but it’s not, that’s just common knowledge.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris!
Republican Ticket is real. Obama doesn’t say anything that you don’t want to hear, so fake, so foney, just bologna. His followers are cult-like — sickning, if President - rude awakening to the cult.
#1 Internet Stalker,
How dare you talk about anyone misrepresenting the positions of anyone or hurling insults and ridicule? That’s all the far left in America does! Read Mockingbird’s comments about Gov. Palin. Read the comments by Hollywood lefties, who are supporting Obama and attending $30,000 a plate fundraisers, comparing Gov. Palin to pornstars. Barack Obama has no record of doing anything - in Washington or Springfield. He has the former CEO of Freddie Mac on his economic team — the very person who helped sow the seeds of the current economic crisis — and you have the gall to blame this on Bush???
the very person who helped sow the seeds of the current economic crisis — and you have the gall to blame this on Bush???
That would actually be Phil Gramm that sowed the seeds for this whole mess-you know-McCain’s economic adviser. It was his bill that deregulated aspects of the financial world that directly led to the crapfest we are seeing now. His bill was a codification of modern core (and proven failing) conservative principals that Bush and McCain enthusiastically support.
True. Phil Gramm lobied hard for the deregulation of the mortgage and banking industries.
Chris: You MUST document the presence of the CEO of Freddie Mac being on Obama’s economic team to avoid looking like a total lying tool.
Sort of too late, but I’m giving you a chance anyway. You have officially gone off the rails, as it looks like you’re cut/pasting your responses from redstate or freerepublic.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, like I said,
Everyone knows Palin has dissented from the Republican politics and ideology we’ve seen during the past 8 years in the White House. She may sound the same, but she’s not, that’s just common knowledge.
I don’t know why you get the vapors from my 100% agreement with you on every issue. Lordy Lordy!!
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris! You’re pretty good at blogging.
He has the former CEO of Freddie Mac on his economic team
Like the McCain campaign, Chris is saying things that are not true.
You people are crazy. Nothing that got de-regulated in the markets caused this. In fact, the Bush administration sought additional government oversight of Fannie and Freddie in 2005 and the Democrats in Congress opposed the additional oversight and accused President Bush of trying to take away mortgages from black people.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are highly regulated quasi-government institutions. Congress writes the rules for Fannie and Freddie. Franklin Raines, Obama’s chief advisor on housing, made hundreds of millions of dollars in Fannie Mae. Raines recently settled a two year investigation with the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight and the SEC which both alleged severe financial irregularities and overstated earnings. Jim Johnson, who advised Obama on his Vice Presidential pick, was the CEO of Fannie Mae and also had ties to Lehman Brothers. Johnson understated his compensation with Fannie Mae at $6-7 million when in fact he earned $21 million. According to the Center of Responsive Politics, Senator Obama was the Senate’s second largest recipient of contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Do you people actually want to argue about this? It’s amazing that prominent Democrats can cook the books for our nation’s largest lenders, then go on to support and advise Barack Obama and you people don’t think anything of it.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
Any Democrat who is guilty by association was wrong, because Liberal Democrats are bad people, they disagree with Republican bloggers, and cannot be trusted. Any spin that shows Liberals guilt must be true.
Any Republicans, however, who have associations with these companies are not guilty, because we Republicans are the party of personal responsibility, and ownership society. Because of that, everybody knows it simply is not possible that any Republicans did anything wrong.
It is amazing that people would actually want to argue this. Apparently, it is difficult for some people to believe Democrats cannot be trusted and are 100% wrong everytime, and Republicans CAN be trusted and are 100% correct every time.
Well that’s not changing my opinion. We Minnesota Republican bloggers must continue to mis-state the positions of people who disagree with us, and never stop ridiculing them because they are lazy and stupid. This is a permanent election campaign that will never, ever stiop until ALL you Liberals shut up or go away.
We Minnesota Republican bloggers, obviously, rule the playground.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris!
Chris: Watch the Senate floor on CSPAN2. The Republicans are ALSO saying that deregulation was the problem, but claiming that they were in favor of highly regulated markets (which, in some cases, they very well may have been). Really, everyone knows at this point that the regulations in the marketplace were not sufficient. That’s not a partisan idea, that’s just what economists are saying.
ps- Bleah: Rybak is AWESOME! What’s the deal?!
Franklin Raines, Obama’s chief advisor on housing, False!
Franklin Raines is NOT Obama’s chief adviser on ANYTHING and furthemore he says he is not an adviser to the campaign at all. — — — — -
“Obama’s campaign says Raines is not an Obama adviser and that McCain’s campaign knows it because Raines said so in an e-mail earlier this week to Carly Fiorina, a top McCain adviser. Obama’s campaign provided The Associated Press with a copy of the e-mail.
“Carly: Is this true?” Raines asks above a forwarded note informing him that Fiorina was on television saying he was an Obama housing adviser. “I am not an adviser to the Obama campaign. Frank.””
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/19/campaigns-target-each-oth_n_127720.html — — So what evidence does the McCain campaign have for the supposed Obama-Raines connection? It is pretty flimsy, but it is not made up completely out of whole cloth. McCain spokesman Brian Rogers points to three items in the Washington Post in July and August. It turns out that the three items (including an editorial) all rely on the same single conversation, between Raines and a Washington Post reporter, Anita Huslin, who wrote a Style section profile of the discredited Fannie Mae boss that appeared on July 16. The profile reported that Raines, who retired from Fannie Mae four years ago, had “taken calls from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters.”
Since this has now become a campaign issue, I asked Huslin to provide the exact circumstances of the quote. She explained that she was chatting with Raines during the photo shoot, and asked “if he was engaged at all with the Democrats’ quest for the White House. He said that he had gotten a couple of calls from the Obama campaign. I asked him about what, and he said ‘oh, general housing, economy issues.’ (‘Not mortgage/foreclosure meltdown or Fannie-specific,’ I asked, and he said ‘no.’)”
By Raines’s own account, he took a couple of calls from someone on the Obama campaign, and they had some general discussions about economic issues. I have asked both Raines and the Obama people for more details on these calls, and will let you know if I receive a reply. http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Race_card_accusations_on_McCain_ads_0919.html
I went to the event today. Lots of people out there, I hear 3,500.
demrock6, please…..give us some details!
SeanH,
That’s not what Raines told the Washington Post. In an article by Post reporter Anita Huslin, Raines said, “(I have) taken calls from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters.” If you parse the statement by the Obama campaign, they said Raines has never advised Senator Obama personally. They do not deny that Raines has advised the campaign about mortgage and housing policy.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
Yes…….parse……..that is not exagerrating, is it Chris? That’s not just a theory, you proved it is fact, because we Republicans say it is.
We Minnesota Republican bloggers must continue to stalk Liberal websites and make our guilt by association attacks against Obama, or we will lose elections. This attack is easy to believe, because everyone knows these Liberals are 100% wrong on every issue, consistently. Their track record of failure proves why people who agree with us Republicans should hate, insult, ridicule, and attack, pretty much permanently weather there is an election or not.
We Republicans, on the other hand, have a track record of success after success. That is why when people see our comments on Liberal blogs, hearts and minds are clearly won. We Minnesota Republican bloggers have fought with one voice, and one opinion on every issue that agrees 100%, for many years now. I remember yelling at people who disagreed with us “get over it”.
We Minnesota Republican bloggers, with great hubris, re-elected the strong, steady, bold leadership of George W. Bush. At that time, in 2004, you doom and gloom pessimistic Democrats had nothing good to say about the direction of our country.
With a hatred for you Liberals and your dangerous ideas, we Republicans SHOUTED FROM THE HILLTOPS, the rise of HOME OWNERSHIP in an OWNERSHIP SOCIETY in 2004, and re-elected Bush because of his track record of success. We Replicans are ONLY responsible for the success of that policy, NOT its failure.
We Republicans then struggled to do everything we could to prevent the economy from collapsing because of you Liberals, cleaning up the mess you Democrats caused. That’s why we call ourselves the party of personal responsibility, because we are responsible for only success, and have not failed whatsoever like you Liberals always do.
Everything was 100% fine until the Democrats took complete control of Washington in every branch of Government. You Democrats would not put a bill on Bush’s desk that he wouldn’t veto, and that’s the fault of Democrats. That’s a completely 100% truthful narrative, and is the only explanation that makes any sense.
Everyone knows everything is always the fault of Democrats, especially Obama, because they disagree with us Republican bloggers. It is an easy spin to repeat, because it is so believeable. Guilt by association works, so get over it, Liberals. We Republicans will always be here to, with great hatred, push you off the teeter-totter. There is no middle ground with us.
That is why we are the only ones who will get things done in Washington; it’s because we say “Thanks, but no thanks” to Liberals.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
Raines, the former CEO of Fannie Mae, no doubt has a connection to Obama and they have had calls during the campaign (nobody denies that) but I don’t think he has a formal role on the campaign at all.
More troubling, though, is that of all the people in Washington, Obama was the 2nd largest recipient of campaign contributions from Fannie and Freddie. As a freshman Senator, he was only behing Chris Dodd who heads the banking committee. Wow. I guess Obama has a knack for making friends quickly :) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,423701,00.html
A quick search from OpenSecrets.org shows that Obama has received many more funds than McCain from AIG, Frannie, and Freddie. We’re not talking a few more, we’re talking orders of magnitude.
DantheMan, I agree 100%,
Everyone knows Obama is responsible for the bail out of AIG, Frannie, and Freddie. Your comments soundly prove that. His association with another black man, Raines, is a great guilt by association attack.
Guilt by association is a great attack, but is not a proper attack when comparing McCain and Bush, because McCain is a maverick. Bush was strong, bold, and steady, but not a maverick.
Obama spent 2 years in Washington, and look at all the damage he is personally responsible for. McCain has been in Washington for 30 years, and had no responsibility for the financial meltdown, though he tried and tried to stop this from happening. He is a powerless, not responsible for this crisis, original maverick. He did nothing wrong with his dear friend, Charles Keating, that’s for sure! Nobody cares about the Keating five anymore anyway, so we don’t need to worry about that….until maybe the last week of October.
Personal responsibility for sucesss, yet actually not responsible for any failure, that’s just the real truth of the Republican party. That is called the politics of personal responsibility, a Republican political staple.
McCain promoted the ownership society, campaigned for Bush on that issue in 2004, and Republicans pushed this successful idea for years. Obama ruined all that because of his campaign contributions from these companies, and what they mean if that information is interpreted through our bold guilt by association attacks.
The contrast of this narrative is so clear and easy to understand. We Republicans say Raines and Obama are the same man, so that is true. People who disagree with us are too stupid and lazy to see that truth.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger DantheMan!
Great, TFRWG.
I’ll be happy to remind you of the fact that we are not to associate campaign contributions with the politicians who receive them the next time you try to use that technique on Norm Coleman, which your side does ad nauseum. No inference whatsoever is to be made.
Funny how when a campaign contribution is made to a Republican, it is because they are a bunch of backslappers from the old boys club, the rich guys trying to take care of the other rich guys.
But when a campaign contribution is made to a Democrat, let alone the holy Obama, there is to be no assertion made that it could ever be relevant to the race. Amazing.
DantheMan, I agree 100%,
Now you should know me better than that!
I consistently agree 100% on every issue, so I would never attack Norm Coleman!
I am promoting John McCain. He is the strong, bold, steady leadership…oops I mean maverick, that Washington needs.
Washington needs someone who repeats the same talking points Rush Limbaugh, Laura Flanders, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Anne Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Robert Novak, Mary Matilin, Jeff Gannon, Liz Trotta, Kevin James, Michael Savage, Steve Doocy, Charlie Gibson, Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, William Bennett, Matt Drudge, Charles Krauthhammer, David Limbaugh, Melanie Morgan, John Stossel, Chris Wallace, Britt Hume and George Will do. You know, the Liberal media.
They are all mavericks.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger DantheMan
OK, TFRWG.
So do we agree that major campaign donors are relevant or not relevant? Caution: Think before you answer. The response will actually apply to both sides. Yes, I’m sorry for applying the same standard to Obama as I apply to all politicans. I know that isn’t the way the lefties designed this race.
DantheMan, I agree 100%,
The only campaign donors who are above suspicion are Republicans, because they are 100% correct on every issue, consistently. We Republicans are the “party of ideas”….the correct ones. “Ownership Society” “Personal Responsibility” “Smaller Government” “Trickle Down Economics” ….these are all undebateably sound policies. America is a better place because of them. That is why we Republicans defend guilt by association attacks against us so vigorously, because it is just plain wrong!
The campaign donors of Democrats, and particularly Obama, however, are to be ridiculed, exagerrated, and mocked, because they disagree with Republicans on any issue. They are troubling, and I am terribly concerned about them. These Liberals cannot be trusted. These associations cause me to be outraged!
We must do whatever it takes to defeat these people who disagree with Republicans, especially the leaders of the extreme far left…namely…Every Democratic Candidate Up For Election.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger DantheMan
#1 Internet Stalker,
Fannie and Freddie were both run by liberal Democrats. The liberal Democarts in charge of Freddie and Fannie cashed out with tens of millions of dollars in salary and stock options. During the tenure of the liberal Democrats in charge of Freddie and Fannie, those two companies were investigated for misstating financial information, including executive compensation. Both companies opposed efforts in Congress in 2005 to provide additional government oversight. The companies run by liberal Democrats gave campaign contributions to other liberal Democrats including Barack Obama (who scored #2 in the amount received by those companies) to make sure that they did not have additional oversight and you have the gall to blame the President or Phil Gramm??? I remind you that the last year Phil Gramm served in the U.S. Senate was 2002, some six years before this meltdown.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
These associations are pretty good way for us to win elections. They are troubling, and I am terribly concerned about them. These Liberals cannot be trusted. These associations cause me to be outraged!
Why did the Republican White House so quickly bail these Leftist Marxist Communist Liberal Democrat run companies? Republicans believe in personal responsibility. They didn’t even give the American people a chance to decide. The White House must be controlled by Democrats.
Everybody knows the Republicans pushed for government oversight of these companies in 2005, They were unable to, because Freddie Mac and Fanny May were….well…frankly…………….insidious.
I would continue, if I was you, to push the most popular Republican talking points, or we will lose elections. Need I remind you, Chris, that the most important issue at ALL TIMES for a Typical Republican blogger who stalks Liberal websites is winning elections.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
It seems to me all presidential campaigns are funded primarily by rich people from various industries. When Obama’s star started to rise a few years ago it’s no surprise that he began to receive generous contributions. While his hands aren’t completely clean from the influence of big $, it’s the proportion and record amounts of $ in the form of small donations that set him apart from other politicians.
Anyhow, as this letter to the editor shows, Mccain’s lies (or if you prefer- distortions) about Obama continue. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13643.html
To The Editor:
Yesterday, Senator John McCain released a television commercial attacking Barack Obama for allegedly receiving advice on the economy from former Fannie Mae CEO Franklin Raines. From the stump, he has recently tried tying Senator Obama to Fannie Mae, as if there is some guilt in the association with Fannie Mae’s former executives.
It is an interesting card for Senator McCain to play, given that his campaign manager, Rick Davis, was paid by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac several hundred thousand dollars early in this decade to head up an organization to lobby in their behalf called The Homeownership Alliance. …
I worked in government relations for Fannie Mae for more than 20 years, leading the group for most of those years. When I see photographs of Sen. McCain’s staff, it looks to me like the team of lobbyists who used to report to me. Senator McCain’s attack on Senator Obama is a cheap shot, and hypocritical.
Sincerely,
William Maloni
Fannie Mae Senior Vice President for Government and Industry Relations (1983-2004)
Also, as this brief excerpt from Mccains health care plan shows, mccain takes credit for deregulating the banking industry and proposes bringing the benefits of deregulation to the insurance industry. I hope the voters hear much more in these last few weeks about how we will be all “less burdened” under Mccain’s insurance plan.
“Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation. “ http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/19/212321/633/865/604244
So now Republicans are Socialist Regulators? I don’t get it for tha last 25 years all I’ve heard from Republicans and John McCain is get the government out of the Financial Services Industry and watch the prosperity and jobs flow down to the people. Now all of sudden its’ regulate and buyout… so am I supposed to believe the Old Republicans Deregulator McCain or the New Socialist McCain?
That’s not what Raines told the Washington Post. In an article by Post reporter Anita Huslin, Raines said, “(I have) taken calls from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters.” If you parse the statement by the Obama campaign, they said Raines has never advised Senator Obama personally. They do not deny that Raines has advised the campaign about mortgage and housing policy.
Far cry from being a “top adviser”. Thanks for conceding your statement was false. Did you notice that my previous post had a comment from Huslin?
“Far cry from being a “top adviser”. Thanks for conceding your statement was false. Did you notice that my previous post had a comment from Huslin?”
You’re right. Not a “top” advisor, just an advisor. I guess Obama is out of the woods on this one :)
A couple of phone calls with someone on the campaign talking about general housing issues. With those standards you could almost say that someone who gave an Obama campaign member directions to the nearest McDonald’s is an adviser. You bet he’s out of the woods. Once again the McCain campaign is not on the up and up. Even after Raines flat out told them he was not an Obama advisor they said so anyway.
Since this has now become a campaign issue, I asked Huslin to provide the exact circumstances of the quote. She explained that she was chatting with Raines during the photo shoot, and asked “if he was engaged at all with the Democrats’ quest for the White House. He said that he had gotten a couple of calls from the Obama campaign. I asked him about what, and he said ‘oh, general housing, economy issues.’ (‘Not mortgage/foreclosure meltdown or Fannie-specific,’ I asked, and he said ‘no.’)”
By Raines’s own account, he took a couple of calls from someone on the Obama campaign, and they had some general discussions about economic issues.
To paraphrase Bob Dylan, “We see the same thing, we just see it from a different point of view.”
The fact is that Obama is more closely tied to Fannie and Freddie in both relationships and very signficantly in funds received. And ironically, he has been very vague in his opinion of the bailout and notably slow and taking a stance on the issue.
Obama is quick to attack and slow to defend. It is a pattern we’ve seen several times over the past 20 months.
Because we all know the smart thing to do in the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression is to act quickly, say rashly instead of taking as much time as you can to formulate a response. Isn’t this mess directly attributable to lack of oversight and regulations in the Finance Industry? Hey I’m looking at you Republicans who until a few days ago were all deregulation and “Free Market” capitalists…
Dupe post-sorry
So Chris, how do you compare an “adviser” who answered a couple of general questions and the person assisting in the VP selection process to McCain’s CAMPAIGN MANAGER being a high paid lobbyist for Fannie Mae?
Deregulation is a good thing. Over-regulation creates a drag on our economy so it is essentially harnessed from achieving its potential.
With that said, it isn’t perfect. I’m englightened enough to admit that I do not have a perfect theory on regulation of free markets. In fact, I’m thrilled when i learn something new of value that can help me form a more educated and accurate philosophy on things like this. Anyone who claims they have “THE” answer is trying to sell you something. But I know that the right answer is alot closer to free markets than it is to over-regulation.
Now, I’d like to hear Obama’s point of view. The fact of the matter is that the Fed, and Treasury, the President, and Congressional Leaders will all have acted by the time Obama even articulates a point-of-view on the matter. How convenient for him.
Deregulation is a good thing
Tell that to California
I wonder if we would be having this discussion on this very blog on our home computers on a Saturday afternoon if the industries of computing, home internet access, web infrastructures, and software had been heavily regulated?
By the way, lojasmo, there is one prominent figure constantly comparing this to the Great Depression. It is Barack Obama. Nothing like yelling “fire” in a crowded theatre, especially when you’ll benefit from it.
How did the bush deregulation of the energy industry work out? Gasoline, fuel oil, and natural gas are not 4 times the cost they were under Clinton. How is that for the American people.
By the way, DTM: This is terrible news for the country. Don’t let your partisan blinders fool ya.
lojasmo -
If you think current energy prices are a factor of deregulation instead of global demand and supply that has peaked forever, then you don’t understand economics as much as I was giving you credit for.
So we are back to the Conservative bullshit that the ideas are sound, it is just that Comrade Bush fucked up the execution?
Jesus, Hey Conservatives your basic economic principles DO NOT WORK!!! That’s right we tried it your way… even gave you 6 years of running the government with controlling the Congress, the Executive and the Judiciary. What did we get but raping the treasury, war profiteering and now a replay of Herbert Hoover with a Texas accent. The largest movement of money from the Middle Classes to the Rich in the history of the country… and more planned under the Palin/McSame administration.
Trickle down my ass. Cut taxes and raise revenues… BS. Deregulate industries and the market will act efficiently and proper… sure, only in fleecing the American people. Republicans more than willing to grab the profits and have the taxpayer handle the risk.
Funny thing is that in the current environment, the rich guy IS the taxpayer. For as much as you all whine about the rich, they are paying more of the tax burden than at any other time this century. The rich have never carried the country financially as they are today.
Listen, if you read my posts, you’ll see that I’m not saying let’s push the envelope on deregulation. But I believe that our nation, especially our politicians, have a history of overcorrecting. They are doing it right now with the huge bailouts. They see a problem, and they overcorrect. They did it with Iraq.
Taking all the good that has occured since the Reagan revolution (let’s not forget stagflation of the 70’s that enabled the Reagan revolution to happen) and throwing the baby out with the bathwater would be a mistake. The fact is that our median income, using constant dollar (adjusted for inflation), is up over 50% since Reagan took over. Since it is adjusted for inflation, that increase represents an increase in the standard of living, plain and simple. When Reagan took over, we had just gone through a 17 year period of virtually flat income growth, dating back to the Kennedy admin and going through the Carter admin.
Conservative basic economic principles work. Do they need adjustment? Of course. They always will. At least we’re humble enough to realize that. But for Obama to go shouting in vague terms about how this country is being failed, without offering up specific solutions, and then comparing this all to the Great Depression…. well, that just demonstrates how much of a policy novice he really is. Or else he is just a liar. But I like to find the good in people, so I’m hoping he is a policy novice.
In 8 short years of Republican and Conservative policy what has happened to your house value? What has happened to your cost of living? What has happened to most of the Middle Class? Keep looking for that positive as the Republicans and their war profiteering and no bid contracts and deregulation turn the American Dream into a joke.
DantheMan, I agree 100%,
There are some who like to point out that the rich guy controls most of the money, and therefore pays most of the tax. People who say that are people who disagree with Republicans on issues, so they don’t matter. They are probably stupid and lazy, as we Republicans have proven coutless times.
It is common knowledge that Obama has not offered any specifics. I would ignore people who would point out he has many times on his website and in his speeches, and all someone would have to do is find the information themselves. Anyone who says this is a stupid liar. I recommend nobody even bother looking.
As you have proven to everyone with your comments, DantheMan, the fundamentals of the Republican economy are strong.
Please continue to stalk Liberal websites and post similar comments everyday, morning, afternoon, and night, as if you were obsessed with taking moonbats down. I don’t know if there are many Minnesota Republican bloggers who have dedicated so much personal time to taking moonbats down constantly on one Liberal web site.
Everyone knows the only thing that matters is the Republican, correct interpretation of that data. Everybody also knows the Republicans have always been 100% corect on every issue, and have a track record of success after success that proves just that, that is why your comments are proven to be correct.
Republicans have earned Americas trust. Democrats have not.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger DantheMan
As a elementary school teacher with no investments other than my TRA, I don’t pretend to understand this financial crisis well (though many years ago I did receive an “A” in macro economics compared to S. Palins “D” grade) I am intrigued by others views on the blogs and in the press. WaPo’s Meyerson explained in terms that makes sense to me:
“Someone needs to invest in the United States of America. For the past decade and, in a broader sense, for the entire duration of the Reagan era, both government and Wall Street have opted not to. Should Barack Obama win, the era of neglectful government will probably come to an end. No matter who wins, Wall Street is vanishing before our eyes. And by the measure of their contribution to America’s economic strength and well being, both Reagan-age government and Wall Street’s investment banks plainly deserve to die.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/17/AR2008091702971.html
Another oped in today’s Strib played to my fears of where the country is headed:
“It’s not every day that a superpower makes a bid to transform itself into a Third World nation, and we here at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund want to be among the first to welcome you to the community of states in desperate need of international economic assistance. As you spiral into a catastrophic financial meltdown, we are delighted to respond to your Treasury Department’s request that we undertake a joint stability assessment of your financial sector. In these turbulent times, we can provide services ranging from subsidized loans to expert advisers willing to perform an emergency overhaul of your entire government.”
snip
“Your policies of irresponsible government deregulation in critical sectors allowed you to develop an energy crisis, a housing crisis, a credit crisis and a financial market crisis, all at once, and accompanied (and partly caused) by impressive levels of corruption and speculation. Meanwhile, those of your political leaders charged with oversight were either napping or in bed with corporate lobbyists.
Take John McCain, your Republican presidential nominee, whose senior staff includes half a dozen prominent former lobbyists. As he recently put it, “I was chairman of the (Senate) Commerce Committee that oversights every part of the economy.” No question about it: Your leaders’ failure to notice the damage done by irresponsible deregulation was indeed an oversight of epic proportions.”
snip
“Admittedly, your transition to Third World status is far from over, and it won’t be painless. At first, for instance, you might find it hard to get used to the shantytowns that will replace the exurban sprawl of McMansions that helped fuel the real estate speculation bubble. But in time, such shantytowns will become part of the landscape. Similarly, as unemployment rates continue to rise, you initially will struggle to find a use for the expanding pool of angry, jobless young men. But you gradually will realize that you can recruit them to fight in a ceaseless round of armed conflicts, a solution that has been used by many other Third World states before you. Indeed, with your wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you are off to an excellent start.”
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/28656549.html?page=1&c=y
Financial & many other problems facing the country have me concerned enough to be out knocking on doors hoping to help ensure a new direction and better future for my kids.
amuseinc -
I’m feel pretty good about things, actually. Maybe I’m a hopeless optimistic.
Do I wish my home value was still going up 10% a year?, Sure, but that was completely unnatural. Plus, I don’t think Government’s role is to gaurantee me some rate of return on my home.
Do I wish my 401(k) was going up an automatic 15% per year? Sure. But markets go up and they go down. Don’t tell anyone, but there was a nice bull run between 2003 - Oct 2007 where stocks rose about 70%, including my 401(k). Yes, it is down, but I’m way ahead of where I started. Way.
Do I wish inflation did not exist? No. Deflation is much more devastating than inflation. As long as the inflation rate is kept between 1% - 3.5%, we’re in fine shape.
Do I wish gas was cheaper? Sure. Do I think Government can somehow curtail world demand and increase world supply? No.
I wish I could agree with you all and say the sky is falling, but I just can’t. I can’t commisserate with you all because I feel like me and my family are getting by. We have chosen to live below our means… call us crazy. But perhaps that personal choice is helping us weather this downturn.
Dan the Man-
Yes, it’s all about you and to hell with everyone else.
Dan can you stop with the rich pay the taxes. It upsets me as I have been paying taxes since the Vietnam War through the Keating Scandal and on and on. What was my money… not enough to be considered a citizen because I don’t make $5 million a year according to your candidate for President? Tell me when exactly do I get to have the rights and privileges of a citizen? How much money do I ned to make to qualify in Republicanland? Where does it say that my citizenship value is only equals to my bankbook? Last I looked that is not what it says in the Constitution… not that Republicans care too much about a “piece of paper.”
All -
Before you get too twisted out of shape, I was responding directly to amuseinc’s questions above, where were:
“In 8 short years of Republican and Conservative policy what has happened to your house value? What has happened to your cost of living? What has happened to most of the Middle Class?”
Ask me a question about my situation… then I answer it with my opinion of my situation…. the EPDem gets upset that I’m talking about myself. And given that I’m middle class and have been through the Bush admin, I thought my example was relevant. You guys are classic.
DtM
Wealthy people own a VAST percentage of the wealth. It is ESSENTIAL that the wealthy pay a larger percentage of the taxes. It is the ONLY way that taxation works to provide that which is called for in the documents upon which our nation is founded.