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Okay... CD people harmoniously consider Applebee's a "great night out" and drive Toyota Prius's. The women on here are notoriously activist and probably have multiple cats and eat ice cream by themselves at night. The men on here are mostly wimps.
CD is by no means a bellweather for predicting the election...
This is without a doubt the funniest thing I've seen on a City-Data P&OC thread!
It brings up a good point about some good folks I met at a HS football game last night. A bunch of my old High School buddies own businesses or are working hard in some trade, work for the school, farm and do other things... these people have no clue that City-Data exists. As many people we have in here, it's such a small representation of TRW. And as others have mentioned here, this site is so pro-liberal. That's great and everything. But there are other forums that are very conservative. Some are way too red-neck for me. It doesn't mean that they are ALL red necks, and of those "red-necks", they're not all a bunch of fanatics. But there are fanatics on both sides that freak me out. We shouldn't let the extremes tint our perception of what that big old world out there truly values and believes.
What I noticed is McCain could just roll off his tongue the names of some of the foreign leaders as if he had a conversation with them the day before. Obama didn't seem to utter their names until after McCain had, as if he was learning how to pronounce them for the first time based on how McCain annunciated their names. That speaks loudly for McCain's overall experience compared to Obama's. I just don't think Obama is ready to lead, he's too inexperienced IMO to handle the complexities of what our nation has and will face in the future.
McCain had the leaders names roll off of his mouth? A turnaround post I would be proud of. Well done and a great way to highlight the mistakes McCain made with the names of the leaders from Iran and Pakistan.
McCain won. As usual, Obama spoke well but said nothing. I have yet to hear one original thought from this man. He keeps trying to tie McCain to Bush and that just goes to show you how much the guy "doesn't know". He is trying to pull off "you are known by the company you keep" issue to win this election. If that were the case then the Obama supporters better take a good long look at who he keeps company with .... Kennedy, Pelosi, Kerry, Frank, Dod, Schumer and so many others .... corruption and manipulation at it's highest.
I wish people would stop being so enamored with Obama and really start doing a little research. If you hear Obama make a statement that sounds good .... ask him to explain ... just give a little detail ... something other than "tag lines". In marketing and advertising we call that "selling the sizzle, not the steak".
Just a little information in regards to the current economic crisis ....
The Washington Post: "[W]hen It Comes To Regulating Financial Institutions And Corporate Misconduct, Mr. McCain's Record Is More In Keeping With His Current Rhetoric." (Editorial, "'Always For Less Regulation?'" The Washington Post, 9/19/08) John McCain Urged Action More Than Two Years Ago, Co-Sponsoring Legislation To Reform Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Warning: "If Congress Does Not Act, American Taxpayers Will Continue To Be Exposed To The Enormous Risk That Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Pose To The Housing Market, The Overall Financial System, And The Economy As A Whole." McCain: "I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole." (Office Of U.S. Senator John McCain, "McCain Statement On Co-Sponsorship Of The Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act Of 2005," Press Release, 5/26/06) In 2002, McCain Called For Greater Oversight Of Financial Markets Following Accounting Scandals. "In the aftermath of the Enron collapse and other accounting scandals, he was a leader, with Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), in pushing to require that companies treat stock options granted to employees as expenses on their balance sheets. 'I have long opposed unnecessary regulation of business activity, mindful that the heavy hand of government can discourage innovation,' he wrote in a July 2002 op-ed in the New York Times. 'But in the current climate only a restoration of the system of checks and balances that once protected the American investor -- and that has seriously deteriorated over the past 10 years -- can restore the confidence that makes financial markets work.'" (Editorial, "'Always For Less Regulation?'" The Washington Post, 9/19/08) McCain Led The Charge To Remove Former SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt. "Mr. McCain was an early voice calling for the resignation of Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey Pitt, charging that he 'seems to prefer industry self-policing to necessary lawmaking. Government's demands for corporate accountability are only credible if government executives are held accountable as well.'" (Editorial, "'Always For Less Regulation?'" The Washington Post, 9/19/08)
And Obama Ally Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) Blocked Multiple Attempts At Reforming Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Spanning Back To 1992: "[Frank's] Record Is Close To Perfect As A Stalwart Opponent Of Reforming The Two Companies, Going Back More Than A Decade. The First Concerted Push To Rein In Fan And Fred In Congress Came As Far Back As 1992, And Mr. Frank Was Right There, Standing Athwart. But Things Really Picked Up This Decade, And Barney Was There At Every Turn." (Editorial, "Fannie Mae's Patron Saint," The Wall Street Journal, 9/10/08) "In 2000, Then-Rep. Richard Baker Proposed A Bill To Reform Fannie And Freddie's Oversight. Mr. Frank Dismissed The Idea, Saying Concerns About The Two Were 'Overblown' And That There Was 'No Federal Liability There Whatsoever.'" (Editorial, "Fannie Mae's Patron Saint," The Wall Street Journal, 9/10/08) "Two Years Later, Mr. Frank Was At It Again. 'I Do Not Regard Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac As Problems,' He Said In Response To Another Reform Push. And Then: 'I Regard Them As Great Assets.'" (Editorial, "Fannie Mae's Patron Saint," The Wall Street Journal, 9/10/08) "Again In June 2003, The Favorite Of The Beltway Press Corps Assured The Public That 'There Is No Federal Guarantee' Of Fan And Fred Obligations." (Editorial, "Fannie Mae's Patron Saint," The Wall Street Journal, 9/10/08) "A Month Later, Freddie Mac's Multibillion-Dollar Accounting Scandal Broke Into The Open. But Mr. Frank Was Sanguine. 'I Do Not Think We Are Facing Any Kind Of A Crisis,' He Said At The Time." (Editorial, "Fannie Mae's Patron Saint," The Wall Street Journal, 9/10/08) "Three Months Later He Repeated The Claim That Fannie And Freddie Posed No 'Threat To The Treasury.' Even Suggesting That Heresy, He Added, Could Become 'A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.'" (Editorial, "Fannie Mae's Patron Saint," The Wall Street Journal, 9/10/08) "In April 2004, Fannie Announced A Multibillion-Dollar Financial 'Misstatement' Of Its Own. Mr. Frank Was Back For The Defense. Fannie And Freddie Posed No Risk To Taxpayers, He Said, Adding That 'I Think Wall Street Will Get Over It' If The Two Collapsed." (Editorial, "Fannie Mae's Patron Saint," The Wall Street Journal, 9/10/08)
Obama Ally Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) Led Efforts To Block Reform Of Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac, After Receiving A Sweetheart Deal On Loans For His Own Houses: Obama Joined Sen. Dodd - Both Top Recipients Of Fannie And Freddie Contributions - In Opposing Reform Measures And Weakening Existing Regulations. "During this period, Sen. Richard Shelby led a small group of legislators favoring reform, including fellow Republican Sens. John Sununu, Chuck Hagel and Elizabeth Dole. Meanwhile, Dodd -- who along with Democratic Sens. John Kerry, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were the top four recipients of Fannie and Freddie campaign contributions from 1988 to 2008 -- actively opposed such measures and further weakened existing regulation." (Al Hubbard and Noam Neusner, Op-Ed, "Where Was Sen. Dodd?" The Washington Post, 9/12/08) Sen. Dodd Called The President's Suggestions For Regulations "Inane" And Recommended The President "Immediately Reconsider His Ill-Advised" Proposals. "As recently as last summer, when housing prices had clearly peaked and the mortgage market had started to seize up, Dodd called on Bush to 'immediately reconsider his ill-advised' reform proposals. Frank, now chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said that the president's suggestion for a strong, independent regulator of Fannie and Freddie was 'inane.'" (Al Hubbard and Noam Neusner, Op-Ed, "Where Was Sen. Dodd?" The Washington Post, 9/12/08) Dodd Called On The Regulator For Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac To Lift Portfolio Caps. "Both Schumer and Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., the chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, have called on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator to lift the portfolio caps. They argue that allowing the two firms to buy more mortgages, at least temporarily, would inject much needed liquidity into the market and calm the financial markets." (Michael R. Crittenden, "Schumer Will Seek To Lift Cap On Mortgage Portfolios Of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac," Congressional Quarterly Today, 8/16/07) NOTE: Since 1989, Dodd Has Received At Least $165,400 From Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac: $48,500 From PACs And $116,900 From Individuals, Receiving More Than Any Other Politician. (Lindsay Renick Mayer, "Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Invest In Lawmakers," Center For Responsive Politics' "Capital Eye" Blog, www.opensecrets.org, 9/11/08) In 2003, Dodd, Chairman Of The Senate Banking Committee, Received Preferential Loans From Countrywide Financial On His Two Homes Which Saved Him $75,000. "Senators Christopher Dodd, Democrat from Connecticut and chairman of the Banking Committee, and Kent Conrad, Democrat from North Dakota, chairman of the Budget Committee and a member of the Finance Committee, refinanced properties through Countrywide's 'V.I.P.' program in 2003 and 2004, according to company documents and emails and a former employee familiar with the loans. ... Senator Dodd received two loans in 2003 through Countrywide's V.I.P. program. He borrowed $506,000 to refinance his Washington townhouse, and $275,042 to refinance a home in East Haddam, Connecticut. Countrywide wai ved three-eighths of a point, or about $2,000, on the first loan, and one-fourth of a point, about $700, on the second, according to internal documents. Both loans were for 30 years, with the first five years at a fixed rate. The interest rate on the loans, originally pegged at 4.875%, was reduced to 4.25% on the Washington home and 4.5% on the Connecticut property by the time the loans were funded. The lower rates save the senator about $58,000 on his Washington residence over the life of the loan, and $17,000 on the Connecticut home." (Daniel Golden, "Countrywide's Many 'Friends,'" Portfolio,6/12/08)
Obama Ally Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Has Been A "Leading Voice For [Financial] Deregulation," Led Efforts To Block Reform Of Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac, And Was Instrumental In The Collapse Of Bank IndyMac: Until The Current Financial Crisis, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) "Had Been A Leading Voice For Deregulation," Supporting Repeal Of Great-Depression Era Regulations, Re-Examining Corporate Oversight Laws, And Opposing Reducing Taxpayer Risks Associated With Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac. "Until the current credit crisis, Mr. Schumer had been a leading voice for deregulation: He ha s championed the repeal of a Great Depression-era law that prohibited commercial banks from underwriting securities; he has written an opinion piece calling for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to be 're-examined,' and he has opposed a bill that sought to reduce taxpayer risk in the event of a housing market slowdown by requiring Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to sell their entire investment portfolios of about $1.5 trillion worth of mortgage assets." (Joseph Goldstein, "Pro-Deregulation Schumer Scores Bush For Lack of Regulation," The New York Sun, 9/22/08) Schumer Called On The Regulator For Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac To Lift Portfolio Caps. "Both Schumer and Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., the chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, have called on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regulator to lift the portfolio caps. They argue that allowing the two firms to buy more mortgages, at least temporarily, would inject much needed liquidity into the market and calm the financial markets." (Michael R. Crittenden, "Schumer Will Seek To Lift Cap On Mortgage Portfolios Of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac," Congressional Quarterly Today, 8/16/07) Rep. Frank And Sens. Schumer And Dodd Protected Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac. "The powerhouse Democratic overseers of the banking committees -- Rep. Barney Frank, Sen. Christopher Dodd and Sen. Chuck Schumer -- protected Fannie and Freddie." (Robert Novak, Op-Ed, "Crony Image Dogs Paulson's Rescue Effort," Chicago Sun-Times, 7/17/08) After The Subprime Housing Crisis Began, Schumer Advocated Raising The Cap On What Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Could Lend. "Even last September, as the subprime housing crisis began to metastasize and the market was expressing concerns about the pair, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the powerful chair of the Senate banking subcommittee on housing, had the very bad (and ultimately rejected) idea of raising the cap on what Fannie and Freddie could lend by 10 percent. Since then the companies have reported losses of $11 billion, and there's uncertainty about just how much more damage there will be from future defaults." (Editorial, "We Can't Say No, But We Can Regulate Them," [New York] Newsday, 7/20/08) Despite Reports Of Fraudulent Accounting, Schumer Opposed Creating A Strong Regulator For Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac In 2004. "Even after Freddie Mac was shown to have manipulated earnings, Congress remained deadlocked over legislation to create a stronger regulator. Opposing one such bill in 2004, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued that a hostile regulator could use the proposed powers to choke the companies." (David S. Hilzenrath, "Fannie, Freddie Deflected Risk Warnings," The Washington Post, 7/14/08) Schumer Released Letters He Sent To Federal Regulators Questioning The Financial Health Of IndyMac Which Led To A $1.3 Billion Run On The Bank. "Former IndyMac Bank workers who blame Sen. Charles E. Schumer for the collapse of the large Pasadena thrift have found an ally in their quest to hold the New York Democrat to account: a public relations firm with a Republican-heavy client list. Schumer, chairman of Congress' Joint Economic Committee and a strident critic of the Bush administration, on June 26 released letters he had sent to federal bank regulators, saying IndyMac's shaky state 'poses significant risks to both taxpayers and borrowers.' He questioned whether the regulators were 'prepared to take measures that would help prevent the collapse of IndyMac or minimize the damage should such a failure occur.' A run on the bank ensued, with depositors taking out a net $1.3 billion in the following two weeks." (E. Scott Reckard, "Former IndyMac Employees Seek Probe Of Sen. Charles Schumer," Los Angeles Times, 8/16/08)
McCain had the leaders names roll off of his mouth? A turnaround post I would be proud of. Well done and a great way to highlight the mistakes McCain made with the names of the leaders from Iran and Pakistan.
McCain knows these people and knows their names. I didn't see Obama bring up any names until after McCain did. Why....?? because he's not familiar with them and he's not comfortable saying their names!
At least McCain doesn't suffer from an indecisive stttuuuttttering tick.
McCain knows these people and knows their names. I didn't see Obama bring up any names until after McCain did. Why....?? because he's not familiar with them and he's not comfortable saying their names!
At least McCain doesn't suffer from an indecisive stttuuuttttering tick.
I really don't think it is a stuttering tick ... instead it is a flaw in his programming. I think that robot needs to go in for repair because he seems to be doing this more and more.
I know I am voting for McCain, but seriously, he won tonight. He showed he is 100% ready right out of the gate to go. Obama, not that he is horrible or bad, is just not ready. McCain showed that tonight. McCain was so ontop of the issues. He knows his chit and it is not simply rehearsed, he really believes it and knows it top to bottom. That showed tonight.
He won? I don't think so. He sounded out of it and off his mark 45 mins into the debate. This was to be his time to completely beat Obama. At best, it was a tie for McCain. But my personal opinion is that Obama won the debate last night. He sounded every bit presidential and took McCain to task on his vote for the Iraq war. Obama will make a great President!!!
This is without a doubt the funniest thing I've seen on a City-Data P&OC thread!
It brings up a good point about some good folks I met at a HS football game last night. A bunch of my old High School buddies own businesses or are working hard in some trade, work for the school, farm and do other things... these people have no clue that City-Data exists. As many people we have in here, it's such a small representation of TRW. And as others have mentioned here, this site is so pro-liberal. That's great and everything. But there are other forums that are very conservative. Some are way too red-neck for me. It doesn't mean that they are ALL red necks, and of those "red-necks", they're not all a bunch of fanatics. But there are fanatics on both sides that freak me out. We shouldn't let the extremes tint our perception of what that big old world out there truly values and believes.
I drank too much whiskey last night, I'm surprised I wasn't banned from these gracious halls... But hey, no hangover!
He won? I don't think so. He sounded out of it and off his mark 45 mins into the debate. This was to be his time to completely beat Obama. At best, it was a tie for McCain. But my personal opinion is that Obama won the debate last night. He sounded every bit presidential and took McCain to task on his vote for the Iraq war. Obama will make a great President!!!
I will take substance, knowledge and experience over "eloquence" any day of the week. Obama "sounded" good but said nothing .... nothing original and nothing new. Took McCain to task on his vote for the Iraq War..... Obama wasn't in office then and if he were ... he would have voted for it as well ... along with everyone else that did. It's easy to sit back and say what you would have done ..... long after it already happened. One doens't know what they would do until they are in that situation and forced to make a decision. Obama has not had to make one serious or critical decision in his life.
YOu know I think Joe Biden won the debate. Even if he didn't participate, the interview afterward showed him looking very presidential. If you watched MSNBC you got to watch biden afterward. Was the other VP nomination on another network, because she seemed scarce. I feel very comfortable with Obama's change message, and I like the Foreign policy leader in the VP. John McCain would do great if we could just have another SURGE. JM looks good if we have another Terrorist attack, Barak Obama looks good if the economy continues to fail. I want the guy who can give my paycheck a boost, and make sure my kids and grand kids get an education so that they can live the American Dream that my parents got to live, that apparently I wont get to anymore. Obama looks like he would do well in preventing Terror attacks too. I believe if the radicals run out of reasons to attack us, they might just not attack us. Maybe instead of studying explosives, they might come here to study math, science and medical again as in years past.
McCain has already admitted that he knows little about he economy, he was also part of the Keating 5 which cost our nation the loss of 743 savings and loans, costing a bailout in the early 90s of 160,000,000,000 dollars (160 Billion for those who cant count the zeros).
John McCain had first hand experience and responsibility for this raping of America, and yet he still pushed for deregulation deregulation deregulation. Excuse me JM but when, especially when it involves you, has deregulation EVER worked....someone please tell me how this goofball can be taken serious. Why are we looking to put the WOLF in-charge of the Chickens.
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I really don't think it is a stuttering tick ... instead it is a flaw in his programming. I think that robot needs to go in for repair because he seems to be doing this more and more.
