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Falcon came to OFHEO in 1999 to find a paltry $16 million budget and 76 staffers to assure financial markets, investors and congressional overseers that the financial organizations in his charge were safe and sound. The agency was viewed as so ineffectual that former SEC chairman Arthur Levitt Jr. admitted he never heard of it during his tenure in Washington.
Falcon campaigned for more staff and money and the agency's budget eventually grew to $59.2 million and its staff to 188. He also reorganized the way OFHEO conducted its examinations.
At a 12.5 grade level actually but doesn't mean what you contend is going to jump out at me from all the jargon. Not much of a plot in those 25 pages is there?
At the moment I'm involved with getting through all of Charles Dickens and Walter Scott, so, frankly, just assume not spend the time looking for "what the f*$k is he talking about".
Democrats controlled congress from 2006 on. If anything stalled efforts to reform the system it was then. Most likely it was because nothing had happened yet and "fears" were overblown, like Mr. Franks eluded to. That doesn't mean Republican had no part at all in the problem. In fact I believe everyone had their head in the sand because of the dot-com bubble, 9/11, 2003 Economic downturn, Enron, Katrina etc. Everyone just wanted a little while to sit back and enjoy the housing bubble and were complacent because it "seemed" as if everyone, those willing enough to assert themselves, were enjoying the calm. We now know of course that was before the storm.
Oh there's no doubt that Congress (BOTH parties) dropped the ball as well, but the fact remains, it WAS a crises brewing even BEFORE the Democrats took Congress (and the President had been told so) - and at that point the Democrats control was too thin for them to be able to do anything anyway. If you think back Congress did nothing - absolutely NOTHING - during that 2 year period except squabble - the Democrats trying to cement their control (but not having a big enough majority to do so) and the GOP trying hard to prevent the Democrats from doing ANYTHING - and SUCCEEDING - with the GOP senators set a new record for filibusters.
The result was NOBODY did ANYTHING - so as I said, Congress played a part. However, having said that, the fact remains that in ANY crises Americans don't look to CONGRESS for leadership, they look to the PRESIDENT. That's the way it's ALWAYS been and it's the way it was in this last crises - and the fact is, GW was simply BLINDSIDED when he never should have been - and ended up looking like a deer caught in the headlights when the situation blew-up. He was simply NOT doing his job. He FINALLY stepped up to the plate and did the necessary thing regarding the banks (and was crucified by the Wingnuts for it) - but it was wayyyyyyy too late to stop the bulk of the damage, and the end result was a complete mess at the end of last year - a mess that Obama was left to clean up.
And so far I think Obama has done a pretty good job. He started out with a complete mess - an economy in freefall with a rapidly rising series of layoffs, housing prices in complete collapse and stock market that was in shambles.
Now, a mere year later, the economy is at last growing again, the layoffs have dwindled to a nearly normal level and the stock market has experienced one of the most dramatic rises in it's history.
Not a bad start considering the situation he inherited.
Obviously it feels better for you to say it and show YOUR side of racism to the rest of us.
People like yourself will never be happy knowing that a lot of people are not happy with his background, affiliations or his agenda......so it MUST be the color of his skin, right?
Of course there are racists in the world who may dislike him for that reason alone.....but, the vast majority who OPPOSE (not hate).....his ideology and his near-communist agenda.....do so...because he is so far left and alien of what many Americans have ever before, seen in America and so too....the Democratic Party thesedays.
Go on believing its ALL about his skin color though.
Makes you look like the typical, narrowminded Lib. you probably are.
This whole mess reminds me of a great speech given by FDR in which he speaks:
Quote:
Governments can err, presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that Divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted on different scales.
Better the occasional faults of a government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.
There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.
In this world of our in other lands, there are some people, who, in times past, have lived and fought for freedom, and seem to have grown too weary to carry on the fight. They have sold their heritage of freedom for the illusion of a living. They have yielded their democracy.
Oh there's no doubt that Congress (BOTH parties) dropped the ball as well, but the fact remains, it WAS a crises brewing even BEFORE the Democrats took Congress (and the President had been told so) - and at that point the Democrats control was too thin for them to be able to do anything anyway. If you think back Congress did nothing - absolutely NOTHING - during that 2 year period except squabble - the Democrats trying to cement their control (but not having a big enough majority to do so) and the GOP trying hard to prevent the Democrats from doing ANYTHING - and SUCCEEDING - with the GOP senators set a new record for filibusters.
The result was NOBODY did ANYTHING - so as I said, Congress played a part. However, having said that, the fact remains that in ANY crises Americans don't look to CONGRESS for leadership, they look to the PRESIDENT. That's the way it's ALWAYS been and it's the way it was in this last crises - and the fact is, GW was simply BLINDSIDED when he never should have been - and ended up looking like a deer caught in the headlights when the situation blew-up. He was simply NOT doing his job. He FINALLY stepped up to the plate and did the necessary thing regarding the banks (and was crucified by the Wingnuts for it) - but it was wayyyyyyy too late to stop the bulk of the damage, and the end result was a complete mess at the end of last year - a mess that Obama was left to clean up.
And so far I think Obama has done a pretty good job. He started out with a complete mess - an economy in freefall with a rapidly rising series of layoffs, housing prices in complete collapse and stock market that was in shambles.
Now, a mere year later, the economy is at last growing again, the layoffs have dwindled to a nearly normal level and the stock market has experienced one of the most dramatic rises in it's history.
Not a bad start considering the situation he inherited.
(Serious Question) If Obama does exactly what Ronald Reagan did....would Republicans/Conservatives love him?
I would, although I am not a Republican, nor a Democrat, just a conservative. But since Obama "talks-down" down the US every chance he gets, and also since he bows down to leaders around the world, something the Reagan never did, he will never do as Reagan did.
And this coming from a person who didn't vote Republican until President Clinton's second term I listen to Reagan speeches and hear how patriotic and uplifting he sounded, never demeaning the US nor asking for forgiveness for our nations mistakes of the past.
Please list ONE time Obama "talked down" about America? lol you all just create stuff to be outraged about.
I guess when Obama says "I could not come from where I've come from and made it to this position, without the greatest country in the world America"; to you all that translates to he HATES AMERICA!
LOL!
Honestly I do not care about him bowing and showing respect to leaders. One thing us Americans have an issue with we are elitist. Foreign Leaders have been bowing to our Presidents....
We can't show respect in that way? I guess not....
But again Reagan was a great President but he did give Weapons two of our Biggest enemies at that time. There's no outrage to that from you all though
But with Obama there is outrage to nearly EVERYTHING....
(Serious Question) If Obama does exactly what Ronald Reagan did....would Republicans/Conservatives love him?
I would, although I am not a Republican, nor a Democrat, just a conservative. But since Obama "talks-down" down the US every chance he gets, and also since he bows down to leaders around the world, something the Reagan never did, he will never do as Reagan did.
And this coming from a person who didn't vote Republican until President Clinton's second term I listen to Reagan speeches and hear how patriotic and uplifting he sounded, never demeaning the US nor asking for forgiveness for our nations mistakes of the past.
Never asking for forgiveness when you KNOW you've done something wrong is generally called arrogance - and is NOT an admirable trait.
And this coming from a Left-leaning centrist who DID vote for Reagan (twice).
When you are wrong you should just ADMIT you were wrong - not ignore it and simply pretend it never happened.
America is a great country and has done many admirable things - but, like ANY great power, we've also committed our share of sins. Ignoring them and pretending they never happened doesn't make them go away and will likely lead you into making those same mistakes AGAIN - not only that, but the refusal to admit the mistakes damages our future relationships with the aggrieved nations. There comes a time when you should just man up to what you've done - not hide behind pompous psudo-patriotism.
Ken
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That's the way it's ALWAYS been and it's the way it was in this last crises - and the fact is, GW was simply BLINDSIDED when he never should have been - and ended up looking like a deer caught in the headlights when the situation blew-up. He was simply NOT doing his job. He FINALLY stepped up to the plate and did the necessary thing regarding the banks (and was crucified by the Wingnuts for it) - but it was wayyyyyyy too late to stop the bulk of the damage, and the end result was a complete mess at the end of last year - a mess that Obama was left to clean up.
I listen to Reagan speeches and hear how patriotic and uplifting he sounded, never demeaning the US nor asking for forgiveness for our nations mistakes of the past.
