Edwards Slams Bush Mortgage Plan

During Hometown Visit, Democratic Hopeful Says President's Proposal Doesn't Go Far Enough

(CBS/AP)  Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Thursday said President Bush's plan to help homeowners with rising mortgage payments doesn't go far enough and he would freeze interest rates for seven years.

"What we've got to do is not just help a few, we need to provide help for everybody," Edwards told about 900 people at Walhalla High School near his hometown in this early voting state. "We need to make refinancing options available. I do think it's a good idea to freeze these rates. I'd do it for seven years. We also need a national rescue fund to help these families."

Bush on Thursday announced a plan to freeze interest rates for five years for hundreds of thousands of strapped homeowners whose mortgages are scheduled to rise in the coming months.

Hillary Rodham Clinton also criticized the plan, saying it was designed to "help as few homeowners as possible" while proposing a moratorium on foreclosures, an across-the-board rate freeze and reporting requirements for servicers and lenders.

“America needs a plan that matches the scale of the crisis, and President Bush has failed to deliver it," Clinton said in a release. "But that is what happens when you are more interested in protecting corporate interests than struggling families."

At an earlier stop at Edwards' childhood home, the former North Carolina senator said the president had damaged the United States' reputation worldwide.

"I do believe George Bush has bullied and acted in an arrogant way and it has damaged America's standing in the world in a serious way and I intend to reverse that," Edwards said.

He was scheduled to campaign in Charleston later Thursday with musician and actor Harry Belafonte, also a harsh critic of the Bush administration.

Belafonte compared the Homeland Security Department to the Nazi Gestapo and attacked the president as a liar. During a trip to Venezuela last year, he met with socialist leader Hugo Chavez and called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

Edwards campaigned much of the day with his parents and helped open Oconee County's new Democratic Party headquarters, arriving to the Bon Jovi song, "Who says you can't go home."

Edwards' mother said her son's talk about his down-home, rural Southern roots is hardly political rhetoric.

"He's telling the truth. He grew up in a working class environment, with working, everyday people," said Bobbie Edwards, 74. "When John talks about his background, it's true."

Edwards said he was not worried an AP-Pew poll released this week showed him in a distant third place behind front-runners Clinton and Barack Obama. The poll also showed that health care was a top concern among Democrats in South Carolina, and the majority of likely primary voters said the New York senator would do the best job improving the system.

"The vast majority of South Carolina voters have not decided what to do yet. And what will happen is they will understand I have the first and the strongest universal health care plan that is central to what I want to do as president," Edwards said. "My approach is different. My approach is to shake up Washington and take on insurance companies and drug companies, which I've been doing my whole life."

[standlee5]

All this talk about Edwards being a lawyer. Most of congress were lawyers. What''s the big deal. Hillary''s a lawyer, Obama was a lawyer. So what.

[standlee5]

Right ON! Freeze interest rates for seven years. Sounds good to me. I would however encourage people who took out loans too big for their income to let the banks have the overpriced bloated houses back and rent. Let them eat there mistakes. And let the people get on with their lives without the burden of such heavy debt.

[logicanada]

Who was it that stormed the temple and chastised the money lenders and traders.
Oh... right ... Jesus.
For a society that stresses Christianity there should be no such thing as interest rates.
Or are we living in the house of mammon?

[infidel_us]

Liberals - demonizing doctors while glorifying the lawyers who sue them
Posted by dogsoul at 02:07 PM : Dec 07, 2007

Well said and RIGHT ON!

[nottellin1]

I see this from the perspective of someone who wants to buy a home in the next few years. All this risky lending has pushed up prices for buyers. 5 years ago in Connecticut you could buy a nice house for $200,000. Today that would only get you a fixer upper.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ontheleft at 02:14 AM : Dec 07, 2007

Consider yourself lucky. In Cali, 200,000 won''t even buy a small lot to build on.

[agnim]

I didn''t see where the article pointed out that Harry Belafonte is a WWII vet who understands when the liberties he fought for are being trampled by a genocidal mass murderer who cowardly hid away from the Vietnam war?

[forthepeopl1]

it''s so funny that they think that this all that has been destoyed by the bush adminastration(cheney) everyday they do it. and for our congressman and woman and senators to be suprised that this happen is killing me i cant stop laughing, boy do we have a stupid and so blind goverment

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a persistent critic of the Bush administration''s anti-terrorism policies, was to speak on the Senate floor about the destruction of the interrogation tapes, and its not having been revealed for some two years. At least one Republican lawmaker has also expressed dismay over the destruction of the tapes.

The CIA''s destruction of the tapes came in the midst of Congressional and legal scrutiny about its secret detention program, according to current and former government officials.
White House officials declined this morning to comment on the matter.

"This matter must be promptly and fully investigated," said Harman, now head of the Homeland Security subcommittee on intelligence and terrorism risk assessment. She noted that in early 2003 she received "a highly classified briefing" on CIA interrogation practices from the agency''s general counsel, and that she had expressed "serious concerns" in a letter to the lawyer afterward.

"I call for my letter of February 2003, which was CLINTON IS A PIG JUST LIKE HER BROTHERS BUSH/CHENEY, WILL SAY ANYTHING TO GET WHAT THEY WANT..THEN STAB YOU RIGHT IN THE HART

[jersupporter]

I have to believe that dogsoul and mudrose have no answer? Perhaps self-gratification does have its limits. I am quite sure they will come back with hate talk about liberals, etc, but nothing about service? Me, mine - sounds like a little kid.

[dogband]

Doesn''t go far enough?

Holy ***. I don''t want a *** dime of my tax dollars to go to bail out anyone, or set up any kind of goverment agency to oversee any type of rate freezers or anything.

Bush and elected officials don''t care if you keep your home or if you sleep in a box. They don''t care if your kids keep dying in Iraq, so they *** WELL DO NOT CARE ABOUT THIS.

Bush does care that the stock market stays high = happy republicans and that rich republicans don''t loose their houses = republican votes.

How many people with houses below $150,000 in value will be helped vs the people with houses above $400,000 who will be helped.

Some *** in an AP article was crying because his REMODELING mortgage was going from $1600 month to $1900 month. Greedy B A S T A R D. I hope he looses the whole *** thing. Get a second *** job at Walmart you lazy ***.

12 years ago I bought a modest house on a 30 year mortgage that cost less than my/wifes annual combined income--we paid it off in 11 years. Our cars [not Republican bigass SUVs] each cost about 20% of our total income, and each get 25 MPG.

Do I give a *** if greedy, live well beyond your means people loose their houses, and are forced to rent a condo till they get back on their feet?

H E L L N O !!!

[jersupporter]

hypocricy - have you ever served your community or country?
Don''t get upset because your views are not the desired or publicly approved attitude. Your beliefs and character are a direct reflection of what the current adminstration has brought to the American people. Your flag waving serves no purpose unless you have stepped up to the plate and actually served for the betterment of society. I seriously doubt that you have and you relegate your hatred (or jealousy) for those who have. Stay informed and speak about issues rather than spewing ideals that you cannot uphold even at the minimal level. KEEP PISSING IN THE WIND AND THEN COMPLAINING WHEN IT HITS YOU RIGHT BACK IN YOUR FACE.

[mudrose-2009]

Liberals - Do as we say, not as we DO... or say... um, or think... just do as we say ok!?

Posted by dogsoul

Can''t they do nothing. I don''t wanna follow around a bunch of planet of the ape dogmatists who do nothing to the tune of an 11% rating and tanking. Do-Da Do-Da Do-Nothing''s. Love Big T/itty Government. Wa, Wa, change my diapers. It''s for the common good. Well, hey in that case....

[dogsoul]

"I guess the fact that John Edwards worked for a living to acquire his wealth is against neocon values. "

HA! You call that WORK!! He was precisely the kind of ambulance chasing lawyer that sat back & raked in the profits by launching unsubstantiated lawsuits against deep pocket organizations like hospitals forcing insurance costs SO thru the roof that WE''RE all paying the price for it.... WE''VE PAID for John Edwards to become a multi millionare... he''s the scum of scum... and now that HE''S got everything he''s every monetarily wanted in life - at our expense - now he wants to be President... and somehow he''s put on the ''I''m for the little guy'' lawyer charm... sure he wants to buy votes with free medical care, free this, free that - he''s USED to stealing money from people who REALLY earned it... ya know, by saving lives???

Liberals - demonizing doctors while glorifying the lawyers who sue them

[dogsoul]

"dogsoul and mudrose are simply convinced that their hatred is for the common good. Actually thier lack of accomplishments (family, work and social) has totally destroyed their mental being and therefore they will attempt to take things out on all the others."

HA! Thanks for reminding me - I forgot about the liberal tendancy toward not just hypocrisy... but massive, unmitigated, wild hypocrisy.... numbnuts starts out by criticizing ME for, of course, ''hate'' - and THEN proceeds to spew toward ME.... you guessed it folks - ''hate''... God, you really DO make it too easy for me.

Liberals - Do as we say, not as we DO... or say... um, or think... just do as we say ok!?

[strugglingto-2009]

To:THEmagic07
Here I go again, sound thing different subject. You can''t change what someone''s past is only what they are striving for in the future. So his parents were Muslim, the US is taking God out of everything anyway so why are we discussing faith and religion with this man. Don''t hate him because he is "Black" but support him because he stands for something. Because "if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything". (Ex:Bush and his manipulation of votes for two terms).
That sounds like all the politican promises I have heard in the 40+ years I have been listening to campaign. Always a lot of promises and no fulfillment. I guess they just want to be elected and what better way "tell the people what they want to hear". Life as Bush for President has not been a picnic, only for him. He is killing our boys and girls by sending them overseas to be feasted upon by the Iraq''s for no reason. Those people don''t even want our help moreless need it. They have been doing this for ever, it is awful but it is the truth.

[jersupporter]

dogsoul and mudrose are simply convinced that their hatred is for the common good. Actually thier lack of accomplishments (family, work and social) has totally destroyed their mental being and therefore they will attempt to take things out on all the others. What a shame for these Needy People. Your perceived hardships are laughable, but can be cured. It is called service to community and country. Of course you know nothing of those - your biggest accomplishments are pissing in the wind and then complaining when it hits you right in the face.

[strugglingto-2009]

Well, I can see why AMERICA is in the mess we are in. I have been reading the notes out here and they are not comments, you guys are taking the time to sit and argue about a very delicate subject. Who is wrong and who is right. But AMERICA is always prouded itself on saying we were fair and I think that is what people are asking for. No one wants anything for nothing. I have heard nothing in any of Bush''s or the others speeches on mortages state that their are going to be people who walk away with a house they did not pay for, I have heard them say let''s help. I am just concerned that the help is not being spreadly evenly or fairly. We say we are the land of the "free and the brave" but really we are all being held hostage by people who are afraid to stand up for what is right. Just like everything else when you take God out of the equation things happen. He will not allow man to run this world only lead people to better ways of doing things. He said that he was the beginning and the ending "Alpha and Omega" so man will not prevail over him and his word will not return VOID, before that happened he will destroy this world. Look around people it is TIME! I would love help but just like everything else HONEST, HARDWORKING FOLKS get the opportunity to take care of the folks who have the backing and the guts to bet the system and have a good night''s sleep. this might slow me down but it won''t stop me.

[dogsoul]

"The neocon movement doesn''''t need facts or figures. They blurt out their hatred, and it is therefore fact. "

Liberals really crack me up... anything that goes against the liberal grain is now labeled ''hate'' - you liberals really DO fall right in line dontcha...

Besides, it''s most assuredly liberals who fear facts & figures... EVERYTHING is filtered thru the liberal word police - political correctness, crime stats, global warming, terrorism, homosexuality.... I mean, my GOD - try to have an actual conversation about these things that isn''t simply a fawning regurgitation of the accepted liberal mantra & they''ll literally shout you down, usually repeating their latest fad word - ''hate''...

Liberals - so phony, they often disgust themselves

[mudrose-2009]

I think mudrose is green with envy!!!
Posted by Oscarez

Yeah, imagine all the people in the shacks across the street from him. I''ll bet the love the view.

[oscarez]

I think mudrose is green with envy!!!

[marcodele]

I guess the fact that John Edwards worked for a living to acquire his wealth is against neocon values. Apparently you''re just supposed to drink booze and snort coke until Daddy buys you an oil well, then a baseball team, then a state house, then a white house.