McCain And Obama On The Mortgage Mess

CBS Evening News: Breaking Down Where The Candidates Stand On The Housing Crisis

(CBS)  To help you make an informed decision in the presidential election, CBS News is devoting a large part of our broadcasts until Nov. 4 to telling you where the candidates stand on major issues - from the war in Iraq to health insurance to education … and a lot more. Each piece will be an in-depth look at the issues facing the 44th president. In this installment, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports on how the proposed policies of Barack Obama and John McCain to tackle how the mortgage crisis would affect you.

---

The Issue

In the city built on taking risks, there are far too many signs of a housing market gone bust. Just ask Adriana Camejo and Deanne O'Rear.

"Yes I do need help...badly," Camejo said.

"I honestly never would have expected this," O'Rear said. "Never"

Both are about to lose their homes in middle-class neighborhoods in Las Vegas - one of the hardest-hit cities in the nation. In fact, one in every 35 households in the metro area recently received a foreclosure notice. That's nearly 22,000 homes.

Camejo bought her home two years ago as a place for her son, Joseph, to grow up. She applied for a no-money-down, sub-prime loan and said the lender told her she had a 6 percent interest rate. It turned out to be 11 percent.

"Do you feel like they took advantage of you?" Tracy asked.

"Oh yeah, definitely, because I didn't have any prior education to buying the house," Camejo said.

As the loan payments grew, Camejo worked in a casino kitchen until 3 a.m. to make extra money. But when her husband was laid off, they fell behind and are now facing foreclosure.

"What is it like every day to deal with this?" Tracy asked.

"Tough, because my son tells me every day that he doesn't want to lose the house that he loves this house and he doesn't want to move," Camejo said.

Across town, O'Rear's foreclosure notice was especially embarrassing, because she gives mortgage advice to home-buyers.

"Still to this day it's embarrassing," said O'Rear, who works as a mortgage consultant. "It's hard to believe I'm even talking to you right now."

When the housing market tanked, so did O'Rear's commissions as a mortgage consultant. She couldn't keep up with payments on the home she bought 10 years ago, so she declared bankruptcy and tried to work out a deal with her lender - but got the run-around.

"I know where to go, I know who to go to, I know all of the entities, and still could not get anything done," she said.

A record four million Americans are either behind on their mortgage payments or facing foreclosure. With home values dropping, many are wondering where the candidates stand on the housing crisis.

The Candidates

With the mortgage mess taking down some of the biggest names on Wall St., the candidates say help for homeowners is on the way.

Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama both support a new federal housing program, beginning in October, which could help as many as 400,000 families. It encourages lenders to swap their customers' risky home loans for new 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, backed by the government.

"This will not be a windfall for borrowers," Obama said on May 27. "They're going to have to share any capital gains as the housing market stabilizes and their property values start going up again."

And that's something else both candidates agree on: No help for spectators or risk takers.

On April 10, 2008, McCain said: "It is not the responsibility of the American public to spare them from the consequences of their own bad judgment."

Overall, McCain favors less government intervention. He does support bolstering community groups that provide mortgage assistance. He also wants a specific government task force to investigate fraud in the mortgage-lending industry.

"If there were individuals or firms that defrauded innocent homeowners ... they must answer for their conduct in a court of law," McCain said.

While McCain supports the recent government takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, he says he wants to downsize and eventually privatize them.

He's called for: "More oversight, more transparency, more of everything. And frankly, a dramatic reduction in what they do."

Obama also supports the bailout and calls for more regulation.

"If you expect the federal government to step in and to provide support if something goes wrong, then you're going to have to follow by our rules," he said on Sept. 8.

The rest of Obama's at least $10 billion housing plan calls for a larger government role than McCain's. He wants low-income homeowners to get a 10 percent mortgage tax credit, new criminal penalties for those convicted of fraud, a mortgage-rating system to educate homebuyers about their mortgage options and the creation of a foreclosure-prevention fund.

"If the government can bail out investment banks on Wall Street, then we can extend a hand to folks who are struggling on Main Street," he said on May 27.

Obama also wants to change bankruptcy laws to allow judges to modify a homeowner's mortgage payments.

The Impact

Obama's plan may have helped Deanne O'Rear. She declared Chapter 13 bankruptcy, but soon found out it wouldn't save her house.

"How big of a difference would it make for you if the bankruptcy courts could help refinance the terms of your mortgage?" Tracy asked.

"It would make all the difference in the world," O'Rear said.

---

Ben Tracy gives some background for this story at Couric & Co.
Learn more about the "ground zero" of the mortgage mess.

---

Adriana Camejo would likely qualify for the new federal program supported by both candidates - converting her high interest and risky adjustable-rate mortgage into a stable 30-year loan.

"What would you think about a plan like that?" Tracy said.

Camejo said: "That would be great, as long as the payments don't go up. I think that would help."

Yet Camejo knows this is not just a government problem - she says homebuyers need to do their homework.

"Get informed first. And make sure that you read everything that you're going to sign," Camejo said.

Because you don’t have to live in Vegas to know that owning a home these days is no longer a sure bet.

[kansas1946]

The rest of Obama''s at least $10 billion housing plan calls for a larger government role than McCain''s. He wants low-income homeowners to get a 10 percent mortgage tax credit, new criminal penalties for those convicted of fraud, a mortgage-rating system to educate homebuyers about their mortgage options and the creation of a foreclosure-prevention fund.

"If the government can bail out investment banks on Wall Street, then we can extend a hand to folks who are struggling on Main Street," he said on May 27.

Obama also wants to change bankruptcy laws to allow judges to modify a homeowner''s mortgage payments.
**************************************

These things should have been done years ago. This is a solid plan and particularly upping the criminal penalties for these creeps that suck the life out of Ameicans with their fraudulent schemes and then their buddies in congress protect them, including John McCain. He has done nothing about this, in fact has prevented with his votes, any regulation on these goons. Check and see what party the goons are registered in and who they send their money to. It ain''t Barack Obama. John McCain is no reformer. If he was, he would have started long ago. NOW he wants to clean up Washinton. The same dirt he has been wallowing in for years. Unbelievable.

[jmurrieta11]

The Bushites, with John McCain''s help, made bankruptcy unavailable to most people.

If you''re Donald Trump, however, the Repugs are happy to let you walk away from debt!

The rest of you peasants--you''re just not John McCain''s kind of people. Suck it up.

[caliguy55]

Top McCain-Palin official Carly Fiorina is facing criticism from some within the campaign for a day of what they call "very Biden-like" comments, after the former Hewlett-Packard CEO told two separate interviewers that neither member of the Republican ticket would be capable of running a company.

Asked by a St. Louis radio station whether she thought Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin could run a company like Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina responded: "No, I don''t.

Asked about that remark on MSNBC, she made the same unprompted assessment of the GOP presidential nominee. "I don''t think John McCain could run a major corporation."

With the economy center stage in the campaign, Fiorina''s words gave Democrats easy fodder to attack the Republican ticket.

SEE: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/16/fiorinas-comment-called-biden-like/#more-18812

[kansas1946]

"McCain Blames Greed for Wall St. Mess; Obama Blames GOP."
*************************************************

For once, they are both right.

[jayfl11]

I blame the legislators who passed laws making it profitable to give out mortgages to unqualified borrowers (Community Reinvestment Act) and the greedy (explitives) who took advantage of the reckless legislation to make great and quick profits with no concern for the saps who took the bait hook, line and sinker. We don''t need more laws just repeal the reckless laws in existance. What we do need is an investigation to find out why the legislators were so reckless with our money and if they received any payouts for these laws. I smell big corruption and I don''t think it is limited to any one party.

[ubu2008]

Barack Obama received 118K from Freddie/Fannie since 2006; Hillary 87K & McCain since 1989 has received a total of 20k. Since Obama always wants our money, why doesn''t he give back the campain/pack money he received. Barack Obama always looking for ways to fix things with our money. What a Guy! This guy is shameless he said yesterday that John McCain had received money from lobbiest. Look up Obama''s largest profession contributors - Insurance/Banking & Mortgage - Look it up!

[aldon61]

I must be dreaming here. This board has some intelligent, focused posters. My two cents worth: Re-instate Glass-Steagall, institute regulartory procedures that were in effect at the time. Oh, and I agree with jayf111; both parties have been dipping their pens into the mortgage banking inkwell.

[aldon61]

Obama says nothing can be done by congress to fix the economy until early next year. Are you kidding me? 3 and a 1/2 months and the democratic congress won''''t try to do anything?


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

Posted by JuanSaga1 at 08:45 PM : Sep 16, 2008

Anything they try to do will be veto''d, and they don''t have a veto-proof majority.

[dj292009]

After the last few days Obama really sounds like a crapppy choice for prez. We found out yesterday that he pressed the iraqi govt to hold off on setting a withdrawl date for troops until after the election. And now today, he says his fellow congressmen can''''t do anything to work on the economy until next year. Pathetic. Obama is nothing more than a cheap political hack looking for credit.

Please tell me your not one of these people that think it can be fixed over night? He said it would be the begining of next year before we see an improvement. You think McCain can fix it tomorrow?

[samthetvcat]

---Adriana Camejo would likely qualify for the new federal program supported by both candidates - converting her high interest and risky adjustable-rate mortgage into a stable 30-year loan. "What would you think about a plan like that?" Tracy said. Camejo said: "That would be great, as long as the payments don''t go up. I think that would help."---

This isn''t going to be a concern the candidates are going to want to be asked, but how common is that phenomenon of people ''gaming'' the system after calculating that given the depressed housing market that it''s more profitable for them to declare bankruptcy than refinance for more than the house is worth?

Haven''t some of the experts talked about making it harder for people to declare bankruptcy in those circumstances? That''s not exactly a platform policy likely to be a hit on the trail, but wouldn''t it help stabilize the market?

[samthetvcat]

Actually reading that quote I included in the post below, I wonder whether Barack makes refinancing an option and McCain makes refinancing mandatory or whether they both make it mandatory.

My gut says people would tend to think Barack''s making it optional but he''s making it mandatory . . . just to the left of McCain in terms of stringency . . .

[ragnar30066]

Anything done to improve the economy before the election will be opposed by the democrats - it will hurt Obama''s chances for election.

Let''s all be glad McCain doesn''t think that way. If he had waited until after the election to call for the resumption of domestic drilling, we would be paying $6 a gallon for gas or more.

[citadel4me]

It is VERY unfortunate the candidates, the President, members of our government and the banking institution have forgotten the people in this financial metamorphosis. Some opinions would have you believe the problem is with the buyers%u2019 lack of knowledge, wrong decisions from buyers, greed from mortgage brokers. Whoever got together to revamp the credit system and raised the variable rates when all the interest rates were falling help to create this mess.
Now AIG is getting hit by the vehicle of destruction. Well it figures, they get the help that is really needed by the government. What about the homeowners? All the so called help is still helping the banking institute. Change the variable to a fixed rate on a mortgage that is highly overpriced real estate property. That is not going to stop this problem when the jobs of America are still going away and putting more homeowners out of work. The Solution that no one wants to give to the American Homeowner is this
1.Rewrite the mortgage loan to the current market value.
2.The difference between the inflated value and current market value is forgiven.
3.Convert all variable rate mortgages to 30 year fixed rates.
4.Leave the rate at the startup of the former variable rate.
5.No closing costs for the changes.
The financial institutions will have a paper loss and homeowners will no longer face foreclosures. The insurance giant AIG will not longer face bankruptcy because the insurance coverage value base has been reduced.

[demwatcher]

The November 2008 Presidential election was too close to call, even for the media. So to break the tie, Obama and McCain agreed to a challenge. They both would go ice fishing for three days.

On day one, McCain came back with ten fish and Obama none.

On day two, McCain came back with 20 fish and Obama none.

On the third day, Obama''s advisors told him to follow McCain to see if he was cheating. At the end of the day, Obama returned and told his advisors; "I don''t know how McCain got so many fish. All he did was cut holes in the ice all day."

The moral: Experience Matters.

[ajaxtheleast]

If it''s going to come down to anything like
ECONOMICS that will decide who will be the
next president, here''s a better idea than
having Obama and McCain battle it out,,,

Jeter of the Yankees and Wakeman of Boston.

[cfin5]

This Obama campaign is like a kid that walks into the American public''s election office telling them all the faults about how everybody else sucks but him on his campaign resume,......but won''t answer straight up what would make him better than they. The one with the best resume and "completed" job application usually gets the job. Sarah Palin has completed John McCains application for the Presidency this cycle........Lippin'' don''t last Barack, experience do.

[ubu2008]

Obama and his friends are panicing. I cannot wait until John McCain slams him for his attempt to recreate history on the mortgage crisis. John McCain co-wrote legislation in 2005

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.

John McCain, May 26, 2006

John saw this comming and begged for congress to act.

Obama/Biden have done nothing but lie and MSM doesn''t even remember the John McCain efforts to protect the taxpayer. Waiting for the lightening at the debates! Obama is going to be the flavor of the day!!

[keepontopic]

At mr22581
That smear has been discredited - please keep up...
At Gun_tower
You got that right buddy...
At citadel4Me
Buddy - the big corporates are too greedy by far to allow this as they leave too much profits on the table - which affects CEO bonuses. It is a nice idea though and the terms are pretty well standard in most other western countries.

[keepontopic]

At ubu2008
But McCain knew that this legislation would never pass his political cronies let alone the democrats due to the way the legislature was written....
Also it does not address the fact that the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, also known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act, is the root cause of the current problems.

[abbe91]

"If he had waited until after the election to call for the resumption of domestic drilling, we would be paying $6 a gallon for gas or more.
Posted by ragnar30066 at 10:32 PM : Sep 16, 2008"

BS : (1) companies have plenty of room to drill already and don''t. (2) Alaska new drilling would not do anything before 10 years and at a level below the tire-gauge (no joke) ...

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1829354,00.html

[xlib]

No coverage of the hollywooed gala for the chosen one where he raked in over 9 million. Your messiah doesn''t go on Letterman during Ike bevcause "it wouldn''t be appropriate" and yet, there he is with all the lear/limo libs. No double standards there, folks. None at all. He''s just "like us".
As for the mortgage mess, well, do a little history search there libs. Go way, way back to the 90''s where regulations were put in place making it mandatory for leading houses to take people who really couldn''t afford one to buy a house. Yep, let''s hear the wailing begin. I''m ready. Do a search with any engine and put in "fannie mae and clinton administration". Seems that handy carpenter, jamie gorelick, made millions. Let''s not forget raines, head of fannie mae who used fannie mae as his own little wallet skimming off millions. The organization is full of dems, just full. Do the research folks, just do it.
Yea, the messiah is just regular folk.

[keepontopic]

The real concern is that Lehman Bros was ALLOWED to FAIL, yet other institutions where bailed out...
So was it politically motivated to rescue AIG over Lehman Bros?

[abbe91]

"Do the research folks, just do it.
Posted by Xlib at 07:06 AM : Sep 17, 2008"

Gess what ? Just found "Keating Five" and the "Great Depression". The great depression is when another democrat (FDR) had to clean up the republican mess ... not the first time, you see.

[xlib]

gun_tower-quoting the ny times gives ready credibilty to your post. This is the same paper that ignored wright, rezko, ayers and anything that could be perceived as negative to the chosem one. The same paper that had over 60 Palin stories. Yep, quoting the times gives you real credibilty.

[keepontopic]

At ZeroKnots
Is that my recently McCain has also just started to state that he has now had "ENOUGH"
McCain is trying to pinch the change mantra from Obama, he is moving so far from his base - inclding starting to call out Wall street bigshots for gree - that his own base is ready to lynch him...
Maybe you should tie a knot in it for our own "ENJOYMENT"

[ubu2008]

AT KeepOnTopic

What were Obama''s efforts? Where is his attempt to CHANGE anything other than the facts of this crisis. There are those that talk about change and those that try to change things. Obama''s a TALKER!

[keepontopic]

At abbe91
Yep you got that one right on the money...good post!
At Xlib
Yes - those Democratics folks made all that money at Fanny Mae within the law by doing solid legitimate business before the restrictions where eased via the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in November 1999. The banking restrictions where eased so that clueless neo-con CEO''s could also make money by taking more risks over the last few years.
Try doing some real research buddy...

[keepontopic]

At ubu2008
Well I did some cludging around over the last few months so as to try and make sense of Obama, and three things stuck out in general...
1. He is reasonably prolific in his legislation for a junior senator.
2. The legislature is usually well written, due to Obama''s qualifications as a constitutional lawyer. This is one are of contrast with McCain''s offerings...
3. A higher than average percentage of Obama''s legislation is in conjunction with Republicans.
Admittedly a lot of his legislation experience is state based in Illinois but it it is rock solid also.
The summary of his complete legislature background is as follows....
Part 1.
Obama passed legislation with Republican Senator Jim Talent to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend.

After a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent.

To be contd...

[keepontopic]

Part 2...
Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years.

Obama joined forces with former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) to pass the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. The legislation banned the personal use of campaign money by Illinois legislators and banned gifts from lobbyists. Before the law was passed, one organization ranked Illinois worst among 50 states for its campaign finance regulations.

As a member of the Veterans'' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan.

He traveled to Russia with Republican *** Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world.

Obama has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, helping to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and leading the opposition against discriminatory barriers to voting.

In the U.S. Senate, Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act to increase penalties for mortgage fraud and provide more protections for low-income homebuyers, well before the current subprime crisis began.
- this is relevant especially to this thread....

[keepontopic]

Part 3...
Obama sponsored legislation to combat predatory payday loans, and he also was credited with lobbied the state to more closely regulate some of the most egregious predatory lending practices.

Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 to provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.

Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.

Obama has introduced and helped pass bipartisan legislation to limit the abuse of no-bid federal contracts.

Obama and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took on both parties and proposed ethics legislation that was described as the "gold standard" for reform. It was because of their leadership that ending subsidized corporate jet travel, mandating disclosure of lobbyists'' bundling of contributions, and enacting strong new restrictions of lobbyist-sponsored trips became part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law.

Also look who supported the GI bill...and who did not support the GI Bill...

[keepontopic]

at Keystonebull
Well it is always the issues with the mainstream DEM campaign - what the MSM do to Palin is a distraction as Obama himself has stated. The DEM candidates have done their level best to keep away from direct criticism of Palin, especially her family.
Can we assume that the neo-con smear apparatus tied directly to the REP candidates would do the same if HRC was the DEM VP candidate??

[skyk239]

If Bill Clinton had not used his veto power, we would be buring oil form some of those places now. You liberals just don''''t get it. You were born half retarded.

Posted by keystonebull at 07:41 AM : Sep 17, 2008

LOL Sparky I remember when Clinton was President, gas was $1.24 a gallon and what does THAT have to do with the FAILURE of Bush, McSame and Dr. Phil. THEY and THEIR Policies have us where we are. THESE people took over a Government with a Balanced Budget and a Surplus. THEY took over a Financial Market it tip top shape. It was THEY and THEY ALONE who wiped all the regulations on these organizations OFF THE BOOKS. It was THEY and THEY alone who INSISTED on returning our economy to the FAILED Trickle Down Policy AND McSame wants to continue it. Haven''t you just about worn out this "Liberals" are to fault line. Even a dog learns when hit on the nose enough!!

[skyk239]

Yes - those Democratics folks made all that money at Fanny Mae within the law by doing solid legitimate business before the restrictions where eased via the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in November 1999. The banking restrictions where eased so that clueless neo-con CEO''''s could also make money by taking more risks over the last few years.
Try doing some real research buddy...

Posted by KeepOnTopic at 07:19 AM : Sep 17, 2008

Thank YOU!!

[skyk239]

I read a lot of criticism about her on these boards and in the liberal media, but the people like her. They are not letting the media influence them, if so in the opposite way than the media intend to do it.

Posted by keystonebull at 08:01 AM : Sep 17, 2008


LOL Yeah right! Her Favorable/Unfavorable has dropped a net of TEN POINTS in THREE Days. The MORE this Woman LIES and man does SHE ever lie, the worse it will become. LOL Now they are trying to stop the investigation of her by her OWN state. Now why would they do that when a BI PARTISAN Investigation was approved and SHE agreed to co operate? There is ONLY one reason and it ain''t good. LOL

[whitemale08]

Funny how you don''t hear anything else from Palin about the "bridge to nowhere".

Looks like her comedy routine is falling flat these days.

[keepontopic]

LOL Yeah right! Her Favorable/Unfavorable has dropped a net of TEN POINTS in THREE Days. The MORE this Woman LIES and man does SHE ever lie, the worse it will become. LOL Now they are trying to stop the investigation of her by her OWN state. Now why would they do that when a BI PARTISAN Investigation was approved and SHE agreed to co operate? There is ONLY one reason and it ain''''t good. LOL

Posted by skyk239 at 08:04 AM

Thank You right back at cha!!

yes she is tanking badly...

[avembe]

this bi partisan thing is BS
there are 4 democrats and 6 reps in that commission
Talking about that mortgage mess, i thought the Reps wanted less government..ib that case he shouldn''t do ANYTHING and just let people , banks and insurance companies in theit mess..I mean ..."on your own"!!!Remember!!!

[jab232]

We do remember, don''t we, that McCain adviser Phil Gramm is one of the three sponsors of the act that took off the regulations that had been in place since the depression and set the field for these huge bailouts. And McCain voted for the act. And then after he retired, Gramm, who had, surprise, surprise, become a bank lobbyist, short circuited legislation to put some reasonable regulation back in. When President McCain appoints his commission (another commission!), that group will have to investigate Phil Gramm and John McCain. Republicans have held the presidency for eight years, the complete congress for six of those eight years, and veto control for the other two. They and their lobbyist friends are the ones who took you! Hold them accountable.

[dante805]

Obama the Harvard Elitist...YES HE IS...Obama attends Hollywood Fundraiser. $30,000 per person to dine and have a photo taken. Those in the crowd were the Hollywood Elite, Actors and Producers, Ivy League Lawyers, CEO%u2019s, and Union bosses. Obama really represents the common man. Sure he does. As he laughs all the way to the bank. Why live up to the promise of taking Public Financing when you are a pig and can dine at the trough any time.

Obama says McCain is responsible for the bad economy and market woes. He failed to tell everyone that his campaign employed the CEO from Fannie and Freddie... who took million dollar severance packages before bailing out just in time. A hypocrite extraordinaire.

[dj292009]

To bad thats not actually going to be the case. I think Obama will be the Next President so that story could possible go for John McCain too

[kshubak]

You know that fundraiser for Obama? Well, all those rich people who paid the big bucks for their dinner are willing and able to help the country. They must not mind paying more taxes to help their country. I praise them. It tells me they think more than just themselves and really want to help the country and the people. McCain''s rich supporters don''t want to have their taxes raised because they are just worried about themselves.

[dj292009]

Bush Sucks!

[briannorwood]

twalk1122:

Glad to hear your views on Bush. I keep hearing that the Bush has a 28% approval rating, and I keep asking myself, "Who are these idiots who continue to support this trainrwreck of a President?" because I haven''t met one in many years.

[dj292009]

If Bush is the best president of all time, than John McCain has a 99% of the vote. Since this is not the case It obviously means that Bush will go down in history as one of the worst

[liberalme]

I agree that George Bush is the greatest president ever. He has brought pride back to America restored our place as the world''''s most powerful country, brought the fight to the terrorists instead of letting them attack us here and has brought back honor to the oval office. Its too bad we cant keep him in office forever

Posted by gwno1

Not only that--isn''t he solely responsible for world peace--the increased value of the dollar, "fixing" the economy, good Lord Posted by twalk1122 the list just goes on and on---
They should consider Bush for sainthood by golly!

Gotta go, the straight jacket guys are coming.

[liberalme]

LOL Yeah right! Her Favorable/Unfavorable has dropped a net of TEN POINTS in THREE Days. The MORE this Woman LIES and man does SHE ever lie, the worse it will become. LOL Now they are trying to stop the investigation of her by her OWN state. Now why would they do that when a BI PARTISAN Investigation was approved and SHE agreed to co operate? There is ONLY one reason and it ain''''''''t good. LOL
Posted by skyk239
**************************************

You''re right---I heard it last nite---Palin was just the republicans "one nite stand" --all they have to offer is mis-information, sarcasm and mud slinging then have to spend more time explaining themselves.

[freemanswish]

Serioulsy, Obama is so slippery and fikle, he

just bad talks McCain which Im sick of already,

negatives, he would blame anyone, very

negative vibe, and very stuck up attitude this

is not what we need.

I gave up and decided Hussein Obama is like a

farse, I dont need to be cool and cosmopolitan.

I am an independent and I will definitely vote

for the McCain Sarah Palin ticket at least I

know what he stands for.

[dnsallday]

We can''t really expect MccAin to know much about the economy. He was too busy inventing the Blackberry while all of these GOP policies where put in place to redistribute the countries wealth to the rich and powerful.

[ajaxtheleast]

Looks like it''s gonna be a bad repub day.

6 count em''6 womens'' groups plus N.O.W.
for OBAMA

35 dead in Iraq in various bombings

The DOW in another nose dive

Housing starts lowest since 91

[concerns47]

Time to panic? Actually, it%u2019s really not
The economy isn%u2019t the problem, it%u2019s stupid banks making stupider loans




By Brian S. Wesbury and Bob Stein

updated 13 minutes ago
There is not enough room on page one of the nation''s newspapers for all of this week''s news. Any of the major business stories %u2014 the Lehman bankruptcy, a sale of Merrill Lynch, AIG capital needs, plummeting oil prices or new Fed lending facilities %u2014 could be above-the-fold headline news.

The U.S. is moving through its deepest set of financial market difficulties since the banking and savings and loan crises of the 1980s and 1990s.
The key thing to remember here is that the emphasis belongs on the word financial. The economy is not the problem; lousy lending standards and the excessive use of leverage are the problem. Gales of punitive destruction are knocking down one investment bank after another, while gales of creative destruction continue to move the economy forward. In fact, real gross domestic product (GDP) has grown 2.2 percent in the past year and accelerated to a 3.3 percent growth rate in the second quarter.