Say Anything Blog

Look at this page from Bank of America’s webpage.  I almost hate to link it, it will be taken down.

It brags about how they lend money under the community reinvestment act to low income and minority people many of whom now cannot continue to own the home they signed up for.

If you look at the link on the page, you will see a list of community organizations full of community organizers who pressure banks into making bad loans.  That’s what Barack Hussein Obama did as a community organizer.

Barack Obama’s life as a community organizer for ACORN, one of the listed community organizations, was a part of the crisis we have today.  Just putting the blame where it belongs.

Sometimes I feel sorry for them.  The radical left. They have had a mass delusion that for the last three quarters of a decade has manifested as a Bush Derangement Syndrome.  It’s hatred for George Bush at a decibel level and intensity which results in wild eyed screaming and accusations about baseless perceived persecutions of themselves or others.

Now at the end of his term that derangement has found a new source of hatred.

The supposed indictments are even more wild and even more radical in intensity over Sarah Palin.  They know at the marrow that IF she becomes VP she will ultimately be POTUS for the next 12 years.  This is terror in their eyes.  Bush Derangement Syndrome has not transmogrified into Palin Derangement Syndrome.  PDS.

This has caused a series of alien abduction level imaginings with conspiracies of evil that no one could even suppose a marginally sane person creating.

I don’t know Naomi Wolf. I read a bit about her.

She appears to be over the top in a lot of things.  She was a Clinton advisor.  In reading her views on a number of things it I believe she has some insight.  Her views on Pornography are pretty good.

Here’s the problem with a person like her.  Maybe like me.  Maybe like a lot of friends of mine.  She says 80% pretty good stuff but has a nutcase streak.  Her psychosis manifesting as PDS was posted with Huffington. Reading this would be amusing if it wasn’t so very sad.

When you get to the part about mail and other supposed persecutions you begin to see the disease. She is mentally ill.  Like much of the radical left has become.

Irrational hatred over a long time like the radical liberals have had for a long time will cause a person, even a person with ability to become irrational in their thinking.  I believe that is what has happened to the Radical Left.  As a group they have lost the capacity to see anything but red.  Like the bull about to die in the ring.  They charge hopelessly at the enemy they think they see and are skewered again and again by the insanity of the quest.  Group think is manifested in Huffington and Daily Kos and other places to the point where the frothing at the mouth has become pathological.

If it wasn’t so sad it would be funny.  It’s not.

Cod liver oil tastes bad, works good.

Surgery hurts.

Getting a tooth filled is uncomfortable.

If we don’t suffer the pain of the cure the cure isn’t a cure. I have a sense that we are delaying and numbing the pain of a cure that we need to have in our economy. The so called bailout isn’t the answer. What we need is a new regulatory environment which in some cases means less regulation and in others regulation of activities that do not support a free and open competitive marketplace.

The Goal in regulation should be to make certain that all players in a capitalistic marketplace have an equal and opposite chance to make the self advised bets they want to make.

I have a few. It would quickly become esoteric and obscure to discuss them here. The truth is we have some regulations in place that exist because of knee jerk reactions to companies like ENRON.

The government coming nationalizing companies and becoming the default cosigner to every bad loan made in America is trying to heal without pain. It’s not likely to happen and it won’t work.

It is socialism.

What is worse than all this is when a disease is numbed but not cured it just prolongs the disease. The economy needs to take some aspirin, drink plenty of fluids, get under the covers and sweat it out. Then like Granny Clampet’s cure for the common cold after a couple weeks it will get better.

I have considered the whole situation and this would be my prescription. The government should denationalize Bear Stearns and AIG tomorrow. Get out of the ownership of private equity in any form.

Second examine the rules and regulations we trade under and discard those that don’t work. We are over regulated.

Then, find 1000 experienced business types who understand markets, who have made a payroll, who know economics, who have significant experience in the private sector as business owners (who are not academics) and put them in business. These must be mavericks and prone to being heartless in negotiation. They must be driven by a desire to make money. Greed.

The business they will engage in is to buy and sell (at a profit) bad loans. They will get a staff for analysis and accountablity. Then when Bear Stearns comes to them and says, Here, buy my loan, they say, How much do you want, they say 70%, he says, 20% and after significant haggling they end at 40%. Then the new owner decides to either redo the mortgage, foreclose or continue the service of the loan anew. If it’s a pure bad debt he resells the debt to a collector and they have a shot at it. His money is made in dealing with the pain of the loans and trying to make a profit doing so.

Now, here’s the motivation. Not for a paycheck,not for a pension but for profit. This person who is part of this new buysell group gets a chance to earn a commission on money he makes in this process. If after a year he has earned 500 million dollars he gets 15%. If he loses money he gets nothing and is fired without any pension or parachute. It’s all or nothing. Make money, you’re fine. Lose, you’re out on the street. I know lots of people who would take this in a second. I would.

It would be best if this person were of Hebrew origin. I have dealt with some of them and they are very good at this sort of thing.

The trick to making this work is that no academic, no government employee gets to make any decisions. It must be a free market solution. The Barack Obamas of the world have no clue what this means. He has never made a payroll.

People who can do this are out there. Find any pawn shop. Hire them. The meaner and tougher the better. It’s just good medicine.

Observing the news coverage of the rallys by Obama and Palin in Florida and the relative coverage and lack thereof I am going on record as wanting the fairness doctrine implemented.  Not for Radio, For newspapers and Cable TV newscasts.

Seeing as how they are so in the tank for Obama and reported none of the huge support for Palin and that guy in Florida this weekend.

Bring on the Fairness Doctrine.

Wait, Main Stream Media Fairness is an antimaxim and Oxymoronic.

If you REALLY want to understand the whole bailout of Wall Street and bad loans by the government and If you REALLY want to know what it means to you this is a place you can go to get detail and analysis that will help you think better.
This is good Chicago Boyz thinking.

He doesn’t want to discuss his plans for economic recovery. So, he’s voting “present.” Again. Oh, and he “supports” what Bush and his guys are doing. But he does not mention Bush by name. Can’t give the president any credit. Asshat.  What a statesman.  What a diplomat.  What a fraud.

Obama, Untruthful: Untruthful, here, and afraid of this woman and her truth. 

Obama, Misleading: Even the Washington Post admits it, while noting that yes, McCain also tried to stave off this economic crisis and Congress blocked him, too:

One element of the Obama campaign’s brief against Mr. McCain is that he supported repeal of the law separating commercial banks from investment banks. “He’s spent decades in Washington supporting financial institutions instead of their customers,” Mr. Obama said yesterday. “Phil Gramm, one of the architects of the deregulation in Washington that led directly to this mess on Wall Street, is also the architect of John McCain’s economic plan.” Would it be churlish to point out that another author of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley law is former congressman Jim Leach, a founder of Republicans for Obama? Or that Obama advisers Lawrence H. Summers and Robert E. Rubin supported the repeal — which was signed by President Bill Clinton? - [Emphasis mine -admin]

It’s a reasonable question which candidate has been more attentive to the brewing problems on Wall Street and which has a better prescription for them. But Mr. Obama’s attack does not give a fair reading of the McCain record.

Obama, Empty suit.  Untruthful, blithering empty suit with too many dubious connections. Ask him about the AIG bailout, he votes “present.” If Palin had answered as he did, she’d be excoriated as “stupid” and “not ready.” But he’s The One. Put him in the WH with a Dem controlled Congress and a few judges to name to the SCOTUS and you can just turn out the lights.

From the Anchoress

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Obama. I will do all I can to see to it he is unsuccessful in his bid to be President.

HOWEVER

Sometimes a blind sow finds an acorn.

This is that. Obama has one program I endorse. His plan for Health Care Reform. There is no question that the health care system we have in the USA is broken. The McCain Plan is flawed. It is centered on Tax benefits. That doesn’t work in a non competitive environment that is government controlled.

Here are principles that to me make economic sense:

The big threat to growth in the next decade is not oil or food prices, but the rising cost of health care. The doubling of health insurance premiums since 2000 makes employers choose between cutting benefits and hiring fewer workers.

Rising health costs push total employment costs up and wages and benefits down. The result is lost profits and lost wages, in addition to pointless risk, insecurity and a flood of personal bankruptcies.
- Learning. One-third of medical costs go for services at best ineffective and at worst harmful.

- Rewarding. Doctors and hospitals today are paid for performing procedures, not for helping patients. Insurers make money by dumping sick patients, not by keeping people healthy.

- Pooling. The Obama plan would give individuals and small firms the option of joining large insurance pools. With large patient pools, a few people incurring high medical costs will not topple the entire system, so insurers would no longer need to waste time, money and resources weeding out the healthy from the sick, and businesses and individuals would no longer have to subject themselves to that costly and stressful process.

Preventing. In today’s health-care market, less than one dollar in 25 goes for prevention, even though preventive services—regular screenings and healthy lifestyle information—are among the most cost-effective medical services around. Guaranteeing access to preventive services will improve health and in many cases save money.

- Covering. Controlling long-run health-care costs requires removing the hidden expenses of the uninsured. The reforms described above will lower premiums by $2,500 for the typical family, allowing millions previously priced out of the market to afford insurance.

You will want to read the whole article. While it is partisan opinion, this is an area where McCain needs to get religion.

An Obama supporter was heralding the “deep experience” of Barry O. 

His main argument that on an experience scale he was equal to Warren Harding.  Now, in fairness, Harding was a conservative from Ohio.  A republican.  And he was way lacking in experience.  After he became President he just never figured it out. 

To this day he is considered one of the worst presidents the country has ever had.

So, in honesty.  I don’t think this is much to brag about. 

If you want inexperience and a trail leading to one of the worst presidents of our time in this era of upheaval vote for Obama. 

At least before becoming President, Sarah Palin will have time to acclimate at VP.  Obama is jumping in depending on his great ability and charisma.

Here’s a little testimony from a man who worked side by side with Obama at Business International some years ago.  The blog has to do with how Obama Pads his resume every time he talks (lies).

Comment from bill millar
Time: October 30, 2007, 8:17 am

Cathy Lazere calls Barack self-assured? That’s putting a nice spin on it. I found him arrogant and condescending.

The thing is, I worked next to Barack nearly every day he was at Business International–on many days angling for possession of the best Wang word processing terminal.

I had MANY discussions with Barack.

I can tell you this: even though I was an assistant editor (big doings at this “consulting firm”) and he was, well, he was doing something there, he certainly treated me like something less than an equal.

Funny thing… A journalism/political science major… Writing about finance… Pretending in his book to be an expert on interest rate swaps.

I remember trying to explain the nuance of these instruments to him in the cramped three Wang terminal space we called the bull pen. In contrast to his his liberal arts background, I had a degree in finance and Wall Street experience, so I knew what I was talking about.

But rather than learn from a City College kid, the Ivy Leaguer just sort of rolled his eyes. Condescendingly. I’ll never forget it. God forbid he leave the impression that a mere editor like myself knew more about something than did Barack.

He was like that…

But know what? I can forgive him for being immature–which is probably all that was at the time. Don’t we all believe we know everything at just around that age?

That said…he was a lot older when he wrote his book. Mature enough by this time to realize that his account of his time at Business International could be described as embellishment.

(Yawn)

This guy has really asked a good question. If Barack Obama decided to Join the FBI, he couldn't pass a security investigation.

Barack Obama wouldn’t even qualify to become and FBI agent and people are willing to place him in charge of them.

Before you are able to become an FBI agent you are put through a series of interviews to see if you qualify and one of the things they look at are the people that you are associated with.

Right off the top of my head I think of William Ayers and Barack Obama’s association with him.

According to wikipedia William Charles “Bill” Ayers is an American Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is most well known for his violent radical activism in the 1960s and 1970s and his current work in school reform and educational curriculum and instruction. In 1969 he co-founded the militant radical left organization Weatherman active during the 1960s and 1970s and was one of its top leaders.

In 1969, Bill Ayers participated in planting a bomb at a statue dedicated to police casualties in the 1886 Haymarket Riot. The blast broke almost 100 windows and blew pieces of the statue onto the nearby Kennedy Expressway.

First Question “REJECTED!”

How about question number two. Did you ever use drugs or were you ever in a room with someone using drugs?

Barack Obama already admitted using drugs let alone just being in a room with them.

“REJECTED!”

Forget about Barack “barry” Obama being qualified in any way to be the president of the United States of America. He isn’t even qualified to be an FBI agent.

He wouldn’t even get in the front door!

I mean, the POTUS will have access to and very secret information only the highest grade FBI person can have. If he can't pass that I don't see how he can become President. Last I checked with Katie Couric, Barack is still running for President. Isn't there something wrong with this picture??

I am watching the markets, unemployment, oil prices, housing crisis, election, hurricanes, Fannies Freddies, deficits, Leaman Brothers, WaMu and smell the emergence of a new bubble.  I called the Oil Bubble right on time. I called the Grain Bubble earlier this year.  If you had the guts you’d be rich now.  You would have had to keep your guts, but you’d be rich.

Now we are in the deep deep pessimism that means only one thing.  It’s time to look for deals.  They are everywhere.  And you don’t even need a lot of money.

Pessimism is your friend.

I’m not the only one saying this.  Warren Buffett who knows more than I do says so.

So, welcome the doomsayers.  They are creating a wonderful world of opportunity that may not come our way again soon.

I’m not going to link to anything.  My Opinion is based on 35 years in the market.  I am my own link.

The big bail out of the Freddie and Fannies, bailouts of Investment banks and yes the war debt will cost us severely in years to come.

The huge national debt will not be paid by higher taxes or a growing economy.

The government NEVER pays off debt.  Clinton didn’t.  I won’t explain, but it was smoke and mirrors.  If you want to understand it all go get an economics degree, maybe you will.

All debt nearly always is paid off by Monetization.  Printing money.  Inflation. 

We are in for another round of that.  It will be painful.  We just came thru it.  That’s how the debt was reduced a bit in the 90’s.

That’s why the average price of a new car in 1966 was $3800 and is $38,000 now.  That average wages in 1966 was $4800 and is now $48,000. 

Our national debt as it is monetized into relative oblivion will be laid on all of us equally as inflation, slow, creeping inflation. A hidden unrepresented unseen tax.  A true tax without representation.

If you doubt me, put a hundred bucks in a sock today and come back and try to buy with that hundred bucks buys today in 10 years.  You will have a ten dollar bill in your hands.  Where did the rest go?  Tax.  They just took it.

This is going to be tough.  Growing the economy helps, but the debt will be monetized away by inflation till it doesn’t matter for it’s reletive small size.

Except it will matter to your kids and your kid’s kids.

I am against all these bail outs.  I am not against the war.  We can’t have both guns and butter.  Let’s have the guns and skip the butter.

The argument was that we had to do this to keep people investing in a sound economy like the USA.

That’s OK if it didn’t mean that we are about to plunge ourselves into long term pain to avoid short term that might make a few people suffer.

I’m waiting for that Perp Walk out of Fannie Mae like we saw after World Com and Enron.

Ken Lay died for nothing.  Bernie Ebbers rots in prison for false charges compared to this.

I was critical in spades of the prosecution of those men.  I still am.

I would not be critical if the crooks in The Fannies and Freddies were led away in shackles.

I wish we could stop the bail outs.  We can’t.  Better to stick it to the next generation.

Just in case anyone in all the euphoria thinks this thing is wrapped up.  It ain’t.

We must win this thing.  And it’s uphill all the way.  If Obama gets in with the congress as it looks like it is shaping up, look out.

To an old dear friend of mine, Claire Hudson, “Never Made a Payroll” was the division between a real man and one who was a poser.


I know what he meant. The man who owns or operates an Enterprise and an executive is made of different stuff and has different decisions, responsibilities and burdens than a person who draws a salary at a job.


It doesn’t demean wage earners, it however in Claire (and my) opinion means we hold them in higher esteem when they have had real responsibilities for net end results that affected others.


I am one of those. I have made (and almost) missed making payroll many times. I have gone without to see to it others were OK. It’s a challenge. It takes foresight and sacrifice.


It also means that I always have paid double for my social security, paid all of my own health insurance and fought harder with the government to get the deductions a wage earner gets more easily.


As a person who “makes Payroll” I have had to fire, hire, demote, promote, reprimand, place, move around and encourage someone to find a new career.


That’s the nature of a person with real executive experience. In my life time I have without hyperbole probably hired or fired 400 people. In one case almost 100 at one fell swoop in a reorganization in Germany.


I was criticized, tears were shed, accused of being cruel even sued. But, in the end despite the pain if I was going to be responsible as an executive I had to do what is right. I have learned to look it in the eye and do it.


So has another person who has been on our minds. Sarah Palin.


She had ultimate responsibility. She had to hire and fire to meet predetermined goals.


When a Librarian was difficult she fired her. A few days later she hired her back but with the understanding who was in charge there.


When a former brother in law acted far out of the range of acceptability, she saw to it he was sidelined. Not out of spite, out of executive decisions.


She fired many people. She hired others. That’s what a person who meets a payroll does. She is a decision maker and makes them in spite of the threats to her personally.


Barak Obama has NEVER EVER hired or fired anyone ever. He has never EVER made a payroll. He has never EVER had to make bottom line decisions that directly impacted lives, sometimes in negative ways.


He is a go along to get along wage slave. He has made his full life living off other people’s money.


I have to agree with my old friend Claire. I don’t respect someone applying for a job where bottom line decisions have to be made who NEVER MADE A PAYROLL.


Obama never has.

Late Night with David Letterman:

How about that Barack Obama? They are saying “for the first time he’s starting to slip in the polls. But don’t worry. He’s got a plan. He’s going to go back to campaigning in Europe.”

I’ll bet that’s not nearly as funny in BHO headquarters as Letterman thought it was. I’m waiting for a bumbling Barak to be shown in true context in the segment Letterman does called Great Moment in Presidential Speechifying.  Normally he just skewers Bush.  Now Obama is rising. (or falling)

If you remember the moment in the Man who would be King   where the mountain people see that Sean Connery can bleed.  They turn on him and tear him to bits.

That is beginning to happen.

Not a moment too soon.