Musings of a Liberal Texan

And another thing :) We all saw the bulge in the jacket of bush during the debate fueling the fire that he was getting assistance from others. I am fully expecting Palin to have similar help. And I think that she will be able to do so without anyone knowing. The number one telltale sign that someone is being prompted is the pregnant pause between the question and the answer. Palin , with her journalism degree and work on television, has had experience dealing with someone yakking in her ear while she presents information. I would think that the one surefire way of detecting whether aid is being offered is her answers. We have all been subjected to the shakin ', fixin ' type language she uses. If someone is feeding her, she will not have time to shift their language into her own. If she says fixing...she's getting help. Also, she has shown everyone that even with a sit down, softball throwing anchor, she talks in circles, repeats campaign points and has a decidedly moose i...

The way I see it.......... Out amongst the voters, Palin is asked, by a voter not a journalist , a question about Pakistan to which she implies that she would invade Pakistan if that's where the terrorists are. McCain and Palin turn up later with Couric and say that it's typical gotcha journalism. ? ?? I can't even get my head around this one. I'm done with this. I am so annoyed, so ridiculously pissed off by this whole thing, I don't even know where to start. Granted, Palin was the best conceivable pick for Democrats. If McCain had chosen anyone else, including another woman - a qualified woman like Snowe , Hutchinson, Rice (shudder) - democrats would be struggling right now. I believe that. But instead, we get this wave of sympathy for this woman who is clearly out of her league. It makes me think of a high school basketball player that is a really good HIGH SCHOOL player that someone says hey! Head up to the NBA...no training, no steps, just jump on in...in ...

Post Debate Observations You know, the content was to be expected, and it really held no surprises, I presume, for anyone. What did stand out in an interrogation lamp sort of way for me was a) how presidential Obama comes across and b) how snarky McCain appeared. There's buzz that McCain said horseshit twice while Obama was talking about Spain. Whether he did or not really isn't the point. The fact that it is feasible is the point. I watched it a couple of times on youtube and frankly, I have no idea. But he could have said. Which goes to this whole snarky thing. As an elder, I would think your best bet is to come across as wise, knowledgeable, empathetic to the newbie but ready to redirect at a moment's notice. McCain came across not as said "maverick" but as a prone to outburst in temper, huffing puffing teenage boy. Believe me. I know. He would not make eye contact with Obama . Perhaps he felt it wasn't necessary, I felt he missed a great opportunity t...

Have you seen the interviews? Gut-wrenching. I actually looked over at my husband, who had recorded it for me and had already seen it, who was nodding knowingly and saying "it gets worse." Couric was firm but not badgering. It was painful. Anyway! This from a very conservative woman. Now we can see if anyone actually WILL put country first. Palin Problem She’s out of her league. By Kathleen Parker If at one time women were considered heretical for swimming upstream against feminist orthodoxy, they now face condemnation for swimming downstream — away from Sarah Palin.To express reservations about her qualifications to be vice president — and possibly president — is to risk being labeled anti-woman.Or, as I am guilty of charging her early critics, supporting only a certain kind of woman. Some of the passionately feminist critics of Palin who attacked her personally deserved some of the backlash they received. But circumstances have changed since Palin was introduced as just a h...

So what was the prediction? That McCain, by "suspending" his campaign and returning to Washington to bring about a resolution to the economic crisis (an area that he has stated he hasn't a full understanding), the negotiations would be "politicized" and deteriorate into bi-partisan bickering. And, by golly, what happened? The republicans got us into this mess and now they suddenly are refusing to help solve it. Personally, I don't want the bailout. But at the same time, this isn't only about saying no to the bigwigs that the republicans helped to create, it is about our economy and doing nothing isn't an option. Legislation had been amended to include an oversight committee that would monitor the distribution of funds, a slow release of funds, the removal of the wording in section 8 as well as other provisions. To be honest, I think this is the republican attempt at an October surprise...at the end of September. By making the democrats clean up the m...

Timing is Everything So, from what I gather, the timeline for the Great Suspension went something like this. 9/23 Obama's staff brings to his attention that McCain has very similar ideas in regards to the bailout and the decision is made to give the guy a ring to see about making a joint announcement in regards to their stance on the resolution of this crisis. 9/24 8:30 am Obama makes a call and leaves a message re:joint announcement regarding Wall Street Bailout issue. 2:30 pm McCain calls back and says, hey, yeah, let's make an announcement about our very similar stances and to show bipartisanship, lack o'politicizing on such an important issue. And hey! What do you think about postponing the debate? Obama , hmmmm , well, let's just make the announcement, show that we are united, make ourselves available and go from there. McCain - cool. Obama - cool, see ya. 3:30 pm McCain makes an announcement to the press that he has refused to talk to all week that he is suspe...

This is long but it is spectacularly telling about the S&L crisis and the current crisis..... McCain – Crisis Enabler From The Nation By Mark Sumner September 21, 2008 James Bond's wealthy nemesis may have had an obsession with gold, but he judged, quite correctly, that if people keep putting your plans awry, that was likely their intent. In 1982, the same year John McCain entered the Senate, a bill was put forward that would substantially deregulate the savings and loan industry. The Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act was an initiative of the Reagan administration, and was largely authored by lobbyists for the S&L industry--including John McCain's warm-up speaker at the Republican National Convention, Fred Thompson. The official description of the bill was "An act to revitalize the housing industry by strengthening the financial stability of home mortgage lending institutions and ensuring the availability of home mortgage loans." Considering where ...

Sidewalk Shell Game….Hits the Big Time Goldman to Raise Capital, With $5 Billion From Buffett The billionaire Warren E. Buffett will invest $5 billion in the investment bank Goldman Sachs, as part of the bank's efforts to raise $7.5 billion in fresh capital, a Goldman spokesman, Lucas Van Praag, said Tuesday. In return, Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by Mr. Buffett, will receive perpetual preferred shares in Goldman, Mr. Praag said. The preferred stock will pay a 10 percent dividend. So here's how a real bailout works: Goldman Sachs needs money, Warren Buffet gives them money. In return, Warren Buffet gets stock that pays a ten percent dividend. Now, for comparison, here's the shell game version. Keep your eye on the pea. (1) Goldman Sachs gives Hank Paulson seven hundred million dollars (that's seven zero zero comma zero zero zero comma zero zero zero) in salary and bonuses. (2) Goldman Sachs lends Hank Paulson to the Treasury (now that he can afford to be a ...

Freddie Mac Paid McCain Campaign Manager's Firm Through last Month Nicholas Graham September 23, 2008 Two reports, one from the New York Times, and the other from Newsweek, contradict John McCain's statement this week that his campaign manager Rick Davis had no involvement with mortgage giant Freddie Mac for the last several years. The Times reports: One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain's campaign manager from the end of 2005 through last month, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement. The disclosure contradicts a statement Sunday night by Mr. McCain that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had no involvement with the company for the last several years. Mr. Davis's firm received the payments from the company, Freddie Mac, until it was taken over by the government this month along with Fannie Mae, the other big mortgage lender whose deteriorating finances h...

God, I hate to say! I really do. But it is so evident, so stark, that pretending it isn't there is foolish and not just a little silly. Race is a huge issue in this election. Phew! Firmly off my chest now. I know for a fact that there are people out there that listened to Obama and McCain, that watched the conventions, that are deeply political, that understand both platforms who will not vote for McCain because they realize that as one of the architects of the current financial crisis, John McCain is not only too old to be president but his running mate is far too inexperienced to be so close to the presidency. (Let's be honest for two seconds. Palin is being protected from the mean ole media and has given ONE non-partisan interview in the THREE WEEKS since she was chosen as VP. She will not take questions from anyone. Can you fathom this happening with Biden . All jokes aside? Let's say that Obama brought out some woman that no one knew, she spoke at the convention, t...

Economy Why Congress Objects To The Bailout Plan by Maria Godoy NPR.org , September 23, 2008 · The outrage was palpable Tuesday as the Senate Banking Committee grilled Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on the details of their $700 billion plan to bail out Wall Street with taxpayer funds. But lawmakers are hardly the only ones questioning whether the plan will work. Here, a look at some of the objections being raised on and off Capitol Hill. It's A Huge Amount of Power to Invest In The Treasury: The Bush administration's plan would grant the Treasury secretary nearly absolute control of the $700 billion authorized by the bailout measure. The language in the measure sent to Congress would make the Treasury secretary's decisions "non-reviewable" – including by "any court of law or any administrative agency." Jon Macey, a professor and deputy dean of Yale Law School, says the bill contains the largest transfer of power from Cong...

It's difficult, you know, when you associate so much with music. I listen to Pandora Radio at work as it allows me to select the music I prefer and from that it offers a sampling of "like" genre music. I have several stations - some for when no one else will be in the office and I can move around a bit, others for when I need to block out extraneous noise, etc. Anyway, I was sitting here, minding my own business trying to get the Municipal Utility District Data to present properly when Macy Gray "I Try" came on. Much like the ballad "I'll Always Love You" (sadly, the version by Dolly not Whitney) always brings back memory of my dad, "I try" always brings me to Paul, my brother. The words "try to say goodbye and I choke, try to walk away and I stumble" is so gut wrenching as not only was the song indicative of an innate sadness but it also was telling physically. ALS affects the ability to talk, to walk, to move. He was beginn...

Please tell me this sets of the alarm bells with you as it does for me.... Section 8 (ironically) of the bailout legislation reads: "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

Pitchfork, anyone? Is it just me or have we been down this road before? Weren't the alarm bells rung for all the world to hear about the impending and imminent danger that Iraq presented? WMDs ? Have to do this "NOW!" mentality? Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! Uh. Not so fast, cap'n . You see. We don't really trust you. You and yours, that is. You want to push through a bailout of close to a trillion dollars....in order to protect the taxpayers? Say.. wah ? What was that bushism ...fool me once...? We won't get fooled again. No to the bailout. Not without concessions. Not without regulations. Not without additional help for the INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. You remember them, the ones in which you have inserted your hand into said wallet. The ones that you still, to this day, wag a finger at saying bad bad citizen for taking on more than you could afford. Well, you see, it's funny how all that worked at the time, now completely out of context....