Whose Fault Is It?

I am currently watching Harry Ried speaking on C-SPAN
and blaming the president (of course) for the economic crisis.  As I
understand it, Congress is generally more directly responsible for the
taxes and laws (effecting the economy) than the president.  That being
said, the economy was considered to not only be strong, but to be gaining strength, prior the arrival of the Democrats in the seat of power. 

On her first day as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi declared
that, "Today we change the direction of our country."  This country's
direction has indeed changed, although not for the better; it has gone
from growing and prosperous to weak and stagnated.  So to you Madam
Speaker I must offer my congratulations on a job well done.  Mission
Accomplished.

Now fix your damn mess!

Homeowner Bailout

While there are many criticisms of the Paulson Plan, one of the most voiced is that the plan does not bail out homeowners; a plan must be crafted to help homeowners. However "both sides seem to have forgotten that Congress approved a $300 billion mortgage rescue package in late July." I don't think that it's such a major issue that this plan seems to have been forgotten so quickly, I merely think that it is not a valid excuse for holding up the passage of a financial plan.

One More Reason to Educate Voters

Using his brilliant powers of deception - excuse me, deduction - Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) argued today that because she carries "guns and strip[s] moose" Sarah Palin "don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks."  Putting aside the grammatical error (which I'm sure was used solely for dramatic emphasis), I'd truly like to understand this statement.  I mean, basically, this guy is saying that a knowledge of firearms equel anti-semitism and a hatred of blacks.  So, continuing this man's thought process, it would be fair to say that the entire United States armed services is really a front for the Aryan Nation?

Hastings attempted to clarify his statement as simply a comparison between Jews and blacks:

"Just like Jews, blacks care about affordable health care, energy
independence, and the separation of church and state," said Hastings.
"And just like blacks, Jews care about equal pay for equal work,
investment in alternative energy, and a woman's right to choose."

This may (or may not; seeing as how Hastings is apt to create broad generalities based on insubstantial evidence) be true, however I am sure that Jews and blacks care about national security, self-dependance, and a non-overreaching government as well, so it is just as likely that they should in fact be Republican.

Anyway, my point in all this is that I am amazed at how this idiot managed to convince people to elect him.  If this was my Congressman I would be asking for a refund.

Let the Debate Begin

"I'll suspend my campaign and return to Washington... I have spoken to Senator Obama... and asked him to join me."

This is leadership.  This is the action we need to see.  The American people, in this time of financial crisis do not need to hear partisan politicking and campaign slandering.  Senator McCain has made the right choice in deciding to go to Washington for although he may not be the leading economist in the Senate, his determination to be at the center of the storm shows his recognition that the general well being of the nation is more important than anything else.

Obama's response is characteristic of his inability to actually fix problems as opposed to simply pontificating about how he is the only one who can fix them (yet never really saying exactly how he'll do that).

"It's my belief that this is exact time when the American people need to hear form the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsibly for dealing with this mess and I think that it is going to be part of the President’s job to deal with more than one thing at once."

Mr. Obama makes it sound as if the American people have not heard him (or McCain for that matter) for the past 12 months.  Instead of proposing an intelligent economic plan - or at least giving us some idea of what he would do - the first term Senator is letting his personal ambition stand in the way of doing what is best for the nation. 

A debate is neccessary.  However, simply repeating prepared answers and reiterating talking points is not the debate needed at this time.  Let the candidates debate with their actions.  Let us all look at the accomplishments - both past and present - of the candidates.  Let us turn to the candidates for the best actions that will stabilize and secure this country.  This will be the true debate.

Checks and Balances - They're Here for a Reason

A New York Times article I actually like talks about the incredible amount of power being requested by Treasury Secretary Paulson:

“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”

And So It Begins

I take issue not with the fact that Biden is criticizing his own campaign's tactics, but rather I am worried that Obama is getting undermined and outshone by his running mate.  As president of the United States, the buck must stop with Obama.  It sends the wrong picture now, and would certainly send bad signals in the White House if every time "President" Obama speaks, the nation turns to Joe Biden for confirmation. 

It was wrong to select Biden in the first place.  The fact that his disagreements are already being publicly aired only hightens concerns that in a time of national crisis we will not have a unified front to protect national interests.

The Democrats Are Right - Part 2

Just a follow up question based on the theory that if Obama loses it is because he is black.  If McCain loses is it because he had a woman on the ticket?

Where's Our Congress?

“We will do something this week — but if we learned anything from right
after 9/11, it’s that the biggest mistake is to pass anything they ask
for just because it’s an emergency,” Leahy says.

Yes, it is a big mistake to improve the nation's economy speedily.  It as much a mistake as, say, passing a bill that would allow America to become more energy independent, before going on recess.  Is it any surprise that only 20% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing?

Now I am as big a fan of a reasonable solution to the economic crisis as the next guy.  I believe that too many elected officials stood still for too long.  Yet, is now the time to act slowly?  At a time when the nation is concerned with rising gas prices, the fall of the dollar, and collapse of major Wall Street firms, hesitance is not desirable.  It is time for Nancy Pelosi to finally accept that as the leader of the majority party, it is up to her to ensure that something be done.  Perhaps the Democrats could take a page out of the Republican play book and actually try to get something done for once. Nah, that would be asking too much...

The Democrats Are Right

The front page of today's Politico features a story about Mr. Obama's race and how it seems to be becoming an issue in the campaign. However, the Politico states that,

"Many Democrats see the explicit discussion of race and politics as
almost unambiguously negative for Obama, a reminder to voters of
fraught questions of identity and a distraction from the economic
troubles."

This is true. By bringing in the "concern" of color, the media is distracting the public from the real issues. Whatever one's argument may be against voting for Obama, it would be naive and, in fact, irresponsible to keep him out of office because of his skin. Granted, it is justifiable to argue that because he is black he may have had different life experiences, and as a result, a different outlook on the world. That being said, I think his varied experiences would be an advantage in his pursuit of the oval office. To begrudge someone the ability to lead not because of his ideas but because he (or she) does not fit the mold is wrong.

While it is impossible to ignore the fact that there are people who won't vote for Obama because he is not white, this is not a national problem. It is the problem of a minority of individuals who are incapable of looking past themselves. In the event that Mr. Obama does not get elected, it would be unfair - no, it would be untrue and demeaning - to argue that it was because his skin is dark. It would bolster the erroneous idea that blacks cannot succeed in this country. It would also undermine the high caliber of the presidential position.

If race becomes a major factor in this contest the nation will not benefit. Instead of being about leadership and original ideas, the competition for White House will have been diminished to a playground argument. While the media may prefer to talk about race, at a time when the economy is struggling and the nation is still at war, race is not of utmost concern. Let's stay on topic people!

Why Rich Democrats Can Afford to Raise Our Taxes

Um... They're rich...

McCain on Taxes

The Wall Street Journal has a great article comparing McCain's tax plan to Obama's. I especially like this paragraph:

In stark contrast to Barack Obama, Mr. McCain believes that tax policy should be used to foster the creation of jobs and higher wages through economic growth, rather than to redistribute incomes. The economy is not a zero-sum game in which some people can enjoy higher incomes only if others are made worse off.