Clipmarks | Bush administration Clips

Palin’s Alternate Universe

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:49:48 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Palin’s Alternate Universe

Sarah Palin is the perfect exclamation point to the Bush years.

We’ve lived through nearly two terms of an administration that believed it could create its own reality:

“Deficits don’t matter.” “Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job.” “Those weapons of mass destruction must be somewhere.”

Now comes Ms. Palin, a smiling, bubbly vice-presidential candidate who travels in an alternate language universe. For Ms. Palin, such things as context, syntax and the proximity of answers to questions have no meaning.

In her closing remarks at the vice-presidential debate Thursday night, Ms. Palin referred earnestly, if loosely, to a quote from Ronald Reagan. He had warned that if Americans weren’t vigilant in protecting their freedom, they would find themselves spending their “sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was like in America when men were free.”

Tags: palin, elections, us, republicans, debates

Global Stock Markets Going Down. BadNews Bush Again

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:45:42 GMT

clipped by: citizenbfk
clipper's remarks: Bush didn't cause the real estate agents and banks to make bad and fraudulent loans -- but neither has he caused any recovery.

Maybe, in fact, there is no quick fix to boom and bust speculation. But another fact is that this $700-billion does nor demands NOTHING that will directly help people with the predatory mortgages they were suckered into - nor guarantee more jobs -- nor make credit available again.

It's only claim is "to inspire confidence." in the banks.

It doesn't seem to be working and it's doubtful if anything a failed president, working with a failed Congress, could do with helping out a failed Wall Street.

The SuperRich (the 1% of our population that now owns 20% of our wealth), the SuperRich still get all the breaks and loopholes and the Middle Class gets the screws put to them.

Wall Street walks away with all their profits and all their bad debts are sold to the taxpayers -- Why didn't we buy stock in the banks instead?

Or 100 other ways to do this bett

Clip Source: ap.google.com

Wall Street set to follow global sell-off

NEW YORK (AP) — Financial markets around the world had a rocky start Monday after European governments took steps to limit the damage from the growing global financial crisis. U.S. stocks appeared headed for a steep drop at the opening, and the credit markets remained under strain.

Investors are realizing the Bush administration's $700 billion rescue plan won't work quickly enough to unfreeze the credit markets, and that many banks are still having difficulties gaining access to cash.

Banks' hesitation to lend to one another and to many businesses and individuals is the result of the bad mortgage debt that the financial rescue is supposed to sweep up

Tags: banks, bailout, bush

S&M Porn Illegal-Real Life Torture-OK!

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:39:16 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: But for our highest government officials, including the ones responsible for this prosecution, we have a different story altogether. In 2002, the Bush DOJ radically re-defined "torture" and illegal treatment of detainees to exclude anything that falls short of "the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death." The DOJ's John Yoo even decreed that the President could legally order "'scalding water, corrosive acid or caustic substance' thrown on a prisoner" and possibly even "slitting an ear, nose or lip, or disabling a tongue or limb."

Clip Source: www.salon.com

In seeking a more lenient sentence, one of Little's attorneys argued that the videos were not sadomasochistic. "Urine and vomit, our argument is, isn't sadistic or masochistic," James Benjamin said.
"What about humiliation?" the judge asked.

That, Benjamin replied, isn't in the legal definition of sadomasochistic.

"Clearly, there seemed to be pain," Bucklew said.

That was acting, Benjamin said. "The person that was involved in the conduct sat [in court] with a smile on her face and wrote your honor a letter saying, 'Judge, this was a beautiful part of my life.'"

"I don't even think this is a close call," the judge said. The videos portrayed "sadistic conduct . . . This is clearly degrading, clearly humiliating and intended to be so."

UPDATE: Put another way, top Bush administration officials have been immunized and protected despite -- according to a former U.S. Army Major General -- being responsible for real sadistic obscenities (i.e., "war crimes") as illustrated by these:

Tags: hypocrisy, law, crime, torture, stupidity, morality, police

Bush supports plan for US thinktank office in Iran

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:23:24 GMT

clipped by: Spiritualmonkey

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Robert Tait

The Guardian,

Monday October 6 2008

The Bush administration has given a US thinktank the go-ahead to open an office in Iran, in a departure from its strict policy of isolating the Islamic regime.

Clearance was given to the American-Iranian Council amid reports that the White House has shelved plans to open a de facto embassy in Tehran. There was concern that it could affect the US presidential election in being seen as a reward for Iran's hawkish president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has defied UN demands to suspend the country's uranium enrichment programme.

The council argues that its initiative would ease contacts between officials and legislators and could eventually lead to normalised relations between the two countries.

"By being based in Tehran, we should be able to arrange a wider array of meetings. We are positioning ourselves to help any parties that may want to speak to each other."

Tags: iran, politics, diplomacy

Tryto et your head around the Econ Doom

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:39:03 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: More at the link--lots more

Clip Source: community.livejournal.com

Bush administration add $4 trillion to national debt. “With no fanfare and little notice, the national debt has grown by more than $4 trillion during George W. Bush’s presidency. It’s the biggest increase under any president in U.S history.”

Manufacturing index tumbles. “A key measure of the nation's manufacturing activity fell sharply in September, a purchasing manager's group said Wednesday, nearing a benchmark that indicates a recession in the sector.”

More job cuts loom as economy slows. “Positions on the cutting board rose 7.2% to 95,094 from 88,736 the previous month, and were 33% higher than the same month last year…”

The truth about Henry Paulson

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:45:10 GMT

clipped by: deb2012
clipper's remarks: With the stroke of a pen, capital requirements were removed

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Many events in Washington, on Wall Street and elsewhere around the country have led to what has been called the most serious financial crisis since the 1930s

But decisions made at a brief meeting on April 28, 2004, explain why the problems could spin out of control.

the five members of the Securities and Exchange Commission met in a basement hearing room to consider an urgent plea by the big investment banks.

They wanted an exemption for their brokerage units from an old regulation that limited the amount of debt they could take on.

Those funds could then flow up to the parent company, enabling it to invest in the fast-growing but opaque world of mortgage-backed securities; credit derivatives, a form

The five investment banks led the charge, including Goldman Sachs, which was headed by Henry M. Paulson

Two years later, he left to become Treasury secretary.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

It’s a fair criticism of the Bush administration

said Roderick M. Hills, a Republican who was chairman of the S.E.C.

Tags: paulson, politics

Obama and the Financial Crisis

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:20:54 GMT

clipped by: mklosinski
clipper's remarks: Wake up folks! Electing Barrack Hussein Obama will be devastating to this country.

Clip Source: townhall.com

Right now, the polls indicate that a whole lot of the people are being fooled a whole lot of the time.

The current financial bailout crisis has propelled Barack Obama back into a substantial lead over John McCain-- which is astonishing in view of which man and which party has had the most to do with bringing on this crisis.

Yet, today, what are we hearing? That it was the Bush administration "right-wing ideology" of "de-regulation" that set the stage for the financial crisis. Do facts matter?

Clip Source: townhall.com

The tie between Barack Obama and Franklin Raines is not all one-way. Obama has been the second-largest recipient of Fannie Mae's financial contributions, right after Senator Christopher Dodd.

But ties between Obama and Raines? Not if you read the mainstream media.

Facts don't matter much politically if they are not reported.

But the country does not deserve to be put in the hands of a glib and cocky know-it-all, who has accomplished absolutely nothing beyond the advancement of his own career

Tags: obama, financial crisis, fannie mae

Bush administration protecting terrorist group MEK

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 11:42:24 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: In violation of his own Bush doctrine, US forces protecting terrorist group in Iraq.

Clip Source: www.washingtontimes.com

When the U.N. mandate authorizing Multi-National Forces-Iraq expires on Dec. 31, 2008, a bilateral agreement between Washington and Baghdad is to take its place. This accord would include the disposition of 3,500 Iranian oppositionists at Camp Ashraf, Iraq. They have been protected by Coalition Forces since 2003, but Tehran has been stepping up pressure on Washington to abandon its protection and have the Iraqi government take over responsibility for protecting the Iranian dissidents.

Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of Multi-National Forces-Iraq, said the U.S. military has

received "assurances" from the Iraqi government that the Iranian dissidents, known as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), "would be protected."

Gen. Petraeus confirmed, "the residents of Camp Ashraf, the Mujahedin-e Khalq, are in a legal status that is called 'Protected Persons Status' by international law. And U.S. forces still are responsible for the security of them because of that status."

Tags: mek, mujahedin-e khalq, iraq, war on terror, state sponsered terror, bush

Israeli Officials: X-Band Radar May Expose Israeli Secrets to US

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:54:55 GMT

clipped by: spherepet

Clip Source: www.israelnationalnews.com

Israeli Officials: X-Band Radar May Expose Israeli Secrets to US

10/04/08

by Gil Ronen

(IsraelNN.com) Israeli officials are worried that the advanced X-Band radar system that U.S. military forces have deployed in the Negev recently will expose Israeli secrets to American eyes. Time magazine quoted an unnamed "top official" who said the system will allow the U.S. to keep a close watch on anything moving in Israeli skies, "even a bee."

Bush Administration is in the mood to give us anything, as long as we don't attack Iran

So why did we take this radar?

Israel will have no direct access to the data collected by the radar and will only be fed intelligence second-hand, on a need-to-know basis, unless the radar picks up an immediate, direct attack on Israel, Israeli sources said.

concern that the radar’s installation may anger Moscow, since its range will enable the U.S. to monitor aircraft in the skies over southern Russia

This is and will remain a U.S. radar system

likely require U.S. personnel

Tags: x-band radar system, negev, israel

Thomas Sowell Opines --- Do Facts Matter?

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:41:25 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: So did Bush's Secretary of the Treasury, five years ago.

Yet, today, what are we hearing? That it was the Bush administration "right-wing ideology" of "de-regulation" that set the stage for the financial crisis. Do facts matter?

We also hear that it is the free market that is to blame. But the facts show that it was the government that pressured financial institutions in general to lend to subprime borrowers, with such things as the Community Reinvestment Act and, later, threats of legal action by then Attorney General Janet Reno if the feds did not like the statistics on who was getting loans and who wasn't.

Is that the free market? Or do facts not matter?

Then there is the question of being against the "greed" of CEOs and for "the people." Franklin Raines made $90 million while he was head of Fannie Mae and mismanaging that institution into crisis.

Who in Congress defended Franklin Raines?

Clip Source: www.realclearpolitics.com

The current financial bailout crisis has propelled Barack Obama back into a substantial lead over John McCain--

It raises the question: Do facts matter? Or is Obama's rhetoric and the media's spin enough to make facts irrelevant?

Fact Number One: It was liberal Democrats, led by Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, who for years-- including the present year-- denied that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taking big risks that could lead to a financial crisis.

It was Senator Dodd, Congressman Frank and other liberal Democrats who for years refused requests from the Bush administration to set up an agency to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

It was liberal Democrats, again led by Dodd and Frank, who for years pushed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to go even further in promoting subprime mortgage loans, which are at the heart of today's financial crisis.

Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the President.

Tags: sub-prime mortgage, market collapse, barney frank, chris dodd, barack obama, head of fannie mae, deposed franklin raines, freddie mac

No.2 of Fannie Five - Barney Frank

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:42:10 GMT

clipped by: bilgewhuump
clipper's remarks: Frank has consistently opposed any attempt to reform the practices at Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Frank has been described as “The Patron Saint of Fannie Mae”. http://www.stltoday.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6069270

Read specific examples of Frank’s obstruction of reform here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424945,00.html
In 2002, shortly before accounting irregularities were exposed at both companies, Frank said, “I do not regard Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as problems,” reported the Wall Street Journal. After the Freddie Mac accounting scandal in 2003, Frank said, “I do not think we are facing any kind of a crisis.” http://mpinkeyes.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/barney-frank-and-chuck-schumers-role-the-fannie-ma

Clip Source: mcauleysworld.wordpress.com

[Video]

As Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Frank “sits at the center of power”.

2003, Frank rejected Bush administration and Congressional Republican efforts for the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis

Under the plan a new agency would have been created within the Treasury Department to assume supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that are the two largest players in the mortgage lending industry

The site where this boast is posted, suggests that his action in opposing the regulation is a “badge of honor”. Imagine that - Barney Frank, the de-regulator.

“These two entities,

are not facing any kind of financial crisis,” Frank said. He added, “The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.”

Frank also opposed the “watchdog” reforms presented

in 2002 and 2006.

Tags: fannie five, fannie mae, barney frank

Do Facts Matter?

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:36:43 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: "We also hear that it is the free market that is to blame. But the facts show that it was the government that pressured financial institutions in general to lend to subprime borrowers, with such things as the Community Reinvestment Act and, later, threats of legal action by then Attorney General Janet Reno if the feds did not like the statistics on who was getting loans and who wasn’t.

Is that the free market? Or do facts not matter?"

Clip Source: article.nationalreview.com

Fact Number One: It was liberal Democrats, led by Sen. Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, who for years — including the present year — denied that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taking big risks that could lead to a financial crisis.

It was Sen. Dodd, Congressman Frank, and other liberal Democrats who for years refused requests from the Bush administration to set up an agency to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the president. So did Bush’s secretary of the Treasury, five years ago.

Yet, today, what are we hearing? That it was the Bush administration “right-wing ideology” of “de-regulation” that set the stage for the financial crisis. Do facts matter?

financial crisis

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:19:37 GMT

clipped by: DW29JW
clipper's remarks: Democrats may finally learn the truth about their leaders in congress and Obama and his crew. Hope all their greed catches up to them. Somehow I don't think they can hoodwink the public again.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

[edit] Clinton Administration Changes 1995

According to a United States Department of the Treasury study of lending trends in 305 U.S. cities between 1993 and 1998, 467 billion dollars in mortgage credit flowed from CRA-covered lenders to CRA-eligible borrowers. The number of CRA mortgage loans increased by 39 percent. Other loans increased by only 17 percent.^[15]

[edit] GW Bush Administration Changes 2005

The effects of the Community Reinvestment Act on the housing markets are controversial for a variety of issues.

[edit] Relation to 2008 financial crisis

Debt Soars under Bush

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:06:34 GMT

clipped by: deb2012
clipper's remarks: Maybe the dems are big spenders and taxers, but this huge spend and cut taxes policy of the last few Republican administrations is disgraceful. "I will veto any bill with pork"-well you voted for one with pork, does that not count Senator?

Clip Source: www.cato-at-liberty.org

With no fanfare and little notice, the national debt has grown by more than $4 trillion during George W. Bush’s presidency.

It’s the biggest increase under any president in U.S history.

Buried deep in the hundred pages of bailout legislation is a provision that would raise the statutory ceiling on the national debt to $11.315 trillion. It’ll be the 7th time the debt limit has been raised during this administration.

Tags: politics, debt

Bush 41 dons Bohemian Grove hat during interview about VP race

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:59:42 GMT

clipped by: paleblue
clipper's remarks: Yeah its over folks get ready for an interesting ride!

Clip Source: www.infowars.com

Bush 41 dons Bohemian Grove hat during interview about VP race

The elder Bush’s wearing it during a televised interview should be read as a ‘thumb up’ at the democratic will of the people and a reminder that the electoral process is little more than a sham thinly concealing the rule by secrecy that really goes on behind the scenes.

Bush 41, proud member as he is of the Bohemian Grove, is known for his shadowy influence over government dealings. He is also a member of Skull & Bones and has attended or belongs to the CFR, the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderberg Club and was the head of the COG program revealed during the Reagan Administration (see Fabled Enemies, which discusses this at length).