by Mark Silva and updated with Obama response
Sen. Hillary Clinton, pushing for a big win in Pennsylvania’s primary election, is attempting to wrap her “Day One’’ readiness for the presidency into one package of trust-me confidence.
“Ultimately, the true currency of today’s economy is confidence,’’ Clinton said in Philadelphia this morning, outlining her plans for confronting a housing crisis. “We need a president who can restore confidence…. a president who will act at the first signs of trouble…. We need a president who is ready on Day One to be commander-in-chief of the economy.
“Our economic crisis is, at its core, a housing crisis,’’ she said, accusing the Bush administration of a “wait and don’t-see approach’’ to the problem – and by inference suggesting that her Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, is ready for neither the economy nor the war.
“In today’s economy, trouble that starts on Wall Street often ends up on Main Street,'' she said. "The bottom falls out for families, who see the value of their greatest source of wealth, their homes, decline.’’
It’s not simply a mortgage foreclosure crisis, she said – but rather a problem of decling home values that have turned financial assets into financial liabilities. “At least 41 million homes will lose value because of foreclosures in their neighborhoods,’’ she said.
Sen. Hillary Clinton delivered a housing policy address at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia today. AP Photo/Charles Dharapak.
The Obama campaign replies that the kind of leadership Clinton is talking about will require someone who is independent of special interests.
“If we’re really going to crack down on the practices that caused the credit and housing crises, we’re going to need a leader who doesn’t owe those industries any favors,” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. “Barack Obama knows that with so many hardworking Americans struggling to keep their homes and stay out of debt, we need a President who will put our interests before the special interests.”
"Senator Clinton has taken more special interest money than any candidate in the race of either party, including,'' the Obama campaign suggests.
This is the Obama campaign's accounting of Clinton's collections:
$56,250 to date from finance industry PACs
Nearly $750,000 total to date from PACs
$72,747.91 to date from insurance industry lobbyists
$919,000 total to date from lobbyists
And Clinton has taken nearly $22,000 this cycle form lobbyists for the sub-prime lending industry, they say, citiing an analysis of the Center for Responsive Politics.
$2,300 from Countrywide Financial lobbyist Jennifer Bendall
$3,600 from Countrywide Financial lobbyist Stephanie Markiewicz
$1,250 from Countrywide Financial lobbyist Maria Cardona
$4,600 from Countrywide Financial lobbyist Charles Campion
$4,600 from Washington Mutual lobbyist James Free
$1,000 from Washington Mutual lobbyist Robert Hickmott.
$4,600 from Washington Mutual lobbyist Cantwell F. Muckenfuss
This is the Clinton campaign’s summary of her proposals for the housing crisis:
-- "New Action to Help Millions of At-Risk Homeowners Restructure their Mortgages and Stay in Their Homes. Senator Clinton believes we should extend the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) capacity to guarantee restructured mortgages as proposed by Rep. Frank and Sen. Dodd. She believes that using an FHA guarantee to encourage private sector auctions of large mortgage pools is the preferable way of unfreezing our struggling mortgage market. However, she announced today that the government should stand ready to play a more proactive role in purchasing, restructuring, and reselling underwater mortgages.
A High-Level Emergency Working Group on Foreclosures to Investigate How to Achieve Broad Restructuring of At-Risk Mortgages. Hillary believes we cannot afford to wait until Congress passes legislation to determine the viability of the Dodd/Frank auction mechanism, or whether it will be necessary for the FHA or a similar entity to act as a temporary intermediary purchaser of mortgages. Therefore, she is calling on President Bush to appoint an Emergency Working Group on Foreclosures to address this question within the next three weeks. The group could be headed by eminent leaders like Alan Greenspan, Paul Volcker, and Bob Rubin—each of whom supports one of the remaining candidates in the Presidential race.
Clarifying Legal Liability for Mortgage Servicers to Help Unfreeze the Mortgage Market. Many mortgage servicers who want to work with families are deterred out of fear of litigation. Senator Clinton is introducing legislation to provide them with legal protection when they act to help struggling homeowners to modify mortgages.
--- A New Housing Stimulus Package With at Least $30 Billion for States and Localities to Fight Concentrated Foreclosures. After passing a $168 billion stimulus package with virtually no action to address the housing crisis that is driving down our economy, Senator Clinton is calling for a second, housing-focused stimulus package. She believes that if we can extend a $30 billion lifeline to avoid a crisis for Wall Street banks, we should extend at least $30 billion to help states and localities fight foreclosures in their communities.
Details on Senator Clinton’s Plan to Protect American Homeowners
1. New Action to Help Millions of At-Risk Homeowners Restructure their Mortgages and Stay in Their Homes. The share of mortgages entering foreclosures is at an all-time high and housing prices are falling at record rates. Already, 8.8 million Americans owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, the highest number since the Great Depression. If prices fall another 15 percent, one-third of all mortgages would be similarly “underwater.” This trend threatens not only millions of families but the effective functioning of our credit markets as banks become less willing to make loans. The liquidity crunch is rippling through the economy, affecting everything from state and local tax revenues to student loans.
Under these circumstances, Hillary believes that we need broader and more aggressive action to help millions of Americans, who could responsibly pay monthly payments, by restructuring their mortgagees on affordable, sustainable terms. To this end, Hillary supports an approach recently outlined by Rep. Frank and Sen. Dodd in legislation that she has co-sponsored. This approach would expand the government’s capacity to guarantee affordable, restructured mortgages, and use a private-sector auction of large mortgage pools to help unfreeze our struggling mortgage market. This approach will give lenders new incentives to work with homeowners who have seen the value of their homes fall below the principal on their loans, and holds the potential to quickly restructure hundreds of thousands of viable mortgages and help bring an end to our credit crunch.
However, while Senator Clinton believes that using a private-sector auction mechanism is the preferred way to achieve this goal, she also recognizes that we may need even more aggressive efforts to facilitate broad-based mortgage restructuring and keep families in their homes. We can no longer allow ideology to stand in the way of helping at-risk homeowners. That is why Hillary is calling on the Federal Housing Administration or a similar government entity to stand ready to purchase, restructure, and resell underwater mortgages if a private-sector auction does not achieve the type of broad-based restructuring our housing market needs. Such an effort would not require creating new government bureaucracy and could be self-financing over the long run.
2. A High-Level Emergency Working Group on Foreclosures to Investigate How to Achieve Broad Restructuring of At-Risk Mortgages. Senator Clinton believes we cannot afford to wait until Congress passes legislation to address key questions about how to best help millions of homeowners restructure their mortgages on affordable terms. She is calling on President Bush to appoint an Emergency Working Group on Foreclosures to consult with experts and report to Congress and the Administration within three weeks on the best way to solve this crisis while focusing first and foremost on keeping families in their homes.
The Working Group should be headed by a non-partisan group of eminent leaders like Alan Greenspan, Paul Volcker, and Bob Rubin—each of whom supports one of the remaining candidates in the Presidential race. The Working Group should focus on key questions about whether and how we can use an expanded FHA guarantee to facilitate a private sector auction as proposed in the Frank/Dodd legislation. If it is determined that such an auction process would be ineffective in achieving the necessary unlocking and restructuring of mortgages, the group should investigate a broader government role through the Federal Housing Administration or another existing federal entity as an intermediary purchaser if direct government intervention ultimately becomes necessary.
3. Clarifying Legal Liability for Mortgage Servicers to Help Unfreeze the Mortgage Market. Many mortgage servicers are hesitant to undertake far-reaching restructuring efforts for fear of legal liabilities to investors who actually own the mortgage papers. Even though restructuring is often better for the bottom line than foreclosing, the absence of legal clarity surrounding servicers’ obligations to their investors discourages them from doing so. Consequently, servicers are wary of making themselves vulnerable to expensive lawsuits and have not aggressively pursued options for restructuring. Providing them with legal clarity will allow them to work openly with struggling homeowners to modify mortgages. This is a simple step that can save families’ homes, save investors from losses down the road, and help put the economy back on the right track.
Senator Clinton intends to introduce legislation to ensure that servicers who do the right thing by balancing the interests of the homeowners, the investors, and our economy will not face legal liability or negative tax consequences.
4. A New Housing Stimulus Package With at Least $30 Billion for States and Localities to Fight Concentrated Foreclosures. Since Senator Clinton first called for emergency housing funds in January, there has been a growing recognition of the need for broader and more flexible tools to states and localities to stem the harmful effects of foreclosures. As Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke recently noted, clusters of foreclosures are negatively impacting entire communities.[1] For every empty house, nearby properties lose over 1.4 percent of their value. In a city like Chicago, this comes to a citywide loss of almost $1.4 billion – an average of $371,000 per foreclosure.[2] Concentrated foreclosures also reduce economic activity and tax revenue, threatening school funding and leaving localities unable to help struggling homeowners.[3] A study by the U.S. Council of Mayors found that the foreclosure crisis will be directly responsible for $6.5 billion in lost tax revenue and 524,000 fewer jobs across ten states.[4]
Senator Clinton’s $30 billion Emergency Housing Fund is designed to administer funds quickly and effectively to state, local and community groups to stem further foreclosures and counteract negative economic impacts in these communities. The fund will get money out quickly by using the existing funding formulas in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, rather than designing an entirely new set of allocation criteria. Local match requirements will be waived to ensure that funds flow out fast even in communities where the local tax base is contracting. Grants will be provided for one of several purposes, including:
· Acquiring foreclosed or distressed properties, making improvements, and putting them back into productive use. As Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke recently argued, purchasing foreclosed properties is an effective way to avoid the negative impact of concentrated foreclosures in communities. Senator Clinton’s Emergency Housing Fund would allow local governments, non-profit organizations and land trusts to purchase and re-sell properties to lower-income borrowers or convert purchased units into affordable rental housing. Buyers who receive the benefit of a reduced price property with an affordable stable mortgage would be expected to pay back some of that benefit as the equity in their home rises. This would allow communities as a whole to profit from the collective efforts of forestalling a downward spiral in property values.
· Offsetting the costs associated with keeping neighborhoods with high numbers of foreclosures safe and secure. Vacant properties encourage crime and vandalism and can impose new infrastructure and public safety costs on localities. In Lee County, Florida, for example, where a quarter of the homes stand empty, robberies are up 58 percent. [5] States could use these grants to help cover the cost, including increased police and fire support, and investments in lighting and maintaining public infrastructure to ward off blight.
· Working with homeowners threatened with foreclosure to restructure their mortgages and providing foreclosure prevention services at the local level. Many states have undertaken efforts to better educate at-risk homeowners with toll-free hotlines, expanded financial counseling and community-based foreclosure prevention education campaigns. In addition, state housing agencies and community groups are working with limited resources to help families restructure at risk mortgages so they can stay in their homes. These efforts need more support, and would be eligible for assistance under Senator Clinton’s Emergency Housing Fund.''
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Comments
The Clintons are liars, don't believe a word they say.
She isn't experienced, she isn't capable of being commander and chief of a Girl Scout Troop, much less the USofA.
Ellecting her would be the biggest mistake this country has made since we ellected Dubya.
Posted by: nisleib | March 24, 2008 11:10 AM
You can't use the word "confidence" in the same sentence as the word "Clinton". They are both compulsive liars. Even worse, I think they start to believe their own lies after a while. Two pathetic and twisted people.
Posted by: Citizen | March 24, 2008 11:29 AM
Oh that's a mature argument there nisleib. Why don't you jusr name call her a big doody too. Grow up and think next time before you open up your maw.
If you need some words for inspiration, maybe you should just turn to the sage teachings of Obama's pastor, the Rev. 'GD America' Wright?
Posted by: Spector | March 24, 2008 11:31 AM
Billary doesn't care about "Main St." They haven't seen "Main St." in years, if ever.
The whole "Day one" line is so played. The emperors are the last to see that they have no clothes. The Billary Clinton era is over. Will it end honorably? Probably not.
Better to bring the whole ship down and blame everyone else.
Posted by: karl | March 24, 2008 11:35 AM
Clinton may somehow win the nomination - but she has destroyed any chance of ever becoming President.....
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/03/24/why-hillary-will-never-be-president/
Posted by: Ohg Rea Tone | March 24, 2008 11:40 AM
Just keep on having Bill talk about how Obama is not as patriotic or loves American as much as Hillary does. She won't have to worry about being President, since they will have given the election to John McCain.
Posted by: BobHusseininATL | March 24, 2008 11:54 AM
Nobody here in Britain and Northern Ireland has even heard of Hillary Clinton's supposed work for Ulster peace.
I was so amazed to hear her claim a role in N.Ireland peace that I checked the facts.
She claimed to have "brought Catholic and Protestant women together."
In fact, this claim comes from a time she was invited to attend one meeting of a cross-community womens' group that had been meeting regularly for nearly two decades. She gave a brief speech, left, and now claims to have brought these women together. Far from helping them, she is trying to claim credit for what they did. They brought themselves together years before Hillary had even heard of Northern Ireland.
Everyone in Britain finds Hillary's claims either laughable or offensive.
Here are the words of David Trimble, who won a NOBEL PEACE PRIZE for his work in ending the Troubles:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/08/wuspols108.xml
Nobel winner: Hillary Clinton's 'silly' Irish peace claims
'Hillary Clinton had no direct role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland and is a "wee bit silly" for exaggerating the part she played, according to Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former First Minister of the province.
"I don't know there was much she did apart from accompanying Bill [Clinton] going around," he said. Her recent statements about being deeply involved were merely "the sort of thing people put in their canvassing leaflets" during elections. "She visited when things were happening, saw what was going on, she can certainly say it was part of her experience. I don't want to rain on the thing for her but being a cheerleader for something is slightly different from being a principal player."'
PS Everyone in Britain and Ireland, and Europe generally, vastly prefers Obama to either Hillary or McCain, two sides of the same nasty coin.
Posted by: Not_THAT_Woman | March 24, 2008 11:57 AM
Unlike with her faltering campaign, Hillary would not be able to loan the federal government money. If Hillary can't properly manage her campaign finances, how is she expected to manage a federal budget?
Posted by: Enrique | March 24, 2008 11:58 AM
"Clinton: 'A president who can restore confidence'"
Nope. Shut up and move on. We're ready for Obama. Clinton and the rest of her DLC ilk voted for the war and NAFTA.
We're not going to get fooled again. Not this time.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | March 24, 2008 12:04 PM
Here's the prediction, like it or not - the Democratic ticket will be Hillary for President. Obama will be convinced to be her running mate, which he will accept. In November, there will be a landslide victory for the Democrats with the popular vote 10 to 1 in favor of the Democrats. Obama will make a trip to Saudia Arabia and delve into, not oil, but water for the impoverished African nations. How do I know this? Let's just say divine revelation.
Now you crackpots who have nothing to do but beat up on Hillary, go in your corners and cry.
Oh, by the way, Hillary will get the job done right as she promises.
Posted by: the truth | March 24, 2008 12:08 PM
This woman has absolutely no clue as to how the economic engine operates.
When we help Wall Street, we reinforce the foundation of our entire economic position here at home and abroad. You must first stabilize investor's portfolios and rebuild confidence in investments. Eventually, the good things that happen on Wall Street will end up on Main Street.
Hillary Clinton is an economic populist and a European Socialist. She can kindly keep her filthy little mitts out of the financial "cookie jar"!
Posted by: Larkin G. Mead | March 24, 2008 12:13 PM
This woman has absolutely no clue as to how the economic engine operates.
When we help Wall Street, we reinforce the foundation of our entire economic position here at home and abroad. You must first stabilize investor's portfolios and rebuild confidence in investments. Eventually, the good things that happen on Wall Street will end up on Main Street.
Hillary Clinton is an economic populist and a European Socialist. She can kindly keep her filthy little mitts out of the financial "cookie jar"!
Posted by: Larkin G. Mead | March 24, 2008 12:13 PM
answer is "No"!!!
You have to wonder why all these prominent people in Politics and elsewhere are endorsing Obama more and more. They are knowledgeable people who make good decisions. We need to pay attention to this and start endorsing the candidate who has the best changes of winning in Nov and that candidate appears to be Sen. Barack Obama.
As far as the Pastor controversery, Clinton has a problem with her association with "The Family" (which believe the treasures should go to the Elite (rich) Americans) and McCain has a problem with his association with Jerry Fallwell (who said 911 happened because of gays, feminists, women who have abortions, black, hispanics and the like) and Jerry Haggard (you remember that pastor who bought Meth and has a trist with a gay man and had to step down in disgrace.)
The pastor controversery is over.
A united vision is better than a scattered blindness.
Hillary supporters, do you know where your donations go to.
Hillary is buying superdelagates.: collecting from the little guys to pay for super delegate votes.
The firm owned by former Rhode Island Democratic state chairman and super delegate “Mark Weiner” took in $678,000 from the Clinton campaign
Massachusetts business run by Clinton super delegate “Gus Bickford“, was paid $8,000 in November for consulting that started the day he endorsed Clinton.
a third superdelegate, “Steve Grossman“, about $3,000
Hillary and Bill Clinton are for the wholesale market of manipulation and swindling.
After "35 years of experience" Hillary had learned: Audience manipulation, her twisting of events, the tale's swindling core.
Posted by: what a joke. | March 24, 2008 12:17 PM
It is now well known that Hillary has been padding her resume. Her claims of bringing peace to Northern Ireland and the role she played in Bosnia are greatly exaggerated. As someone who pads her resume, she has not credibility in fixing the economic mess that we're in.
Posted by: Enrique | March 24, 2008 12:18 PM
what do you really mean hil-liar-y ??
are you really saying you would be a president who would react immediately at the first sign of a problem ??
because that would cause more problems than it could possibly fix
you would have assured the world that we would over-react to every problem
or do what you really mean that you won't do crap about pending "wall street to main street" fiascos like your hubby did regarding enron / worldcom / the trade deficit etc. etc. etc. etc. ?????
while we are talking economics Hil-LIAR-y HOW ABOUT THOSE TAX FORMS ????
HOW ABOUT DISCLOSURE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS OF WALL-STREET CRIMINALS IN 2000 (AND YOUR ROLE IN THEM) ?????
HOW ABOUT DISCLOSURES ON THE FUNDING OF THE CLINTON LIBRARY ????????
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DESTROY THE LEGITIMATE CANDIDATE OF YOUR PARTY JUST SO BECAUSE YOU HAVE "LIBRARY ENVY" OF YOUR HUBBY ??????
DID I MENTION THE TAX FORMS ??
(ECHO)
TAX FORMS
TAX FORMS
TAX FORMS
TAX FORMS
IF THE MEDIA IS SO HARD ON YOU HIL-LIAR-Y, WHY ARE THEY LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITHOUT DISCLSOING YOUR TAX FORMS BEFORE THE PENN PRIMARY ???
ANSWER - THE MEDIA ISN'T HARD ON YOU AND NEVER WAS - YOU JUST LIKE PLAYING THE VICTIM - BESIDES, CARVILLE TOLD YOU TO PLAY THE VICTIM
DID I MENTION ....
.....
....
.... THE TAX FORMS ??????????????
HERE'S AN "ECONOMIC PLAN" FOR YOU HIL-LIAR-Y;
SHOW YOUR FREAKING TAX FORMS
Posted by: WHERE ARE HIL-LIAR-Y'S TAX FORMS | March 24, 2008 12:20 PM
I heard Clinton's speech and here's what she said, in a nutshell:
We need a leader who can give us HOPE.
In other words, she just wrote herself out of the race.
Posted by: John | March 24, 2008 12:26 PM
Go Hillary. She's got experience, substance, smarts, compassion, wisdom. She has my vote. Obama would be great as her vice president. After 8 years he can become president. Hillary will clean up the mess, Obama will inspire us to greatness.
Posted by: Adrienne | March 24, 2008 12:27 PM
Great argument Larkin G. Mead, leading off with "This woman[...]" Is that emphasis on the fact she has a uterus somehow germane to the conversation on economic abilities? Boys can do math better than girls, perhaps?
Next time why don't you discuss Obama and equally accuse: "This immature mulatto[...]"
See how far you get with that.
Posted by: Spector | March 24, 2008 12:37 PM
When we help Wall Street, we reinforce the foundation of our entire economic position here at home and abroad. You must first stabilize investor's portfolios and rebuild confidence in investments. Eventually, the good things that happen on Wall Street will end up on Main Street.
Posted by: Larkin G. Mead | March 24, 2008 12:13 PM
Marie Antoinette was a Republican!
Posted by: Louis XVI | March 24, 2008 12:39 PM
Truth posted: Here's the prediction, like it or not -the Democratic ticket will be Hillary for President.
Well said. Obamy will go down by his own doing. This guy is such a liar. He speaks good but that's all he has.
Posted by: Sd | March 24, 2008 12:42 PM
HILLARY, are you really saying you would be a president who would react immediately at the first sign of a problem ??
because that would cause more problems than it could possibly fix
you would have assured the world that we would over-react to every problem
or do what you really mean that you won't do crap about pending "wall street to main street" fiascos like your hubby did regarding enron / worldcom / the trade deficit etc. etc. etc. etc. ?????
while we are talking economics Hil-LIAR-y HOW ABOUT THOSE TAX FORMS ????
HOW ABOUT DISCLOSURE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS OF WALL-STREET CRIMINALS IN 2000 (AND YOUR ROLE IN THEM) ?????
HOW ABOUT DISCLOSURES ON THE FUNDING OF THE CLINTON LIBRARY ????????
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DESTROY THE LEGITIMATE CANDIDATE OF YOUR PARTY JUST SO BECAUSE YOU HAVE "LIBRARY ENVY" OF YOUR HUBBY ??????
DID I MENTION THE TAX FORMS ??
(ECHO)
TAX FORMS
TAX FORMS
TAX FORMS
TAX FORMS
IF THE MEDIA IS SO HARD ON YOU HILLARY, WHY ARE THEY LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITHOUT DISCLOSING YOUR TAX FORMS BEFORE THE PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY ???
ANSWER - THE MEDIA ISN'T HARD ON YOU - YOU JUST LIKE PLAYING THE VICTIM - BESIDES, CARVILLE TOLD YOU TO PLAY THE VICTIM
DID I MENTION ....
.....
....
.... THE TAX FORMS ??????????????
HERE'S AN "ECONOMIC PLAN" FOR YOU HILLARY;
SIMPLY SHOW US YOUR TAX FORMS - LIKE MCCAIN AND OBAMA
Posted by: ECONOMIC PLANNER | March 24, 2008 12:44 PM
The naive Democrats who support Obama had better wake up.
OBAMA CANNOT WIN THE GENERAL ELECTION. PERIOD.
The day the tapes of his 20 year Pastor calling for "GD America" and blaming AMERICA for 911 --was the day any chance of OBAMA being elected ENDED.
Please do not destroy this election. HILLARY IS OUR ONLY CHANCE OF BEATING MCCAIN--PERIOD.
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 24, 2008 12:44 PM
Restore confidence?
Mrs Bill Clinton?
Bush is a moron, but Bill Clinton is pure sleaze.
How does someone who has lived with, lied for, and excused sleaze for decades restore confidence?
She is being simply ridiculous.
Posted by: John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada | March 24, 2008 12:47 PM
A bunch of posters ranting & raving, who don't even know what's going on.
All they want is for Obama to win, without understanding the political process.
This is why need the super delegates to vote with their heads.
Most of the people pushing for Obama are morons. If this moronic majority is allowed to dictate who's in Office, this country is screwed.
What a waste of population.
Posted by: Unbelievable | March 24, 2008 12:59 PM
Unbelievable certainly has the right pseudonym.
His/her/its comments are indeed unbelievable.
Sounds a bit like the late George Lincoln Rockwell.
Posted by: John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada | March 24, 2008 1:25 PM
Elizabeth, sorry, no. The only people supporting Clinton are 75+ year old women. Everyone else except the DLC has written her off. She can't win. She does not have the votes. Only McCain's campaign is more inept than hers. This Dem is done with the Clintons. Time to move on.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | March 24, 2008 2:01 PM
to elizabeth and unbelievable and anyone who is dumb enough to support hillary on the grounds she is more electable (or even on the grounds she is an acceptable candidate)
do you really think mccain and the republicans and nader will let hillary get away with;
hillary failing to show tax forms
failure of hillary's mate from protecting working class from enron and similar debacles
hillary's role in pardons of wall street criminals
hillary's hundreds of millions in earmark money
etc. ?????
compared to obama, mccain, and nader, hillary is the worst candidate of the four remaining - period
and hillary is by far the worst of the four regarding the middle class tax-payer
so if you love anyone that is a middle class tax payer, you need to switch your support
(p.s. - stop promoting hillary just becase she is female - that is blatant sexism)
Posted by: ECONOMIC PLANNER | March 24, 2008 2:12 PM
Unbelievable, you stated, and I quote - "This is why need the super delegates to vote with their heads. Most of the people pushing for Obama are morons. If this moronic majority is allowed to dictate who's in Office, this country is screwed."
Just to be clear, did you say the same thing when Al Gore won the popular vote and George Bush the Electoral in 2000? Yes or no answer please.
Posted by: Curious | March 24, 2008 2:20 PM
It's OK for Bill, the President of the US and Hillary's major surrogate, to insinuate that Obama is not patriotic (like all the internet slurs saying that Obama did not have his hand on his heart during the singing of the National Anthem, which I, together with millions of citizens, also do not do). But it is not OK for the General to note that such slurs smack of McCarthy-ism? What has happened to fairness in our nation? The Clinton dynasty is permitted to smack down its rival, but Obama's campaign cannot speak up to defend the Senator? It is one thing to fight with one hand tied behind your back. Obama has been handicapped by the lack of recognition of his name, then by the oddness of his name, by not having the Clintons' machine, money and fame, etc, etc. But from day one of the race, Obama has run a superior campaign. Hillary's total failure as a campaigner except when it comes to lies (see the Bosnia whopper on sniper attacks and watch how she lies on the video with a straight face--amazing!) and extreme negative assaults on Obama, indicates how she would act as POTUS--a total disaster.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 24, 2008 2:22 PM
Here's how you stop the mortgage crisis.
1) Don't buy more house than you can afford.
2) Don't look at a home as an ATM
3) If you don't understand the "variable" part of variable interest rate, don't get one.
Contrary to the prior administration who relaxed lending standards and caused the mortgage meltdown, home ownership was not one of the the indelible rights of US citizens per the Founding Fathers.
Posted by: Trey | March 24, 2008 2:31 PM
Oh really, ECONOMIC PLANNER? Do you think the Republicans will let Mr. Obama get away with:
Rev. 'GD America' Wright? Tony Rezko's Chicago land deal and under-the-table contributions? An unpatriotic wife? Lying about the depth of their ties to Trinity Church? A 'typical white person' granny...? A tissue-thin resume?
No it will be all-out hunting season and the Republicans will devour this young man! Imagine the non-stop television commercials of Obama's image intermixed with that of the big Rev. ...over and over and over: GD America! GD America! GD America! The govt. created AIDS to kill blacks! The govt. created.... Over and over and over until McCain wins the general election.
Obama is doomed because of Wright. And the worst, most tragic part is that he did it to himself because he lied about his involvement in that church.
Posted by: Spector | March 24, 2008 2:59 PM
As a blogger mentioned above, you cant even spell Hillary without the word LIAR. And the nation will NEVER forget William "Johnson" Clinton, the only president to be IMPEACHED!!! There strategy is to alientate the Obama campaign from WHITE AMERICA where the true votes are - leaving the Democratic Party with ONE choice, choose the Clintons or lose it all. And it was a shrewd, cold Republican tactic designed to play on white people's FEARS and PREJUDICES. And you have to tip your hat, but I for one am PRAYING that Americans do not fall for that. White America, PLEASE do not fall for that trick! Don't judge Dr. Wright by the worst moment in his entire existence, but by the sum of his experiences, and the content of his character!
Posted by: Keith Lifetime Southsider | March 24, 2008 3:01 PM
This video says it all about how much we can trust Hillary.
Today her campaign is claiming she "misspoke" regarding Bosnia.
Watch the video and make up your own mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It6JN7ALF7Y
Posted by: Jon | March 24, 2008 4:20 PM
I supported Hillary 8 months ago. But I've been very carefully reading her positions in detail, and comparing them.
Now I admit Obama is a much better choice.
I think Bill was the best president since Jimmy Carter (very underestimated guy).
We're lucky to have Obama available. He's a good thinker. That matters more than political years in washington.
Posted by: HB | March 24, 2008 4:59 PM
Whst this blog failed to mention is that Hillary's "plan" is not original. This afternoon, NPR (public radio) interviewed the Washington editor of the Financial Times, who noted that hillary's proposals are taken from pending congressional proposals already introduced by Senator Dodd and another (I forgot). He said the only thing original about her plan was a call for a high-level committee/board to oversee the subprime industry or something like that....
Posted by: tony.s | March 24, 2008 5:01 PM
OBAMBA CAN,T WIN , THE RIGHT WING MEDIA WILL HAVE HIM FOR BREAKFAST , HIS BEST FRIEND AND MENTOR HAS SAID HE HATES AMERICA , AND BLAMES WHITES FRO MURDERING THE HARD WORKING PEAPLE IN THE TWIN TOWERS THE RIGHT WING WILL HAVE FIELD DAY WITH THIS STUFF ,HE WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT IN THIS ELECTION , YOUR PICKING A PRESIDENT NOT A RADICAL RACIST , REMEBER HE WAS PERSONAL FRIENDS WITH THIS GUY FOR 20 YEARS AND NEVER LEFT THE CHURCH , SO HE OBVIOUSLY BELIVES EVRYTHING THE PREACHER SAYS , THIS IS TERRIBLE ITS A MESS .ALL BAD FOR OBAMMA,
Posted by: DON RUSTON | March 24, 2008 5:26 PM
DON RUSTON GET BACK ON YOUR MEDS!
Posted by: weinerdog43 | March 24, 2008 6:19 PM
The deluded supporters of Sen. Clinton will probably demand Federal Assistance once Pres. Obama is elected. All these years of waiting-all the money paid to the dream that the Clinton's would some how make their sad little lives better.
What will they do? They are too old to focus on another dream-their leader the disbarred and disgraced ex-president has deserted them for distant shores and his tax-free Dubai castle. Why even the Queen herself has retreated into the depths of her special interest/Chinese funded mansion appearing only to hiss at the few tourists who putter by in their rusted paint faded Subarus.
Oh well, they can still dream that maybe, just maybe Hil and Bill will someday be pardoned by Pres. Obama.
America is ready to be rid of the foul slimy scourge that is the Clinton's
Posted by: Remus | March 24, 2008 6:43 PM
to don r and spector and all hillary supporters
you argue that because of the damage done to obama lately, he is unelectable and therefore that hillary is electable
that is not a logical argument -
of obama, mccain, nader and clinton - hillary is the worst one for the middle class by far and she has at least as many skeletons in her closet as obama and mccain combined (which is an awful lot)
BUT let's just say for the sake of getting along that you guys were neutral about all of this before these things came to light - these things which make now obama "unelectable" in your opinions
who do you think dug this stuff up on obama ???
it was hillary
her plan was to make herself look more electable than she used to be by making obama less appear less electable than he used to be
in this cynical calculation, she knew the math was way, way against her (before texas) and she had three choices -
1) finish the election honorably and see what happens (maybe she is VP on the ticket or maybe obama has a stroke from his years of smoking - but try to show some dignity and let the chips fall where they may)
2) bow out gracefully - support obama and save her money and help defend her party's candidate
3) take the low road and play the race card (and alienate all who saw it as such), attack obama's legitimacy as a candidate (insulting those who supported him), try unethically to get florida and michigan back into play (showing a double standard about fairness issues) and tear down obama's electability in general with negative campaigning (no matter what it did to her party or her country)
she cynically chose choice number three
let us give her credit - she is smart
she figured on at least two things (maybe three)
first she figured maybe she could somehow catch up and miraculously beat the mathematical odds with her cynical solution and even if she did not, she thought she could either make obama less electable in 2008 so he would lose in 2008 and she could be frontrunner in 2012 or maybe she could force a stalemate and force her way onto the ticket as VP - an occurence which was rather unlikely without the stalemate
so she made her cynical choice and now it looks like she did not carefully enough consider the following possibilities;
she might be negative enough to keep obama from being elected but also hurt herself in so doing - so severely that she removes herself from VP consideration, makes obama unelectable and removes herself from 2012 frontrunner status - even if obama loses or wins but has a stroke or something
why would she have taken such a risk ???
the answer is clear
classic blind ambition - me first - just like with bill c.
with the clintons - it's always about the clintons - classic sociopathic narcissism
true - many selfish power hungry people are quite successful
but sometimes they go too far for their own good
at any rate, you haven't addressed the number one question you should be asking
IF hil-LIAR-y is so darn electable, why will she not release her tax forms ???
TAX FORMS /// TAX FORMS /// TAX FORMS
............WHERE ARE THEY HIL-LIAR-Y ???
Posted by: ECONOMIC PLANNER | March 24, 2008 7:13 PM
Its amazing how irrationally obssessional and desperate (and obviously immature)the Hillary supporters' comments here are. If Hillary is to chosen President in a "no matter what" or "by any means possible," what does that say about a Hillary Clinton Presidency, and about the future of this country? So many people--myself included--had such high hopes for Hillary (who knew Obama then?), and so many people, myself included, have been so utterly repulsed by her arrogant, near fascist behavior, that a comparison to Obama seems an obsenity.
Posted by: Objective | March 24, 2008 7:29 PM
Didn't the problems of Main Street hurt Wall Street? We don't have a housing crisis or a mortgage crisis. We have alot of speculators who were banking on rising home values to help pay for their personal over spending. The price valuation of a home doesn't matter till you sell. (except for property taxes)
CIC of the economy? This woman is scarey-stupid.
Posted by: whatnow | March 24, 2008 7:30 PM
So, Clinton or Obama? Hmmm....let's look at their resumes....relationships with "close advisors".....seems pretty clear: Hillary. Why not jump on a bandwagon of hype? The problem I have with Mr. Obama is his pattern of saying one thing and then distancing himself from those words when the opposite is revealed at a later date. That is called "spin", folks, and certainly not "new politics". It also speaks to his platform of "good judgement". How can it be good judgement to listen to divisive words when you are also running on a platform of "unity", and listen to that for 20 years, just as an aside. How can it be good judgement to have a close friend and political associate whom you used to buy a piece of property with, who was widely known it be under investigation for political fraud and corruption? We have a need and right to know Senator Obama from every angle and what he believes when he talks of equality and a "vision" for America. For voters (or media) to say that Clinton +/or Obama is at fault for the direction the Democratic campaign has headed, is ludicrous and short-sighted. America is a melting pot of races, genders, culture, etc. and we each have a personal interest in seeing "ourselves" in our President. With that connection comes passion and emotional investment. However, it also must be tempered with information about the candidates (good and bad, without negative "label" attached to said information) so that we can make informed choices, rather than only emotionally-driven ones. To Americans: try to take off the blinders of opinion polls, media spin, mud and excitement and remember what this race is really about: Hiring someone to do the toughest and, arguably, most important job on the planet. Being President of the US isn't about speeches, promises and what-if's - it is about who you believe will get up, everyday, and work their butt off for every hardworking American, because they have a track record of that already. That person is Senator Clinton. She has worked hard and diligently for all Americans, and spent years building strong relationships because she has a passionate vision of what America can be, not just because she's running for President. Vetted, intelligent, tested and hardworking. Senator Clinton is the right choice for me in '08
Posted by: sunny florida | March 24, 2008 9:32 PM
* * * * *
Posted by: whatnow | March 24, 2008 7:30 PM
Yes, we do have a housing and mortgage crisis, and its not only the greedy speculators who are suffering. Even people who didn’t buy houses as sub-prime borrowers are being hurt too. The record number of foreclosures have put a lot of houses back on the market cheap. That has driven down the price. As a result, even those who are creditworthy might find it difficult to obtain refinancing because the relative value of their own homes have been lowered.
So, you see, the price valuation of a home does matter even before you sell it. It matters very much when a responsible borrower is trying to climb out from under a variable rate mortgage, because that value determines a lender’s willingness to lend.
Other than that, I agree with you.
Posted by: John W. | March 24, 2008 10:11 PM
Hey Silva - why did you censor the post I made before?
Why can't you mention the largest connection between Countrywide and the Clintons is Henry Cisneros - former Director of HUD and former Board member of Countrywide (resigned just before bad earnings release)?
Was it becuase I called you credibility into question?
You let much worse personal attacks be posted on this blog.
Posted by: Terry | March 24, 2008 10:48 PM
There are 3 million bad home loans going into default at $400,000.00 dollars a piece. We are talking about 1.2 Trillion dollars of money times 6 percent.
This is 72 Billion dollars of interest payments a year.
And Hillary Clinton plans on saving the entire industry with 30 Billion dollars? She is a financial incompetant, with less than a fourth grade math level.
Bill Clinton fabricated a lie about a budget surplus, and the paying down of the national debt, during his presidency.
Search on Yahoo. Search,(Public Debt to the Penny).
On the left hand side of the Treasury Departments website it has a list. Click on ,(Historical Debt Outstanding). This lists the debt of the United States from its inception.
The last time the debt was paid down was 1957. Check the website, the Treasury Department doesn't lie.
President Clinton never paid down the budget deficit, and never had a surplus. It's an urban legend. President Bush gave everyone a tax cut on Bill Clinton's lie.
And the Charade goes on.
Do we really need another Clinton with less than a fourth grade math level, leading our country. I think not.
Posted by: Steven Wilson | March 24, 2008 10:55 PM
So Hillary wants the Govt to either print up or borrow 30 Billion from the Chinese to save people from the bad investments and lives of credit luxury.
This is taking it from the pockets of those who saved and did without, and putting it into the pockets of those who borrowed and borrowed to live high on the hog.
Hillary please explain how do you plan to make it up to the rest of us, the equity on our homes paid for on our own, which you are planning to leach away?
Will these people have to pay it back?
Yeah Sure they will.
This is more take it from the middle till there ain't no more middle left.
Redistribution of wealth is theft pure and simple!
Tar and Feather Hillary!
Better yet, when you can't afford to eat, there is always cannabalism!
Posted by: CYBERBIAN | March 25, 2008 2:57 AM
Sunny Fla - "hiring someone to do the toughest and arguably most important job on the planet"
Just asking, but do you know of any other business (besides Haliburton and a few oil companies), where a company would hire the wife of the former CEO? Neither do I. But if it makes sense to you, then Chelsea Clinton in 2016 probably does too.
I like how philosophical you get, but your logic doesn't really follow. Vetted, tested, "running through sniper fire" - we do need to know everything about the candidates. Where's Billary's tax records?
Posted by: karl | March 25, 2008 10:29 AM
Obama fans: Let's take it easy on the HRC supporters from above, I truely believe that most of the hatefull ones are Republican wolves. True HRC fans are in a state of mourning right now. Not all, but most.
Posted by: Xcellentform | March 25, 2008 11:30 AM
I can't believe the lies that the Hillary camp is throwing out there. Check out her Bosnian sniper comment, it's ridiculous.
http://campaigncircus.com/video_player.php?v=8802
Posted by: kberly7568 | March 25, 2008 12:09 PM