Bail Out This

The DNC did me a favor. Now that I am no longer a member of the Democratic party, my blinders have fallen off and I see more clearly. Rick Santalli's rant got me thinking. HERE

No, I don't want to pay for my neighbor's 2nd bathroom, summer vacation or flat screen TV. Nor do I want to bail out their mortgage if they overspent their monthly budget on cell phones, clothes from Saks, dining out and getting their nails done. And Peloisi's trip to Italy on the government's dime sickens me.

In the last two years I've lost my job, my health insurance, paid egregious prices for heating oil and gas, seen my antiques business dwindle away to nothing and now I'm dealing with Madoff stealing my husband's pension. But, we are making it. Granted, it's close, but we eat well, don't buy anything we absolutely do not need and, when we do, it's second hand or factory refurbished. I do my own wallpapering, painting, don't have a dishwasher and our food is homemade, even the bread. In short, we struggle, but we are making it. And, I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart.

I worked through the mortgage debacle and saw many people make a lot of money. And, it appears they are keeping it, because neither Realtors, mortgage brokers, underwriters nor banks are being held accountable. Who is? You and me. For something that we didn't fall for nor are a part of.

I'd really like to see what criteria will be used to decide which people will be helped out with their mortgages. I'm all for helping those who help themselves and aren't exploiting the same failed rules that got us here. However, if you feel you need a vacation, an iPod, a landscaper, cellphones and Coach pocketbooks, you shouldn't qualify for a bailout. And I certainly don't want to pay for your extravagant lifestyle.

And, by the way, what is wrong with renting?

Automatic Out of Blog Reply

My 14 year old nephew is spending the week with me. That translates into less computer time for me, more for him.

Be back soon!

If you read two things today go to Alegre's Corner

Via Pacific John at Alegre's Corner, the uncomparable Glenn Greenwald's Obama and liberals: A counter-productive relationship

But Krugman's larger point is correct: Republican groups demand from politicians support for their beliefs. By contrast, as Judis describes, Democratic groups -- including (perhaps especially) liberal activist groups -- now (with some exceptions) lend their allegiance to the party and its leader regardless of how faithful the party leadership is to their beliefs. That disparity means that there is often great popular agitation and political pressure exerted from the Right, but almost none from the Left (I'm using the terms "Left" and "Right" here in their conventional sense: "Right" being the core of the GOP and "Left" being those who most consistently and vigorously opposed Bush's foreign and domestic policies).

Campskunk has a terrific post up entitled: When is an Entitlement Program Not an Entitlement Program? WHEN IT'S YOUR !@*%# MONEY!.

The use of entitlement programs as a pejorative term by Republicans (and, sadly, some Democrats) tries to make you believe that they're all welfare programs created by a runaway nanny state. Obama's proposal to tax income over $100,000 a year is an effort to move Social Security toward such a program; higher-income people would be subsidizing the less well off. The beauty of the Social Security retirement benefit and Medicare benefit, though, is that you're getting your own !@*%# money back that you put into it. Everybody gets taxed on their first (and for most of us here, only) $100k of income. You have to work a certain number of years to qualify, etc. Social Security Disability and Medicaid are another matter, but, given the atrocious track record of our society in compensating people for work-related disabilities or taking care of the disabled, that's probably a good thing.

In fact, hop on over to Alegre's Corner and read the incredible posts by Alegre and the other bloggers who post there. And, if you are in a position, Alegre recently became yet another victim of this rapidly shrinking economy, so if you like what you see, feel free to leave her a token of your appreciation.

Read It and Weep

Via TGW
Screwed Royally

They make a big display of yelling at the CEOs and then the very next day they quietly remove any cap on their compensation. These people are not on our side. This is why so many Americans are so damn frustrated. Everyone in power appears to be bought and paid for. There is a circle of people in DC and NY that keep passing the money around to one another and then come and collect it from us.

Say It Ain't So

Good golly, Miss Molly, this cannot be true! The WSJ is reporting that Obama's news conference pre-screened the reporters chosen to ask questions. That is ridiculous!! This is the President who promised us an open government. It must be a lie! That's what George W. did - pre-screened attendees at events and refused to call on Helen at press conferences.

I bet it's those damn PUMA's stirring up trouble. Howard would never have stacked the cards in Obama's favor if he was going to be a 3rd term of Dubya, would he? Obama is so experienced and smart, he wouldn't have to avoid questions from reporters. Why, he is actually learning to speak without a teleprompter and I bet he'll get better and better at it as time goes on. It's awful hard to read those words off of the Starbuck's napkins Favreau writes them on.

Damn it, WSJ, stop publishing real news and let's talk about Michelle's Vogue cover. Speaking of Michelle, I wonder when she will start receiving a paycheck for all of her public appearances. She's a brilliant lawyer, don't you know, and a great asset to the White House. Geesh. And if he did pre-screen reporters, he must have had a pretty good reason. It's not like he has anything to hide, right?

Obama's press list

Shhh - Just Watch and Listen

Via Lambert

Here

Obama The Jerk

Via Feminist Law Professors, posted at April Winchell's. Barack Obama is tired of your motherfucking shit!

If you’ve ever read President Obama’s Dreams From My Father, good for you. I couldn’t get past the foreword.

I wish I had. Because today I discovered that there’s a fairly juicy little subplot in the book, involving one of Obama’s high school friends.

Ray, a fellow classmate of Obama’s, was also bi-racial, and also trying to define himself. But what set him apart was his colorful manner of self-expression. Ray cursed like a motherfucker.

This would all be snickerworthy enough, but it turns out that Obama actually read the audiobook version of Dreams From My Father.

And that means he read Ray’s quotes.

And that means you’re about to hear the President of United States using language that would finish Cheney off once and for all.

PMSBuddy.com or How to Ward Off the Bitch

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I thought this might be snark, but the site is here.
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