When I got home tonight I was determined to take my mind off of business and focus on the real business of the day, the Cubs trying to win their first World Series in 99 years.   I am not a Cub fan unless they make the playoffs and then they are my team.  Maybe yours too. 

The last time the Cubs were in the playoffs, I rushed home early to watch Game 7 against the Marlins. 

My daughter, 11 at the time, had already beaten me to my favorite "sports spot" on the couch and was watching the end of the pre-game show.  Much to my dismay, I never got the spot back that entire night. 

The little brat never even got up for water or a bathroom break.  The physical joys of being 11. 

She lay there, all cozy, remote in lap, for nine innings.  She was even wrapped in my favorite chenille blanket!!  I spent three hours ready for the famous "snooze you lose" move and follow-up taunt, but it never came.

She had seen one baseball game in her life prior.   That Cub game was also the last one she ever watched.  

She is now 15.  I told her the Cubs were back in the playoffs and asked if she wanted to watch with me.  "I will if they make it to the World Series," she said. 

That would really be something to look forward to.  I would even give her the spot back.  So now the Cubs have a sentimental place in my heart.

I also think its about time Steve Bartman gets his life back.   You can Google or Wikipedia "Steve Bartman" if you don't know who he is. 

Anyway, I get home and I read that Democrats in Congress are saying President Bush has been slow to address the foreclosure situation that will likely cost millions of people their homes.  

The headline read, "Democrats Want President Bush To Do More To Prevent Foreclosures."

"This is a national crisis. Too bad it's taken so long to realize that we have a crisis," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said at a news conference with Nancy Pelosi. 

One of the Democrats even compared Bush's slow reaction to that of the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

Pelosi, Reid and other Democrats want the president to appoint a special "Mortgage Czar" to coordinate the federal response to the subprime mortgage crisis.

"The subprime crisis demands action, and we're working to protect families who have lost their home or are in danger of foreclosure," Pelosi said.

I won't get political here.  I believe, like many Americans today, I am a man in the middle of two parties.  I register on one side out of simplicity, laziness and habit.  I choose my political leaders based on their indivdual beliefs and my belief in them, not on their party affiliation.  

Now, I admit, I was a huge fan of Bush's proposal on FHA Secure.  Here It Is... The New FHA Loan Program - FHASecure - Mortgage Lates and 100%+ CLTV Allowed. 

I thought it would really help.  I was wrong.  I think the proof, six weeks later, is that it really won't help much. 

The investors don't want it.  In fact, I can only name one bank offering it.   The second lien holders have too many other options like note modification.   The banks have come up with their own solutions to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. 

This is just like my friend, fellow Active Rainer, Bill Nazur, and many others here, predicted on the day it came out.

So, although I agree with the Democrats that we do need to move quickly on raising the portfolio caps on Fannie and Freddie (right now they are limited to how many loans they can invest in) and it would be nice if they can get FHA modernized, like they are pushing for and will get, these are not the long-term answers that we need.   They are helpful, yet minor, solutions to a giant challenge. 

A "Mortgage Czar?"  Now, that has to a joke, right?  Just what we need is some Washington insider who will head the government's watch-dog policy on the mortgage business.  

Good idea.  That ought to solve the challenges as well as the "Drug Czar" has solved the illegal drug problem.  Does government ever learn anything?   Big problems require big solutions, not salaried, political has-been, figure-heads to make us feel better.

Over 1,000 banks went down in the Savings and Loan Crisis.  They had over $500 billion in assets on their books.   The FDIC estimates that the total cost to resolve the crisis was $153 billion.  Most of it was offset by taxpayers.  That fixed the problem.

If Congress really wants to get involved and push Bush to do something, push to get the checkbook out again.  It will be a lot cheaper than the S&L crisis and it will help real-life Americans, not banking CEO's.

If not, get the heck out of the way, stop the finger-pointing on issues that mean little and will save few from foreclosure. 

Feel free to keep on passing small-minded legislation that you believe makes it look like you care but in reality will just take small bites of the big problem.  

Let private enterprise do what it does best....run their businesses.   We will work our way out of this ourselves.  

If you are going to save homeowners from foreclosure, then do it with the same passion and commitment that you, as an entire unified Congress, led us into war.   Because that's what this is, a financial war at home.

If you are going to throw it around like a partisan political football, please do it more quietly.  You are ruining my concentation.   The Cubs are trying to break a 99 year curse and I need to focus.