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Billion Dollar Bailout - George Bush wants no constitutional safeguards

By
Real Estate Agent with COMPASS DRE# 01339266

With George Bush's presidential legacy shredded and in tatters, he is now trying to get the $700 Billion bailout signed off without responsible checks-and-balances in place.

Bush ("The Decider") - is once again showing his utter arrogance and disdain for the American people by trying to insist that Congress approve this enormous deal without fully considering the implication, consequences and ramifications. We've seen that such behavior is normal for Bush - but it's not acceptable for the American taxpayer. America is still a democracy not a monarchy, yet Bush fails to see it this way. He still adopts the mentality that "you're either with him, or against him".

Henry Paulson is proposing a plan that is beyond any acceptable measures of power. The plan had no oversight, but merely gives congressional blessing and funding to what he has already been doing. Obama and McCain have both opposed the provision denying any judicial review of decisions made by Paulson -- "a provision that evokes the Bush administration's suspension of normal constitutional safeguards in its conduct of foreign policy and national security".

One can only wonder how long it will take to undo the disastrous mistakes made by Bush and his administration - and right now, Congress cannot be bullied into yet another disastrous decision for the Country.

Comments(50)

Barry Bridges
Barry Bridges Weichert Realtors Bridges & Co. - Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Lake professional

The problem is that the bill is being written and reviewed by people who don't know what they are doing. I don't say that in a mean way or a partican way. We need some people from the business world in that room. We are asking people who have never run a business how a bailout and oversite should be structured. We need some sharp business minds in that room. No not from Wall Street. We need people who have been on the front lines. We have some great, honest people in this country. We need their help. No politics. No debates. No fighting. We need some sound business principals and I'll bet you they would be on the next plane if asked.

What we really don't need is good folks like us fighting with each other. If you choose to be honest you know that both parties have screwed us. So lets scream at BOTH parties till they do what we sent them there to do. We are not the enemy   They are

Sep 26, 2008 10:26 AM
Gene Wunderlich
1st Action Real Estate - Murrieta, CA
Realtor & Legislative Liaison

For the record, I don't believe either Presidential candidate is up to the task of dealing intelligently with this problem, nor is W, nor Paulsen. But since we agree the bill is over broad and poorly written, we can't then turn around and blame the Republicans, and McCain in particular, for questioning it, as Frank & Reid have done. I would feel much better if Bill Gates, who knows from personal experience what a billion feels like, T. Boone and a few others of that ilk were running the numbers. Instead we are trusting our future to the selfsame people responsible for getting us here to begin with. This will raise hell with our business for years to come - and no Stewart, I wasn't blaming the rant on you this time, although we can both get on a rant from time to time.

Sep 26, 2008 12:14 PM
Mitchell J Hall
Manhattan, NY
Lic Associate RE Broker - Manhattan & Brooklyn

Mike Bloomberg is my choice. He not only is worth $8 billion from a successful business he runs a successful government.

Sep 26, 2008 12:31 PM
COMPASS PALM SPRINGS | Stewart Penn
COMPASS - Palm Springs, CA
COMPASS Palm Springs - Broker Associate

This must rank as one of George Bush's looniest statements ever ....... :

As he spends his last months in office trying to avert a global economic collapse, Mr. Bush has been telling people privately that it's a good thing he's in charge.

"He said that if it was going to happen at all, he was glad it was happening under his presidency, because he had a good group of people in D.C. working for him," Dru Van Steenberg, one of several small-business owners who met with Mr. Bush in San Antonio earlier this week. The president expressed the same sentiment, others said, during a similar private session in Chantilly, Va.

Oct 11, 2008 06:40 AM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

hahahaha - if he wasn't in charge this wouldn't have happened.  Good one Dubya!

Oct 11, 2008 09:05 AM
Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL

Stewart, time for you to read the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.  All this is fortold in the book.  This is the "shock and awe" for American citizens.

Oct 11, 2008 09:30 AM
Scott Smith
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Gloucester, MA
Gloucester & Rockport, Massachusetts

From the memory hole. Thought this would be good to bring back to the forefront.

Mar 20, 2009 06:21 AM
Anonymous
Barry bridges

Wow the new guys are really doing a great job.
Bush is a 6 year old driving a pickup truck
unfortunatly Obama is a 4 yr old driving an 18 wheeler

Mar 20, 2009 06:36 AM
#40
COMPASS PALM SPRINGS | Stewart Penn
COMPASS - Palm Springs, CA
COMPASS Palm Springs - Broker Associate

What's so hypocritical are the comments made by Mitch McConell (Senate Minority leader, R-Ky) and Eric Cantor (House Minority Whip - R-Va) while expressing their outrage at AIG being able to pay out millions in bonuses. Both are saying that it's the current administration's fault for insufficient controls on executive remuneration at companies that received bailout funds, and in particular failing to stop AIG from doing so.

Yet just a few short months ago, they both were saying entirely different things:

In February this year Mitch McConell said he "didn't want government to take over these businesses and start telling them everything about what they can do."

Eric Cantor said he was not in favor of the federal government being able to set salaries across the board when the issue of executive compensation arose back in September 2008.

Mar 20, 2009 07:14 AM
Scott Smith
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Gloucester, MA
Gloucester & Rockport, Massachusetts

And Barry is anonymous and therefore irrelevant to the discussion. Thanks for playing.

Mar 20, 2009 10:56 AM
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

Stewart, did you read that Citigroup has been spending a chunk of its bailout money on anti-union lobbying?  I think it's time working people sent Citi a message by boycotting them.

Mar 20, 2009 03:57 PM
Anonymous
Barry Bridges

Not sure how I became anonymous as this is the fifth response I have made, but seeing as Scott has become ruler I will just go away so I no longer offend his majesty.

Mar 21, 2009 03:26 AM
#44
COMPASS PALM SPRINGS | Stewart Penn
COMPASS - Palm Springs, CA
COMPASS Palm Springs - Broker Associate

Eric - Citigroup is another example of corporate contempt for average taxpayers.

See my Blog "The madness continues at Citigroup".

Mar 21, 2009 04:29 AM
Scott Smith
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Gloucester, MA
Gloucester & Rockport, Massachusetts

Barry: Snarkiness aside, you are anonymous as there is no informationon you. Most people on AR have their information listed. You do not. Even the most right-wing dittohead has his or her info available. While way me disagree, we do respect one another.

Mar 23, 2009 01:54 PM
Barry Bridges
Barry Bridges Weichert Realtors Bridges & Co. - Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Lake professional

Scott: Sorry we are talking two different languages. I can guess at snarkiness but I have no idea what a ditohead is or what right wing has to do with me.

I still don't get the anonymous either. What is it that I am supposed to be hiding?

My original point is that nobody in Washington has any idea what they are doing. From your comment about right wing I take it that you are in the other direction. My opinion is that they are going down a very bad road BUT that does not mean that I think that the other side has done a very good job either. True honesty dictates that both sides are doing great damage to this country. In short I am not saying that one is right and the other is wrong because they are both wrong.

If we really want to solve the problems that both parties have left us we need to stop being democrats and republicans and start being just AMERICANS. The only winners in a divided country such as we have today is the politicians. They have no pay cuts only automatic pay raises. They have the best retirement package known to man. Wouldn't you like to have their health care package. They report to no one, take all expense paid vacations around the world, and have an expense account that is more than most Americans make. Then they tell us they understand the common man. 

Am I very critical of the Obama administration? Yes, but don't think Bush made me happy either. Don't condemn me for being honest. Honesty can only produce one conclusion. Both sides have hurt us very badly and there is no indication that is going to change very soon. We can all disagree on how to solve problems but to say that either party has looked out for our best interest simply is not being honest with ourselves.

Sorry for going on a rant but I am watching AND HAVE BEEN WATCHING my country go down the tubes because neither side is looking out for us, and the party system is killing us. Bush left us a stagering national debt Obama is trying to triple it. Does that make Obama any worse that Bush? I would argue that they are both wrong so why try to defend either one. THEY ARE BOTH WRONG.

Mar 24, 2009 08:44 AM
Scott Smith
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Gloucester, MA
Gloucester & Rockport, Massachusetts

Hello Barry: Well, you are no longer anonymous. Thank you for posting your information, face, location, business, etc. This is what makes AR an attractive place to agree and disagree respectfully. Sadly, there are way too many websites where people can post anonymously and violently and I believe that by being who we are...it just brings a much more honest dialog.

I do agree with much of what you have posted. Both parties have done a royal job of screwing up this country. Most elected seem to fous on getting reelected and not the business at hand. Lobbyists and special interests control the process.

There were too many on the right that were sleepwalking thru the Bush years and let him and his administration get away with way too many things. The media certainly carried his water as well. You can see the same people on AR who were SILENT during and about the past 8 years and who now relish in trashing Obama and, accorinding to their leader, Rush Limbaugh, want Obama to fail. Yes, thy now change their tune to say theat they want his "policies" to fail, but we all know what they mean. 

Anyway, welcome to the conversation and I look forward to seeing you in other areas of AR.

Mar 25, 2009 11:50 PM
Anonymous
Barry bridges

Scott  thanks for the welcome but I have been in this conversation since last year around October and my information has been posted longer than that. That still confuses me.

As far as Obama goes I do hope he fails to get much of his programs through. I hope all bad programs fail. I am just honest enough to say that I hope both sides fail at getting bad legislation through. Let me just say that I lived in Chicago for 13 years and I promise you will have different views before this is over. As bad as Bush was, and i am soooo glad he is gone, this one is no better and could be much worse. It is a shame we are here today. as bad as our choices were we didn't even get the best two. We would have done better if others in the primaries had won.

All we can do is hope for the best. If Obama comes up with a good program I will support him on that. I just have not seen one yet.  Again I am HONEST enough to say that BOTH sides are screwing us to the wall.

Mar 26, 2009 11:12 AM
#49
Scott Smith
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Gloucester, MA
Gloucester & Rockport, Massachusetts

Barry: I see the issue. Your last post was "Barry bridges" and when you click on the name, there is no information. Your other account is "Barry Bridges Weichert Realtors Bridges & Co"

There is a poster here that posts rabid right wing bile here under one name and posts normal items under his real professional name.

Agreed that both parties are screwing us. As I posted above, they have no interest in us, but themselves.

Mar 27, 2009 01:15 AM
Barry Bridges
Barry Bridges Weichert Realtors Bridges & Co. - Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Lake professional

Scott: I made another discovery. As I only have one account I was still stumped. What happens is you can answer direct off the e-mail without logging in. If you do that your profile is not shown. Mystery solved.

Mar 27, 2009 06:06 AM
Scott Smith
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Gloucester, MA
Gloucester & Rockport, Massachusetts

Excellent find.

Mar 27, 2009 08:52 AM