Coward

"First, we're a nation of whiners; now, we're a nation of cowards. He went on to say "Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about things racial."

The coward comment comes from none other than President Obama's newly minted attorney general, Eric Holder.

The remarks were part of a speech Holder delivered for Black History Month. Yet, even in that context, the words came across as arrogant, condescending and not at all becoming a statesman. (Quoted from By Tara Wall CNN Contributor)

A quick look at Mr. Holder's entry on Wikipedia shows that the Attorney General and I have at least (1) thing in common. We both have (3) children. I must say I found his comment insulting, to say the least. His marital status indicates he's married so I'm assuming never been a single father (doesn't indicate any divorce). How dare he call me a coward? I raised (3) kids largely on my own for about 8 years. Not only did I do that I didn't teach them to hate. I did not teach them to speak out in insulting and cruel ways.

I understand that Mr. Holder is an important man but why must I be put down for one of the few things I feel I was doing God's work? I would never speak publicly about him in an insulting or ignorant way why me he?

President Obama,

I find the comments for your Attorney General as offensive as a racial slur. Please be the leader you have promised you will be and either take this man to the "wood shed" or "show him the door". You promised a new way of governing, I trust that doesn't mean that because I'm a middle aged white guy that I'm the new punching bag.

Looking for hope,

Randy
Single Father of (3) great kids

The Chicago Tea Party

I'm bummed, I can't make it to Chicago for the Party. Happening to soon for me to get there.

Santelli's criticism of the mortgage bailout plan is dead on: The plan treats borrowers who sacrificed to pay their mortgages on time the same as those who used their equity for a boat and stopped paying their loans. This moral hazard sends a clear message to our children that they can avoid the consequences of their actions. But this is only one reason the plan is bad policy. Others include:

The plan's mortgage cram down provision would only worsen the housing crisis in two ways: First it would increase the risk to lenders and lead to higher interest rates for people trying to buy homes today. Second, the policy would open the door to achieving mortgage reductions for tens of millions of homeowners who can afford their mortgage pay­ments and whose homes are not at risk.

The plan will fail because too few people will qualify and many of those that do will default anyway. The housing bubble was caused in large part by speculators who bought homes planning to flip them for quick profit and other who out-right lied on their loan applications. The mortgage bailout will do nothing to stop these foreclosures. Furthermore, the re-default rates for people that have already participated in mortgage modifications show that as many as 50% of them go on to default again.

The plan risks another $275 billion in taxpayer funds. The Obama Administration claims their plan will only cost $75 billion, but that is only true if it works out perfectly. If the plan fails to stem the inevitable correction in housing prices taxpayers will lose a full $275 billion.

Closing his interview with National Review, Santelli also connected the mortgage bailout to the Obama Administration's stimulus plan:

Here's a little commentary from The Heritage Foundation.

At the end of the day, it’s simple. A lot of the president’s advisers are saying that there’s a multiplier effect to the government money, and it’s over one. Now if that’s true, then the government should spend non-stop for the rest of our lives, because we’ll get a positive return. And it makes no sense. ... I guess in the end, I believe in the founding fathers, and I believe that in America... the pursuit of happiness and to work hard and keep the fruits of your labor is something I believe in. And I’m not saying we should forget people who need help. But at the end of the day, Americans are strong and they’re charitable. I think what they have a problem with is that it’s force-fed via the government.

In the words of CSN, won't you all come to Chicaog, we can change the world...

Dear Mr. President

I’m going to be honest right up front. I didn’t vote for you, but you are my President none the less. Like anyone running for office you made many promises. The one that I’m currently confused over is the promise that your Presidency will be transparent. I see the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 being raced through the Congress at speeds unheard of and I wonder if everything about this bill is out in the open. Then I hear different things that are in the bill being removed when the public is outraged. Ok, I get that the country is in a dangerous economic time. My business is in the construction field and I started to experience the recession within in a month of its inception (Recession starts in December 2007 and I spent the first half of January 2008 with NO work). I want the system fixed but I don’t want it destroyed in the process. Then this bill comes out of conference and is rushed to the floor for a vote less than 24 hours after its text is released to the members of Congress and the public (me). I hear that it has over 1,000 pages and realize that that would take me around 3 weeks to read (I average around 40 books per year) and I’m wondering how this would qualify as transparent. I can’t imagine having 1,000 page plus bill that no one who voted for it had read it. That makes me think that our Congress is acting like lemmings. My Senators and Congress members are responsible to me and my fellow’s here in Washington State to act with their hearts and their minds. They can’t possibly think intelligently about a bill they haven’t read.
Please require them to read and consider this bill closely and thoughtfully. Be the leader who acts different. Be the change we/I want. Please speak the truth about this process and use your position to bring change that comes with thought and reason.

Respectfully

Randy