Omg, he looks the same- just like a cross between ET and Yoda.

It's funny that I hadn't looked at the picture, but upon reading WB's description I knew who it was.

My, my, my....I find it extremely hard to believe that the Senators Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd (who is chairman of the senate banking committee....hmmm....the BANKING COMMITTEE) didn't know they were getting special favors from Countrywide on loans to save a whole bunch of money on points and fees.

I'm sure it's every day that the head of Countrywide Angelo Mozilo directly gets involved in the loan process for common citizens as well as select senators on the banking committee. This is as well as some involved in Obama's campaign (former head of his VP search committee name Jim Johnson), a few former Clinton cabinet members, and to be fair, a former Bush cabinet member.

I'm glad you were being "fair." Not to diminish this bit of corruption (for which I think all involved should be, ya know, drawn and quartered), but sadly it's the type of thing that's rampant among all politicians of all stripes and parties.

It is.

I do wonder, considering Pelosi said of the congressional leadership that "We pledge to make this the most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history", if Dodd will need to step down from his leadershipo position on the banking committee.

Something tells me that won't happen.

I must be in a really pissy mood today because everything I see is annoying the hell out of me.

In a recently passed bill - the Energy and Tax Extenders Act of 2008 - there was a 1.6 billion dollar earmark for plaintiffs' lawyers. Trial lawyers running class action suits are struggling middle class people that deserve tax breaks?

I don't mind tax breaks for anyone, really.....just get off this demagoguery (sp?) of tax breaks for the rich, Pelosi. Pelosi called the bill a tax cut for millions of middle income families. I think it went a bit beyond that.

Who says plaintiffs trial lawyers are rich? I'm a glorified legal secretary, decidedly in the barely-getting-by middle class economy of Los Angeles ... and I make more money than a good many plaintiffs' trial laywers.

Like I said, I'm in a pissy mood.

Now I've read where some democrats have been on the floor calling for the government take over of domestic oil refineries so that they can "control how much gets out into the market". I believe that's called central planning and failed miserably in the USSR.

Yeah, I'm in a pissy mood.

I'm confused, I know what's new, so can someone help me out with this?!

The news is making a big deal out of Obama not accepting public monies. Is he only allowed one or the other, as in if he takes that money he can't raise his own? Why wouldn't he take money from the general election fund for his campaign that all the nominees are eligible for? Don't they all usually partake in that money?

I am obviously missing some big piece of the puzzle!
Thank you for patience:blush: