Barney Frank - OUT!

I'd like to say not a moment too soon, but actually, this is several moments, several moves, too late;

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will announce Monday that he is not seeking reelection, ending a 32-year career in the House.

Frank, 71, is the top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee and the architect, with former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), of the sweeping Wall Street regulatory reform law enacted in 2010...

His legislative legacy is likely to be the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill that passed in 2010 in the wake of the Wall Street meltdown that sent the economy into a tailspin in 2008. Hailed by the Obama administration, the law has drawn sharp criticism in the Republican presidential nomination fight, and one leading contender, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), even suggested that Frank be jailed, along with Dodd, for their support of the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the lead-up to the financial crisis.

A crisis of his making (in significant part), with a 'cure' of his making, is sure to drive more problems in the future.  Sure, the guy had a quick wit, but he does not deserve praise for his supposed brilliance.  He was part of the problem in the financial mess the country finds itself in now. 

Dorgan, Dodd just prove the fix is in.

Byron Dorgan announced his retirement from the Senate yesterday.  Chris dodd will announce his today. What does it mean? The fix is in for the health care bill to become law.

Yesterday I wrote that the Democrats might be stealthily managing a home run on health care by pretending to be secretive, giving President Obama room to veto the bill for just that reason. They could then run through the same 'debate' on C-SPAN and get it passed. They have the votes.

It would allow Obama to capture some glory for being post-partisan. It would allow him to fulfill a campaign promise - more points scored. Undoubtedly it would help his poll numbers.

The bill would still pass - every 'dissenter' stepped in line in the end when it mattered. The bill would go back to the President a second time and he would sign it.  Another win for Democrats. The only down side - the public still hates the plans. Democrats have to fall on their swords for this. But this is their latest Mt. Everest. It's bigger than them. So they will sacrifice their careers for it.

What's the smartest way to do that? Vote for it and then do not run for re-election. Yesterday two more Senators - a high profile one in Dodd's case - let it be known they will not seek re-election. Byron Dorgan and Chris Dodd (whose official announcement comes today) will not be up for office in 2010. My increasingly suspicious nature on this is not being helped. This health care travesty is a done deal. The blood oaths have been signed. There will be no turning back for Democrats.

Somehow, they believe that the culprits clearing the way will ensure a new crop of liberals will hold the Democrat line. Short of America's own velvet revolution, not allowing the Democratic party off the hook in November is the least Americans can or should do.

Dodd - blood in the water

I had started writing a blog post entitled "Dodd-ering denial" yesterday with the line:

"Senator Chris Dodd; deny, deny, deny. When you talk Senator, you keep digging the hole."

I didn't finish the post and thought I'd pick up on it today. Little did I realize I'd have to re-write the entire post except for that line. It's relevant because the Senator has backtracked and is now openly admitting that he added a bonus provision. Even CNN went so far as to call Senator Dodd a liar. CNN. Now they took down the video but it's available on Youtube (H/T Hot Air)



His answers were long and torturous to listen to, probably partly because he's a windbag and partly because he's trying to obfuscate.

Previously I would have viewed this as an Obama administration distraction but there's blood in the water and the sharks need to consume this piece of chum. Dodd himself is trying to blame the administration for forcing the issue. He needs to be pressed on it and pressed HARD. Either he's at fault, the administration is at fault or both are. In either case those who have the means to ask have the responsibility to find out where the fault lies. If Dodd is made out to be the fall guy, my suspicion is he will try to save his own skin and let loose on Geithner.

And if the dirt starts to fly, there will be casualties. As there should be. This may be a distraction tactic, or turned into one- particularly if they try to lay all of the blame at the feet of Dodd. But for conservatives even if Dodd is the only casualty, it's a big win. But it seems to me this would be a foothold to go after more - Barney Frank comes to mind, along with Geithner. Perhaps the trail will be strong enough to lead back to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Not to mention the idea of bills being passed by Congress and signed into law with undue haste being a black mark on Democrats and the administration. Perhaps it can put the brakes on all the "change" without deliberation.

They stopped President Bush's social security reform, we can stop a health care boondoggle (again).

Classless Warfare on AIG

Democrats have always used class warfare as a vote getting method. Class warfare in this sense meaning play off the poor and the middle class against the rich. Blame the rich, promise to punish the rich and watch the votes from the poor and middle class flood in. But while the mentality of "hang the rich" may have made sense in Marie Antoinette's France, in modern day America it is a baseless notion and a base instinct.

After all, the United States has a welfare system, as imperfect as it is. No one should be going hungry. No one should be homeless. True there are people who do, either by choice or by neglect. That is why it is an imperfect system. That and the fact that the welfare structure creates and reinforces a cycle of dependence.

More importantly though, those who create wealth for themselves, through the truism of Adam Smith's Invisible Hand, also create wealth for others by creating jobs. To punish them is to punish millions who depend on them for jobs or for products as cheaply and freely available as possible (with quality as another important factor). They are not saints nor are they martyrs. But they do help the economy.

It is against this backdrop that the AIG bonus scandal unfolds and the Doomocrats reveal their unrepentant classless warfare in order to maintain their supposed claim as champion of the little guy, as well as their hypocrisy with respect to the details of the controversy.

Consider the following;

-$20 billion of the AIG bailout went to European banks - talk about a lack of oversight.

-Chris Dodd hypocritically wants to get the bonus money back from these executives;

While the Senate constructed the $787 billion stimulus last month, Dodd unexpectedly added an executive-compensation restriction to the bill. That amendment provides an “exception for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009,” which exempts the very AIG bonuses Dodd and others are seeking to tax. The amendment is in the final version and is law.

-These bonuses were paid to employees (often executives) - people who worked in good faith towards a contractual obligation. Was it a poorly written contract that was set up to reward failure? Yes. Was it a legal and binding contract? Yes.

-Geithner knew about this issue as far back as last week or he was clued out about it when he should have been paying attention. Either way, it doesn't look good on him. Hiding from the fact to 'champion' the little guy, is more evidence of hypocrisy and deceit. What's worse - the Feds knew for months about it. There's a disconnect. So why the sudden fury over the bonuses weeks after the administration parceled out another $30 Billion for AIG?

-Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi (among others) want to claw it back using the intimidation of the state. That is taxation without representation and truly institutionalized theft. It also smacks of Democrats refusing to admit to an error in oversight or in judgement.

-Finally President Obama is going on the tonight show because he is still either in campaign mode or in calm-and-trick-the-proletariat mode.

Given all that, what can we call the Dems except cynical vote hungry politicians without a conscience? Unfortunately the MSM won't get that point across to the public, it doesn't fit with their objectives. But if the shoe fits, wear it.

Stop the Insanity!

Where is Susan Powter when you need her? In yet another cover-your-rear (you know what I mean) move, Senator Chris Dodd is moving to allow the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to temporarily borrow as much as $500 billion from the Treasury Department.

Another $500 Billion bailout? At least this is from one government agency to another, but it also reinforces the idea that the thinking in Washington - at least among those with the power to make decisions affecting EVERY LIVING AND NOT YET BORN AMERICAN - is to just throw money at every problem. Perhaps in Dodd's case there's a bit of cover your tracks thinking behind this as well. If you throw enough money at the problem and it solves it, then you might hide the fact that you were taking questionable loans from those you were supposed to be over-seeing.

What's the government tally up to now? Has anybody been keeping a running tally of not only the immediate cost but also the debt financing required to carry this? Numbers are varying from source to source - but all are in the trillions, some ranging as high as $20 trillion. The entire world does not have that kind of money. They only way to do this is to borrow against future generations, and that's where the narcissism and selfishness on the left kicks in. The Democrats don't care about the future - and they don't care about future generations. Is it any wonder that a party intent on legalizing abortion would give a damn about what the current generation's grandchildren will have to face? It's a non-issue for them, and it means it's a non-starter in trying to persuade them to think about the unbearable cost implications of what they are doing.

Is it nihilism or a sense of entitlement to instant gratification that is driving this shopping spree? In either case they are going to do what they are going to do. There's no stopping it - we're all doomed. America, North America, the whole world. It's an unstoppable catastrophe.

Or alternatively, you could stand up and be heard.

Please choose the latter. I'm just saying...

Liberal Captions

Below are some movie quotes that you could associate with various liberals. Please add your own in the comments section. I don't get too many comments, but any feedback is appreciated, especially when it pokes fun at Democrats.

Added bonus, I can't recall which website I read this on, but it might have been Protein Wisdom. [Sorry, let me know and I'll update the link]. "The Secret To Being A Liberal Hysteric? No secret: just treat adults like children, and treat children like adults."

My precious.

Say hello to my little friend. (Okay, little kid)

You don't understand! I coulda had class. I
coulda been a contender. I could've been
somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.

You talking to me?

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his
liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

You can't handle the truth!

Mama always said life was like a box of
chocolates.

I'll be back.

I see dead people.

We rob banks.

I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.

E.T. phone home.

"I just want to say one word to you - just one word.... 'plastics.'"

"Badges? We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!" (That's just wrong)

"Surely you can't be serious."

"I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

Show me the money!

What we've got here is failure to communicate.

The DOdd Couple

There's this pair, which I like to call the Dodd Couple;

But I prefer these guys. They just shared an apartment, as opposed to being knee deep in the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac mess.




I'm pretty sure Oscar Madison never got a sweetheart loan.

Pot, meet Kettle

Talk about irony. Reuters this morning has this, in an article talking about how GM has an ad out admitting it has betrayed consumers;

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut
who is central to the effort to craft an auto bailout bill, on Sunday said GM
should replace Wagoner.

Please Mr. Dodd, keep that attention away from the financial bailout, and that sweetheart loan deal you got. The sub-prime calamity of trillions is far less important than this 35 billion dollar problem. You haven't covered off any issues in the millions of dollars yet , maybe you could go after a Library of Congress bailout next?