Comments on: Friday open thread

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:01:28 +0000

Why should be careful when you put on the internet.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/04/one_more_question.html

Whoops. Groping a cardboard effigy of the future Secretary of State can be a career-limiting move. Posting it on Facebook even more so.

By: Joe (not the plumber)

Joe (not the plumber) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:54:05 +0000

Herb,

The larger point of the articles I cited was that the legislation you lay solely at the feet of democrats (not completely correct) was not the cause of the sub-prime problem.

By: Other John

Other John — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:48:05 +0000

Ed S., Everybody loves a parfait!

By: Ed S.

Ed S. — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:11:30 +0000

Other John,

You know, I think parfait might be the most delicious thing on the planet!

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:39:54 +0000

Herb, I am sure Senators you labeled as "criminals" bear some, maybe even a great deal of blame, but to accuse them or even "the Democrats" solely is to show more of your bias and disdain than the actual facts bear out. If insulting makes you happy and refusing to look at facts keeps you informed, have at it, but don't expect the rest of us to cave. We know better.

http://housingdoom.com/2008/12/01/the-bush-administration-ignored-warnings-of-mortgage-risk/

By: HERB KREBS

HERB KREBS — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:18:20 +0000

Joe,
If you notice your first source it says not solely.
It was the start and the biggest key in this economy mess we are in now.
Was there other factors, sure there was, but we need to call out people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.
They are the main culprets(criminals) of this mess.

By: Joe (not the plumber)

Joe (not the plumber) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:54:29 +0000

Herb,

you might want to read a couple of articles that have a different perspective on the crisis.

http://www.pri.org/business/subprime-mortgages-not-solely-to-blame.html

and,

http://www.newsweek.com/id/169160

and,

http://www.newsweek.com/id/162789

(And before you pounce on the source, I have a lot more.)

If they are not already, I'm sure people are going to get tired of me saying "thing are just not that simple". I will keep saying it - as much as we like to assign blame and describe issues in neat little packages "things are just not that simple".

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:12:10 +0000

I don't get the layers...but I take your point on the sad tidings, Other John. I would like to know if anyone (journalists, economists, the government, Whistle Blowers) every tells us what those companies did (if anything) BEFORE they decided they had to lay-off people for the holidays? My guess is that with private business especially, you cannot know if they are using the economy as a convenient excuse. How can we recover if jobs are the answer and jobs keep going away. Over and over again we were reminded and cautioned that "Obama is not a Messiah" and yet, can anything else save us? Bad news follows itself every day and the fear is real, are there solutions? If the big three announce major furloughs, can panic be far behind?

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:09:10 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5OUdj_YIpo

Bill Richardson calls Obama "an immigrant".

I'm sure he got a call from the President-Elect office, "No more help, Bill. Thanks"

By: HERB KREBS

HERB KREBS — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:07:47 +0000

I wish people would just admit the reason for the tanking economy is the bad loans of the housing market.
The democratic party pushed and pushed for these and now look.
I guess we all get what we deserve.
The only proble is now the dem's are in control and talking about baleing evryone out, fighting a war on 2 fronts, health care etc.....
Can someone please tell me where all this money is going to come from.
We are in deep.