Hillary couldn't be more spot-on

I'm still in the Obama camp, but Hillary's recent comments about Republicans and the economy really hit the mark. Sad, but oh so true.

A day after John McCain's high-profile economic speech in Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the presumptive GOP nominee “has very little understanding” of the national debt to China.

“Yesterday, he made it clear that when it comes to the economy he looks at the hole President Bush has dug us into and says, ‘Why not more? Let’s go deeper,’” Clinton said in remarks to the Building and Trades National Legislative Conference in Washington.

Accusing China of steel dumping, exporting tainted toys and currency manipulation, Clinton blasted Republicans for accommodating growing Chinese influence.

She said she remembered her brothers pretending to dig a hole to China in their family backyard.

“Little did I believe, all these years later, that we would have the Republican Party and president and a Republican nominee who are literally digging us a hole to China,” she said.

Clinton said McCain “has very little understanding of how we are going to get our selves out of that hole” and issued a familiar attack against his economic credentials.

“I know that many people will be very impressed and admiring of Sen. McCain’s record of service,” she said, “but he’s admitted he doesn’t understand the economy. He has proved that in this campaign.”


Sadly, way too many people are just now fully realizing that there are two things you absolutely cannot trust the new conservatives with: your money and your military.

Lock up the checkbook

Dubya had it made. Not only did the GOP come into power with the economy in great shape, but the deficit was on its way to being history. We finally got ahead of it, and were on the path to making money, rather than paying interest to foreign governments. But then something went wrong. The republicans didn't just get power, they got absolute power. With unchecked authority of steering the US economy, they finally had a chance to implement their plans that have never fully been allowed to soar. Tax windfalls for the rich and biggest corporations, an explosion of political earmarks and pork-barrel spending. A bonanza of wealth for politically connected contractors. Outsourcing all levels of functions that used to be done much cheaper and more efficiently.


All this while saying they're the party of responsible spending. So, where are we, now that their plans have been fully implemented?

Federal Deficit Hits All-Time High
6-Month Total Tops $302 Billion Record

You simply cannot trust the new republicans with the checkbook. Now all that we can hope for is a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in Congress and a Democrat in the White House. Anything less and we're going to have a very, very tough time fixing this massive mess that dubya and his cronies are leaving behind.

Hey, where's that mortgage crisis relief we keep hearing about

So where is the housing bill that Congress is supposed to pass to help homeowners caught up in the subprime disaster? Bush is spouting off the talking points left and right, scolding Congress for not taking action.

Turns out things are stopped up in the Senate because Democrats don’t want to compromise with Republicans. The bill is waiting to be voted on and it would allow bankruptcy judges to reset mortgages on primary residences. It would also provide $4 billion for local communities to buy and refurbish foreclosed properties; provide $200 million for counseling to help homeowners avoid foreclosure; give tax breaks for the homebuilding industry; and improve loan disclosure and transparency.

Both sides agree that this is a good approach, so what’s the lack of bipartisanship? Well, it turns out that because the bill would help homeowners facing foreclosure, the Republicans are considering that a Democratic demand, so they want their own demand met. And what would their demand be? Why, to make Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy permanent.

That’s right, the GOP is preventing the government from helping the folk hurt by the crisis of their financial policy’s making, in order to gain political leverage to further subsidize the further enriching of the very rich. Nice.

But for the people, there is still hope. There are enough GOP Senators facing reelection this November that just enough might side with the people to break the GOP filibuster. Then we have to hope that Bush won’t demand a veto-proof majority to get people help.

Tidal power, but in the UK, not US

The UK is deploying tidal power turbines to generate free power from the tides, instead of burning coal/oil
CNN video

Once again, with the US frozen in this “only oil, even if that means wars” energy policy that stifles such innovation domestically, we must look to other countries to take the lead in doing what it right. Hopefully with a new administration (hint, all indications are that McCain will remain subservient to the neocon party line and effectively be dubya’s third term, so not THAT potential administration), we’ll at least be able to START playing catch-up with the rest of the world.

Sigh, the US used to be a leader.

NY heart their Senator?

Funny how anecdotally, right-leaning New Yorkers who voice opposition to Clinton complain how she doesn’t bring home any bacon to NY. However, the actual facts released by the annual report of Citizens Against Government Waste paint a wildly different picture. Hillary’s tally was $296M, Obama was at $97M and McCain was at “zero” (Republicans shattered all pork-barrel spending records when they controlled both houses and the White House, but now are getting their pork through without being named, so McCain’s “no pork” claim is a technicality). So, it’s funny how the mainstream media reports negatively on Hillary in NY for not brining home the pork, but outside of NY criticizes her for being a mega-pork-barreller. Note – I’m not endorsing Hillary, just pointing out how the mainstream (and right) media will take one fact and spin it two different ways to maximize negativity against her. Just something to keep in mind…