Bailout or Bust!!

Okay, before I start, a few disclaimers.  I do not even balance my checkbook and economics was my worst course in college.  I do not understand all the business-speak that is going on but as one man told me once, "You are not stupid, Marilyn." So, a few observations about what is happening.  Do I know what is happening? No! But I do know a fear-monger when I see it and he/she is out there.  Do all the words coming out of the media and Bush right now sound familiar?  Didn't we hear this "hurry up or else" kind of language over invading Iraq?  We know how that one turned out?  Also, does anyone else besides me have a problem  believing Sec. Paulson who says we must give him 700 billion dollars with no strings attached (his proposal to Congress was 2-3 pages long and the present bill is over one hundred pages)?  This is the same man who ran Goldman-Sachs until 2005 when he left Sachs and became the Treasury Secretary.  And, oh yes,  his former company went into the toilet. Isn't there a conflict of interest when the man from Wall Street wants the government to bail out Wall Street? 

But, let's look at the two candidates.  One will inherit this mess.  Does anyone have a clue where either one of them stands? McCain suspends his campaign to  work out a resolution and that didn't work.  Obama, who wants to bring everyone together and suggests he can do that certainly didn't even get his own Democrats on board, did he? Yet, they both support the bailout!!?  Really!! Obama says his support is "tepid".  What does that mean?  Is he hedging his bets again so if it proves the wrong decision, he can say he really wasn't for it? And McCain---where is the fiscal conservative?  Shouldn't he be saying things like....this is socialism and a free market survives by its own checks and balances? Isn't this the market simply correcting itself for its past indulgences?  But McCain isn't and quite frankly, he looks frightened.  Neither candidate is giving me confidence.

And what about party politics?  The Democrats support this....right?  Soooo what is the problem?  The Democrats are the majority in Congress and have the votes to do this by themselves but they want Republicans in on this.  Why?  Is it to share the blame if it fails? Since when does the majority party blame the minority for the failure of legislation to pass?

Think about this.  Twelve out of thirty Democrats on Barney Franks' own Banking Committee voted against the bailout!!! Pelosi let this bill go to a vote and it failed.  What does that say?? Traditional wisdom is that no leader allows a bill to a vote they cannot win but she did! Why?  Well, either she is a poor leader and should be replaced (that is another issue) or....she is playing politics and wants this to run up to the election to benefit Democrats.  Remember that a short few weeks ago she said she would not deal with these financial issues until after the election and then she was forced to by the President.  My guess is Pelosi is not stupid and knows exactly what she is doing.  How about those absurdly partisan words by her just before the vote?  If any Republican was hesitating, she pushed the "blame the Republican" button and lost twelve Republican votes. The bill failed.  The Democrats could pass this without any Republicans IF they wanted it so I think they don't.

Who caused this?  Well, it is easy to answer.... the Republicans! After all, Clinton left a surplus to Bush who sank us into a trillion dollar deficit!!  But that is too easy and if you look closer I think you will see the Democrats are not without sin here.  2004 is an important year because Democrats took over Congress and there were hearings then about financial institution practices. McCain and others wanted more regulations for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae while the Democrats wanted them left alone because they were giving loans to lower income families for homes and businesses and according to people like Representatives Barney Frank and Maxine Waters, were solvent with no problems that needed fixing. That was in 2004 and while people were telling Congress there were serious problems of fraud and criminal activity in those financial institutions,  a Democratic congress turned a deal ear.  Maybe that is why now they want Republicans in on this bailout bill.

I am also just learning about a group called ACORN which stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform.  It has been reported that in this bailout bill, there was funding for ACORN until the Republicans took it out.  There are allegations that this group has engaged in corrupt, even criminal practices. Obama is tied to this group as an original organizer.  I think you will be hearing more about ACORN in the next few days.  Google it for some interesting articles in the daily newspapers. (I promise to get better at linking items to this blog) 

I am right now listening to Obama blaming Wall Street for the problem and encouraging bi-partisan support for the bailout bill. If he truly believes in the bill why is he not leading his party?  Why can't he get his own to pass this?  Why do they need Republican support?  If Obama cannot bring his own party on board, why do we think he can reach across the aisle to accomplish health care reform?  Of course, with this financial crisis, health care reform is probably dead anyway.  

Why do I keep wondering what Hillary is thinking?

Neither Here Nor There

I cannot believe how big a failure I am at blogging!! I think of all these things to say and then I don't. Why? I don't know---lazy, maybe. After all, it is work and I have been there, done that!! I think that organizing yourself and making good use of your time is an art itself and one I may not be good at. I am not giving up however and so I am forcing myself to sit here and say something!

On Politics: What can I say? My heart is not in it. I have become a detached outsider of this year's very unique race. It is historical and slightly hysterical (if my family is any indication) but not me. I find some parts amusing. MSNBC is trying to right its sexist ship by removing Matthews and Olbermann from lead roles but it is not working. It is totally in the tank for Obama and is "crazy" in its coverage of Palin. They just cannot deal with strong women. They try to diffuse their misogyny by giving Rachel Maddow her own show but it is really because Rachel has proven she can play "nice" with the boys and every now and then she takes a swipe at Buchanan as if that gives her journalist credentials!?! I continue to watch but now Fox News is more interesting than CNN. They try to bolster McCain/Palin and it contrasts with the others who are dissing them. At least, it is entertaining.

On insignificant items: Like the location of Ladies Rest Rooms.....ever notice that women, for the most part have to walk further than men to go to the bathrooms in most public establishments? Really, it is true and I know because I go to a lot of public restrooms, down all those dark hallways and theater staircases. You can take your own assessment and check out the location the next ten times you go to the bathroom when you are out to dinner or traveling. I have been doing that for a lot of years and only once or twice was the Ladies Room the first one. Why??

On Theater: I have seen quite a bit of theater this summer from Stratford, Canada to Williamstown, Ma with New York and Shaw in the middle. The best (see previous blog) was in the Berkshire and the worst in New York.

I have found two (yes, but I am sure there are more) people, who like me, did NOT like the Tony, Pulitzer Prize winning play, August, Osage County. I felt it was shrill, loud and without any redemption. And, all that anger and angst with a Southern accent!! Tooooo much for me. But, New York redeemed itself with In The Heights. That was a true Broadway musical unlike (untitled) which was cute but not real broadway and I could say that again about The Thirty-Nine Steps. It was "cute".

Let me go back to the beginning because I forgot a real gem I saw in Stratford and it was an American doing Beckett. Brian Dennehy did two one-acts at Stratford but it was the second that was a brilliant moment in theater time. He performed in Krapp's Last Tape and the response was very mixed. Many did not like it at all but that says more about the person watching than the play or the performance. This play is not easily accessible for the audience and you have to pay attention and let go at the same time. To my astonishment and delight, it was a most rewarding theater experience. Mr Dennehy disappeared into the character and what you see is a bitter old man who is angry, sad , and remorseful at the end of his life. The portrayl was sublime and exactly the kind of stage magic someone like me sits in one dark theater after another waiting to see and this summer, in Stratford, I was not disappointed. Take it to New York, Brian.

On Movies: Well, I did it. I started a movie club every Monday night. I pick the movie, location and send the info out to a list of people I think might want to go to the movies with others. It is an opportunity to share a movie without calling anyone and allows a last minute decision to go or not, depending on what is going on in your life. Some meet before for a light supper and I will give you further updates as we go along. This could spread to other cities where (like everyone reads the same book) people could go to the same movie and then discuss it online as in Facebook. Stay tuned....

On Football: Go Bills!!!

On Baseball: The Yankees are done (like Hillary) sooo who cares?!

Finally, Obama touched me.....

Like some in my family. I stood with Hillary every step and even when I wanted her to quit, when I couldn't imagine her staying in the race, withstanding the constant sexism, she stayed. I would have quit a million times over but I was more than willing to stand with her. The strength of purpose, the will, the calm perseverance made me proud.... and even when the primary race was down to "The One", I did not become a part of the Barack Brigade. I thought his convention speech was just that, conventional, but of course, I realize that I have been listening to him for a long time and there was nothing new in that speech. Having heard it all before, I fell asleep.

But, yesterday, with one simple sentence, I was touched. Obama said, (in response to the Palin pregnancy)... I was born to an 18 year old mother. Zap!! Connected. Finally. Like many, I thought Obama's speech in 2003 at the DNC was amazing. I remember thinking...watch out Hillary. And, of course, look what happened --but I have not been an Obamamaniac. Yet, with that one personal, brief but real line, Obama touched me. He stepped up and defended the personal privacy of the new VP candidate. How I wish he had stepped up against the blatant sexism displayed in the primary race against Hillary or even after the primary or maybe just a little something at the convention but he didn't...... until now......

I think John McCain has made a bold choice. He has said, "You want change. You want no more Washington Politics as usual. You want historic." And he picked a woman. OMG!!! The media will have another punching bag to blast and they haven't waited one second. They were lost without Hillary to kick around. They should be thanking John McCain instead of questioning his sanity. What great fun!!!

Gov. Palin is 20 months into her term as Governor (of Alaska!!!) but that does gives her more executive experience than Obama, a senator for one year before he stepped out to run for President. Oh, but we have gotten used to him and he has run a great campaign which to some, shows his ability to run the country. (and he does have that appendage) Let's see....mmmmm....the Democrats put the least experienced at the top of the ticket while the Republicans put their least experienced at the bottom. Oh yes, the people in the primaries voted for the top dogs but one man, McCain, picked Palin, a person who upended "politics as usual" in Alaska; went against both the Republican and Democrat establishments there. And.... Obama picked Biden, a seasoned Washington "politics as usual" insider, who got one percent of the vote in Iowa.

But, let's talk about the person, Palin. She is definitely not a Hillary gal!!! But she is an independent, straight talking, gun-toting, Feminist for Life, who walks the walk. It may not be the same walk that some of you want to take but you know, supporting women's rights is more than standing up for Hillary. And Hillary, who immediately congratulated her on the historic nature of her opportunity, knows that. We all know we had the best qualified, most courageous, experienced woman ready to take this step into history and we said NO....we said NO to even placing her on the bottom of the ticket. (And I want the record to show that I said it first....."If Obama really wanted to win, he had to put Hillary on the ticket.") I knew he wouldn't but he cannot make it without her. And along comes Sarah.....She is the opposite of Hillary on many issues but personality-wise, they might not be too far apart. I am talking about strength of purpose and guts.

McCain has put life back into the Republican Party and all the pundits can say is...Alaska may be cold...but She is HOT!!" (wink, wink--good old boy Mike Barnacle on MSNBC today)

Palin will solidify the Republican base, fire up the Christian Conservatives which McCain was not doing and there is that chance that she will play well with blue-collar conservatives and maybe white men in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Do not count Sarah out my friends or you may look like Mark Penn who didn't think the first term senator from Illinois was more than a younger version of Jesse Jackson.

The media types do not have their hand on the pulse of the people....ordinary people. It became apparent when Bill Clinton who they had bashed and maligned during the primary walked up to the podium at the convention to the "people" who gave him the longest and loudest ovation of anyone. The "people" will decide the future of Sarah Palin and right now the Republican "people" are ecstatic. Just ask my daughter who hasn't been fired up ever about a candidate but Palin for President is her mantra now. (yes, I said president)

And I think the regular families who have struggled with a handicap child or teen-age pregnancy ---- working mothers who juggle family and careers---will like this woman, yes, a modern woman who is not a liberal but still a pioneer woman. If those of us who have been in the trenches of gender warfare for half a century fighting for women's rights and equality, really mean what we say, then we all must smile at what John McCain has done. Whether we vote for him (and her) or not, he has made history with a woman!!!!

That guy has guts in case you didn't know it and I think he has a match. Game on!!!!