UAW Strikes Chrysler

Thousands of Chrysler LLC autoworkers walked off the job Wednesday after the automaker and the United Auto Workers union failed to reach a tentative contract agreement before a union-imposed deadline.

It is the first UAW strike against Chrysler since 1997, when one plant was shut down for a month, and the first strike against Chrysler during contract talks since 1985. Negotiators stopped talking after the strike began, according to a person briefed on the talks who requested anonymity because the talks are private.

Bargaining between the UAW and the newly private automaker has been slowed by several major issues. The UAW's tentative contract with General Motors Corp. included job security pledges that it was likely to seek from Chrysler, while Chrysler wanted the same health care concessions that the union granted to GM and Ford Motor Co. in 2005. Also at issue was how much Chrysler would pay into a company-funded, UAW-run trust that would take on its roughly $18 billion in retiree health care debt. GM formed that trust as part of its tentative contract.

Our auto industry which was once the envy of the world is now in a very diminished position. One of the main reasons is the ever growing costs of health care. The auto industry supports universal health care because they realize that without it they will continue to operate at a serious disadvantage to foreign auto companies.

The middle class of America can not survive without both strong labor laws and universal health care. As the cost of health care continues to grow workers in all industries are paying an ever greater portion of the health care costs. In many industries the growth in health care costs for the employee has eclipsed the annual raise, which by any standard would mean a decrease in annual take home pay. How can the middle class survive under those circumstances?

Home Ownership Declines Under Bush

This is what you call a successful Presidency.

For the first time since the Carter administration, homeownership in the United States is set to decline over a president's tenure. When President Bush took office in 2001, homeownership stood at 67.6 percent. It rose as the mortgage bubble inflated but is projected to fall to 67 percent by early 2009, which would come to 700,000 fewer homeowners than when Mr. Bush started. The decline, calculated by Moody's Economy.com, is inexorable unless the government launches a heroic effort to help hundreds of thousands of defaulting borrowers stay in their homes.

The foreclosure crisis is rooted in reckless and shamefully underregulated mortgage lending. Many homeowners, mainly subprime borrowers with low incomes and poor credit, are now stuck in adjustable-rate loans that have become unaffordable as monthly payments have spiked upward. Their predicament is not entirely of their own making, and even if it were they would need to be bailed out because mass foreclosures would wreak unacceptable damage on the economic and social life of the nation.

The relief efforts so far have been too little, too late. In August, the White House established a program to allow an additional 80,000 borrowers to refinance their loans through the Federal Housing Administration, on top of 160,000 who were already eligible. That's not enough. Foreclosure filings soared to nearly 244,000 in August alone.

Federal regulators and Treasury officials are urging mortgage lenders and mortgage servicers to do their utmost to modify loan terms for at-risk borrowers, but saying "please" hasn't worked. To be effective, modifications must reduce a loan's interest rate or balance or extend its term, or some combination of the three. Gretchen Morgenson reported recently in The Times that a survey of 16 top subprime servicers by Moody's Investors Service found that in the first half of the year, modifications were made to an average of only 1 percent of loans on which monthly payments had increased.

Does anyone still think the middle class is not an endangered species? This is the most destructive administration in our history.

Attacking A Child Because of SCHIP

When you are losing the argument badly about the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)what does a true compassionate Conservative do? Attack the child of course.

These people make me sick.

When The Bubble Burst

This is what happens when the bubble bursts.

Out on Phoenix's suburban fringes, where cement mixers are fast colonizing hay and cotton fields, the day is winding to a close. The home hour has arrived.

But sundown gives away a troubling secret: Behind dark windows and unanswered doors, it's clear nobody is coming home.

They're empty, left behind by a rising tide of foreclosures

This is the story of one town on the outskirts of Phoenix but it could be many towns all across America as the roaring home prices have come crashing to the ground and brought with it the financial downfall of many middle class Americans. How did this happen? Stupidity, greed and the desire to live the so called American dream combined to create one of the biggest financial disasters in our nations history. The real problem is that the pain is just beginning.

Just last week banks and investment firms all across the country started reporting staggering losses as a result of these ill advised loan programs that were a disaster waiting to happen. So far firms have reported $20 billion in losses and it is just the beginning. What this all shows is that our economy is built on smoke and mirrors and when the smoke clears the devastation that will be felt by the middle class will be just another nail in its coffin.

The American Dream is overdue for revision.

"There's been a huge shift in the way people view their houses," says John Karevoll of DataQuick Information Systems. "Your house now can basically be used as an ATM."

The problem is that the ATM is out of funds and the economy will soon show the signs of this disaster in all areas. The trickle down theory of Reagan, that was called voodoo economics by the first President Bush but was embraced by the imbecile that currently occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, is one that guarantees ever greater wealth to those at the top while those at the bottom wait for their scraps. Now we are seeing that theory in action and its not pretty.
When there is no middle class in America we will cease to be the beacon of hope that has attracted those to our shores. That shining beacon that was once the world's envy is now just a flicker and unless we fight to reignite the flame we will see the further erosion of the everyday person's standard of living while the rich will get ever richer.

Is this what you want for our future? It is time for the middle class to fight back and demand policies that benefit us all not just those rich enough to be able to make large campaign contributions. It is time for public financing of campaigns. Without it there is no chance for a different outcome.

Is there Something in The Connecticut Water?

Congressman Chris Shays of the 4th Congressional District in Connecticut fawns all over the head of Blackwater citing their perfect record. I guess this incident is part of their perfect record? Chris Shays has become as crazy as Joe Lieberman and just as shameless. Did you know that Shays never served in Vietnam? His reason for avoiding service was that he was a conscientious objector. I guess death and killing just doesn't matter anymore. This clip is a humorous bit from the Randi Rhodes Show. This should be required listening for all Americans.

Unemployment Rate Up To 4.7%

Jobs report shows September gains in line with forecasts, while earlier job loss wiped away; unemployment rate up to 4.7%.

Job growth was back on track in September, according to a government report that showed both a solid gain in Americans with jobs in the month, and revised away the job loss reported a month earlier.

U.S. payrolls showed a net gain of 110,000 workers in the month, according to the Labor Department report. That's roughly in line with the forecast of a 100,000 gain by economists surveyed by Briefing.com.

The Labor Department also now estimates that August had a gain of 89,000 jobs, a big upward revision from the originally reported 4,000 job loss in August. That earlier reading had shaken the markets and stirred concerns of a recession as it was the first job loss in four years. The July reading was also revised higher.

Still, even with the job gains, the unemployment rate rose to 4.7 percent in September from the 4.6 percent reading in August. That increase was in line with what economists had forecast.

The weak August report had opened the door for the Federal Reserve to cut its benchmark interest rate by a half-percentage point in September, the first cut in four years, as it attempted to stave off an economic slowdown.

Friday's report could be a key to whether the central bank cuts rates again on Oct. 31, when its next meeting concludes.

What I always hate about these sunny reports is that there is no mention that the economy needs job growth of 150,000 per month to keep up with new people entering the work force. It also does not include people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits but are still not employed. It does not include the number of people who are under-employed. Those are people that are working but without full time hours but who are seeking full time employment.

Job creation under this administration has been less than stellar and the jobs that have been created in large part are low wage jobs without sufficient benefits including health care. That could be one reason that nearly 50 million people have no health care.

This administration has created a large population of working poor while the rich have gotten extremely rich and the middle class has been decimated.

Unemployment Claims Soar

Federal government says 317,000 applied for unemployment benefits in most recent week, a potential sign that labor market is slowing due to housing slump.

The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits shot up last week by the biggest amount in four months.

The Labor Department reported a total of 317,000 applications for unemployment benefits last week, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week. It was the biggest gain since jobless claims rose 18,000 during the week of May 9.

The rise was bigger than analysts had expected and could be a further sign that the labor market is slowing under the impact of the worst slump in housing in 16 years and a severe credit crunch that roiled global markets in August.

The housing slump is just starting and as projects already underway are finished the unemployment numbers in the construction industry could rise.

What we are experiencing is the beginning of a recession as a result of horrible economic policies that have decimated the value of the dollar, killed our middle class and put five million additional people into poverty. The redistribution of wealth that has occurred since the 1980's has come home to roost. With negative savings rates not seen since the depression, how are people supposed to weather the storm? The answer is most can not afford any layoff and with the potential of even more in the coming months the pain being felt by many American families will only grow. It is time for sensible economic policies that benefit everyone not just those at the upper echelons of society.

Bush Gives The Middle Finger To Nations Poor Children

If you needed any further proof that this President is out of touch with reality, here it is.

President Bush on Wednesday vetoed legislation expanding a children's health insurance program by $35 billion over five years.

Bush quietly exercised the veto at 10 a.m. before leaving the White House for a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to discuss the federal budget and taxes.

Congress sent the legislation expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, to the White House on Tuesday.

"It is our hope and the will of the American people that the president will sign the bill into law on behalf of the future. It is right for no less than 10 million reasons -- our children," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a joint statement.

The Senate voted 67-29 Thursday to expand the program. Bush has said it's a step toward universal coverage, which he opposes on philosophical grounds.

The program would double -- from 4 million to 8 million -- the number of children covered.

Eighteen Republicans joined all of the Democrats in voting to expand the program from its annual budget of $5 billion to $12 billion for the next five years.

The additional costs were to be largely paid for by additional taxes on cigarettes unlike the endless war which is borrowed funds and will have to be paid for by the same children he just refused health care.

President Bush is the worst President in United States history. 2009 can not come soon enough. Lets hope there is something left to salvage. The only silver lining is that George W. Bush is driving the Republican Party off the cliff.

Vote Vets Responds To Rush Limbaugh

While watching this understand that Rush Limbaugh never served in the military. He avoided service due to a cyst on his fat ass. Why does this drug addled gas bag still have a daily radio show? Where is the Republican outrage at his comments just days after they condemned MoveOn.org for questioning General Petraeus.

No Iraq Supplemental Until Course Change

President Bush will not get an Iraq war supplemental spending bill until he changes course on the war, House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) said Tuesday. The powerful lawmaker also voiced his support for a “war tax.”

“As chairman of the Appropriations Committee I have absolutely no intention of reporting out of committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo,” Obey told reporters.

He wants a war spending bill to end U.S. involvement in combat operations by January 2009, allow more rest time for troops between deployments and start a “diplomatic surge.”

Obey also came out in favor of Rep. James McGovern’s (D-Mass.) war tax proposal.

“If you don’t like the cost, then shut down the war,” Obey said in a news conference.

The tax would be intended to raise roughly $150 billion for the war. It would be a surtax of 2 to 15 percent of income tax. A 2 percent surtax means that a person who would otherwise pay $100 in taxes would pay $102.

Finally some rational thinking from one of our lawmakers. Until everyone has a vested interest in this war it will continue unabated. Americans have been asked to sacrifice nothing for the supposed greatest challenge of our lifetime. It is time for everyone to put up or shut up on Iraq.

Pending Home Sales At Record Low

Realtors report shows sharp drop in homes under contract, as mortgage lenders shut off financing needed to close deals.

The meltdown in the mortgage market in August dried up the supply of homeowners looking to sell, as an industry group reported the lowest recorded level of homes under contract.

The National Association of Realtors' pending home sales index fell to a record low of 85.5 from an upwardly revised 91.4 reading in July. That broke the previous low of 89.8 in September 2001, the period in which the terrorist attack shook buyer confidence. The trade group started the index in 2001.

This time the hit to home sales came from buyers having trouble finding the financing they needed to buy homes, coupled with the reluctance of some buyers to jump into the battered market.

"Fewer contracts were being written because of mortgage availability issues, and a separate internal survey of our members shows more than 10 percent of sales contracts fell through at the last moment in August, primarily the result of canceled loan commitments," said a statement from Lawrence Yun, senior economist for the group. "The volume of activity we're seeing today is below sustainable market fundamentals because some creditworthy people are trying to buy homes but can't because of the credit crunch."

Most lending institutions have raised the standards by which people can qualify for a loan. Those raised standards have made many people ineligible for the same loan that they could have qualified for during the rise of the housing market. The market which has a glut of homes will continue to see prices decline until this credit issue is resolved.

The pain in the housing industry is far from over and the indutries which rely on the houisng market will continue to face similar recessionary prewsures.

More Banks Could Join The Red-Flag Parade

After warnings by Citi and UBS, JPMorgan and others could follow with bad news of their own, though retail banking could lessen the pain.

Citigroup and UBS may not be the only banks breaking bad news to investors this month.

Analysts warn that other retail banks that report quarterly earnings in October, including JPMorgan Chase and Washington Mutual, could suffer similar pains.

Before Monday's opening bell, Citigroup warned that its third-quarter earnings could fall 60 percent because of its exposure to subprime-backed mortgage securities.

That announcement came just hours after Swiss-banking giant UBS said it would take a take a writedown of $3.4 billion and post a loss in the third quarter because of subprime-related losses.

The ones who will really get hurt by these results are the employees of these firms. I predict you will see layoffs at all these firms as they try to turn their financial results around. The workers who didn't create the problem will need to pay the price for the executive who knowingly created loans that they knew could not be paid back. As usual those who suffer most are those that deserve it least.

Bankruptcy 'tweak' could save 600,000 homes

Consumer group pushes for change to bankruptcy law; others worry about negative impact on mortgage-debt markets.

One consumer group estimates that 600,000 foreclosures could be avoided over the next two years by making a simple change to the bankruptcy code.

The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) calls it a tweak, but it could be a significant change for homeowners and the market for mortgage-backed securities.

CRL's proposal - reflected in a House bill recently introduced - would make changes to the regulations for Chapter 13 bankruptcies, which don't wipe out debts, but rather establish a repayment plan.

Under current law, when a person files for Ch. 13 bankruptcy, judges cannot reduce mortgage debt owed on a person's primary residence, although they may modify mortgages on investment property or second homes.

Under the House bill, the bankruptcy judge would have the option of reducing what the homeowner owes the lender. Say a homeowner's property is worth less than what he owes. The judge could reduce the principal to match the home's current market value as well as reduce the loan's interest rate.

The rest of the original principal would then be treated as unsecured. That means it becomes a lower priority for repayment than the borrower's secured debt, such as the newly reduced principal on his home. Unsecured debts may be discharged.

This is exactly what should be done. The homeowner gets some reprieve on what is owed and can negotiate a better loan and the bank avoids a costly foreclosure. Look for the pro business crowd to scream loudly that this will ruin the market but what other options are available? They should have been screaming when these lending institutions were making loans to people without proper documentation. Its amazing how quiet the business community is when they are making huge profits off the backs of those that can least afford it. It is time for them to feel the same pain as those they tricked into these awful loans.

New Plans For Iran

Read this New Yorker article from Seymour Hersh.

In a series of public statements in recent months, President Bush and members of his Administration have redefined the war in Iraq, to an increasing degree, as a strategic battle between the United States and Iran. "Shia extremists, backed by Iran, are training Iraqis to carry out attacks on our forces and the Iraqi people," Bush told the national convention of the American Legion in August. "The attacks on our bases and our troops by Iranian-supplied munitions have increased. . . . The Iranian regime must halt these actions. And, until it does, I will take actions necessary to protect our troops." He then concluded, to applause, "I have authorized our military commanders in Iraq to confront Tehran's murderous activities."

The President's position, and its corollary-that, if many of America's problems in Iraq are the responsibility of Tehran, then the solution to them is to confront the Iranians-have taken firm hold in the Administration. This summer, the White House, pushed by the office of Vice-President Dick Cheney, requested that the Joint Chiefs of Staff redraw long-standing plans for a possible attack on Iran, according to former officials and government consultants. The focus of the plans had been a broad bombing attack, with targets including Iran's known and suspected nuclear facilities and other military and infrastructure sites. Now the emphasis is on "surgical" strikes on Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities in Tehran and elsewhere, which, the Administration claims, have been the source of attacks on Americans in Iraq. What had been presented primarily as a counter-proliferation mission has been reconceived as counterterrorism.

The shift in targeting reflects three developments. First, the President and his senior advisers have concluded that their campaign to convince the American public that Iran poses an imminent nuclear threat has failed (unlike a similar campaign before the Iraq war), and that as a result there is not enough popular support for a major bombing campaign. The second development is that the White House has come to terms, in private, with the general consensus of the American intelligence community that Iran is at least five years away from obtaining a bomb. And, finally, there has been a growing recognition in Washington and throughout the Middle East that Iran is emerging as the geopolitical winner of the war in Iraq.

Perpetual war for perpetual profit seems to be the goal of this administration. With the rise of private armies, contracted by the United States government and paid for by its citizens, war is ever more likely. The cycle starts with no bid government contracts for these firms who then donate campaign funds to sympathetic lawmakers who in turn provide even more no bid contracts. The problem with all this is that if there is no conflict then there is no contract. War is necessary to continue making a profit. It is that fact that threatens our entire country. It is time to stop the privatization of our armed forces.

NetBank Shut Down By Federal Regulators

NetBank Inc., an online bank with $2.5 billion in assets, was shut down by the government on Friday because of an unsustainable level of mortgage defaults.

It was the largest thrift to fail since the tail end of the savings and loan crisis more than 14 years ago. Federal regulators appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as a receiver for Alpharetta, Ga.-based NetBank.

While dozens of mortgage companies have closed due to soaring defaults of home loans made to borrowers with weak, or subprime, credit, those problems previously had occurred among non-bank lenders, such as New Century Financial Corp. NetBank is federally regulated.

Loose mortgage standards in recent years - especially among lenders catering to subprime borrowers - have resulted in a spike in home loan defaults.

The FDIC said Friday that $1.5 billion of NetBank's insured deposits will be assumed by ING Bank, part of Dutch financial giant ING Groep NV.

NetBank, which had no physical branches, sustained significant losses last year "primarily due to early payment defaults on loans sold, weak underwriting, poor documentation, a lack of proper controls and failed business strategies," the Office of Thrift Supervision said in a statement.

Why does this matter? In the scheme of things NetBank is a very small player but why it failed could be the start of a domino effect that could rival the problems of the savings and loan industry of the early 1990's.

We should all be watching the financial results of our own banks to see what they are putting in reserve for bad loans. As the foreclosures continue to climb many small banks could be in the same position as NetBank and face closure. Will the American people be forced to once again bail out an industry that caused their own financial problems? The answer most likely is yes because without a bailout many of us could see our life savings lost in a financial meltdown.

Cheney In '92: "How Many Additional American Lives Is Saddam Worth...Not Very Damn Many"

General Peter Pace Is A Homophobe

I find it very funny that a man that kills people for a living claims his religion makes him feel gays and lesbians are immoral. I would ask him what religion does he follow that allowed him to invade an unarmed nation, destroy its infrastructure and kill scores of people. Phony asshole!!

Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Chickenhawk

Rush Limbaugh shows how he supports the troops.

During the September 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh called service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq "phony soldiers." He made the comment while discussing with a caller a conversation he had with a previous caller, "Mike from Chicago," who said he "used to be military," and "believe[s] that we should pull out of Iraq." Limbaugh told the second caller, whom he identified as "Mike, this one from Olympia, Washington," that "[t]here's a lot" that people who favor U.S. withdrawal "don't understand" and that when asked why the United States should pull out, their only answer is, " 'Well, we just gotta bring the troops home.' ... 'Save the -- keeps the troops safe' or whatever," adding, "[I]t's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people." "Mike" from Olympia replied, "No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media." Limbaugh interjected, "The phony soldiers." The caller, who had earlier said, "I am a serving American military, in the Army," agreed, replying, "The phony soldiers."

Why does anyone lisen to this drug addled gas bag? This fool calling anyone a phony soldier, after he got out of service because of a cyst on his ass, is laughable. Where is that same outrage that was directed at MoveOn? When will the Senate be voting on a resolution condemning this fool? Maybe he was high on hillbilly heroin when he said it. He should be in jail for his drug crimes but instead he is still making millions and talking garbage.

New Home Sales Hit 7 Year Low

Sales weaker than forecasts as lower prices can't clear out glut; pace of sales falls to levels not seen since June 2000.

The pace of new home sales fell to a seven-year low in August, according to a government report Thursday that showed the battered housing and home building markets even weaker than forecasts.

New homes sold at an annual pace of 795,000 in August, according to the Census Bureau, down 8 percent from the revised 867,000 sales pace in July.

It was the slowest pace of sales since June 2000, as buyers had trouble finding mortgages or selling their existing homes. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast that sales would fall to a pace of 825,000.

The report also showed the median price of a new home fell 7.4 percent from year earlier levels to $225,700 in the month, as prices were pressured by both the problems in mortgage finance and the excess supply of homes on the market.

The inventory of new homes on the market rose to an 8.2 month supply, as the glut of completed homes without a buyer was near a record high, with 180,000 completed homes listed for sale, just off the record high of 182,000 set in May of this year.

Can the entire housing market decline be blamed on just the mortgage meltdown or could it be that the affordability index, which is at an all time low, has played an equally important part of the housing market decline? In my area of New York it would be very hard to find many people who could afford their own home in today's market.

In the end it is all supply and demand and when the supply is overpriced the demand is low. How far will the prices fall? I believe in many areas you could see declines of 20% before this correction is over. The market needs to be affordable in order to grow. At present prices it is still unaffordable for most and this report on sales proves that point.

Economy Shows Growth, But Misses Forecasts

Revised GDP reading shows that economy expanded at 3.8% pace, but credit crunch impact looms.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the economy grew at a 3.8 percent annual rate in the April-to-June quarter, the strongest showing in just over a year. Although the new reading for the second quarter was slightly less robust than a previous estimate of a 4 percent growth rate, it nonetheless marked a substantial improvement over the feeble 0.6 percent growth rate registered in the prior quarter.

The increase in the rate of growth, though, is likely to be fleeting. A deepening housing slump and a painful credit crunch since the spring has darkened the mood of individuals and businesses alike. That has led analysts to predict that economic growth has slowed considerably in the quarter that ends Sunday.

The National Association for Business Economics says it believes growth in the third quarter - the period from July through September - slowed to a pace of around 2.4 percent. It predicts the growth rate in the final three months of this year will be around 2.5 percent. Others think growth will turn out to be weaker than those projections.

The fourth quarter actual growth numbers could turn out to be very disappointing as the credit crunch and the housing market decline will make its way into all areas of the economy. I believe that all industries associated with the housing market will show recession like numbers and that this will continue well into 2008.

Our economy has been operating on a borrow now pay later strategy for years as Americans borrowed on their home values to keep up a lifestyle that their incomes really could not afford. It appears the time to pay the piper may finally be here for both the American citizen and the American government. The pain may be a lot worse than people expect. Our dollar is declining daily while our deficit grows and the Federal Reserve keeps interest rates artificially low to ward off recession. Our manufacturing base is gone and even a declining dollar has not done much to correct our trade imbalance because we simply do not manufacture much here anymore.

The American middle class which was once the envy of the world is in quick decline. Are you really middle class if you need to constantly borrow to afford a middle class lifestyle? The answer to that question is obviously no but we continue to operate under the false illusion that it is true.

War Money Yes, Child's Health Care No

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is seeking nearly 190 billion dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008, the largest war funding request ever in the six-year-old "war on terror," the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Gates was scheduled to testify later before a Senate committee on the request, which was 42.3 billion dollars greater than the administration's estimate when it presented its 2008 budget request in February.

"This additional 42.3 billion dollars puts us at just under 190 billion dollars for the global war on terror supplemental request for 2008 -- 189.3 billion dollars," said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary.

So $189 Billion dollars for war is necessary but children's health care is not. The House overwhelmingly passed an increase in the State Children's Health Insurance Program but the President has promised a veto.

Democrats clearly believe they have a winning issue with the State Children's Health Insurance Program legislation, so they're pulling out all the props. Yesterday, children were brought to press conferences around Washington. On the heels of a resounding 265-159 approval in the House last night, it was the Senate's chance to turn up the heat on President Bush, who has threatened to veto the $35 billion increase in children's health insurance funding.

This is an example of the President's priorities. There is always enough money for war but never enough to help the citizens of the country who will pay for the war for a generation.

The $189 billion requested is not part of the national deficit. It is done as a supplemental spending bill and is not included in yearly fiscal deficit numbers. When you hear the deficit has fallen remember that not everything is counted. The math is dishonest as is everything associated with this administration.

The American people need to stand up and demand an end to this war and the fiscal ruination that is being slowly perpetrated. Until we fully understand the strangehold of the military industrial complex on our government, we will forever be involved in military conflicts that enrich the few at the expense of many.

Home Sales Continue Spiral Down

Sales of existing homes drop for 13th consecutive month.

Housing markets continued to slump across the nation in August as the number of existing homes sold dropped for the 13th straight month, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors.

Sales fell 4.3 percent from July to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.50 million. Sales have fallen 12.8 percent since last August's pace of 6.31 million homes.

Lawrence Yun, senior economist for NAR, blamed much on the loss on the current credit crunch. "The unusual disruptions in the mortgage market, including a significant rise in jumbo loan rates, resulted in a fairly high number of postponed or cancelled sales, with many buyers having to search for other financing when loan commitments fell through," he said in a statement.

The slump pushed up the inventory glut to 4.58 million existing homes, the highest level in 16 years. There is now a 10-month supply of homes on the market at the present rate of sales.

They keep telling us the U.S. economy is healthy yet the housing market has collapsed, the Federal Reserve felt a rate cut was necessary to ward off inflation and the U.S. dollar continues its free fall. Now that is a good economy.

Violent Crime Is On The Rise

Violent crime in the United States rose more than previously believed in 2006, continuing the most significant increase in more than a decade, according to an FBI report released yesterday.

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program found that robberies surged by 7.2 percent and homicides rose 1.8 percent from 2005 to 2006. Violent crime overall rose 1.9 percent, substantially more than an increase of 1.3 percent estimated in a preliminary FBI report in June.

The jump was the second in two years, following a 2.3 percent rise in 2005. Taken together, the two years represent the first steady increase in violent crime since 1993, FBI records show.

The uptick presents a significant political challenge for the Bush administration, which has faced growing criticism from congressional Democrats, big-city mayors and police chiefs for presiding over cuts in federal assistance to local law enforcement agencies over the past six years.

This is just another in a long list of consequences of electing Mr. Bush. War is expensive and cuts in assistance to local law enforcement can be directly tied to the rising crime rates. Can anyone think of one benefit to this nation of having had a Republican Congress and Republican President for the past six years? Unless you are a contractor like Halliburton or Blackwater I would say the answer is no.

US Says Iran Smuggling Missiles to Iraq

The drumbeat for war with Iran grows.

The U.S. military accused Iran on Sunday of smuggling surface-to-air missiles and other advanced weapons into Iraq for use against American troops. The new allegations came as Iraqi leaders condemned the latest U.S. detention of an Iranian in northern Iraq, saying the man was in their country on official business.

Military spokesman Rear Adm. Mark Fox said U.S. troops were continuing to find Iranian-supplied weaponry including the Misagh 1, a portable surface-to-air missile that uses an infrared guidance system.

Other advanced Iranian weaponry found in Iraq includes the RPG-29 rocket-propelled grenade, 240 mm rockets and armor-piercing roadside bombs known as explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, Fox said.

Wake up America before we are at war with Iran and the disaster that is Iraq will look like a day at Disney World in comparison. Without strong vocal opposition from the American people it is nearly certain that we will use military force against the supposed Iranian nuclear program. As our illustroius President said "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, it's probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. It fool me. We can't get fooled again."

Hillary Clinton Will Vote No On Additional Funding For The Iraq War

I am probably one of the few that understand why Hillary Clinton voted for the war authorization in the first place. I believe she was in a uniquely difficult position on this vote. Had she voted against the authorization to use force and weapons were found she would have looked weak. Having spent eight years in a White House that also believed weapons of mass destruction may still be in Iraq, a vote against the authorization would have been spun into a rebuke of her husband's policies during his Presidency. Those who insist that she apologize for that vote don't understand the extra scrutiny that she is subjected to as a result of being the right wings number one hated person. Do I agree with her vote, absolutely not, but I can understand politically why she made that choice. I am not supporting Hillary Clinton for President, actually I have not decided whom to support. Her remarks on "Meet The Press" today were firm against continuing this war and she understands the only way to stop it is to vote against additional spending. I applaud her for this firm stance.

Bush To Nations Poor Children - Screw You

Why is it that there is never a question about the Iraq War being too expensive?

President Bush again called Democrats "irresponsible" on Saturday for pushing an expansion he opposes to a children's health insurance program.

"Democrats in Congress have decided to pass a bill they know will be vetoed," Bush said of the measure that draws significant bipartisan support, repeating in his weekly radio address an accusation he made earlier in the week. "Members of Congress are risking health coverage for poor children purely to make a political point."

In the Democrat's response, also broadcast Saturday, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell turned the tables on the president, saying that if Bush doesn't sign the bill, 15 states will have no funding left for the program by the end of the month.

At issue is the Children's Health Insurance Program, a state-federal program that subsidizes health coverage for low-income people, mostly children, in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private coverage. It expires Sept. 30.

This President is an immoral fool. Health care for poor and lower income children is bad but no bid contracts for Halliburton and Blackwater are neccessary. Where is his outrage when it is proven that Halliburton has overcharged the American taxpayer? Where is his outrage that $9 billion dollars is missing in Iraq? Where is his outrage that after billions have been spent on reconstruction that cholera is now in Baghdad as a result of unclean water? Where is his outrage that after billions of dollars in contracts, they still have nearly no electricity in most parts of Iraq? Where is his outrage after his close friend Ray L. Hunt sealed a deal for Iraqi Oil.

President Bush is the WORST damn President in our history. His corruption knows no bounds. I dare him to veto this bill and tell the nations poor children that they mean nothing to him. He is no better than the corrupt despots he rails against and in some ways he is worse. January 2009 can not come soon enough for the American people and for the rest of the world who see this fool for what he is - an incompetent corrupt sociopath.

How Bush Became The New Saddam

Read this article from Canada's Maclean Magazine.

Cholera Hits Baghdad

The benefits of the U.S. occupation keep growing for the Iraqi people.

More than 1,500 people have cholera in Iraq and the outbreak has spread from the north to Baghdad, where conditions are ripe for the disease to thrive, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.

Some 29,000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea have been reported by Iraqi authorities since mid-August, including 1,500 confirmed as cholera, the United Nations health agency said. At least 10 people have died, all in the north.

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said a 25-year-old woman in Baghdad has contracted cholera, the first confirmed case in the Iraqi capital.

"For the time being, we have only one case (in Baghdad). It's likely that others will be identified," Chaib told a news briefing. She said the woman was in a Baghdad hospital and two other people with suspected symptoms were under investigation.

Claire-Lise Chaignat, the WHO's global cholera coordinator, said poor sanitary conditions could cause the disease to spread in Baghdad, home to some 7 million people.

"It's already an epidemic in the north. It is very worrying because parts of Baghdad have fragile water and sanitation systems due to the conflict. Pockets of the population are at high risk," the Swiss expert told Reuters.

These people have no clean water, not enough electricity and then we wonder why they hate us. They were better under Saddam Hussein. Having to say that and knowing it is true makes me sick. We destroyed a country and its people by choice.

Giuliani - Balance a Tax Cut With More Tax Cuts

This is Republican economics, tax cuts to offset the tax cuts.

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Friday that the alternative minimum tax — which is expected to generate as much as $1 trillion over the next 10 years — could be eliminated by balancing it out with even more tax cuts.

Giuliani's remarks prompted a bewildered response from his audience of technology executives. Both Republicans and Democrats said they assumed that the candidate must have misspoke as he responded to a question about the tax and its affect the middle class.
Giuliani left the speech without taking questions from reporters. His campaign did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The alternative minimum tax, or AMT, was enacted in 1969 to ensure that a handful of wealthy taxpayers could not exploit a series of loopholes to avoid paying any income taxes.

This man is not ready to be the President of anything. He is a worthless tool who either is too stupid to understand economics or more likely is just pandering to the right wing base which assumes that God will provide for everything so why have taxes.

The Dollar Keeps Tumbling

That loud sound you hear is the thud of the declining dollar.

For the first time since Gerald Ford was president, the loonie can buy as much as the greenback. The U.S. dollar's recent decline against the Canadian dollar, the euro, and even the Indian rupee, means Americans will pay more for imports and trips to Paris, Rome, Bangalore and Toronto. It also may drive overseas demand for U.S. goods and help raise profits at U.S. multinational corporations.

The U.S. dollar reached 1-to-1 parity against the Canadian dollar Thursday for the first time since November 1976. That means one Canadian dollar now buys one U.S. dollar, so a bottle of maple syrup could cost an American as much in Toronto as it does in New York.

Do you think that this does not matter, then think again. A weak dollar means eventually interest rates will need to be raised to offset the lower value of the dollar. Without that it will be hard to sell U.S. bonds and finance our debt. This is the result of economic policies rooted in politics instead of public policy. When the economy falls flat --- and it will --- this will be one of the major reasons. The Federal Reserve rate cut this week is beginning to look more like a desperate measure to head off a deeper recession than we are being led to believe. That is just my opinion but I have been right about most of my predictions so far.

This Is How The Republicans Support The Troops

Senate Republicans Block Bill on Iraq Combat Tours Doesn't that title just warm your heart? The Republicans could care less about the troops. What further proof do you need?

Democrats' efforts to challenge President Bush's Iraq policies were dealt a demoralizing blow Wednesday in the Senate after they failed to scrape together enough support to guarantee troops more time at home.

The 56-44 vote _ four short of reaching the 60 needed to advance _ all but assured that Democrats would be unable to muster the support needed to pass tough anti-war legislation by year's end. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., was seen as the Democrats' best shot because of its pro-military premise.

"The idea of winning the war in Iraq is beginning to get a second look," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who led opposition to the bill alongside Sen. John McCain.

Webb's legislation would have required that troops spend as much time at home training with their units as they spend deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Members of the National Guard or Reserve would be guaranteed three years at home before being sent back.

They require 60 votes to stop a filibuster and the Democrats fell four short. One of those siding with the Republicans was Joe Lieberman. The people of Connecticut should be ashamed of themselves that they sent this worthless piece of garbage back to the Senate. Our troops and their families are being destroyed by ever longer tours of duty. This amendment would have allowed them equal time at home. If the Republicans are the party of family values how could they block this legislation?

I have heard the Randi Rhodes of Air America state "If they show you who they are believe them." This is who they are!! Actions speak louder than words. Remember that when you go to vote.

August Foreclosure Filings Highest Since Jan 05

Foreclosure filings rose 36 percent in August from July and 115 percent from a year ago, hit by declines in once-hot housing markets such as California, Nevada and Florida, according to a report released on Tuesday.

RealtyTrac's U.S. Foreclosure Market Report found the number of foreclosure filings in August -- default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions -- was 243,947, the highest since it began its monthly report in January 2005, just months before the housing boom peaked.

That translates into one foreclosure filing in August for every 510 households, also a high for the RealtyTrac report.

"The jump in foreclosure filings this month might be the beginning of the next wave of increased foreclosure activity, as a large number of subprime adjustable rate loans are beginning to reset now," James Saccacio, RealtyTrac's chief executive, said in statement.

Will the Federal Reserve rate cut help homeowners who are close to foreclosure? The answer is probably no since many banks have raised their underwriting standards and whatever equity these homeowners had has evaporated with the housing price decline. This will make many of them unable to qualify for any loan.

Federal Reserve Cuts Fed Funds Rate

The Federal Reserve lowered a key interest rate by a more than expected 50 basis points. That move sent the Dow Jones and all other indices soaring.

Stocks rallied Tuesday after the Federal Reserve cut a key short-term interest rate by a half-percentage point, reassuring investors that it was taking aggressive action amid the credit and mortgage market meltdown.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 335 points, or around 2.5 percent, according to early tallies. The broader S&P 500 index gained around 2.9 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 2.7 percent. The Russell 2000 small-cap index gained almost 4 percent.

Was this sort of exuberance warranted? I woulod think a bold move like this would indicate that the Federal Reserve realizes that the credit problems and the subprime mortgage mess may be worse than previously thought.

Just a few months back the Federal Reserve felt that inflationary pressures were the greatest risk to the economy. A move like this shows they are willing to deal with inflationary issues if it keeps the economy from tipping into recession. Will this move be enough to calm the jittery markets?

This could be helpful for many families facing foreclosure who may now be able to afford the new payments on their loans once they are adjusted. Will enough families be helped to stop the slide in the real estate market? My guess is no. Only time will tell but tomorrow may show that traders realized after the closing bell that the steep cut wasn't reason to rejoice but reason to worry.

Blackwater Asked To Leave Iraq

Blackwater, the private military company was asked to leave Iraq after a shoot out in Mansour that left civilians dead.

The Iraqi government has ordered employees of the North Carolina-based security firm Blackwater USA to leave the country and is opening a criminal investigation following Sunday’s deadly shootout in Mansour, during which a group of Blackwater contractors escorting a convoy of U.S. officials opened fire on nearby civilians.

Just who is Blackwater and how did they get such lucrative U.S. contracts? Watch this short film and learn how your tax dollars are being used to develop a private army whose goal is profit and where deaths of soldiers and civilians is just a business expense.

Is Israel Helping the U.S. Create A Case For War With Iran?

Israelis ‘blew apart Syrian nuclear cache’

IT was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is crossed the Syrian coast-line. On the ground, Syria’s formidable air defences went dead. An audacious raid on a Syrian target 50 miles from the Iraqi border was under way.

At a rendezvous point on the ground, a Shaldag air force commando team was waiting to direct their laser beams at the target for the approaching jets. The team had arrived a day earlier, taking up position near a large underground depot. Soon the bunkers were in flames.

Ten days after the jets reached home, their mission was the focus of intense speculation this weekend amid claims that Israel believed it had destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea.

The Israeli government was not saying. “The security sources and IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] soldiers are demonstrating unusual courage,” said Ehud Olmert, the prime minister. “We naturally cannot always show the public our cards.”

Why was nuclear materials headed for Syria? Were these really nuclear materials or is this part of a propaganda campaign to get the American people ready for a third war with a Muslim country.

But why would nuclear material be in Syria? Known to have chemical weapons, was it seeking to bolster its arsenal with something even more deadly?

Alternatively, could it be hiding equipment for North Korea, enabling Kim Jong-il to pretend to be giving up his nuclear programme in exchange for economic aid? Or was the material bound for Iran, as some authorities in America suggest?

Can you see the subtle way Iran is being implicated in this supposed shipment? Can we believe our own government? Just having to ask that question shows how distrust for our current government runs deep. I know I am not the only one with questions. Isn't it just a bit too coincidental that just days after this supposed raid, the President in a prime time address ratcheted up the militaristic talk about Iran?

The American people need to be aware that they are being played to support a war that could make Iraq look like a trip to Disney World.

The End Of Oil

A small - but growing - group of experts think world oil production will peak in the next few years, to devastating effect.

At some point in the near future, worldwide oil production will peak, then decline rapidly, causing depression-like conditions or even the starvation of billions across the globe.

That's the worst-case scenario for subscribers to the "peak oil" theory, who generally believe oil production has either topped out or will do so in the next couple of years.

With growing world demand in places such as India and China and a decrease in supply, at the very least we are looking at economic upheaval not seen on such a large scale in world history.

Richard Heinberg, a research fellow at the Post Carbon Institute and author of three books on peak oil says world production of regular crude oil actually peaked in May 2005. He also says production in 33 of the 48 largest oil producing countries is in decline, and that global oil discoveries peaked in 1964.

Most importantly, he says reserves in the Middle East, where EIA predicts the bulk of new supply will come from, have been "systematically overstated."

"Everyone just takes their figures at face value," Heinberg said. "But they are national oil companies, they can't be audited."

Instead of production ramping up to 118 million barrels per day, Heinberg sees a plateau over the next few years, then gradual declines beginning in 2010.

By 2015, he says the rate of decline will accelerate as field after field runs dry and few new supplies are found. By 2030, the world could be looking at powering its economy on 30 million barrels a day.

"It's going to be an enormous shock to the global system," said Heinberg. "We're talking something on the order of the Great Depression, perhaps much worse."

The Bush administration has done nothing to move us to alternate sources of energy in fact they have started a war to steal the resources of another nation. Alan Greenspan, the former head of the Federal Reserve has said that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil. Where is the leadership on this issue? As long as Big Oil has friends in high places, people will keep dying over oil and the world will move ever closer to economic devastation.

We ignore "Peak Oil" and the discovery of new energy sources at our own peril.

Alberto Gonzales Has Left The Building

The worst Attorney General in U.S. history has formally stepped down from the post.

Resigning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales left the scandal-scarred Justice Department on Friday, declaring himself hopeful about its mission of ferreting out crime and defending the truth. Gonzales quit after 2 1/2 years at the department amid investigations into whether he broke the law and lied to Congress. He has denied any wrongdoing.

President Bush is expected to announce a nominee next week to replace his longtime friend and fellow Texan.

In a Friday morning speech, Gonzales said his time at the Justice Department made him determined to fight terrorists and sexual predators and crack down on guns, drugs and gang violence plaguing the nation's neighborhoods.

"Over the past two and a half years, I have seen tyranny, dishonesty, corruption and depravity of types I never thought possible,"

That is what happens when you work for a criminal administration and you yourself are a dishonest slug. The tyranny, depravity, dishonesty and corruption are the modus operandi of the current Republican party as led by the depraved and tyrannical moron we call President Bush. Mr. Gonzales should now crawl back under the rock that he came out of. Good riddance Gonzo.

Consumer Confidence Tumbles

Consumer Confidence Tumbles in September.

Shaken by housing and credit woes, peoples' confidence in the economy sank to its lowest point in nearly 1 1/2 years, raising fresh worries about their appetite to spend in the months ahead.

The RBC Cash Index showed consumer confidence clocking in at 71.1 in September, a sharp drop from August's reading of 89.3. It marked the worst showing since May 2006. The index is based on the results of international polling firm Ipsos.

''Consumers are rattled to the bone, '' Richard Yamarone, economist at Argus Research, said of the latest confidence reading.

The deterioration comes as Wall Street has been suffering through a mood swing of its own, sending stock prices careering wildly. The deeper consumer angst also comes after troubling news last week that the economy lost jobs for the first time in four years.

Against this backdrop, analysts say the chance the economy might fall into a recession is growing.

Consumers are finally realizing that the debt they have accumulated and their inability to save are a very dangerous combination in an economic downturn.

I have said since I started this site that a recession was looming. I am standing by that prediction and with reports like this coming out, its a safe prediction to make. The lower and middle classes will be especially hard hit since they lack the savings that sustained them through the last recession.

The next President will inherit a mess on nearly every front. Why anyone would want the job after this moron has basically destroyed the country is beyond me.

Bush says Troops Will Be In Iraq After He Leaves Office

Bush Orders Gradual Troop Cuts in Iraq

President Bush, defending an unpopular war, ordered gradual reductions in U.S. forces in Iraq on Thursday night and said, "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home."

Yet, Bush firmly rejected calls to end the war, insisting that Iraq will still need military, economic and political support from Washington after his presidency ends.

Bush said that 5,700 U.S. forces would be home by Christmas and that four brigades _ for a total of at least 21,500 troops _ would return by July, along with an undetermined number of support forces. Now at its highest level of the war, the U.S. troop strength stands at 168,000.

"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is: return on success," the president said, trying to summon the nation's resolve once again to help Iraq "defeat those who threaten its future and also threaten ours."

Basically what he said is that we will eventually get to pre-surge troop levels but we will maintain a 130,000 troop force until at least he leaves office. It is time for the American people to say enough is enough and that not one more American life is worth being lost in this disaster.

There has been no measurable progress in Iraq no matter what General Petraeus,"the ass-kissing little chickenshit" tell us. Petraeus's superior, Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command(Centcom) needs to be called before Congress to give his sworn testimony.

His version of the situation on the ground is much different than General Petraeus who may have designs on the Presidency of the United States. Just what we need, someone else using the troops as props for political reasons.

Ex-Chiquita Execs Won't Face Bribe Charges

On August 3, 2007 I posted this entry about Chiquita International and its support of a terrorist organization in Columbia. The Justice Department has told Ex-Chiquita Executives (and Big Bush Supporters) that they would not face criminal charges.

The multibillion-dollar banana company pleaded guilty earlier this year to making $1.7 million in illegal payments to a right-wing Colombian paramilitary group from 1997 to 2004. Until now, three of its officers were under investigation for authorizing and approving the payments to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC, after federal prosecutors warned them in April 2003 that such bribes violated the nation's anti-terrorism laws.

"The United States gave serious consideration to bringing additional charges in this matter," prosecutors wrote in a memo filed in court yesterday. "In the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, the United States has decided not do so."

Of the 10 company officials with potential liability, those most under scrutiny were former Chiquita chief executive Cyrus Freidheim, former general counsel Robert Olson and former board member Roderick M. Hills, according to sources close to the probe. They and Chiquita had argued that the three men, who had disclosed the "protection money" payments to Justice officials, kept them going while awaiting advice that never came from then-Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff and then-Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson.

If this had been a Muslim that had sent funds unwittingly to a charity that later supported terrorists in the Middle East, you can bet that person would have been sent straight to Guantanimo.

Political donations really do pay off!! Pay to play is alive and well in the United States.

Oil Tops 80.00 Per Barrel

New record for crude as government reports big drop in supplies; Alaska production slowdown, Gulf storms add to worries.

U.S. light crude for October delivery set a trading high of $80.18 late in the session before pulling back slightly to settle at $79.91 a barrel, still up $1.68 a barrel and another record close. The old trading high was $78.77 a barrel hit Aug. 1.

In its weekly inventory report, the Energy Information Administration said crude stocks plunged by 7.1 million barrels last week. Analysts were looking for a drop of 2.7 million barrels according to a Dow Jones poll.

A reported slowdown in production from Alaska's North Slope, as well as a gathering storm in the Gulf of Mexico also pushed prices higher.

Get ready for the rise at the pumps very soon. We must make alternate sources of energy our top priority if we are ever to get out from underneath the strange hold of crude oil and the multinational oil companies. It is not just for the economic survival of our nation but it should be a top homeland security issue as well. We all know that our soldiers are dying in Iraq as a result of an "Oil War". What would be poetic justice is if oil was rendered worthless and the big oil companies impotent.

We need a new direction in this nation away from fossil fuels. Will we elect someone with the leadership to bring us to that goal? If we do not we will soon be a former superpower on our way to being a third world nation.

The Next Big Republican Sex Scandal?

I am an avid fan of Michelangelo Signorile of Sirius OutQ. Yesterday he interviewed Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend. Together they are two of the best voices out there for the Gay Community.

Yesterday they discussed the latest Republican Sex Scandal. This scandal is very juicy and includes murder, a love triangle and possibly a Republican Congressman. Take 20 minutes from your day and listen to this.

From Jon Soltz of Vote Vets over at the Huffington Post:

General Petraeus today made a stunning admission, conceding "I don't know" if the course of action recommended in Iraq makes America safer:

WARNER: I hope in the recesses of your heart that you know that strategy will continue the casualties, stress on our forces, stress on military families, stress on all Americans. Are you able to say at this time, if we continue what you have laid before the Congress, this strategy, that if you continue, you are making America safer?

PETRAEUS: Sir, I believe that this is indeed the best course of action to achieve our objections in Iraq.

WARNER: Does that make America safer?

PETRAEUS: Sir, I don't know actually. I have not sat down and sorted out in my own mind. What I have focused on and been riveted on is how to accomplish the mission of the Multinational Force in Iraq.


This exchange verifies the argument VoteVets.org has been making, that General Petraeus' job is not to take those things into account, and therefore the President is hiding behind General Petraeus.

Let me explain.

General Petraeus was given an order -- find a military solution for Iraq where there is none, and without concern for troop overextension or the larger war on terror. General Petraeus followed his orders, giving the president what he wanted to hear, and now the president will hide behind that to justify his failure as a commander in chief.

General Petraeus has a very limited area of concern -- the US military in Iraq -- and his testimony today reflected that.

When one looks at the grander scale, past just the military in Iraq, the picture is dismal, and becoming a critical danger. From the Government Accountability Office report to Congressional Research Service report to the report by General Jones, it is clear that there has been no political reconciliation overall in Iraq or increased security, despite our military's strongest efforts.

From Admiral Fallon to Admiral Mullen, those above General Petraeus in the chain of command are telling the president that this war is hurting our military and our global security. The president has chosen to ignore all of this, in favor of a report based on a false premise with faulty findings, signed by a General with a very limited scope of concern. Call it denial, or call it stubbornness, or whatever you want; it all boils down to the same thing -- this president still refuses to listen to those he needs to listen to, in favor of those who tell him what he wants to hear.

Unwittingly, General Petraeus just confirmed all of that in the exchange above, today.

September 11th

We all remember where we were on that infamous day. I was in my office when a co-worker told me that a plane had hit one of the towers. Soon afterwards we heard about the second tower. My company did a lot of business with Cantor Fitzgerald so we all knew that there were most likely people we had spoken to who were now dead.

People in my office were crying and afraid. We all wondered what had really happened. When we found out what had really happened we were all in stunned silence. At that point I wanted those who did this to pay. I threw my support totally behind President Bush. I did not vote for him but in a time of crisis we rally together. How six years have changed everything.

Osama Bin Laden is alive and well and making videotapes and President Bush says he does not spend a lot of time on him. Oh really Mr. President? The man that killed 3000 of our people is not worth your thoughts yet invading the wrong country is? Your actions since 9/11 have destroyed two countries. Iraq and Afghanistan lead the world in suicide bombings. The civilian death toll in Iraq by some accounts has passed 500,000 and the number of dead soldiers is close to 3800. The standing of America in the world is the lowest in my lifetime after being the highest after 9/11.

For most people actions have consequences but for George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden life works differently and the entire world suffers as a result.

The Bloodbath in The Mortgage Industry Continues

Countrywide Cuts Foretell Loss of U.S. Mortgage Jobs

The worst U.S. housing slump in 16 years may lead mortgage companies to eliminate almost 100,000 jobs, more than double the number already cut this year.

As many as 20 percent of the nation's real estate loan officers and mortgage brokers will be fired, according to Josh Rosner, managing director at the New York investment research firm Graham Fisher & Co. That's in addition to the 10 percent reduction from December to July that thinned their ranks to 450,000 as investors stopped buying mortgages and lenders curtailed financing to avoid rising subprime defaults.

``Originations are going to decline dramatically,'' Rosner said. ``We are just at the front-end of seeing the large banks and investment banks start to cut their capacity.''

Countrywide Financial Corp. said Sept. 7 it will cut 10,000 to 12,000 jobs. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the biggest underwriter of mortgage-backed bonds, and IndyMac Bancorp Inc., the second-biggest U.S. home-loan company, also announced job reductions last week.

At least 100 mortgage companies have sought buyers or halted lending since the start of 2006, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. A record number of Americans faced foreclosures in the second quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington reported last week.

The housing bubble didn't just burst, it exploded all over the whole economy and will have chilling effects on many industries. Unfortunately the pain is just starting and could get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

The Iraqi People Are Against the Surge

If the Iraqi people are against the surge and they are a sovereign nation, why are we still there?

According to this latest poll, in key areas - security and the conditions for political dialogue, reconstruction and economic development - between 67 and 70% of Iraqis, or more than two-thirds, say the surge has made things worse.

All this as the political battle is about to erupt again in Washington over the future of the US mission.

The Bush administration is insisting progress is being made and that the surge needs more time.

Who are you going to believe, the people of Iraq or President Bush? That choice is pretty easy. They want us out and this poll speaks volumes about the believability of the Petraeus testimony. What an absolute mess!!!

General Petraeus Testifies

The administration's mouthpiece on Iraq talks to Congress but can he be believed?

The 30,000 additional troops deployed to Iraq in January could come home by next July, but further American withdrawals would be "premature," the U.S. commander there told a fractious congressional hearing Monday.

"Our experience in Iraq has repeatedly shown that projecting too far into the future is not just difficult, it can be misleading and even hazardous," Gen. David Petraeus said at a joint hearing of the House Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees. "The events of the past six months underscore that point."

The real question is will the Democrats be able to stop this trainwreck? They do not have the 60 votes necessary to force the President to set a timetable for withdrawal and they do not have the 67 votes that would be needed to override a certain veto.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said in a statement, "Today, despite overwhelming evidence that neither goal has been achieved, Gen. Petraeus testified that the surge would last at least until next summer. This is simply unacceptable."

She added, "The president's strategy in Iraq has failed. It is time to change the mission of our troops to one that will promote regional stability and combat terrorism, so that the numbers of our brave men and women in uniform in Iraq can be reduced on a much more aggressive timetable than the one outlined today by Gen. Petraeus."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said, "Our enemies around the globe gain great advantage by having the United States mired in an Iraqi civil war."

President Bush and General Petraeus will make a token withdrawal of one or two brigades to show they are moving in a different direction but this will be a lie. Their intention is for a permanent occupation of Iraq. Their actions speak volumes. It is up to the American people to demand an end to this war or it could very well last as long or longer than Vietnam with a similar result.

Is The Bin Laden Tape a Fake

I was suspicious but it seems maybe there is some proof that this was a fake.

Osama Bin Laden's widely publicized video address to the American people has a peculiarity that casts serious doubt on its authenticity: the video freezes at about 1 minute and 36 58 seconds, and motion only resumes again at 12:30. The video then freezes again at 14:02 remains frozen until the end. All references to current events, such as the 62nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan, and Sarkozy and Brown being the leaders of France and the UK, respectively, occur when the video is frozen! The words spoken when the video is in motion contain no references to contemporary events and could have been (and likely were) made before the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

The audio track does appear to be in the voice of a single speaker. What I suspect was done is that an older, unreleased video was dubbed over for this release, with the video frozen when the audio track departed from that of the original video.

Who would want to trick the American people? Is it just me or do other people doubt this guy is still alive? The American government as well as al-Qaeda have a vested interest in keeping the myth of Bin Laden alive and well.

Are There More Gay Outings Coming for the GOP

It seems there are more Gays in the Repoublican Party than at a Bette Midler concert. Self loathing seems to be second to these hypocrites, right after tax cuts. From the The Pensito Review:

In the wake of closeted Sen. Larry Craig’s self-outing in an airport men’s room this summer, Mike Rogers, the Washington-based publisher of blogActive who outed Craig, is threatening to reveal the secret sexual identities of two leading GOP senators, while two allegedly gay Republican congressmen are making headlines and drawing unwelcome attention to themselves, the timing of which could not be worse.

The senators are Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, from Kentucky. More about them below but first let’s look at two allegedly closeted members of the House, representatives Patrick McHenry and David Drier, who have been in the news lately.

Read the rest of this stunning article here.

Taking A Stroll Through Baghdad

The surge must be successful, right? Watch this and then tell me that you can believe the dog and pony show put out by those that support this war.

Senator Chuck Hagel To Retire

Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel plans to retire at the end of this Congress, adding to the challenge already facing the GOP in its effort to regain control of the Senate in the 2008 elections.

Hagel, who has recently gained national visibility as a critic of President Bush’s Iraq policy, has been exploring a run for the White House. He faced a possible primary challenge from the right if he sought a new Senate term.

Bypassing a run for re-election would give Hagel more freedom to chart an independent course during the remaining 15 months of his term. He has been among a handful of Senate Republicans willing to challenge Bush by supporting Democratic efforts to legislatively force an Iraq troop withdrawal or put pressure on the president to agree to a withdrawal timetable. Hagel, a Vietnam combat veteran, voted to authorize military action against Iraq but later turned against the war.

Hagel was one of two Senate Republicans who voted in March 2007 for a war funding bill (HR 1591), which Bush later vetoed, that would have set a March 31, 2008 goal for withdrawal of troops. In June, Hagel was among four Senate Republicans who backed an unsuccessful effort to limit debate and bring to a vote a withdrawal timeline offered as an amendment to the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill (HR 1585).

Hagel, who has a conservative voting record on most other issues, is a member of the Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Rules and Administration; and Select Intelligence committees.

Hagel joins Warner, Allard and Craig who will not be seeking re-election. "Wide Stance" Craig will be resigning at the end of September due to his bathroom antics in Minneapolis.

It is being said that Bob Kerrey, the former Senator from Nebraska, may seek the seat. This will force the Republican party to spend campaign funds on a race that would have been safe.

The republicans have only themselves to blame for their current mess. It was Karl Rove's plan to make a permanent Republican majority. It now looks like exactly the opposite will happen. The Republicans are out of touch with normal Americans but were able to keep fooling the voting public, but as the nitwit President once said "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again."

Most People Do Not Believe Gen. Petraeus Will Be Truthful

Wide Skepticism Ahead of Assessment:
Poll Respondents Doubt Petraeus Will Give True Picture of Situation in Iraq

Most Americans think this week's report from Army Gen. David H. Petraeus will exaggerate progress in Iraq, and few expect it to result in a major shift in President Bush's policy. But despite skepticism about the Petraeus testimony and majority support for a U.S. troop reduction in Iraq, there has also been a slight increase in the number who see the situation there as improving.

The findings, from a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, underscore the depth of public antipathy toward the Iraq war, the doubts about the administration's policies and the limited confidence in the Iraqi government to meet its commitments to restore civil order.

Fifty-eight percent, a new high, said they want to decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq. And most of those who advocated a troop reduction said they want the drawdown to begin either right away or by the end of the year. A majority, 55 percent, supported legislation that would set a deadline of next spring for the withdrawal of American combat forces. That figure is unchanged from July.

Only about a third believed the United States is making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq, most said the buildup has not made much difference, and a majority said they do not expect the troop increase to improve the security situation over the next few months. Just one-third were confident the Iraqi government can meet its political and security goals.

We learned this week that the way of counting sectarian violence will not lead to a truthful representation of the facts on the ground. It was said that only bullets to the back of the head are now be counted as sectarian violence. All other shootings will be counted as regular crimes. The deck is stacked against a truthful representation of the facts in Iraq. Why should this report be any different than the rest of the lies we have been told over the past four years. It is nice to see the American people are finally realizing that nothing that comes from this administration can be trusted. That is the only silver lining to this horrible situation in Iraq.

Bin Laden Releases a New Video

Hey George that Osama guy is still alive. What happened to smoke him out of his cave?

I guess you did manage to force him to move to more comfortable quarters where they even have recording equipment. Mr Bush you are a failure on every single level. I doubt you could find your own ass with both your hands. You are a frat boy moron who has ruined this nation. 2009 can not come soon enough. Lets hope there is something left to salvage.

Unexpected Job Dip In Aug. Jolts Stocks, Ups Recession Odds

The U.S. economy lost jobs for the first time in four years in August, raising the odds of a recession and making aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate cuts more likely.

Nonfarm payrolls fell by 4,000, the Labor Department said Friday, confounding Wall Street's forecast of a 110,000-job gain. It was the first decline since August 2003.

June and July payrolls were revised down by a combined 81,000.

The jobless rate held steady at 4.6%, near a six-year low, according to the separate household survey. But that was because 592,000 people left the work force.

"There's not a lot of sugar coating that can be done here," said Richard DeKaser, chief economist at National City Corp. (NYSE:NCC) "I think it's time for some aggressive action" by the Fed.

Payrolls at builders dropped by 22,000 in August after falling 14,000 the month before. More construction job losses are likely.

Pending home sales plunged in July to the lowest since September 2001. That was before lenders began tightening credit even further as Wall Street lost its appetite for buying mortgages.

Countrywide Financial cfc said late Friday that it will cut 10,000 to 12,000 jobs over three months, up to 20% of its work force. Earlier, IndyMac imb said it would cut 1,000 jobs, the latest in a slew of lender-related layoffs in recent weeks.

But labor weakness was widespread, one of the first clear signs that the housing and credit woes are hurting the broader economy.

Why was everyone so shocked at this report? Did anyone really think the bursting of the housing bubble would not eventually take down the entire economy? I have been saying since I started this site that a recession was coming. This report certainly makes that more likely. Who will really suffer? The poor and middle classes will bear the brunt of any downturn while those that helped cause it, with economic ponzi schemes like subprime mortgages, will weather the storm just fine.

Homes Entering Foreclosure At Record

The housing slump, Midwestern economic woes and resetting ARMs send late payments higher.

The delinquency rate for mortgage borrowers spiked higher in the second quarter and the number of homes entering the foreclosure process hit a record high, according to a report released Thursday.

Deliquencies hit 5.12 percent of all outstanding mortgages, up from 4.39 percent a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said in a quarterly survey.

Serious delinquencies, those 90 days or more late, jumped to 1.11 percent of all loans, from 0.98 percent in the first quarter.

The loans actually entering foreclosure proceedings stood at 0.65 percent, a rise from 0.58 percent in the first three months - and the highest rate in the MBA's 55-year history.

This disaster is the result of greedy mortgage brokers and banks which loaned money knowing damn well that the borrowers could not pay it. Where are the criminal charges against those that run these institutions?

Bush Knew There Were No WMD

Two former CIA officers say the president squelched top-secret intelligence, and a briefing by George Tenet, months before invading Iraq.

On Sept. 18, 2002, CIA director George Tenet briefed President Bush in the Oval Office on top-secret intelligence that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction, according to two former senior CIA officers. Bush dismissed as worthless this information from the Iraqi foreign minister, a member of Saddam's inner circle, although it turned out to be accurate in every detail. Tenet never brought it up again.

Nor was the intelligence included in the National Intelligence Estimate of October 2002, which stated categorically that Iraq possessed WMD. No one in Congress was aware of the secret intelligence that Saddam had no WMD as the House of Representatives and the Senate voted, a week after the submission of the NIE, on the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq. The information, moreover, was not circulated within the CIA among those agents involved in operations to prove whether Saddam had WMD.

On April 23, 2006, CBS's "60 Minutes" interviewed Tyler Drumheller, the former CIA chief of clandestine operations for Europe, who disclosed that the agency had received documentary intelligence from Naji Sabri, Saddam's foreign minister, that Saddam did not have WMD. "We continued to validate him the whole way through," said Drumheller. "The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming, and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy, to justify the policy."

If this is true then President Bush should be impeached immediately and brought up on charges as a war criminal. This is the proverbial smoking gun that proves this war was all a big lie. How does he sleep at night with all the blood on his hands? My guess is that he sleeps soundly because the death and destruction are meaningless to him. We impeached President Clinton for a consensual affair and yet this President is given a pass as the number of dead grows daily. His lies have cost over 3700 of our soldiers their lives and possibly hundreds of thousands of Iraqis their lives.

Can someone explain to me how George W. Bush is any different than Saddam Hussein?

Record Drop In Pending Home Sales

Index that measures contracts being signed for existing home sales drops to lowest level since 9/11 attack.

The meltdown in the mortgage market caused the biggest drop on record in July for pending home sales, taking the index down to the lowest level since the month that included the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

The National Association of Realtors' pending home sales index, which measures contracts to buy existing homes, fell 12.2 percent to a reading of 89.9.

It is the second lowest reading on record for the seven-year-old index, trailing only the 89.8 reading in September 2001. Economists had been looking for only about a 2 percent decline in the latest reading.

"There's bad reports and then there are truly awful ones. This is clearly the latter," said Mike Larson, real estate analyst for independent research firm Weiss Research. "Even I'm shocked by a 12 percent decline."

Now I really do think we will be headed into a recession very soon. The housing market has been what has propelled the economy for the past few years as homes prices skyrocketed.

This report is just the latest in a long string of reports that shows our housing market is collapsing around us. If this trend does not stop look for foreclosures to be even worse than expected. Also look for layoffs in construction and industries that rely on a vibrant housing market. The worst is yet to come and this could not be worse news for the Republicans.

July Construction Drop Largest In 6 months

Construction activity plunged in July by the biggest amount in six months as spending on homes fell for a record 17th straight month.

The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that construction spending dropped 0.4 percent in July, compared with June, the weakest showing since a 0.6 percent fall in January.

It was a bigger drop than economists had been expecting and underscored the continued drag the severe slump in housing is having on building activity.

The worst is yet to come in the housing market as more families are forced into foreclosure and the glut of homes on the market grows. The more that grows the less construction activity will be needed. This will cause layoffs in the construction industry and and other industries connected to the housing market. I still think the worst is yet to come and that the housing market will not see significant improvement until the affordability index comes back to reasonable levels.

The lower and middle classes are hurting as a result of the housing bubble and the pain will continue to be felt until after the Presidential election.

Craig Reconsidering His Resignation

This man is in deep denial about more than just his sexuality.

Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho may reconsider his resignation if he is cleared of a disorderly conduct charge to which he pleaded guilty last month, his spokesman told CNN on Tuesday.

Dan Whiting said it was still the GOP senator's intention to resign effective September 30, "however, he is fighting these charges and should he be cleared before then, he may -- I emphasize may -- not resign."

Craig announced his resignation Saturday after almost a week of speculation.

The Republican senator was arrested in a restroom in June at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on suspicion of making sexual advances to an undercover police officer in the next stall.

I hate to tell the poor Senator but Idahoans will not be so kind to you after the bathroom incident but go ahead stay in the Senate and run again in 2008. I feel sorry for this man. He lives in a delusional state. I can't imagine what life must be like when you like to have sex with men but consider yourself straight. I am Gay and proud of who I am. It must be hard to look in the mirror with so much self hatred inside.

The Real Rudy

Watch this new short film about Rudy Giuliani. I just can't stand this man. How can this be the Republican front runner? Why not just choose Larry Craig for the Republican nomination for President?

GDP Growth Not Reaching Paychecks

The economic expansion that began six years ago has failed to benefit most workers, according to a report from the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute, released Monday.

Productivity growth, although slower of late, has been strong since 2000. After a sluggish start in the period, employment has picked up, although at a slower pace than in past recoveries. Yet, that growth hasn't transferred to workers' paychecks, particularly for workers at the lower and middle end of the pay scale, the report found.

After rising quickly in the second half of the 1990s, most workers real wages have been stagnant in the 2000s, especially since 2003.

While productivity jumped almost 20 percent since 2000, the real median hourly wage of all workers rose just 3 percent in the same period. Since 2003, productivity has risen 5 percent, while the median hourly wage fell 1.1 percent.

Gee what a surprise!! You would think that the country's negative savings rate would have been a tipoff that things weren't so rosy for the workers while the owners reap ever larger profits.

Working longer hours for less money ---- Thanks a Republican. The proof is in this report. The disconnect in wages came after the Bush presidency.