One rationale for resignation is that he didn't screw up, he did what he went there to do. That's not the policy we want from Obama, hence, resign and let us replace you with someone that will carry out that policy. Of course, there's a number of assumptions there, most probably wrong. I'm just saying that these "those crazy reps" postings would read better without the perennial head scratching. Why do Americans feel that feigning ignorance of the opposite position's POV makes their own POV more meritorius? In fact of logic, it makes it less so.

I guess that's what you do if you are more interested in winning social points than logical ones.

Obama needs to own the error or the fix. FDR's policies were carried out by department chiefs, but I can't imagine anyone calling his proposals anything but "FDR's plan". The fundamental question is fair. Are folks at the top this incompetent, does BSO have a loose cannon on deck, or did he defraud the American public?

Those wascally wepublicans. Don't get me wrong (fat chance); I think walden's protestations are laughable. So, why post about that, rather than the aforementioned question?

Meanwhile perperations for the invasion of Balochistan continue. Don't you think some consciousness of that just might advance the progressive cause over raising consciousness about what a joke Greg Walden is? Your Party masters really wouldn't be best pleased with the complications a preemptive, in-party, anti-war protest would have, would they?

And don't tell me to post. I've wasted way too many hours with that angle. Not questioning it, just not wasting any more time.

Carla -

Agree it is opportunistic of Walden to speak up now (as opposed to over the last 8 years) but I have to tell you I agree with his conclusion and rationale in this particular case. Geithner never should have been confirmed based on his tax problems. Since confirmation, he has made a series of critical errors and mistakes in judgement and he is making the president look bad and damaging our efforts to pull this economy out of a free fall. Furthermore, according to Sen. Dodd, it was Geithner himself who lobbied congress to pull the bonus language out of the conference committee bill!

While I may not agree with Walden on lots of issues, I think he is right on this one. There are way too many Oregonians and Americans right now out of work. Instead of the "B" team, President Obama needs the strongest possible economic team in place to lead us out of this financial mess. Geithner just ain't the guy.

Geithner never should have been appointed in the first place. However, he is there and calls for the resignation should be ignored as party politics as usual. He is Obama's guy and should be given a chance to show us all what Obama's true plan is. It has been 60 days, we all really need to see what the change we all can believe in is about.

So far it appears same-old, same-old. But that could just be me.

Walden's call for resignation should be better served in a call for filling the deputy posts quickly with qualified candidates.

It reminds me of State Rep. Greg Walden going after the late State Sen. Peg Jolin over her campaign finance problems in '93. I remember he had a nice little sound bite, something like "Just because the Capitol and the State prison are on the same street doesn't mean that lawmakers have to serve with criminals."

A year later Walden was Wes Cooley's campaign manager for congress. Cooley, as was discussed in a recent Blue OR post, had been elected to the senate by falsely claiming a camp trailer in Crook CO. as his residence, and it turned out he had told numerous lies in the course of the campaign. Some of them, chiefly a false voter’s pamphlet claim about military service, were illegal. Walden didn't speak out against him until he decided to try run for Cooley's seat himself as an Independent in mid '96.

In fairness to Walden, I don’t think he’s a bad guy. He was well liked in Salem, is popular in the 2nd CD, and seems to work well with the OR delegation.. Still, he has always tried to portray this stair arrow Boy Scout moderate Republican image, when in fact he is as partisan as anyone. He has racked up a very conservative voting record in congress and was a loyal Tom DeLay lieutenant.

What's with the "scared little child" and "crying like a little girl" stuff?

I must admit that while I am appalled at the speed at which the cannibalism began upon Obamas corpus, I'm also deeply troubled by the gaffes that have been tossed over the legislative transoms under G's watch. But I suppose it will take time to drag the establishment back from their accustomed watermarks. So, what we experience as mistakes and intense gaffes are really only the bloody business of hauling the nation's legislators and top-grade fornicators out of their comfort zones to a new and shifted way of doing business.

I will you Joe Biden logic....................

I have three word for you......

Tax Cheat.

That alone should be enough for him to resign.

I will you Joe Biden logic....................

I have three words for you......

Tax Cheat.

That alone should be enough for him to resign.

The GOP lost its credibility when its officeholders stood by during the corrupt and incompetent Bush Administration.

Today's GOP points out that Obama's budget will push is further into debt. This might be a good point, but since they didn't attack Bush for his massive deficit spending, they have no credibility.

Today's GOP criticizes Geithner for his missteps. They may raise some good points, but since Bush's cabinet royally screwed things up and they stayed silent, they have no credibility.

Look, we need an functioning opposition party. I voted for President Obama and remain a strong supporter, but I don't think our democracy is well-served without having someone credible in the room presenting an alternative perspective. Someone to hold the president accountable when he messes up (which all presidents do from time to time).

Alas, today's GOP just ain't up for the job. The GOP has been taken over by reactionary troglodytes that resent the Enlightenment. They've alienated many of the nation's educated people with their anti-science stances. They've alienated many young voters with their stance against marriage equality. They've anointed a drug-abusing loudmouth as their leader.

It's tempting to gloat, but remember, this situation is not healthy for our democracy.

Carla, I'm grateful to anyone who refuses to let the Bush administration go. Unless we put a stake through those years before we bury them, they will return like vampires and zombies to haunt our nation. The Right Wing is currently talking about Freedom and the Constitution as if they alone support these things - and this is after 8 years of trying to replace them. It's galling for sure, and tiresome in a "Who are you kidding?" way, but we've got to go on calling them on their BS, or it will eventually stick. Rush even has a bit about how President Obama needs a teleprompter to talk. This - after 8 years of presidential incoherence. That's the level of BS these people are shamelessly wallowing in, and as tedious, monotonous, and stupid as it all is, we can't let them get away with it.
Walden should go. He blows like the wind in Hood River.

Carla, your post is awesome and quite penetrating. Keep up the great work!

Interesting Kari. I remember comments such as yours sparking a lot of controversy during the campaign. Nary a peep yet! Can't wait!

I agree with Zara's questions re " are folks at the top this incompetent, does BSO have a loose cannon on deck, or did he defraud the American public?"

Re Geithner, David Sirota says, "...even if you believe Geithner didn't know about the bonuses from his previous work, he was specifically asked to do the work that would have revealed those planned bonuses as far back as January. He either obliged and did the due diligence that would have revealed the bonus contracts, or he ignored the request. That means, as I said earlier in this post, he's either lying about having just found out, or he's incompetent and didn't fulfill what should be the minimum amount of due diligence when a Treasury Secretary hands over billions to what is effectively a government-owned company." (Lying Or Incompetent - Either Way, Geithner Needs to Be Fired)

Paul Craig Roberts (Was the Bailout Itself a Scam?) further asserts, "[Eliot] Spitzer identifies a conflict of interest that could possibly be criminal self-dealing. According to reports, the AIG bailout decision involved Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, formerly of Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, and Timothy Geithner, former New York Federal Reserve president and currently Secretary of the Treasury. No doubt the incestuous relationships are the reason the original bailout deal had no oversight or transparency.

"The Bush/Obama bailouts require serious investigation. Were these bailouts necessary, or were they a scam, like “weapons of mass destruction,” used to advance a private agenda behind a wall of fear?...

"Was the whole point of the bailout to supply taxpayer money for a program of financial concentration?"

TJ is on the money when he says, "Geithner, as a product of the markets no less than Cheney was a product of the fossil fuel industry, continues to avoid a "change" metric on Wall Street."

Kari's comment is a reasonable guess at how the Republican party might very well evolve, and probably should.

What's left of the Republican party – now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the sanctimonious religious and unashamed big business power bloc out to carve a few extra bucks out of your backside – deserves to die an embarrassing, withering death. Maybe the Eisenhower-style Republicans will finally make a comeback soon.

As for Rep. Walden, I've criticized him for acting opportunistic before. He's doing so now. The upside is that he might be doing the right thing. The downside is that if Republicans ever take back power, you can't depend on that, so if his OR-2nd constituents want someone who will really work for them (not just when it's expedient to do so) they'll want to replace him in the next election.

The Unimpeachable Carla has the right of it, as usual. Eight years of corrupt (at worst) or inept (at best) Republicans, not a peep. Not an objection. Not a word.

That's a record that speaks for itself, and needs no further elaboration for sane people.

Walden is now a Vice-Chair of the NRCC, and is forever more a partisan, Republican mouthpiece. No more, no less. Let's not over-analyze here. His job is to be as un-patriotic as one can get in this time of crisis. He will from here forward attempt to undermine public confidence in Obama, despite the fact that our nation's recovery is almost wholly dependent on restoring public confidence in our federal government. And he will root for Obama's failure while actively working to disrupt the ruling party's attempts to restore our nation. And if Walden is successful, he will either rise in leadership within the Republican caucus of the House, or he will see a greatly improved environment in which to run for governor.

I for one pray Walden runs for governor. It will be far more fun to win a race against a real conservative hack, than it was to run against a pretty nice, if aimless, Smith.

Carla is right, the person who remembered Walden's role in Wes Cooley's election is right, and Jack Roberts is as clueless as the day he last ran for office.

Simply because George Bush had incompetent cabinet members does not make Timothy Geithner more competent.

Attacking Rep. Walden, spineless though he may be, merely throws a smokescreen over the real issues facing the country. We've had eight years of politics like that - let's not repeat the same mistakes, ok?

Carla, Carla, Carla

Interesting statement:

"I don't know who "more and more" are, but I'm counting four or five. Given how the GOP tends to do the goose lockstep (they call it solidarity..heh), it's not exactly an avalanche."

I love the anaolgy of using "the Goose step" with republicans. The party of limited government, lower taxes, and the free market system are Goose stepping?

Unlike Obama whose economic policies could drive the economy to Weimar Republic style inflation and "economic Crystal Nacht" or "Capitalist Nicht here!" Wasnt Obama on Leno taking about his 13 million e-mail addresses and 1 million goosestepping Obama Brown Shirts. You take extreme poetic license on this statement. Democratic Socialism is more in line with national Socialism the Republicanism. In fact Fascism is closer to Obama's corporate fascist tendancies on faile energy policies and corporate favoritism. So I give you a 1.3 on technical and zero on historical contrast. poopty doo

"But resign? Really? Odd that this is the threshold for Walden for resignation, given that he was in Congress through the entire Bush Administration and couldn't seem to muster a peep through eight long years of disaster after disaster".

Another extreme limit on historical perspective!

Lets see: George Bush

tech bubble 911 low interest rates 14000 stock market winning a war and bringing the troops back with honor! Solid economy before sub prime, Fannie mae and AIG etc.

score .8

lets compare this to Carter 16 percent interest rates farm foreclosures Iran hostages 10 percent unemployment Vietnam vets called "baby Killer"

Lets compare this with LBJ 89th congress Medicare Medicaid Gulf of Tonkin fib 1.5 million Vietnamese killed millions of acres of Vietnames land polluetd with Diazene Baby killer and "Hell no we wont go"

Rumsfeld? Go ahead and google Macnamara for a little clarification on "guns and Butter"! Rumsfeld looks like a virgin compared to The "Mac man"

score -.7

Michael Brown Ok he dropped the ball Georeg Bush did not cause Katrina, that was caused by GOD!

score 7

Alberto Gonzales even after Alberto alienated most in congress George Bush stood by him. Maybe it was to cultivate the Hispanic vote of "Legal Hispanic citizen vote!" Ok look at Obama's vote on illegal wiretapping and holding corporations accountable. He voted no on prosecuting abuse of the 4th amendment rights!

score 4

Wolfowitz was in the private sector and N/A

score zero

Pitt and Macdonald----marginal given a 2 trillion deficit and Government 36 percent of GDP

The final statement of 41 etc. Very compelling! Effective argument to a point!

score 7

January 20, 2001

Pardon Grants January 2001 Name Home Town Offenses ALLEN, Verla Jean Everton, Arkansas False statements to agency of United States ALTIERE, Nicholas M. Las Vegas, Nevada Importation of cocaine ALTSCHUL, Bernice Ruth Sherman Village, California Conspiracy to commit money laundering ANDERSON, Joe, Jr. Grove Hill, Alabama Income tax evasion ANDERSON, William Sterling Spartanburg, South Carolina Conspiracy to defraud a federally insured financial institution, false statements to a federally insured financial institution, wire fraud AZIZKHANI, Mansour T. Huntsville, Alabama Conspiracy and making false statements in bank loan applications BABIN, Cleveland Victor, Jr. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Conspiracy to commit offense against the United States by utilizing the U.S. mail in furtherance of a scheme to defraud BAGLEY, Chris Harmon Harrah, Oklahoma Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine BANE, Scott Lynn Mahomet, Illinois Unlawful distribution of marijuana BARBER, Thomas Cleveland Hampton, Florida Issuing worthless checks BARGON, Peggy Ann Monticello, Illinois Violation of the Lacey Act, violation of the Bald Eagle Protection Act BHATKA, Tansukhlal Income tax evasion BLAMPIED, David Roscoe Ketchum, Idaho Conspiracy to distribute cocaine BORDERS, William Arthur, Jr. Washington, D.C. Conspiracy to corruptly solicit and accept money in return for influencing the official acts of a federal district court judge (Alcee L. Hastings), and to defraud the United States in connection with the performance of lawful government functions; corruptly influencing, obstructing, impeding and endeavoring to influence, obstruct and impede the due administration of justice, and aiding and abetting therein; traveling interstate with intent to commit bribery BOREL, Arthur David Little Rock, Arkansas Odometer rollback BOREL, Douglas Charles Conway, Arkansas Odometer rollback BRABHAM, George Thomas Austin, Texas Making a false statement or report to a federally insured bank BRASWELL, Almon Glenn Doravilla, Georgia Conspiracy to defraud government with respect to claims; perjury BROWDER, Leonard Aiken, South Carolina Illegal dispensing of controlled substance and Medicaid fraud BROWN, David Steven New York, New York Securities fraud and mail fraud BURLESON, Delores Caroylene, aka Delores Cox Burleson Hanna, Oklahoma Possession of marijuana BUSTAMANTE, John H. Cleveland, Ohio Wire fraud CAMPBELL, Mary Louise Ruleville, Mississippi Aiding and abetting the unauthorized use and transfer of food stamps CANDELARIA, Eloida False information in registering to vote CAPILI, Dennis Sobrevinas Glendale, California Filing false statements in alien registration CHAMBERS, Donna Denise Memphis, Tennessee Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, use of a telephone to facilitate cocaine conspiracy CHAPMAN, Douglas Eugene Scott, Arkansas Bank fraud CHAPMAN, Ronald Keith Scott, Arkansas Bank fraud CHAVEZ, Francisco Larios Santa Ana, California Aiding and abetting illegal entry of aliens CISNEROS, Henry G.
CLINTON, Roger
COHN, Stuart Harris New Haven, Connecticut 1. Illegal sale of gold options 2. Illegal sale of silver options

COOPER, David Marc Wapakoneta, Ohio Conspiracy to defraud the government COX, Ernest Harley, Jr. Pine Bluff, Arkansas Conspiracy to defraud a federally insured savings and loan, misapplication of bank funds, false statements CROSS, John F., Jr. Little Rock, Arkansas Embezzlement by a bank employee CUNNINGHAM, Rickey Lee Amarillo, Texas Possession with intent to distribute marijuana DE LABIO, Richard Anthony Baltimore, Maryland Mail fraud, aiding and abetting DEUTCH, John Described in January 19, 2001 information DOUGLAS, Richard False statements DOWNE, Edward Reynolds Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion; securities fraud DUDLEY, Marvin Dean Omaha, Nebraska False statements DUNCAN, Larry Lee Branson, Missouri Altering an automobile odometer FAIN, Robert Clinton Aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false corporate tax return FERNANDEZ, Marcos Arcenio Miami, Florida Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana FERROUILLET, Alvarez Interstate transport of stolen property, money laundering, false statements FUGAZY, William Denis Harrison, New York Perjury in a bankruptcy proceeding GEORGE, Lloyd Reid Mail fraud GOLDSTEIN, Louis Las Vegas, Nevada Possession of goods stolen from interstate shipment GORDON, Rubye Lee Tampa, Florida Forgery of U.S. Treasury checks GREEN, Pincus Switzerland
HAMNER, Robert Ivey Searcy, Arkansas Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute HANDLEY, Samuel Price Hodgenville, Kentucky Conspiracy to steal government property HANDLEY, Woodie Randolph Hodgenville, Kentucky Conspiracy to steal government property HARMON, Jay Houston Jonesboro, Arkansas 1. Conspiracy to import marijuana, conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, importation of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute

1. Conspiracy to import cocaine

HEMMINGSON, John Interstate transport of stolen property, money laundering HERDLINGER, David S. St. Simons Island, Georgia Mail fraud HUCKLEBERRY, Debi Rae Ogden, Utah Distribution of methamphetamine JAMES, Donald Ray Fairfield Bay, Arkansas Mail fraud, wire fraud, and false statement to a bank to influence credit approval JOBE, Stanley Pruet El Paso, Texas Conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud JOHNSON, Ruben H. Austin, Texas Theft and misapplication of bank funds by a bank officer or director JONES, Linda Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and other offenses against the United States LAKE, James Howard Illegal corporate campaign contributions, wire fraud LEWIS, June Louise Lowellville, Ohio Embezzlement by a bank employee LEWIS, Salim Bonnor Short Hills, New Jersey Securities fraud, record keeping violations, margin violations LODWICK, John Leighton Excelsior Springs, Missouri Income tax evasion LOPEZ, Hildebrando San Isidro, Texas Distribution of cocaine LUACES, Jose Julio Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Possession of an unregistered firearm MANESS, James Timothy Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance MANNING, James Lowell Little Rock, Arkansas Aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false corporate tax return MARTIN, John Robert Gulf Breeze, Florida Income tax evasion MARTINEZ, Frank Ayala Elgin, Texas Conspiracy to supply false documents to the Immigration and Naturalization Service MARTINEZ, Silvia Leticia Beltran Elgin, Texas Conspiracy to supply false documents to the Immigration and Naturalization Service McCORMICK, John Francis Dedham, Massachusetts Racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and violation of the Hobbs act McDOUGAL, Susan H.
MECHANIC, Howard Lawrence 1. Violating the Civil Disobedience Act of 1968

1. Failure to appear

2. Making false statement in acquiring a passport

MITCHELL, Brook K., Sr. Conspiracy to illegally obtain USDA subsidy payments, false statements to USDA, and false entries on USDA forms MORGAN, Charles Wilfred, III Little Rock, Arkansas Conspiracy to distribute cocaine MORISON, Samuel Loring Crofton, Maryland Willful transmission of defense information, unauthorized possession and retention of defense information, theft of government property NAZZARO, Richard Anthony Winchester, Massachusetts Perjury and conspiracy to commit mail fraud NOSENKO, Charlene Ann Phoenix, Arizona Conspiracy to defraud the United States, and influencing or injuring an officer or juror generally OBERMEIER, Vernon Raymond Belleville, Illinois Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and using a communications facility to facilitate distribution of cocaine OGALDE, Miguelina Glendale, California Conspiracy to import cocaine OWEN, David C. Olathe, Kansas Filing a false tax return PALMER, Robert W. Little Rock, Arkansas Conspiracy to make false statements PERHOSKY, Kelli Anne Bridgeville, Pennsylvania Conspiracy to commit mail fraud PEZZOPANE, Richard H. Palo Heights, Illinois Conspiracy to commit racketeering, and mail fraud PHILLIPS, Orville Rex Waco, Texas Unlawful structure of a financial transaction POLING, Vinson Stewart, Jr. Baldwin, Maryland Making a false bank entry, and aiding and abetting PROUSE, Norman Lyle Conyers, Georgia Operating or directing the operation of a common carrier while under the influence of alcohol PRUITT, Willie H. H., Jr. Port Richey, Florida Absent without official leave PURSLEY, Danny Martin, Sr. Goodlettsville, Tennessee Aiding and abetting the conduct of an illegal gambling business, and obstruction of state laws to facilitate illegal gambling RAVENEL, Charles D. Charleston, South Carolina Conspiracy to defraud the United States RAY, William Clyde Altus, Oklahoma Fraud using a telephone REGALADO, Alfredo Luna Pharr, Texas Failure to report the transportation of currency in excess of $10,000 into the United States RICAFORT, Ildefonso Reynes Houston, Texas Submission of false claims to Veterans Administration RICH, Marc Switzerland
RIDDLE, Howard Winfield Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado Violation of the Lacey Act (receipt of illegally imported animal skins) RILEY, Richard Wilson, Jr. Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute ROBBINS, Samuel Lee Cedar Park, Texas Misprision of a felony RODRIGUEZ, Joel Gonzales Houston, Texas Theft of mail by a postal employee ROGERS, Michael James McAllen, Texas Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana ROSS, Anna Louise Lubbock, Texas Distribution of cocaine RUST, Gerald Glen Avery, Texas False declarations before grand jury RUST, Jerri Ann Avery, Texas False declarations before grand jury RUTHERFORD, Bettye June Albuquerque, New Mexico Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute SANDS, Gregory Lee Sioux Falls, South Dakota Conspiracy to distribute cocaine SCHWIMMER, Adolph Conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, conspiracy to export arms and ammunition to a foreign country and related charges SERETTI, Albert A., Jr. McKees Rocks, Pennyslvania Conspiracy and wire fraud SHAW, Patricia Campbell Hearst Wilton, Connecticut Armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a felony SMITH, Dennis Joseph Redby, Minnesota 1. Unauthorized absence

1. Failure to obey off-limits instructions

2. Unauthorized absence

SMITH, Gerald Owen Florence, Mississippi Armed bank robbery SMITH, Stephen A.
SPEAKE, Jimmie Lee Breckenridge, Texas Conspiracy to possess and utter counterfeit $20 Federal Reserve notes STEWART, Charles Bernard Sparta, Georgia Illegally destroying U.S. Mail STEWART-ROLLINS, Marlena Francisca Euclid, Ohio Conspiracy to distribute cocaine SYMINGTON, John Fife, III
TANNEHILL, Richard Lee Reno, Nevada Conspiracy and restraint of trade TENAGLIA, Nicholas C. Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania Receipt of illegal payments under the Medicare program THOMAS, Gary Allen Lancaster, Texas Theft of mail by postal employee TODD, Larry Weldon Gardendale, Texas Conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S. in violation of the Lacey Act and the Airborne Hunting Act
TREVINO, Olga C. Converse, Texas Misapplication by a bank employee VAMVOUKLIS, Ignatious Exeter, New Hampshire Possession of cocaine VAN DE WEERD, Patricia A. Tomahawk, Wisconsin Theft by a U.S. Postal employee WADE, Christopher V.
WARMATH, Bill Wayne Walls, Mississippi Obstruction of correspondence WATSON, Jack Kenneth Oakridge, Oregon Making false statements of material facts to the U.S. Forest Service WEBB, Donna Lynn Panama City, Florida False entry in savings and loan record by employee WELLS, Donald William Phenix City, Alabama Possession of an unregistered firearm WENDT, Robert H. Kirkwood, Missouri Conspiracy to effectuate the escape of a federal prisoner WILLIAMS, Jack L. Making false statements to federal agents WILLIAMS, Kevin Arthur Omaha, Nebraska Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine WILLIAMS, Robert Michael Davison, Michigan Conspiracy to transport in foreign commerce securities obtained by fraud WILSON, Jimmie Lee Helena, Arkansas Converting property mortgaged or pledged to a farm credit agency, and converting public money to personal use WINGATE, Thelma Louise Sale City, Georgia Mail fraud WOOD, Mitchell Couey Sherwood, Arkansas Conspiracy to possess and to distribute cocaine WOOD, Warren Stannard Las Vegas, Nevada Conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing a false document with the Securities and Exchange Commission WORTHEY, Dewey Conway, Arkansas Medicaid fraud YALE, Rick Allen Belleville, Illinois Bank fraud YASAK, Joseph A. Chicago, Illinois Knowingly making under oath a false declaration regarding a material fact before a grand jury YINGLING, William Stanley Interstate transportation of stolen vehicle YOUNG, Phillip David Little Rock, Arkansas Interstate transportation and sale of fish and wildlife

nanananananananananan

Not one of you offered a rebuttal to the call for Gaithner to resign. All you had were ad homenim arguments.

You are attacking the proponent instead of his argument. Help me understand why you think all those other people named should be held responsible when Gaithner is not?

You cannot even complain about Bush. Obama/Clinton are doing no differeent than Bush was or planned as he left. Obama has out spent all previous administrations in is first two months. He has plans that will dwarf all the eight years of spending of Bush in the next year.

The $165 million AIG bonuses are just the tip of the iceberg. I heard all this about Cheney being responsible, supposedly, for the Haliburton contracts. In this case, they just gave away the money and covered for them with an exemption.

Chairwoman Pelosi has done more for Wall Street in eight weeks than Bush did in eight years. In fact, the bailouts for 2008 were the original idea of Chairwoman Pelosi.

At what point are you going to hold them responsible? Is irresponsibility better if it is done by Democrats than Republicans?

John, Clinton clearly played a role in the derivatives nightmare. He's said himself he wished he had done things differently. But the blame goes to the people who were minding the store when this thing happened and that was Bush and Cheney. They should have assessed what was going wrong and fixed it, but instead of doing that, they made things so much worse. This did not have to happen. Good government could have caught this and fixed it before it got out of control. Bush/Cheney were in a position to be heroes and they blew it. They brag about keeping us safe, while their wholesale destruction of the economy actually makes us a lot less safe. Do you see why that would be annoying? Especially as the same group who screwed this up, now attacks President Obama for not having their mess cleaned up yet.

 President Obama will be blamed but he was given this fiasco. As he said, he didn't come into office psyched up to spend this kind of money but we are desperately trying trillions in spending to stop an unraveling of the financial system. And it probably won't be enough.

 The amount of derivatives out there is around 10 times the economy of the earth. 60 trillion a year for the world's economy. 500 plus TRILLION in derivatives.

  It turns out letting the financial institutions run a giant casino with no way of paying off if they lost, was not the single greatest idea we've ever come up with.

  The fact that we've had 8 years of some of the worst government in recorded history is also not in our favor.

   Oh, and one minor thing: The part where the GOP spent decades bragging about how good they were at business, does not add to the joy we're feeling now either.

Cong. Pelosi is the Speaker, 3rd in line of succession for the presidency, NOT Chairman.

Geitner and Summers were in the thick of things and may have made some mistakes, but being on the W. Coast I don't claim to know everything.

Lots of mistakes leading to this financial meltdown were made a decade or so ago (allowing credit default swaps, not adequately supervising investments, ending the Glass Steigel Act, etc.), but of course those are policy matters and unsatisfactory for somebody wanting a target of blame.

Clinton signed some things he shouldn't have signed (anything with Phil Gramm's name on it should have been a red flag).

My very down to earth next door neighbor says Obama hasn't been in office very long, give him the benefit of the doubt at least until he gets settled into the job.

Now, if someone wants an ideological label for the above, feel free. I'm one of those people who believes that labels short-circuit thought.

SAB, is your objective to vent, are you being paid by the word by some right wing organization, are you deep into an argument with Carla, or do you really think your postings will win the votes of ordinary Oregonians?

Elizabeth Hovde has a column about the experience of being the mother of 2 preschool children. THAT is more down to earth appreciation of the lives of ordinary people (the voters anyone needs to win elections) than anything we have read from you. Yes, we know there are some Republicans who hate every Democrat, but how is that working for you?

Read http://www.ridenbaugh.com/

and click on the interactive map of election results. For the first time in memory, most states are some shade of blue. Do you really believe your rhetoric will change that? Or are your views just about a decade and a half too late to be popular?

LT

I am just being rude. I will knock it off for awhile.

republicans and Democrats were responsible for the Fannie Mae debacle. The blame is spread across all representatives and Senators.

I remember the adjustment from "Guns and Butter" to stricly a "butter economy" under Carter!

Here is an article about Carter's final budget. He is trying to do the exact opposite Obama. I do nt see how fiscal logic in 1982 would be different in 2009.

Check it out

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954619,00.html

Either Carter and Reagan were wrong and Obama is a genious, or Obama is an utter fiscal fool.

We are pretty much at the same crossroads as 1973 to 1975 with the IRAQ pullout, and switching to a "butter economy". But, we are in much worse condition when considering the deficits. I see history repeatingonly in a much worse way. Obama's economic stimulus was basic pork barrel spending and will just add to the deficit.

Carters final budget was almost 24 percent of GDP. Obamas is 36 percent with a budget deficit equal to all revenues for 2009. $2.55 trillion revenue and almost 5 trillion in expenditures. Carters federal budget was almost 800 billion with a budget deficit of 55 billion or 1/16th. This was considered a tragedy in 1982. It took 16 years for the deficit to become a surplus. Bill Clinton balanced the budget.

we of course did not have the issues to the extent we have today: medicare, medicaid , social security, unemployment, foreclosures, auto industry, AIG, etc, etc. The budget deficit equals hard revenue at 100 percent.

It took a massive attempt under 3 different administrations and the rise of the baby boomer demographic to pull us out of "Guns and butter". Given what Obama and Pelosi have done in less than 100 days in office, we will never see the end of this defict spending!

read my lips!

www.Iraqeraveterangibill.com

"The Bush/Obama bailouts require serious investigation. Were these bailouts necessary, or were they a scam, like “weapons of mass destruction,” used to advance a private agenda behind a wall of fear?...

"Was the whole point of the bailout to supply taxpayer money for a program of financial concentration?"

In September I said I thought that there were three things worth considering; all speak to this question. Since only Harry, Chinuck and I are asking it now, I guess my ponderings then didn't exactly compute. I think the first should have been obvious. Every President in history has given a canned speech after the market tanks, saying to calm down. Baby Bush gave one on a particularly bad market day, using the "D" word. That's not an gaffe, and it is unprecedented. You can't just ignore data like that. In September 2007, when the Fed changed it's investment portfolio to look just like the toxic loan strategy, I said it all smell just like a Bush league con. Last fall Jensen posted on the same subject, and got something like three responses. The portfolio hasn't been changed.

The second point has to do with the overall corporate culture. There have been a number of cycles, since 1990, where American business has merged, downsized, recomputed benefits, bought new hardware with Y2K... It's a relentless series of corporate optimizations, aimed at global competition, not domestic requirements. About 2003, they were out of optimizations. About the time this blog was starting, I was banging on about how we needed to worry, because they were dead set for further consolidation, but there was no way that domestic culture or the regulators would allow it. Knowing they knew no other way, I was extremely concerned what kind of necessity they might invent.

Finally, 3 months before Obama won, not just myself, but many observed, that if conspiracies were in play in the aforementioned, then the next President's personnel would have to be insiders, sold as necessary for transition. Otherwise the cunning plan would be exposed.

Behind all those musings is one huge specter. If you start from a Mussolini style definition of corporate-state facism, and you believe the conspiracy theories about the Bush crime family, wouldn't this be a huge, huge victory for them? What concrete evidence can we produce that says this isn't everything they've ever dreamed of?

So, yeah, Walden is a real joke, from any perspective. As the debate is showing, most think that's hardly the interesting bit. Anymore, there's only one consequential question left. Are we going to simply trust those that govern us? If not, our due diligence is to ask, "if the conspiracy view is taken at face value, how much more would have to happen before the scam has been irreparably executed"? You know that point in Bush league scam. It was the point where most Dems had to add "but not all at once, not all now" to "we have to get out of Iraq". You're already starting to hear Dems say, "but we inherited the situation and all we can do is...". We know what you inherited. It would be nice if you had had more spine during the Bush years, countering these policies, then you could inherit that as well. Inheriting bad policies while trying to grow a spine is probably a bridge too far.

Keep on keeping on, and it'll soon be torches and pitchforks time. Folks in that mood don't check party ID cards. No one will extinguish their rage with the sudden realization, "hey, those Bushies were much worse"! Suggesting that it makes a difference is to fail to realize that a Rubicon has been crossed, where if you do the same thing now, it doesn't mean the same thing it did a few months back.

While I'm on the "you haven't been listening theme"... About ten years back a few scholars came up with an interesting interpretation of the Maya calendar, based on new translations. They tried to add contemporary labels to the Maya words that characterize periods of time, and the period that began last fall was to be characterized by 'higher consciousness of and greater public requirements vis a vis corporate ethics'. I mused exactly one year ago that Cheney could be looked at as a necessary evil to focus that consciousness. If that's what is playing out, this'll be old hat and relatively small potatoes in another year.

brodhead, how about extending it to your mind? Use BO, but please be responsive. If your platform is a response, a direct response, to what someone says, fine. That doesn't mean you take one sentence of communality and paste a platform statement. That's what links are for. As pointed out in the past, the reason people paste instead of link, when they can, like you, is that they think you won't click on the link. That is pushy, trolling and makes your post comment spam. If you want to run for something you're going to have to have a conversation about peoples needs and perceptions, not simply reveal your cunning plan for america. That's why people call Pavel Goverman crazy, not because they think he has nothing valid to say, but because he thinks you can get elected that way.

Yes, this "blog" is still an irritable mosh pit of wind and vitriol. Some cloaked in cerebralization, some duddering along in slogans, mottos and TV byte style. But wind ne'ertheless. Bringing out the worst in all!

Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery.

[Insert "pot-to-kettle" joke here,]

John Lloyd Scharf asked, "Is irresponsibility better if it is done by Democrats than Republicans?"

Yes, definitely. It is less evil, less insane, and less obnoxious.

The hubris and the triumphalism being expressed by the DP are exactly the same as that expressed by the RP when it was bragging about the coming hundred years Reich.

Tom Ferguson's Golden Rule: "To discover who rules, follow the gold." Elections are moments when groups of investors coalesce to control the state, and Obama's (or McCain's, had he won) policies could have been predicted from this. Of course, there is a dime's worth of difference.

Buck, "But wind ne'ertheless"? Sounds like someone forgot to take his "Get Over Yourself" pill today.

Can't say I disagree with Harry on some of this one. DP is in disarray, serious disarray. Not just opening-night jitters/getting acquainted fumbles. This appears chaotic and planless to the non-insider eye.

Bill McD: you have been most kind in stepping on stage so as to illustrate my point.

Ill-tempered indeed!

Buck, Some of it's comedy. If you're going to zing the blogosphere, don't be surprised if the blogosphere zings back.

The blogosphere so far has been silent. Blue ORG seems to natter, though. So far as I've been able to observe, those who react are those guilty parties.

Don't notice such stars as DP, KC et al. zing-zinging. Just you slingin' it back.

Thanks, Buck. I've got this problem when someone insults the whole group. If it's an individual thing, I'm fine with it.

I suspect the whole group could stand up for itself if that were needed. Myself, I find it tiresome how much recreational nastiness goes on. But that is what people frequent political blogs for. Pissing matches.

At any rate: good you pulled it back. I've noticed that often it is the offending parties who jump up angrily at general references to less than stellar attributes! I made my observation as to the tone that never changes, and that's all it was. An observation as to something I perceive as unchanging each time I return from hiatus to check in. Attack dog fun.

I find it more than a little funny, in the vain of "how soon they forget" that Walden is asking someone to resign over "fiscal mis-managment".

Walden, when overseeing Republican funds, couldn't be bothered to pick up a phone and call an accountant, thereby allowing a huge fiscal crisis in with the Republican funds - if I properly recall the incident as reported here on Blue Oregon.

The way I have figured this current AIG so-called scandel is this: Wyden et al put in a provision to limit bonus amounts. As written it might have violated contract law. Based on the techical objection, the provision was pulled, but no replacement was put in - things were moving fast.

There is a whole lot less "bad behavior" in this AIG scenario than is found with Walden's own scandel.

By his own standards, he (Walden) should resign.

As a resident of the Second CD, nothing could make me more happy.

President Obama must first consider the death and destruction that Republican control of both the White House and the Congress caused.

President Bush and his cronies lied us into a armed conflict in Iraq which has caused the death of over 5000 non-Iraqis and tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens. Concurrently the Republicans in Congress at the behest of the president ran up a terrible deficit by giving a whopping tax break to people that didn't need one.

The Republican-controlled Congress and the president continued to ignore the destruction of the country's infrastructure and the need to regulate our financial institutions. What do we have left?... a financial crisis and an infrastructure that can no longer support and care for those that need it.

The Republicans squeal at the deficit proposed by the Obama administration. Yet the only advice they give is that the failed practices of the programs and policies they brought forth need to be followed. The American people are not dumb enough to follow this advice. There are some, however, that will blindly parrot the statements of the Republican leadership and follow like lemmings whatever policies they espouse.

When will the Republicans get off of positions that are known not to work and start looking for sound public policy that will work?

"brodhead, how about extending it to your mind? Use BO, but please be responsive. If your platform is a response, a direct response, to what someone says, fine. That doesn't mean you take one sentence of communality and paste a platform statement. That's what links are for. As pointed out in the past, the reason people paste instead of link, when they can, like you, is that they think you won't click on the link. That is pushy, trolling and makes your post comment spam. If you want to run for something you're going to have to have a conversation about peoples needs and perceptions, not simply reveal your cunning plan for america. That's why people call Pavel Goverman crazy, not because they think he has nothing valid to say, but because he thinks you can get elected that way."

I spent several months in Germany as a youngster and as a soldier. I enjoyed more than a few beers with the German citizenry. In some villages, unemployment is over 20 percent! When I asked this one fellow what he was going to do about being unemployed, he shrugged his shoulders. This other time, I was at a German Hotel having breakfast. The owner of the hotel was interviewing entry level kitchen staff I:E dishwashers, busboys and waiters etc. What really struck me was that the people applying for the dishwashing job brought resumes.

On to another thought:

The government is out of control. They look at the people as a tax base for their own schemes. The reality is in a few short years, there will be 2.5 people paying for 1 retiree on entitlements (SS, Mdeicare), federal government, military, welfare state, state government, etc. etc. etc.

Wages in America when compared to cars and houses have stagnated.

Chinas wages go up, ours stagnate. Earlier in the 20th century, we still had the extended family. Families took care of themselves. Now we have the nuclear family. Government prefers to divide families for tax revenue purposes. They encourage separate housing. We encourage Old folks homes, we encourage division. This is great for government and banking, they get property taxes, mortgage interest, and the spouse has to work in order to pay the bills. We also must rely on day care etc. This inturn creates additional jobs.

When family division is complete, government steps in a states that it will take care of the individual. In order to do this they must raise revenue. So instead of normal avenues of taxation, like payroll taxes etc. They may consider nationalizing the banks. This way not only do they get 39.6 percent of your pay each week, they get all the interest you pay on your mortgage. Then when you sell, they may insist on a 20 percent cut. So, there are several avenues government can take to fund German style Socialism. The only caveat, you have to pay for your health care as well as 1/4 of the population.

So instead of keeping a few bucks every week for savings or a flat screen, you have nothing left. No money for that new Hybrid plug in you have been pondering. No money for the wardrobe you would like to have. No money for music lessons. No money for healthy non processed groceries. Hence, the retail sector shrivles up, and your only alternative is WalMart.

When people have no money, they buy unhealthy foods which inturn fuels childhood obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and all many of health problesm. So the taxbase that is supposed to fund Senior entitlements are having a hardtime supporting themselves and there own health problems. Meanwhile the government gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Health care gets more and more and more expensive. The retail sector gets smaller and smaller and smaller. Wages remain stagnate.

The government and healthcare is on track to consume every bit of our hardwork. They will not comprimise for the sake of our children. This is a war between taxpayers that need to survive and have an economy, and government that seeks to fund itself at the behest of everything else. They are in the process of consuming the very economic machine that it depends on.

How can you expect 2.5 people to support 1 person on entitlements, government spending, military, state taxation etc. etc. etc. This is the reality that no politician wants to talk about. Ron Wyden has started some dialogue however!

Brodhed! Take a breath, brother! And break those up into shorter paras! I could not follow you!

I think what you just said is that big government is chowing down on the people.

Posted by: Ole Barn | Mar 22, 2009 6:55:32 PM

President Obama must first consider the death and destruction that Republican control of both the White House and the Congress caused.

He has. He thinks he can pursue death and destruction more efficiently, based on current planning regarding Pakistan, Thailand, the Phillipines, and Afghanistan. Concerned? I exaggerate? OK. Tell me one thing, off the top of your head, about his policy regarding one of those places, that happened this week.

Thanks for posting this. I think Walden acquited himself quite well. I hope BlueOregon readers who have been reflexively bashing Walden for years may finally have their eyes opened.

RLW

Ok

:)

Still haven't heard an answer. Was it incompetence, loose canon, or fraud?

Maybe, if you answered that, you would know what planet you're on!

<h2>All three speak to the question that you couldn't get your head around in July. Can you not remember 9 months, or do you think your readers can't?</h2>