2008 Odyssey: YouTube Style

Spitzer To Get Tough On Predatory Lenders

Frankly, this is a problem that should have been fixed long before Spitzer took office. It wasn't hard to see that sub-prime lenders were going to swoop into low-income areas and take advantage of low interest rates and unsuspecting borrowers. At least our new Governor is going to do something about the terrible practice of predatory lending.

From Crain's New York Business:

New York state Gov. Eliot Spitzer on Friday announced an interagency task force aimed at combating predatory lending practices throughout the state.

The task force -- Halt Abusive Lending Transactions -- is designed to help the public handle questionable lending practices in the subprime market, and to make it easier for low-income families to buy new homes.

"Lending practices that prey upon the public cannot and will not be tolerated," Mr. Spitzer said in a statement. "This task force will take a comprehensive look at the sub-prime lending industry, and recommend steps to protect borrowers, particularly minorities and the elderly.

The city alone is facing 15,000 foreclosures, ruining many families that were tricked into what they thought was a low interest loan. Now as payments soar higher and higher, people cannot afford to live in their homes anymore. Hopefully the Governor and AG Cuomo can do something about this escalating problem.

McCain Wants To Be Like Bush, Has A Mouth Like Cheney's

John McCain exposed an ugly temper yesterday in the Senate chambers. His tirade was directed at fellow Republican Jon Cornyn of Texas over the contentious issue of immigration. Instead of trying to be easy going yet tough and stupid at the same time like #43, the potential (and I say potential in the loosest of meaning) #44 got hot-headed and nasty with the part of his party that vehemently hates brown people.

From The Washington Post:

Things got really heated when Cornyn accused McCain of being too busy campaigning for president to take part in the negotiations, which have gone on for months behind closed doors. "Wait a second here," Cornyn said to McCain. "I've been sitting in here for all of these negotiations and you just parachute in here on the last day. You're out of line."

McCain, a former Navy pilot, then used language more accustomed to sailors (not to mention the current vice president, who made news a few years back after a verbal encounter with Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont).

"[Expletive] you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," shouted McCain at Cornyn. McCain helped craft a bill in 2006 that passed the Senate but couldn't be compromised with a House bill that was much tougher on illegal immigrants.

So the big bully marched into town to be a (terrible) leader for his fellow Republicans and ended up cursing at another Senator. Obviously Cornyn hit a soft spot when the issue of McCain's prolonged voting absence was brought up. Looks like the truth hurts, as McCain has missed dozens of votes in a row. So what did he do to remedy the problem? He got right back on a plane for a campaign event and missed another vote, his 43rd in a row.

Off To Shop In Baghdad

Like Congressman Mike Pence said, the markets are just like those in Indiana. Is it typical to walk through Indianapolis or even Gary and watch out for snipers on your way to the shops? Yeah right.

Right Wing Ingrate

Blogger Jim Kenefick had a serious problem paying his wife's medical bills until a mysterious benefactor mailed him a check for $12,000 dollars. The money helped turn his family's life around despite the terrible conditions that the health care state is in these days. His conservative friends directed him to cheaper health care programs, but not until that generous contribution came did his situation make a turn for the better.

Jim is known for his moorewatch.com site that attacks Michael Moore and all the projects he has accomplished through the years. Whether it was Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine or Fahrenheit 9/11, Jim went on the offensive. When he found out from the NY Daily News that the mysterious patron was Michael Moore, the news didn't change his tune. In fact, it turned Kenefick's self-righteousness up to new heights.

From The New York Daily News:

Having suspected Moore might be his secret patron, he contends that his bete noir made the gift just to publicize "Sicko," which takes aim at America's health-care system and, we've heard, touches upon Moore's covert generosity.

"I knew he was using me," said Kenefick. "Moore is going to try to make me into one of his little puppets."

Kenefick wants it known that "I'm not an idiot. I know when to say yes to something, even if the string attached is obvious. What kind of moron turns down a free 12 grand?"

Whether or not Moore uses Kenefick in "Sicko" or not, there was a good deed done and the recipient callously responded to his generous foe. Michael Moore does not need Jim to publicize his film. His name has all the publicity it needs. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival isn't for those clamoring for press. As for being a 'puppet,' it is a shame that Jim does not see the strings attached to him from the corporate health care world. It was Moore that helped a man in need, it is Moore that is trying to cut Jim's strings, not add any additional ones.

Bad Karma For Falwell's Family, Good Karma For A Fallen Soldier

Karma always has a funny way of working itself into daily life. Three separate groups of people united by religion and war in a sad string of events that helped dole out each's respective karmic load. What else could connect Jerry Falwell, Anthony Bradshaw and Fred Phelps?

Anthony Bradshaw was recently killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb. His family's mourning was about to be viciously interrupted by the Westboro Baptist Church, the group that protests military funerals because they believe it is a sign from God due to our tolerance of homosexuality in America. Bradshaw's family was bracing to hear the worst when the group decided to make other plans.

Fred Phelps and Co. changed their minds about ruining Bradshaw's funeral when they heard that Jerry Falwell had died. Apparently for these crazy bastards, not even Falwell was a big enough bigot and anti-gay activist. So they are off to protest his funeral instead. It is awful for his family, but the man brought it on himself.

From The Star-Telegram:

"There are dead soldiers everywhere," Phelps-Roper said. "You don't have a very high-profile, cowardly, lying false prophet like Falwell dying every day."

Phelps-Roper said the group plans to demonstrate at Falwell's service because members believe he was never harsh enough in his declarations that homosexuality was the source of America's problems.

"That coward is afraid. He is ashamed of the Gospel of the Jesus Christ," Phelps-Roper said. "He claimed he had the Word of God and then he hid it."

I'll give Phelps-Roper credit for one thing, she called out Falwell's legacy perfectly. He was most certainly a false-prophet. His living friends Robertson and Dobson and apparent enemy Phelps are among that group. All of these people who come out and spew hatred are disgusting human beings. They may believe in the lord, but I find it hard to believe that Jesus or whomever would ever call for this type of crap. Karma hasn't hit them yet, but it will in due time.

Scenes From A Hospital Room

Hotline TV gives us a re-enactment of the events surrounding Andrew Card and Alberto Gonzales' slimy attempt to have John Ashcroft sign off on their illegal NSA wiretapping program:

Bruno: "I've Got Spitzer On My Mind"

Joe Bruno attended a fundraiser last night for his embattled state party here in Manhattan last night and he could not help but turn his vitriol on his new nemesis Eliot Spitzer. Instead of focusing on the all the highlights his majority status has collected throughout the years (there are none) he went after the Governor with everything he had.

From The Empire Zone:

“Our governor, and I have to say this, our governor wants to be the only person left standing in government,” Mr. Bruno told a crowd of some 1,100 people at the Midtown Sheraton. He mentioned Mr. Spitzer’s salty exchange in January with Senator James Tedisco, when the governor described himself as a “steamroller,” preceded by a profanity.

Mr. Bruno did not use the full profanity himself, but said Mr. Spitzer “is proud of that, proud of it. Well, he’s right about the first part.”

There was scattered laughter among the crowd, and then Mr. Bruno went on to talk about how the “steamroller ran out of steam” during budget negotiations, how the governor’s poll numbers dipped, how his priorities are wrong because he “wants to talk about campaign finance reform, wants to talk about allowing gay marriages.”

“When this governor says that this Republican majority will not survive, he said it in November, and we are here, he said it in January, and we are here, he said it last month and we are here,” Mr. Bruno added, wrapping up his speech. “He says it every other day because he likes to hear himself talk.”

Scattered laughter is all you are going to get out of that type of talk, even on your hometurf. The audience might have thought you a little out of touch when you proclaim the long life of the Republican majority, especially since the GOP state Senators are being picked off one by one.

As for profanities, Eliot may make use of them with his language but it is your tenure sir that is most profane. The corruption stinks to high hell and that is probably why federal investigators are on your tail. The Governor likes to talk because it precedes his actions. Achieving equality for all New Yorkers is not a laughing matter, it is a commendable one. You should only hope that you are a fraction of the man that Governor Spitzer is.

No Confidence In Gonzales

It is nice to see the Senate prepare to scorch Gonzales over the media flames again with a no confidence vote next week in the Senate. It would have been fantastic for them to fulfill their constitutional role and impeach the morally bankrupt Attorney General. Everyone knows he's a liar now, even some Republicans on Capitol Hill want him gone, but it is still not enough for what Gonzales deserves.

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats announced on Thursday they will seek a U.S. Senate vote of "no confidence" in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, hopeful it will prompt President George W. Bush's embattled friend to resign."

The White House brushed off the Democrats' latest move tied to their widening investigation of Gonzales for the firing of federal prosecutors as "nothing more than a meaningless political act." A White House spokesman added that the attorney general still had "the full confidence of the president."

Democrats said they intend to hold a "no confidence" vote on Gonzales as early as next week and expect it to pass with the support of a number of Republicans.

I'm almost certain it will pass. I also find it hard not to disagree with the White House that it is a meaningless act. If the Democrats think it will make Georgie push Gonzales to resign, they obviously haven't paid much attention to the President. Bush will hang on to Alberto for far longer than he did Rumsfeld. His Attorney General is so important to him precisely for all the criminal acts he has committed. Bush is trying to hold the ship together and he doesn't intend to let it go.

Olbermann Exposes Bush's "Support The Troops" Crap

Although Keith didn't officially break the news, he did his job in getting it out there to the masses. See Bush doesn't care about our troops, it is only for publicity. When Democrats offered to increase the soldiers pay, his supporters might think Bush would go along with it. Well guess again wingers.

McCain's A Tough Talker, But Can He Show Up?

John McCain has been so busy on the campaign trail desperately fishing for votes and dollars, he forgot that he was still a United States Senator. See John, when you are in the Senate there are these things called votes and the presence of a Senator is expecting when a vote is called. McCain should be smart enough to know this, but according to his voting record, it seems he just doesn't care.

From The Hill:

While McCain has missed four of 14 Senate roll calls on the war this year, other presidential candidates have managed their schedules around the high-profile votes.

Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) voted on each of the 14 measures.

(snip)

McCain’s campaign said the rigorous travel schedule necessary when running for the White House makes it extremely difficult to be voting all the time in Washington.

“Sen. McCain has traveled the country speaking to the importance of winning in Iraq and clearly stated that we must give the new strategy a chance to succeed because the consequences of failure would be too damaging to our nation,” Diaz said. “Regrettably, it is impossible for a presidential candidate to avoid missing votes, but Sen. McCain has not missed a vote where his vote would have affected the outcome, and he will make every effort to be in the Senate on the occasions when it would.”

No Mr. Diaz, that is incorrect on two levels. First of all the other Senators running for President have made it to Washington to record their votes on this crucial issue. If they can do it, so can you. What makes you think you are so special, eh?

Second of all, who cares if you are a tiebreaker or not. Registering your vote shows how you truly feel about all the hot air that comes out of your mouth on the campaign trail. Voters should be able to hear and see you vote for failed policies such as George Bush's "Stay The Course" in Iraq. It is time to get off your high horse and do the people's business.

Eric Gioia Gets Hungry For Reform

Queens Councilman Eric Gioia was in Congress yesterday meeting with N.Y. and Massachusetts representatives about changing food stamp allowances. Eric can speak from experience now that he has completed one week of living on the $28 stipend. The money did not even cover the week, despite buying inexpensive (and unhealthy) food. Gioia ended up at the food pantry at the end of his week to pick up additional items. Once the week was up however, he was off to Congress to chow down.

From The New York Daily News:

WASHINGTON - A comfort-food splurge ended Eric Gioia's poverty diet yesterday - and the City Council member who spent a week eating on less than $28 let somebody else worry about the check.

The Queens Democrat wolfed down turkey, mashed potatoes and broccoli between meetings with Capitol Hill lawmakers as he pressed for change in food stamp allowances.

He let Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) pick up the tab, and even sent out for the Diet Coke he'd fantasized about while spending seven days drinking nothing but tap water.

If it is that bad for a week, imagine doing that day in and day out while suffering the toll of poverty. Eric understands that now to some degree and spent the day lobbying for reform of the food stamp bill. The program should allow for healthy and nutritious food instead of parched wheat products and chemically ladened processed foods. Gioia realized that "It's not a Democratic issue, and it's not a Republican issue. It's a moral issue. There are hungry kids in New York City." And there are millions of those kids across the country. It is time for Congress to act.