Bush Is Going To Learn The Word "Compromise" The Hard Way

You can hear the arrogance pouring out of Dana Perino's mouth when addressing the question of Bush meeting with Congress. Perino and her chimp-in-chief just do not understand how the constitution set up the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches obviously. Thankfully the Democratic majority is finally learning to flex some muscle and they aren't going to lie down for the President's decrees. It is about time that the White House learn that they do not have sole control of our government.

Boom And Bust In The Housing Market

For a few years many people were enticed by low mortgage rates offered by an insurance industry that suckered people into a bad situation. Senator Chuck Schumer released a report on the upcoming spike of foreclosures that is going to hit his hometown burrough of Brooklyn especially hard. The lenders that offered homeowners what looked like a good deal is going to leave thousands homeless.

From The Bayridge Courier:

The most popular “affordable” subprime loans are adjustable rate mortgages that offer an initial fixed rate that is set low.

But the rate resets after an initial fixed rate period to a more onerous rate that leads to a significantly higher mortgage payment that low-income borrowers will have difficulty affording, Schumer said.

Schumer’s analysis showed that in the next two years, 91,000 families will be at risk of foreclosure because of these lending practices. In the New York Metropolitan area alone, an estimated 53,000 families will see their mortgages reset to onerous rates, he said.

“The bottom line here is that the subprime bust is leading us right into a foreclosure boom, and thousands of Brooklyn residents will be left in the lurch,” Schumer said.

I think it is great that Senator Schumer is finally highlighting this serious issue that leaves thousands homeless from predatory lenders. My question is why did it take so long? Schumer is no stranger to the world of finance, thats for sure. The article also interviewed experts around New York on this and they have the same question.

Oda Friedheim, a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society said the issue is nothing new.

“Too bad it took Wall Street’s pain to put the problem on the spotlight,” she said. “They have a bellyache because they swallowed too many bad loans,” she said.

“Our clients have been suffering for years under these abusive mortgages,” she added.

Deyanira Del Rio, the associate director of the Manhattan-based Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project has been tracking mortgage lending and foreclosure data for the past seven years.

“What we have seen is that consistently higher priced mortgage loans are overwhelmingly concentrated in neighborhoods that are overwhelmingly black and Latino,” she said, noting her group will soon release a study showing this trend.

So why the outrage now Senator? It is unfortunate that it has to come to this to help out people that have been targeted for financial exploitation. Hopefully his intentions are genuine and meant to help those in need and not the Wall Street crowd.

Bush Wants A Czar For Iraq/Afghanistan

This guy is truly out of his mind. The latest act is pure desperation for which the only purpose is a cheap PR stunt. A "War Czar" would be meant to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and direct the operations. Two big problems come into immediate focus. One is that there are already people in charge at the the Defense and State Departments. The other is that no one wants the job, since it can only end in failure and add a bad mark to whomever foolishly takes the position.

From The Washington Post:

At least three retired four-star generals approached by the White House in recent weeks have declined to be considered for the position, the sources said, underscoring the administration's difficulty in enlisting its top recruits to join the team after five years of warfare that have taxed the United States and its military.

"The very fundamental issue is, they don't know where the hell they're going," said retired Marine Gen. John J. "Jack" Sheehan, a former top NATO commander who was among those rejecting the job. Sheehan said he believes that Vice President Cheney and his hawkish allies remain more powerful within the administration than pragmatists looking for a way out of Iraq. "So rather than go over there, develop an ulcer and eventually leave, I said, 'No, thanks,' " he said.

Good choice General Sheehan, you are absolutely right that they have no idea where they are going and what the hell they are doing at the moment for that matter. Nothing is going to solve the quagmire we are in as long as it is a military solution. What we need to do is get out of there as fast as we can and then try diplomatic solutions. Though at this point if I was an Iraqi I'd prefer another country to preside over any kind of negotiations. The U.S. has zero credibility in the region, thanks to Mr. you-know-who.

Which Jedi Would Bush Be?

Darth Vader seems to be Cheney's character so the evil one is taken. I am trying to come up with one of the Jedi's that went bad to compare to him but I just can't think of one. I'll probably fail, for as you can see, Bush being a Jedi is just a dream of that moron in the White House.

NYC Looking To Go Greener

New York City already has the lowest per capita emissions of carbon dioxide in the country. We pollute less than 1/3 the national average and approximately 4 metric tons per person less than the enviro-friendly San Francisco. Yet the Mayor and many of us know we can do better. A recent report showed that most of our 58.3 million metric tons comes from the city's buildings, a number that is close to a million. If you have ever looked closely at the New York skyline, then you have probably seen the belches of black smoke being emitted from the rooftops.

The question is, what do we do about it? Bloomberg's goal is to reduce emissions by 30 percent while the city adds an extra million people to the rolls by 2030. The New York Times highlights all these facts and figures along with the question of what to do. Apparently the Mayor is going to present his ideas on Earth Day which is a week from Sunday. Nothing like a little good PR on the holiday, eh?

So far the ideas that have been hinted at are pretty much common sense. Using energy efficient equipment, putting in more trees and replacing city vehicles with hybrids and cleaner burning fuels. There is also talk about implementing congestion pricing that would limit traffic and therefore emissions in the city. There's going to be a conference as well with cities sending representatives from around the world. Stay tuned for Earth Day!

Holbrooke Exposes The Attack On Pelosi For What It Is

David Gregory tries to continue the Republican spin on Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria when interviewing Richard Holbrooke. Only Holbrooke countered the spin and told the audience what the partisan attack was all about.

Gentrification In East Harlem Is No Laughing Matter

If you live in NYC and are or have friends that live east of the park and above a certain street you may have heard the joking term "The Upper-Upper East Side." It refers to the spread of high-rise and high cost apartments that are emerging above and beyond the old "border" of 96th street. Yet for many the change is no laughing matter. The lives of long term residents are being affected by the cost of food at the supermarket and the amount the landlords are charging for rent. Then there are the children, and those that go to St. Francis de Sales School that might not be open to them anymore.

The New York Times has more:

Ms. Velasquez and the other parents of almost 200 students in the school’s eight grades were abruptly told in early March that the school would close in June. But officials at the Archdiocese of New York, as well as other parents and clergy familiar with recent events, said they expected that the school would reopen in a year, possibly as a more expensive private academy or preschool.

“They just want us out to make room for the new and improved people,” Ms. Velasquez said. “There is a plan for this neighborhood. I mean, look at First Avenue. They got doormen! It’s all connected. Look at Second Avenue. Why do they want to finish the subway now? These are not different issues. It’s all connected.”

Ms. Velasquez is definitely on to something. The Second Avenue subway delays are probably more complex, but overall things are changing to accomodate and encourage the gentrification of East Harlem. Some may say that higher prices will drive out the crime and the way East Harlem has been known to be a dangerous area. Though there are other ways of dealing with crime than to kick out long-term residents by hitting them in the pocketbook.

With the bleak future for the school and its children, the church isn't being nice about the situation either. Father Muzzin has been there three years and in 2006 he laid the groundwork for the change, upsetting many in the community.

Check out this brotherly love:

A little over a year ago, Father Muzzin said as much in the Sunday bulletin distributed at Mass. In it, he described how the school — which parents said served primarily black and Latino students — needed to attract a greater “variety of people” from the area.

“Some parents have to wake up to the realization that they cannot afford Catholic Education,” he wrote. “Period.”

The pastor’s message became clearer a few lines later: “I see the day in the not distant future when it will become the school of choice of all the Catholic parents in the neighborhood who now send their children to prestigious and pricey private schools,” he wrote. “Why spend $25,000 when you can get the same thing for much, much less?”

What a gentle guy Father Muzzin is. It seems like the elements that are changing the neighborhood resemble the man that represents the church. I may not be Catholic, but isn't there something written about helping those who are less fortunate. Does it matter if it is on the Upper-Upper East Side?

Imus Gets Suspended....So What?

It took five days and a story that wouldn't die to get Don Imus suspended for two weeks following his blatantly racist remarks about the women's basketball team at Rutgers University. The coach condemned him, Al Sharpton condemned him, Jesse Jackson condemned him and so did many people here on the left. However, NBC/CBS's response does not even come close to being adequate.

Lets face facts, Imus will never be fired, even if he deserves it (and he certainly does). What really counts to his corporate masters is ratings and money. As long as Don brings in cash he can say whatever the hell he wants. He has apologized for remarks like this before. Swore he would never do it again. Blah blah blah. The truth is that Imus can apologize all he wants but with his history, it isn't hard to say that he believes what he says.

Don Imus is only a small part of the problem. He is an example of the racist attitudes that linger under the surface for a large portion of America. The microphone gives his kind the power to voice what is underneath the facade and that is why so many people listen to him. Our corporate society allows this stuff to manifest because it is profitable for them. The greed and the bigotry go hand in hand. Perhaps if the networks would place ethics before profit, we could sever one of those hands and start to work on the real problem.

Colbert And The No Impact Man

Coming back from the break, the ever wasteful Stephen has Colin Beaven on the show to talk about his new and efficient lifestyle:

Gonzales Can't Get His Lies Straight

Generally when one tells a lie it isn't too hard to manage it, when it turns into 5 lies to cover the first one, it gets difficult. Yet when the lies are all over the place, and the people that know your secrets aren't allowed to talk to you, it starts getting insane. Thats why things are going crazy over at Alberto Gonzales' study room this past week.

From Newsweek:

April 16, 2007 issue - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has virtually wiped his public schedule clean to bone up for his long-awaited April 17 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee—a session widely seen as a crucial test as to whether he will survive the U.S. attorney mess. But even his own closest advisers are nervous about whether he is up to the task. At a recent "prep" for a prospective Sunday talk-show interview, Gonzales's performance was so poor that top aides scrapped any live appearances. During the March 23 session in the A.G.'s conference room, Gonzales was grilled by a team of top aides and advisers—including former Republican National Committee chair Ed Gillespie and former White House lawyer Tim Flanigan—about what he knew about the plan to fire seven U.S. attorneys last fall. But Gonzales kept contradicting himself and "getting his timeline confused," said one participant who asked not to be identified talking about a private meeting. His advisers finally got "exasperated" with him, the source added. "He's not ready," Tasia Scolinos, Gonzales's public-affairs chief, told the A.G.'s top aides after the session was over, said the source. Asked for comment, Scolinos told NEWSWEEK: "This was the first session of this kind that we'd done."

Despite bringing out all the big guns to try and salvage his career, all the spinsters in the world can't help Gonzales when gets out in front of Senator Leahy and company. They are afraid of the Senate Judiciary Committee and it shows. The now former Justice Dept. aide Monica Goodling went so far as to compare them to the infamous Senator McCarthy from fifty years ago. Memo to Monica, this hardly a purge of suspected communists, this is about justice, or lack thereof at the Justice department.

Bush Knew Of Kerik's Shady Past, Yet Nominated Him Anyways

I'm trying to wrap my head around why Bush would nominate Bernie Kerik to be the head of the Homeland Security department. We all knew he had a checkered past. Giuliani knew. The White House knew. Yet the guy was still kept close to Rudy and the White House nominated him regardless of what the vetters found.

From The NY Post:

Despite Kerik's "bald-faced" lies to investigators, vetters uncovered shady financial deals, an ethics violation and ties to a reputed mob family - yet pushed Kerik ahead, only to watch as his nomination collapsed, The Washington Post reports.

Federal prosecutors have told the former New York City police commissioner that he will likely be charged with several felonies, including lying to White House vetters.

And Kerik's embarrassing Cabinet bid has some questioning the judgment of ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the 2008 GOP presidential-nomination front-runner, who nominated Kerik, and of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who headed the vetting.

The Post seems to think it was all about a flashy headline for the Administration. Though that may be part of it, it still doesn't sync with the pattern of how people are selected for positions throughout the government. If someone get the nod for a job, it tends to be for political patronage. All you need to do is look at the plethora of nominees that have been approved to see that they hardly had an experience related to the post yet plenty of connections to George Bush.

If the White House knew, then they also knew that an indicted man would never pass the test. Once he failed, Chertoff looked a whole lot better and was easily confirmed. I can't put my finger on it precisely, but there seems to be a whiff of a fall guy to get Chertoff in. This may seem like a conspiracy theory, but we are far past that when it comes to George Bush. I'll report more on this when I find hard data.

Clueless Kyl

Speaking on This Week on ABC yesterday, Senator Kyl forgets what exactly is in the Iraq Study Group. Thankfully Senator Levin was there to remind him at the end of this clip: