What evil, evil men

More proof that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are, as the Left so often portrayed them, evil bloodsucking Hitlerite vampires. I mean, how could they do this?

Seriously, for all the mistakes they may have made while in office, I’ve no doubt these are two men of good character and I think I’ll be missing them in the years to come.

 

Technorati tags: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, wounded troops, family visits

Rats! I missed it!

Yesterday was Global Orgasm for Peace Day. Really. For Obama and for a new day. For Hope, Change, and endorphins.

You think I’m kidding, dont you?

No, I’m not.

Don’t worry. It’s safe for work. Unless your laughter bugs a coworker.

(hat tip: Fausta)

 

Technorati tags: Global orgasm, hope, change

Curing the cancer

At Pajamas Media, Hans von Spakovsky argues that it’s time to get rid of the root cause of the economic meltdown, the Community Redevelopment Act:

As banks, insurance companies, brokerage firms, automobile manufacturers, and God knows who else line up to try and feed at the public trough, the original source of the spreading financial and credit crisis, the mortgage industry, is still in deep trouble. Whether the initial bailout plan passed by Congress will help stem mortgage lenders’ financial problems in the short run is still an open question. But one thing is certain: Nothing in the original legislation or Treasury’s actions and infusion of funds since then have made the legal, regulatory, and enforcement changes required to prevent this problem from happening again in the long run — no matter how many tax dollars the Treasury Department pours into the problem.

Nothing in the mortgage bailout legislation called for Congress to fix the serious problems with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) that empower ACORN-style pressure tactics against lenders. Nothing made the Federal Reserve change its lending instructions. Nothing urged the president to change the enforcement policies at the Justice Department and HUD that forced lenders to make risky loans to unqualified applicants.

At its most basic level, this crisis started because of the weakening of mortgage lending standards caused by the Federal Reserve and other federal agencies. Lenders also feared facing discrimination claims and enforcement actions by government law enforcement agencies and organizations such as ACORN.

I agree, but, if the Republicans lacked sufficient will to force through reforms of the mortgage market (but, at least they tried), I see none on the part of the incoming Administration and the legislative Democrats. ACORN and other "community organizer" groups are just too dear to them, too relied on to deliver votes — or intimidate opponents.

Besides, admitting that CRA has to go would also mean taking ownership of the origins of the crisis, an admission that left-liberal social engineering was one of the major causes of this mess. It would also call into question the wisdom of putting them in charge of the nation, thus giving even more rein to their statist impulses.

And we can’t have that in the Era of Hope and Change, now can we?

 

Technorati tags: CRA, community redevelopment act, Hans von Spakovsky, mortgage crisis, ACORN