blzrul

So this is surprising, why? Who EVER thought she was actually qualified?

Why pick on women? What makes you think we're as shallow and ignorant as men? That would make us equal. Overall, we're actually better. Except for Sarah Palin...but that should surprise you as her attraction for men is that hers clang when she walks...or so they think. I think McCain looks like something you'd find deep in a cave (away from the sunlight, sickly pasty and white, with a whiny voice, and Obama looks like a stockbroker. Fortunately I am not that shallow and voted for the cave creature in 2000, learned better and of course I know Obama COULD have been a rich Wall Street attorney, or anything else for that matter, but for some reason he decided to give a hand to the community who needed it - which is the American way. So this year HE gets my vote.

Are you on drugs?

So then I assume you were OUTRAGED when New York and DC were under attack and Bush stayed in an elementary school in Podunk, FL reading "My Pet Goat" and THEN flew around in Air Force one "staying out of harm's way". Right? He should have IMMEDIATELY flown back and grabbed his bullhorn to lead America. Right? Yeah sure. See, there are these things called telephones...people can talk over them. The legislation was being crafted in the HOUSE. Obama and McCain are in the SENATE. Obama and his advisors could use these new-fangled telephone-things to provide input when appropriate, and because they are younger and understand technology they could actually do something called multi-tasking. Surely you didn't miss the fact that when McCain got back to DC the entire thing blew up because the GOP took their ball and went home? The GOP deregulated the industry and left it to its own devices. It blew up. In response they want to take OUR money and throw it at failed institutions. Then, since trusting the industry to police itself didn't work, they want to cut taxes to corporations and rich people, trusting that they'll invest cash into the economy which will help it pick up some...people with money like me can buy low and sell high, cash in on dividends, and just MAYBE it will trickle down to the truck driver, garage mechanic, cop, teacher, and single parent who are being crushed by bills but cannot file for bankruptcy because the GOP made sure THAT was almost impossible.

You can't be serious. Shrub NEVER admitted any shortcomings, mistakes, errors or otherwise. His choices came from a pool of Poppy's old boy buddies and GOP hangers-on. Obama's choice of Biden illustrates my point. Biden has the foreign policy experience that Obama doesn't. If Obama was approaching this from a purely political standpoint he could have chosen someone who would appeal to blocks of voters...like the Wingnut from Wasilla does.

So if McCain wins, does anyone here think he'd offer Ron Paul a job (an important one)?

Were you on that flight I jsut took from San Fran to Seattle? Because there was just such a one on the plane and it was sort of nasty. But she was sweet and the baby was cute. I have that thick curly hair that would do dreads nicely but...it makes my head itch just to think of it. Whatever. To each his own.

NOW it's getting scary but...Obama is smart enough to be realistic about his shortcomings. The sign of a good manager is to do just that and be able to hire people who provide the KSA"s that he/she lacks. That's how Obama can succeed. Conversely that's how Bush !@#$ed up. In his infinite arrogance and ignorance he selected people he liked, or his dad liked, or Uncle Dick liked, regardless of whether they were qualified. And McCain is just such another - he's not stupid and he's not really ignorant...he's an expert on being a POW and playing the DC power game. Hence of the two we have, Obama is more likely to succeed. Seriously. He outsmarted Hillary, the annointed. He's not the Messiah but he's got the charisma, smarts and leadership to do the job.

Yeah but POWS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA can SAVE YOU. Because they were POWS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (after crashing 5 planes). Not to dis POWS in southeast Asia. They suffered...but that doesn't make them any more capable of running the country than I WAS MAYOR OF NYC DURING 9/11 DID YOU KNOW THAT? ! YEP. MAYOR OF NYC...9/11....9/11....9/11.

You got something against dreadlocks, white meat?

I lived in Texas for ten years. By the way Seattle is not in Oregon.

Shoulda removed the contacts hours ago...however who could be blamed when we're talking about Mr. DID I EVER MENTION I WAS A POW IN SOUTHEAST ASIA is involved...just naturally made the assumption that DID I EVER TELL YOU I WAS A POW IN SOUTHEAST ASIA was referring to SOUTHEAST ASIA as opposed to SOUTHWEST ASIA. Did you know McCain was A POW IN SOUTHEAST ASIA? ahahahhahahaha

Well there you go. Seriously - when you interview someone for a job, do you honestly look for someone who has 100% of the knowledge, skills and experience you need? Yeah but do you SERIOUSLY think you'll find it? Of course not! You look for someone with the intelligence, success in previous endeavors, desire to succeed and the ever-intangible "fit" that makes you comfortable he/she can do the job. I myself have passed on people who have a lot of what's needed on paper as the wrong fit for someone less "experienced". I myself received my first big break from, ironically, the best boss I ever had: a wingnut who believed that the job was a stretch but I had the potential. And that same guy gave me the highest rating ever because I learned fast, worked smart, and made him look good. My perfect candidate? Might have been Ralph Nader - 25 years ago. But Obama and McCain are what we have today. Obama is crazy to want the job. But I think he's better equipped intellectually and tempermentally ... than Gramps and his dingbat sidekick.

two points for you. i actually liked Ron Paul. But, he's from Texas. I don't vote for people from third world countries.

but mostly my kids' and grandkids'. trying to explain how things work to my husband over dinner tonight took me two glasses of merlot.

Well then perhaps they'd like to borrow the cash from me.

You? Insensitive? Oh puhlease. Be honest, ok? You'll dance on Kennedy's grave if you can. Who was the 90+ year old fart who passed not that long ago? Or was it 100? Basically being physically or mentally or intellectually competent has nothing to do with anything. Kennedy's there until he either dies, retires/quits, or until his term is up. And knowing him, he'll pass and STILL get re-elected. Like the guy who beat out Ashcroft.

That's good to know next time Cambodia or Laos invades the U.S. I'll sleep better tonight just knowing that. "DUH" AND omiGOD I JUST NOTED: WHERE THE !@#$ IS MCCAIN'S FLAG PIN? HOLY @#$@$@# Wow, what a MAVERICK. hahahahahhahahahahahahhahah

I think I'm going to try a little experiment on Monday. When I bought the house I am in now, Wells Fargo (the mortgagor) "threw in" a 50k line of credit. I didn't want it but figured oh what the hell, it's not costing me anything. Every year I get a bill for $75 fee for the account. Every year I call them and tell them to close the account. They waive the fee, and we go on this way until the next bill comes. Oh, well except for that one year I DEMANDED to close it, they bounced me around, put me on hold and then disconnected me. So I sent a registered letter telling them I knew darned well they were trying to avoid my cancelling the account...and they waived the fee but didn't close the account. So Monday I think I'll call them and ask what I have to do to get my $50k. I am not going to take it, but it will be interesting to see whether they've frozen it or not. Given my experience I can see how people got snookered. Luckily I am not in need of the money, nor am I greedy or financially irresponsible. Otherwise I would probably living in a cardboard box somewhere watching politicians bail out the guys who convinced me I could afford the loan in the first place.

Pray? God helps those who helps themselves...prayer on its own is an opiate - comforting to be sure but prayer alone is what you rely on as a last resort, not a first. It would seem to me that people who scream about citizens sitting around waiting for the government to fix things would not advocate sitting around asking God to do so. God has a whole lot more to worry about than 300 million idiots who've let our own goose be cooked. Maybe He's waiting for us to show a little gumption and shoulder some of the burden ourselves. Half the world goes to sleep either with an empty stomach or worry about how to survive the next day. We've got it good and if we want to keep it that way then we need to be more accountable, responsible and involved. And maybe just realize most of us have no IDEA what "suffering" means - and if we don't want to find out, we need to do something to prevent it.

I knew they were SOL about 3 weeks ago when the snuck a $1,000 minimum / 12 month / 5% CD onto the web. The closest competitive rate was a hair under 4%. It's FDIC insured so I dumped some cash in, what the heck. Of course I'll pay 10x what I earn in taxes over the years to cover the bailout.

Sadly, no. I support Obama, but pre-Palin I wouldn't have been totally freaked out about a McCain presidency because up until now I thought he was smarter and more prinicipled that the Bushistas. Boy was I wrong. So McCain gambled on Palin and got a small boost, now she's starting to get a little embarrassing and his reluctance to let her sink or swim on her own is hurting him. He's being labeled a sexist for hiding her away ... and as she gets more exposure his reason for selecting her is being called into question. Then he gambles on this political posturing over a mess that he participated in. Basically it just doesn't look good that an accord in principle was announced, he lands and then the whole thing blows up. I believe that if something's not done we could face a mess that would hurt a lot of people who are currently not in a position to absorb more economic stress. I also believe that "cutting taxes" with the thought that big business will inject cash into the economy is pure, unadulterated bullshirt. Big business does what's good for itself, not for America. Big Business has ZERO patriotism. Further, I believe that some oversight is needed. Government has grown exponentially under Republicans. What's one more agency that might actually preserve us from this happening again. You have to ask yourself - why is it that Republicans are always bailing out giant, bumbling corporations and institutions? As a child I sat in the Congressional gallery watching them yell at each other over the Lockheed bailout (Nixon I believe). Then there was the Bush I banking bailout... Didn't we bail out Chrysler during the Raygun years? Now this... Maybe I have my dates wrong but it sure seems like big business gets bailed out a lot more than me and my family. I'd like to see the numbers of $$ we've spent on social programs compared to the corporate bailouts (not to mention silly futile wars). $700b is a lot of money. A LOT.

I expect FBI investigations will reveal more...although hopefully there wasn't any illegal activity. So we can talk about extending easy credit to unqualified lendees...predatory lending...and take it from there but it's quite a long story already hashed out in a number of threads. Fundamentally these industries were all deregulated years ago and left to "grow and blossom" without any kind of real oversight by any third party. And probably not as much accountability as they should have had. I believe citizens should bear some of the burden, as they partook of the bad financial decisions...unfortunately many of us did not (if it sounds too good to be true....). I personally don't want to bail them all out but in this case I don't know that we have much choice because it will get so much worse for us all.

Your insistence upon labeling people just makes you look stupid. I've never said "put your trust in the government". What I've said is, "if you have to have government you ought to be able to trust it to do the right thing for the people it works for". Not the same thing at all but if the label makes you happy, along with the personal attack, go for it.

I guess you have to consider what "work" means. Given that abuot 50% of our economy is at risk due to this mess, it will, if it's the proper legislation implemented properly, it could mitigate the situation but people will still be hurtin. Credit is particularly tough to get which will further constrict the economy. The key is to have oversight. This current crisis exists in part because we trusted these institutions to do the right thing. Good luck with that. By the way, I have to chuckle that Carly "Golden Chute" Fiorina is no longer very visible as part of the McCain campaign. I think they're less pissed at her "he can't run a company" statement than worried that she EPITOMIZES the type of CEO they want to run away from.