MW: Bill Clinton to the Rescue?
Posted by: chatblu on: December 11, 2010
- In: Class Warfare | Current Events | Democratic Values | Economy | Government | Morning Widdershins | Obama | Open Thread | Politics
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All hell has broken loose in response to President Obama’s “hard-fought” deal with Mitch McConnell. Seems that the Democrats were none too thrilled with the deal and were even less enthused about being lectured crossly by said President. The House Dems caucused and voted “no” on the deal. Over in the Senate, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) has been filibustering with some occasional relief from Mary Landreu (D-La) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). I don’t know about y’all, but I honestly do not recall a President being filibustered by members of his own party.
Yesterday afternoon, former President Clinton arrived at the White House, demonstrating again that unrepentant racists do have their place in the Obama administration. Shortly thereafter, the two Presidents arrived at a press event. Our current President stayed a few moments, then left for some holiday parties, leaving our former President to explain the current sad state of affairs.
President Clinton assures us that we might as well go ahead and sign onto this mess as it probably won’t get any better than it is. Chris Matthews is almost beside himself with delight, declaring that Clinton and Obama is like “an alliance between God and the Democratic Party.” No clear idea on who is God and who is the Democratic Party – see what you think when you watch the video. So who knew that Chris Matthews could ever become so excited over Bill Clinton, even if he views the former Prez as Obama’s only hope?
There is no question that Bill Clinton is a veritable fountain of information that might prove to be useful. There is also no question that they have issues with each other as well. The major question out there is whether or not Barack Obama wants to succeed as the American President, or whether he just wants Bill Clinton to smooth his pathway.
Clinton should remind Barack Obama that the entire key is the economy, stupid. If unemployment does not go down, nothing else will matter. Perhaps Clinton is okay with the whole tax thing because it might (stress might) create jobs, and if jobs are forthcoming, Obama will be forgiven and Clinton’s input forgotten. If this does not work, Obama will need to have a chat with George H.W. Bush about how to recover after you have failed to keep your tax-related promises to your base.
This is an open thread.
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67 Responses to "MW: Bill Clinton to the Rescue?"
December 11, 2010 at 8:38 AM
Let me just preface by saying that Chris Matthews is nuts! His constant analogies, laden with obscrure references and Hallmark card verses, is low level comedy at best. I have never seen a pundit having so many “man crushes” over the years. Bush, Giuliani, Obama, talk about “bromance”.
Could Obama be a bigger failure? Had the congress acted in the Fall, this bill which is tied up with the unemployment extensions would be just another bill that they could threaten one another with. But with so many people in desperate straits just before the holidays the supposition is that they were the primary consideration to pushing this “bonus for the millionaires” through as this was the only solution to the Greedy GOP and the bastards who now hold our futures in their grubby little hands.
Bernie Sanders gave a history lesson yesterday, outlining the perks and gratuities these people have obtained and will again receive when this bill is passed. As it will be.
It is time for this nation to awake from its stupor and fight back agains the Right with both fists. The very thought of us being at the mercy of Demint, Bachmann, Paul, and the other sh*theads of the Repub Party with who knows what waiting in the wings to take over the presidency in 2012 should be enough to rise up from the torpor and declare an end to the Party of No.
Oh, and they can take Obama with them when that time comes. This nation deserves better than that Gang of Thieves and a president who leaves the podium midway through a crisis.
December 11, 2010 at 8:50 AM
Fuzzy, I don’t know what is going on here, either. Uncle Wiggily was always my best game, not chess. I hate this tax deal and don’t like to see Bill supporting it. Stiil, I have faith in Bill and Hillary. I believe they have a plan. God(dess) help them to carry it out for the good of the country.
I’m still feeling a bit giddy from yesterday’s events. Bernie and Bill in the spotlight. Two of my heroes.
December 11, 2010 at 9:13 AM
If we aren’t willing to compromise with republicans we’re no better than they were when they refused to compromise with us.
December 11, 2010 at 9:20 AM
@3: In principle, you are correct. However, there is some room betwixt compromise and capitulation, I think.
December 11, 2010 at 9:22 AM
@3> We should not compromise our principles. Ever. It doesn’t matter what others think of us. Republicans didn’t compromise with us – and they got what they wanted. Why? Because Democrats capitulate on everything. Democrats’ idea of “compromise” is moving towards the Republicans while Republicans do nothing and get what they want. That’s not “compromise.” That’s giving up, giving in, surrendering. And that’s what Obama did with this tax cut bill. He surrendered and gave Republicans everything they wanted. Consider that all Republicans support this bill. It means everything they want it is in there. And that’s not a good thing. Ever.
December 11, 2010 at 9:24 AM
PS. I exaggerate when I said “all Republicans support this bill.” Christine O’Donnell thinks it’s comparable to Pearl Harbor. So clearly there is some dissent in the ranks. LOL.
December 11, 2010 at 9:48 AM
Obama didn’t compromise, he capitulated. That’s what he’s always done when it comes to dealing with the Republicans. He has not come in strong on any position since he took office. Public option? Off the table before negotiations even begin. Closing Gitmo? Oh sorry, that won’t work. Doing away with the Conscience Clause like he promised in the campaign? Oh, not my job, it’s the Congress’ job. Obama cannot lead, and his startling abdication of leadership by bringing in Clinton to do his job for him is the ultimate example of his lack of leadership ability. I must ask any of Obama’s defenders: What if Hillary were President and she had to call Bill in to do her job? Would it be such a brilliant move then? I can answer that for you, it would never, ever happen.
December 11, 2010 at 9:51 AM
Good Morning you early birds!
I am laughing at your witty, ” Unrepentant racists do have a place in the Obama Adm” – you bet – as a replacement. For all of us sick of the opportunistic and predictable race card crys if the BO believers.
Lorac at Uppity brought some snark from twitter saying:
Apparently, one tweet that came out of this was the following from Michael Goldfarbon the Bill Clinton press conference:
Finally, America has a black President again.
December 11, 2010 at 9:59 AM
I do think we should listen to what Clinton said were the Dem victories we should fight for — he said many things are wrong with the forced insurance bill but he would fight to keep what was right and the student loan reform (which took SL away from the profiteers) and financial reforms in its regulatory body and some others I cannot remember — the conference is on video at C-Span.
December 11, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Right now people pay income taxes on a sliding scale between 10 percent and 35 percent. If the Bush-era tax cuts expire on December 31, the rates would return to between 15 percent and 39.6 percent. Less than one percent of taxpayers now pay the 35 percent (according to the Wall Street Journal) and less than four percent pay 33 percent. If the tax cuts are allowed to expire, the top tax rate of 39.6 percent would only apply to those whose income, adjusted for inflation, exceeds $363,000 per person.
So in reality, the big controversy over the extension of tax cuts boils down to a mere 4.6 percent for those making over $363,000! And remember, they pay that extra amount only on incomes over $363,000, not their entire income. Based on the arguments and emotional forcefulness of those who want all tax cuts extended, one would think that the rates we are talking about are historically high rates. Top rates of 35 percent and 39.4 percent aren’t even close to historic highs.
December 11, 2010 at 10:07 AM
That above about the tax rates is from a good article by Ken Lewis here:
December 11, 2010 at 10:12 AM
@8> That’s a great point about President Hillary Clinton bringing in Bill to defend her decisions and actions: it would have been catastrophic. But Obama’s excuse-makers think it’s a brilliant move! It’s actually humiliating for the great communicator (Obama?) to bring in reinforcements to help sell his decisions while he (Obama) goes off to see Michelle. It’s mind-boggling.
December 11, 2010 at 10:34 AM
@14: I also wonder about that. Is there an end-game here?
December 11, 2010 at 10:43 AM
@8 And especially on this particular topic when her campaign language was to “go back to the tax rates of the Clinton years.”
December 11, 2010 at 10:52 AM
@13 – I agree, that’s a good point.
I want to watch the whole press conference. I have no idea if Bill was selling the idea of tax cuts for the rich, which he has demonstrated quite clearly that he does not agree with, or the fact that this was the best Obama was going to get.
Obama’s biggest capitulation was tying the unemployment benefits to the bill. The benefits could have been passed separately. He has tied the whole Party’s hands.
I really can’t stand what is going on now. I am only hoping that Bill made a deal for this endorsement.
One thing is clear: Obama is now the WPE. Bush at least stood for his own policies. Obama can’t even be bothered to do that.
December 11, 2010 at 11:02 AM
It’s like Mary said in the filibuster yesterday, “Did Warren Buffet come down here and ask for it? Did Boon Pickins come down here and ask for it? Did the Gates come down here and ask for it? Who asked for it? Why do they think you deserve it, and what Senator put their name on it?
Hope she follows up on that question and asks, “When exactly was the time and date that Obama had his private meeting with Big Pharma, oh sorry wrong bill, with Big Market?” Was it before the Unemployment bill was rejected? Was it after?”
When you think it can not get more shameful, it does. Selling out not only “principle”, but something that everyone already pays taxes for in the first place, in the name of “compromise” or even “capitulation” is beyond kabuki. To hold Unemployment hostage to get this bill through titters on “hateful”.
December 11, 2010 at 11:07 AM
A little levity for a Saturday morning. Obama’s new theme song:
December 11, 2010 at 11:19 AM
@3 One can not call this “compromise” with a straight face. It is the endorsement of one’s own self-denial and sell out to their one principles. They either lied that they hold liberal principles, are self-delusional that they held liberal principles, or sell outs and have just given up fighting for them in the name of “compromise”. I think it is the self-delusional that disturbs me the most.
December 11, 2010 at 11:42 AM
The whole press conference is on C-Span — I think this had to happen because once the repubs take office in Jan -unemployment would not be extended — but I think Obama could have got the limit up to one million, that is increased the tax rate by 2 or 3 points over 1.5 million dollars to37% and he could have got a modest estate tax on estates over 2 or 3 million dollars.
As for Mary Landreau – she led the fight against the public option and I believe she voted for the stupek amendment although I am not sure of that. She is fighting now in a hopeless cause to improve her image with the working folk back home who are very angry.
December 11, 2010 at 11:50 AM
@21 No matter her reasons, as a self-desctibed moderate she compromised with a self-described democratic socialist on this one rather than the Republicans. That might say a tad more about “compromise”.
December 11, 2010 at 12:16 PM
A 3% tax cut to a millionaire is worth a lot more money than a 3% tax cut to a thousandaire. That is the truth Obama is trying to obscure by lumping them all together.
December 11, 2010 at 12:19 PM
Janicen, I am going to unashamedly use your great point: “I must ask any of Obama’s defenders: What if Hillary were President and she had to call Bill in to do her job? Would it be such a brilliant move then?”
As we here expected, we have a pathetic excuse for a president. I think we know now why he — unlike previous candidates — never released his college grades. He had to go party down, doods.
December 11, 2010 at 12:22 PM
I turned off my blackberry for eight hours and, lo, when I returned to cyberland, Bill Clinton was presdent again!
December 11, 2010 at 12:37 PM
@22 Yeah but she had nothing to lose — she fed sugar to the workers in a dying Louisiana — Lets see what she does on something that really matters to our lives. I don’t really care but to see a crass politician who is worse than Obama praised just got to me a little.
He did not release his grades because all his life affirmative action and his looks won him rewards that he was not qualified to receive. I do not blame him for reaching — I blame those who overlooked his lack of performance when experience and performance really mattered.
December 11, 2010 at 12:39 PM
I just watched it this AM. MB, Clintino seems to think it is the best that can be done at this point, although he clearly wasn’t enthusiastic. The unemployment compensation was the driving force, I think. About 15 minutes in, Clinton makes some startling remarks about the money being there for small business loans, a large amount of money, and it has to be gotten moving.
That’s really upsetting. Essentially it means the investors are deliberately holding money back from the econmoy and freezing the middle class to death. We’ve heard this before, but Clinton says everything in way that goes straight to the core.
December 11, 2010 at 12:43 PM
@23
What is losing unemployment compensation pay worth to those who lost all the jobs from GM here in Janesville. GM closed the plant and left. The factories that made supplies for them closed and left. Already, the home break ins are up to over ten a day and the food pantries empty — the foreclosures — the pathetic “for sale” signs on the lawns and in the winter you cannot have rummage sales.
December 11, 2010 at 12:50 PM
@22 Followup to @21. And besides that Mary wanted a few things for Louisiana included in the bill that she had been working on in this last year, tax credits that were going to expire at the end of the year for low-housing income, extension of the working opportunity tax credit, and another tax extension to continue rebuilding after Katrina. They were axed from the bill during the Obama compromise so she is pissed. The Schumer bill had included it. She is still wants it in this compromise bill and will probably vote for it if it goes back in. If it continues to be axed, she made her statement that Obama and his compromise can go f@ck themselves.
December 11, 2010 at 1:00 PM
@26 It is a stretch to say that I was praising her if you were meaning me rather than the the praise she has gotten around the other blogs. I said “I hope she follows up”. Her followup could just be a subtle threat to whomever it was that axed what she had been working for to included in the bill as I mentioned @29. She probably knows which Senator axed it and I hope she will followups with her subtle threat as saying in public just which exact schmuck Obama compromised with to get the tax extensions she wanted axed from the bill.
December 11, 2010 at 1:01 PM
@29
Because of my distrust for her i guess i would want to know more about what income bracket is getting those tax breaks. I doubt it is going to those making under $200,000 a year. Maybe you will say it does not matter because it will encourage them to do good and I would say or give them tax breaks for good they did three years ago or good they do not have to prove they did. I am being like this because I don’t trust her history and I have see her get away with crass opportunism once too often.
December 11, 2010 at 1:20 PM
@31 She had campaigned in 2008 on continuing these tax extensions for low and multi-housing units (the multi-zoned units like they used to build with businesses on the bottom with apartments on top) as well as continuing the Federal Grants for rebuilding that went to businesses (not directly to the people) after Katrina.
Who knows maybe her endorsement of Obama in 2008 had some promises attached from Obama for these issues that helped when her the election again, and he just sealed the deal for her with this compromise that she would not be elected again. I don’t know her motives. Perhaps she is just pissed.
December 11, 2010 at 1:25 PM
All I can say about Landrieu is that if the maxim “you’re only as good as your last vote” holds for politicians we like who stab us in the back, it should apply for politicians we don’t like who do something right. Landrieu’s behavior in the past shouldn’t stop us from saying “You’re on the right track this time.” If we throw her out like water with the baby, who else is going to do anything to try to stop this bill? We’d be down from 3 to 2.
December 11, 2010 at 1:25 PM
Edit for clarity: Who knows maybe her endorsement of Obama in 2008 had some promises attached from Obama for these issues that helped win (not “when”) her the election in 2008…
December 11, 2010 at 1:36 PM
Hi
Now I want you to know, I hate these guys but there is a really good post on how we got to be an oligarchy that I think you will all like here:
http://www.counterpunch.org/kroll12032010.html
December 11, 2010 at 1:38 PM
All I know when it comes down to it regarding why Mary joined with Bernie, is it was and is a head-scratcher for me. I am coming to the conclusion that it just might be because she is pissed and was letting Obama know that on the Senate floor. Calls for Bernie to go into the 2012 race and pull votes away from Dems or not endorse him in the primaries of 2012 were already being made prior to his filibuster. Maybe it was the biggest slap in the face Mary could offer Obama.
December 11, 2010 at 2:04 PM
@37 That is it – she wants to have the same power that she had in the health care debate– you will have to give me stuff or i will go vote with the repubs or conversly, dems should stop shunning me because, see- i really am on your side.
December 11, 2010 at 2:05 PM
Green said: Yeah but she had nothing to lose — she fed sugar to the workers in a dying Louisiana —
Explain that please. Since that’s my home state and home I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.
La: What Landrieu wants/wanted was an extension to the GO Zone tax credits. A lot were being used to build mixed income housing developments.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/12/go_zone_extension_called_insuf.html
In nola HUD and the city tore down a bunch of the projects to build these developments. The problem I saw with them was that in the mixed income, they didn’t include that many units that were for the former residents of the housing projects. These GO Zone credits were a mixed bag. For example, some of those credits were used to build condos in Tuscaloosa AL that overlooked Bryant-Denny stadium at the Univ. of Ala. What that had to do with recovery from Katrina and Rita, I haven’t the foggiest idea.
Anyway, I want to hear more from Green about my dying Louisiana.
December 11, 2010 at 2:07 PM
Mary explains herself:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/12/sen_mary_landrieu_defends_her.html
December 11, 2010 at 2:25 PM
I’m sorry, but I’m unhappy about Bill doing this press conference. As I recall, he was the enforcer for the POS health care bill as well.
Nope, not jumping on this “what a great guy the Big Dawg is” bandwagon.
And yeah, if HRC had brought Bill in to be her enforcer, the howls would have deafened us all.
December 11, 2010 at 2:32 PM
@ 42 – I read it.
I’m sick to death of 11-dimensional chess.
Hillary has said she’s not running. I believe her. Bill is shilling for this POS, just as he did for HCR.
What could he possibly be up to? Tying his endorsment, and that’s how it is playing out, does nothing for him or HRC in the eyes of the pissed off left/progressives/liberals.
So, he makes Obama look small. Big deal.
December 11, 2010 at 2:39 PM
I don’t know as much about Mary and her history as those of you with LA connections, but I think her explanation in the link @40 is a good one.
Like DYB said, if a politician has cast some bad votes in the past but seems to be on the right track now, I think we should be willing to cut her / him some slack at this point. We need all the friends in Congress that we can get these days to keep the current tax deal from passing.
Just my 2 cents.
December 11, 2010 at 2:49 PM
@39 What was she doing for Louisiana? Do you think her speech is going to have any actual affect on the compromise? Sugar
In any case, despite the income of the majority of the people in Louisiana, Mary has a reputation for bringing pork to wealthy (and possibly corrupt) developers while ordinary workers do not have basic services and the city has a corrupt legal system starting with the police and selective enforcement ending in the courts protecting businesses against consumers. The things she does do not seem to bring real help Louisiana. My Louisianan friends say the rebuilding benefits the middle and upper class.
But most of all my problem with her is that she and a select few, most of whom were not re-elected, killed the public option which in my opinion started a downward slide which will end in a new Republican administration in 2012. If she would run as a Republican at least she would be honest. I will never forgive any of those who destroyed the public option in favor of forced insurance.
If I am wrong about all this go ahead and educate me — I am very open to Fredster and Latda
December 11, 2010 at 3:00 PM
@ The only thing that Mary has in common with Bernie is that they say who they say they are: She is a proud conservative Dem and he is a proud democratic socialist. 
Oh they also both got something for their states with their health insurance vote. She got the 300 million for Medicaid which was gravely needed and he got his 7 billion for the community health centers. Granted he got a lot more.
December 11, 2010 at 3:11 PM
@45 Oh, I thought you meant something about the sugar cane industry. That she sold out to them in some way.
December 11, 2010 at 3:21 PM
green said: My Louisianan friends say the rebuilding benefits the middle and upper class.
Well the rebuilding (of individual homes and such) benefits the people who live/lived in them. This being via The Road Home program which gave rebuilding grants to people who were underinsured for flood damage. That’s the situation my Mother and I were in. We had never had flood or water issues in our neighborhood so I kept the coverages as they were when my Dad alive, i.e. low. There were complaints about how much the company that administered the plan got for that and I too thought it was excessive. Still, that program has basically worked.
Mary has a reputation for bringing pork to wealthy (and possibly corrupt) developers while ordinary workers do not have basic services
Huh? Most everyone I know has running water, electricity and plumbing. If you mean Charity Hospital not being rebuilt that’s a city and state issue. Both decided they did not want to repair Charity, a beautiful art deco building. Rather, they wanted a brand new shiny state of the art hospital tied into the new VA hospital that the Feds will build. The only problem with Charity was that it was hemmed in in its old location and it was old, built in the 30s by Huey Long. However, the bldg. was sound and could have been gutted and repaired.
the city has a corrupt legal system starting with the police and selective enforcement ending in the courts protecting businesses against consumers.
Well that would be on the shoulders of the city and state wouldn’t it? Of course there’s a new mayor in town, Mitch, brother of Mary who replaced the piece of crap who was there for the prior 8 years, and also a new police chief who I do believe will make a difference in the NOPD.
my problem with her is that she and a select few, most of whom were not re-elected, killed the public option
This is true. She also voted against the importing of cheaper meds from Canada. I hold both of those against her but I have a feeling those votes were dictated by the leadership who got their marching orders from Obama on those issues. That was because he had already had his meetings at the W.H. with the insurance companies and Billy Tauzin with Big Pharma.
killed the public option which in my opinion started a downward slide which will end in a new Republican administration in 2012
Well I don’t think killing the public option is going to lead to a Repub Admin in 2012. People didn’t like the health care bill in general, for various reasons; mandated coverage by the ins. companies themselves, tax credits that will do little or nothing to help ease the cost and on the Repub side, they just didn’t like it period.
FWIW, I don’t think Mary will be back after the 2012 elections due to the demographic change in Louisiana. The state is getting more and more red. The remaining pockets of Dem strength won’t be enough to carry her in my opinion.
December 11, 2010 at 3:24 PM
La @47: That’s what I thought green meant also. Were you just using a nice Southern term of endearment for us green by calling us “sugar” or were you saying you wanted to give us some sugar? 
December 11, 2010 at 3:25 PM
Bluelyon> I agree with you about Bill Clinton’s actions. I do not understand them and I can’t imagine what kind of deal he could have cut to explain it. Just like I couldn’t understand him trying to sell the Healthwhatever bill. It’s a mystery.
December 11, 2010 at 3:45 PM
Fredster and Latda
Are you guys kidding with me because I am smiling so hard my jaw hurts. Sugar: meaning something that tastes sweet but has no nutrition and can really hurt you if you get too much.
Fredster, stuff like what happened with your house goes a long way with me. I love that kind of program. But why does so much get skimmed away from other people with no accountability? It makes me wonder who Mary is helping because couldn’t she write in accountability and standards to make sure the money got to as many people as possible?
December 11, 2010 at 3:49 PM
It is all sad. What has happened to Louisiana politics and the switch and methodical movement to “red” as Fredster put it. It really has been just a reflection of where our country has been moving for decades via the “leadership” of Dem and Republican alike. This same speech could easily be made today about the oligarchy as it was 70 years ago. Ironically Long was calling out the FDR administration.
December 11, 2010 at 4:12 PM
@51 Nope, I was actually thinking of “sugar cane”. Thought you were saying she made some kind of deal that I didn’t know about to give up the the rest of the sugar cane industry jobs and ship them overseas.
December 11, 2010 at 4:29 PM
@53 I heard citizens don’t work the sugar cane fields anyway — what doyouknow about that?
December 11, 2010 at 4:32 PM
All I know is this: Bill did exactly the opposite of Obama when he was President. He raised taxes on the wealthy and protected Social Security and Medicare. And, he did it with a great deal of determination against an extremely hostile Republican Party. He didn’t give in, even when that slime mold Gingrich shut down the government. He was right at the time, and he helped the economy to recover and the deficit to shrink. For that, I thank him.
2) What he is doing now is completely baffling to me. I don’t like it AT ALL, and I am hoping it is some kind of quid pro quo for Hillary 2012. Certainly, his “help” made Obama look like a complete horse’s ass – and Obama was happy to make himself look even worse by leaving.
That’s about all I’ve got on this topic. I’m bothered and bewildered.
December 11, 2010 at 4:37 PM
Green@3:45: Well they (the Congress) got the appropriations set up for that money and the state had to work with HUD as far as setting the program up, but basically the state ran the program with HUD”s oversight. The company the state chose to administer the program got something like over $400 million to run it plus performance incentives when they met certain criteria. There were people who had nightmare problems with it but the Momster and I really didn’t. Road Home had a group that came up here to B’ham and so we met them at a downtown hotel. We had pretty much everything that was needed for that initial meeting. However after they got back to Baton Rouge was when we started running into problems. A lot of it was just the right hand not knowing what the left was doing.
Where it got rough and a pain was when we qualified for some add’l funds and were in the middle of that and then that’s when the Momster died. We had to do the entire process in her name only because only her name was on the ins. policies. They first tried to tell me since she died I wasn’t eligible for those so I had to go round and round but finally got it straight since I considered owner/occupant.
Still it was a good program, but could have been run better.
December 11, 2010 at 4:38 PM
Green@54: Don’t know about that. A lot of it is automated now. It’s not like you have people in the fields cutting cane like the old days.
December 11, 2010 at 4:39 PM
@53 to @54 “…the rest of the sugar cane industry jobs…” They still have some of the industry left.
December 11, 2010 at 4:48 PM
Fredster
Ugh! I know exactly what you went through-glad it worked out. Eventually.
[...] I noted over at The Widdershins in the comments to this post in which it is inferred that Clinton is playing Obama somehow to make him look bad and smooth the [...]
December 11, 2010 at 5:02 PM
@58 – Cute!
Everyone – I’m putting up the information for the Empty Plates Protest on the side bar for tomorrow. Also will include a link to a poster.
December 11, 2010 at 5:15 PM
Green@60: Well it’s kind of worked out. A fed judge has put a hold on any further disbursements because some people said the way Road Home did their calculations (pre-storm value of the house) wasn’t fair. So that has put a hold on me getting the add’l funds. But really, I don’t know how else they could have calculated anything.
December 11, 2010 at 6:10 PM
Fredster
@63
Damn it! see what i mean? I bet the distributor got the 400 million before they stopped. You know HUD is the worst run money pit in the country — it is halliburton by govt. Try using their website — and the agency is just like that –a mammoth sprawling house of cards into which money disappears to political supporters with only a tiny bit getting to the people it is supposed to help. I tried to use it to help with foreclosure defense and it was sickening to know they had money and it was all being wasted on layer after layer of a faceless bureaucracy.
December 11, 2010 at 6:26 PM
Green@64: I’m not sure how they got the money but I know people were very upset that they didn’t select a LA company. This company was based in suburban DC and the upper mgmt folks got paid airfare, travel time and stuff to go there and back to LA. They did employ a lot of locals, but the company was very stingy on benefits and stuff from what I understand.
The only good thing is I understand I am approved for this final amt. and just have to wait for this fed. judge thing to resolve.
December 11, 2010 at 7:24 PM
@65
They got the money because they know people at HUD and are aware of how to apply for contracts to distribute funds. Their whole company is about contracting with HUD and they know how to work that agency. A LA firm would not be like that. Wash DC is a big incestuous pool. They know how to describe their employees as though they actually have the expertise to do the job. They are married to people who work for HUD or are the children of someone who knows someone who works at HUD or they once worked at HUD. And it is understood that the contractor will skim off at least 1/2 of the available funds
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December 11, 2010 at 8:19 AM
What a great guy Big Dawg is comming to Obama’s Rescue after being treated so ruffly by this iinsurreable tool since his coronation in Jan 2009!
As I said int he last thread I am banking that this little rescue plan (i.e. Clinton comming to rally support behind Obama) cost Obama dearly in negotiations. Or possibly CLinton knows if this “piece of work” Compromise passes it will be the final nail in old obama’s coffin. Making way for a new nominee in 2012!
Now if Obama is a total falure The Clintons can say “we supported the president even when we did not support his policies, we are loyal Democrats.” What will the CDS infected members of the Democratic Party be able to say now.
Either way it was brilliance on the Part of Big Dawg! Specially if even with Bill help this “Compromise” errr ummm rolling over on his back and taking it Barak O’Bottom becomes a miserable fail!
I am betting the sudden appearance of Bill at the O’bottoms presser could be a master playing 11 dementional chess on Uranus (Uranus being O’Bottom and the Master being Big Dawg himself!)
I would not be surprised that all those folks Bill Helped keep there seats in 2010 are gonna stay the course in fighting this thing! Having recieved their marching orders long ago to defy the great O’bottom at every turn if only as a matter of self preservation of there seats.
I am not sure exactlly what is going on here but if I were O’bottom I would go back to the drawing board and find a new play book one that he can run with his own team instead of takling the play book the opposition has given him!