AMERICAblog: I agree with Barney Frank - no bailout while bonuses are flowing
Bush_Bites
· 1 year ago
McCain and the Repubs will fight it.
That's their donor base.
lynchie
· 1 year ago
I will believe it when I see some Dems stand up to Bush, Paulson and Wall Street. I predict it will slide through. No help for the common man and no curb on bonuses. After all, it might be a couple of months till they get their next CEO job and the $100 million is needed so they don't have to eat ground filet and domestic caviar. Only Kobe beef and beluga for this crowd. Got almighty we are screwed and there is no outrage anywhere include the Dem party.
ron071
· 1 year ago
YEARS IN THE MAKING AND ONE WEEK TO SWALLOW THIS LATEST REPUBLICAN SCREW-UP: We were lied into Iraq in a rush and the results are shameful. Now , the purposeful look-the-other-way incompetence is calling once again for a rush hit job. How many Bush/Cheney/McSame fiascos must we endure before we wise up? Can the voters be THAT STUPID? ACCOUNTABILITY FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lynchie
· 1 year ago
Voters are that stupid.
sittenpretty
· 1 year ago
RICO ACT.....get the money back...throw em in JAIL,throw away the key like BERNIE EBBERS and worldcom
sittenpretty
· 1 year ago
payback for the BUSH RANGERS ,no?
cowboyneok
· 1 year ago
Lets see now. Republicans want $700 billion of TAXPAYER money to bailout their friends because of an "emergency," but its not an emergency when you are getting kicked out of your home, and onto the street because you were given a loan they KNEW you could not afford? Wall Street made promises their asses couldn't cash and they now want to walk away with billions of our money with the promise, "Don't worry, you will get it all back and then some!" The same Republicans who lied us into war with Iraq because they were so sure it would all be a cake walk, and it would pay for itself now says they will make huge profits if we just hand them a damned blank check. Funny, I think I've seen this bumrush too many times, and I'm not buying it. Granted, I agree things must be REALLY bad for Republicans to come clean before the election with this horrible news BUT why should we make things easy for them, and have the average disengaged voter who still is clueless about the humongous problems we are facing go trotting to the voting booth and pull the lever for the prettiest vice president? No, I don't think so... if it takes a little pain to wake the average voter up and make them realize they are voting against their self interest, I think maybe waiting a little while might be a good thing. I don't want to hear Palin - McShame claim, "The fundamentals of the economy are strong!" after Paulson cashes a blank check and artifically props up the market until after election day. The next President is going to be SCREWED in two years when this all comes due, so we had better ensure that average voter feels a little pain and votes for the right person, and that would be a CHANGE IN PARTIES right now so we have Barack Obama and not Mr. McGoo deciding what to do when the bill comes due. Just think, if Mr. McGoo is in charge when we can't pay our interest and the dollar drops to nothing his plan will be to wall off all the rich people, and let the average taxpayer fight for survival. I am hating of even thinking of what might be around the corner for us, but its not like some of us weren't clamoring for CHANGE in 2000. This is another reason why those of us who wanted Gore in 2000, and got the Supreme Court selection will never just simply "Get over it..." There are thousands of dead Americans and innocent Iraqis along with 700 billion reason$ why we will never just get over having our elections stolen in 2000! We can't afford that same group of people to control our country.
grandma
· 1 year ago
AAAAAAAAAAAAMEN !
cowboyneok
· 1 year ago
The S&L crisis was allowed to fester until George Bush Sr. was safely in office and then the Republicans "broke the news" that cost us BILLIONS more because they waited until after the average, undecided voter got to vote on which candidate they liked best. This crisis has to be much more serious, and larger, or they would have broken it after the election. They are doing the bumrush, though, and I don't like it. If they could wait until after the last election when they had the whole McCain Keating Five scandal, then something needs to be done to wake up that average undecided voter who STILL does not realize there is a huge financial problem. You better believe they are out there. There are people who will vote for the prettiest vice president until they can't afford to go to Wal-Mart anymore. Then they will wake the F*** up and go, "Huh? What happened?" Then they will be MAD AS HELL and vote the damned people who brought us this crap out of office. I'm sure the politicians are scared to death they are going to be blamed for this crisis, but they are desperately trying to keep things calm until after the elections. You can count on it, because they are scared to death they will lose their jobs in November if they don't hide the true ramifications of this huge crisis. I say, let it play out a little and wake up that stupid undecided voter! Lets get some REAL CHANGE in Washington, DC! Just say NO to the bumrush and signing any Executive power play bills until the election is OVER! Or, make damned sure there is oversight written into the bill, and the little people get something out of this without sending Bu$hco. another HUGE blank check like the entire Iraq War fiasco.
paulbot5
· 1 year ago
No bailout, period
munjoyfan
· 1 year ago
How will this bailout reward good rather than bad behavior? How will it prevent all those go go mortgage salesmen, most of whom work for little mortgage writing companies, not for banks, from continuing to sell mortgages to people who can't afford them? I have little sympathy for people who signed up for mortgages they can't afford, but the salespeople clearly need regulation to rein them in.
tbhull
· 1 year ago
Here is an iodea courtesy of George Will.
Any bank or other company receive any dollar from any bailout cannot have any single employee making more than a GS-15 civilian federal government employye. This highest pay grade, depending upon location pays $115,000 or so.
Socialized banking sucks.
aquarius2
· 1 year ago
The Dems have disappointed the hell out me for the past 2 years, the telecom business, the wiretapping, the blank checks for Iraq.
Let's see if they can stand up and do the right thing this time---no bonuses, no severance packages in the millions.
Busboy
· 1 year ago
AQ2; the players already have the money. It's all gone. It looks like about a 75/25 democrat/repub ratio. These crooks are golden because they were protected by congress. They stole the money. They made a clean getaway. The only guy who ever even paid a fine was Franklin Raines; one of Obama's advisors; who paid back 2.6 million out of 92 million. Let's move on; nothing to see here....
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
they don't have the next 700 billion yet. they're still drooling...
shanobama
· 1 year ago
Raines was never an Obama advisor. They met once, Raines dropped by his office once. Bullshit Busboy, you are fired.
Gorgonzola
· 1 year ago
Since the candy bar, moose hunting princess was not available to be questioned on the Sunday talk shows we were deprived of the opportunity to hear express her opinion in detail about the bank bail out, her ducking the troopergate inquiry, her phony "bridge to nowhere" story, her voracious appetite for government handouts, and why her profound Christian principles didn't influence her teeny-bopper daughters life style choices. But then, since the MSM doesn't care I guess its none of our business. Maybe we'll learn more when POW John goes off to the nursing home and she's in charge.
sashacaius
· 1 year ago
The shareholders of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers have lost all their equity. The shareholders of AIG have lost most of their equity, but the dust hasn't settled on that yet. The CEOs of those firms will not be walking away with any payouts to speak of, and their employees' bonus pools are pro rated for the year to bankruptcy date. I think you're going to have to look awfully closely to see anything to substantiate the fears that failure will be handsomely rewarded here. In the case of AIG, the government is in the driver's seat and will make sure that doesn't happen. With ML, John Thain deserves a payout: he sold the firm with some return to shareholders and averted a total loss.
Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood)
· 1 year ago
So what you are saying is the 2.5 billion to KEY employees of Bear-Stearns is really just fair and equitable. BULLSHIT!
Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood)
· 1 year ago
>>John Thain deserves a payout: he sold the firm with some return to shareholders and averted a total loss.<,
Meaning he lost all of it except the part he gets.
So if I go out and lose an entire truck load of cabbage except one bag, which I sell and return the money to the company. I deserve a bonus for not losing it all?
Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood)
· 1 year ago
Answer dammit!
lynchie
· 1 year ago
Explain the bonuses already received by the Bear Sterns, Merrill Lynch CEO's. and the reported bonuses for the new CEO and COO of Merrill Lynch who got their jobs in May and are to split about $160 million. None of these motherfuckers deserve a dime because they ran their companies into the ground. The value of the stock of these companies is in the toilet and you try to make a case for their bonuses. Please go back and put Rush's dick back where it belongs.
tbhull
· 1 year ago
Compensation is such a small piece of the problem. The problems the same idiots that drove us into the ditch will be allowed to continue to drive.
This wealth must die and its past best friend the market needs to serve as the guillotine that severs its head. Et tu Brute?
Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood)
· 1 year ago
No, the way they are compensated lead to this problem.
martha
· 1 year ago
Of course.
ron071
· 1 year ago
HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS BUSH/REPUBLICAN FINANCIAL DISASTER?
It is very clear that we did not lack the regulatory powers to stop the greed and madness that led to this situation. The agency heads appointed by Bush were clearly told to look the other way and not interfere with business. It's just another Gonzo/Heck of a Job Brownie situation. The leopard does not change its spots. The hypocrisy of McSame to call for the firing of Cox at the SEC when he KNOWS who directed this Republican appointee to look the other way. This is the Bush/Republican way , with lies to cover-up the treachery.
vwcat
· 1 year ago
Come xmas time I will be watching those Wall Street bonuses very close. I am not going to pay for fat cats big bonuses while trying to afford family gifts. This is just sooooooooo wrong and if that happens, I am hoping the net bands together to create a big noise over it. And if we have a President elect Obama, I am hoping he will do what he can to eliminate the joke. No Wall Street bigshot should be getting one dime in bonuses.
blakey
· 1 year ago
Cowboy, they have decided to break the bad news before the election because they now see that they are going to lose the election anyway.
The goal now is to ram through their "fix" which will loot some more for their cronies, create a temporary illusion of "crisis averted, all's well" and hamstring Obama before he takes office, blaming him when things again start to go terribly wrong.
martha
· 1 year ago
The actress that played John Adams wife in the HBO series JOHN ADAMS (I watched it on HBO and then bought the DVD it was so good) just won an Emey and gave a shout out to all the community organizers. YES!
martha
· 1 year ago
John Stewart just won for comedy - I think he is the only REAL journalist in America.
HereinDC
· 1 year ago
Laura Linley. I thinks that;s how you spell her name
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
the CEO's knew exactly what was going on with the subprime mortgage crap and just let it ride. i heard on npr that they had thresholds to meet and if there were some bad loans, it didn't matter, they just took them and bundled them with the good loans and passed them on to the next buyer. this was all planned. so they should just suck it up now.
Busboy
· 1 year ago
That's right, tls; except that most of the loans were "subprime" to begin with. Loaning money to people who, on average, would never make the payments...
Fireblazes(CheetohsandCatfood)
· 1 year ago
I believe that is called Conspiracy to defraud
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
what are you saying? it was all on the up and up?
these guys intentionally, knowingly took on bad debt, hid it with good debt, and passed it off as all good. they are culpable. they should not be rewarded.
Busboy
· 1 year ago
There was never any "good debt". It was "subprime" debt. Like "junk bonds". Everyone in the equity markets has known it for at least 15 years. Freddie and Fannie put it into "packages" and sold it all over the world. Any slight downturn caused massive defaults; compounded by a legion of "houseflippers" who only wanted to buy for resale and had no chance to weather even a slight hesitation in the housing market. The money you put into your checking account was immediately invested by your bank (not in every bank) into debt instruments guaranteed thru Freddie and Fannie. If you kept an average of a thousand dollars in your checking account, your bank could have been making 10% a year on that thousand by buying Fannie and Freddie backed debt instruments. Doesn't sound like a big deal; but, if they use your thousand and multiply that by 10,000 depositors; to whom they pay no interest? Then, you start talking about champagne money.
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
you may be right, but what i heard was people who were hired to kick out "bad loans" were told, keep them, bundle them with good loans - hide them, and pass them on.
there had to have been some method behind this madness or it couldn't be this pervasive.
Busboy
· 1 year ago
It was worse than that. The people at Freddie and Fannie had their "fave" mortgage lenders who made the bad loans and sold them to Freddie and Fannie. If you wanted to buy a $100,000 house and needed a big downpayment; the "faves" would get it appraised to $150,000. You get the $150,000 mortgage, they siphon the excess cash out of the deal. When times get tough, you say adios and Fannie (the taxpayers) is left with a new but used house worth maybe 85 grand which they have on the books at 150 grand. That's why the government should have never gotten into the mortgage business. Too much slippery money getting into politicians hands to just look the other way...
shanobama
· 1 year ago
Freddie and Fanny worked fine when the government was running it.
It was for poor or middle class people to get a home loan and college loans. It went public in 1967? some time around there. Thats why your generation had the good life Busboy, your generation had a lot of things the past '80's or so generations had to struggle for. We just want what you had, nothing more.
Except our Constitution, rule of law, a functioning Judicial system, etc,etc,
tlsintx
· 1 year ago
i wasn't talking about Fannie and Freddie. I'm talking about the free market big boy financial lending institutions...the ones McCain and Gramm deregulated to the hilt as a personal money making pyramid scheme.
let's see...raise your hand if busboy has changed your mind?
It is not enough, however, to revel in the irony or the hypocrisy of the Administration's current plans. Two things are central: one is solving the financial crisis, and the other is doing so in a way that preserves constitutional values of oversight, checks and balances, and accountability to the rule of law. The government must have the power to act, but only the powers it actually needs, and not those it would enjoy having for the foreseeable future. It must be able to make decisions, but not without any accountability or oversight. That is what the debate is and should be about, and even though it nominally concerns the passage of an emergency measure, it is ultimately a debate of constitutional proportions.
martha
· 1 year ago
Yes, will our elected congress people understand this? We know the president and vp are crooks. They have no respect for the constitution. The congress has to step up,solve the immediate problem but also save the constitution.
Busboy
· 1 year ago
Obama's kind of hamstrung to say too much because of his crooked real estate deal with Rezko and because Obama was the second biggest recipient of lobbyist money that came from freddie and fannie. That's why there's never going to be a serious inquiry into the problem in the halls of congress.
aquarius2
· 1 year ago
Geez! I see you are being ignored, for the most part. I should be smart and also ignore you but I just have to know what the hell have you been drinking? You know Franklin Raines was not and is not an Obama advisor. Somehow I don't see the Congress for the last 8 years allowing a75/25 split for greed. And both candidates have taken PAC money.
I will now ignore you.
Busboy
· 1 year ago
ok, I hear that.
dad
· 1 year ago
your worst comment. ever.
suprised you didn't bring up Biden's son. seriously.
Busboy
· 1 year ago
Biden's son is involved too? Jeez.......
devlzadvocate
· 1 year ago
get your facts right. between Obama and McCain, Obama rec'd the largest amount from Fannie and Freddie EMPLOYEES. From management, directors and LOBBYISTS, McCain received more, MUCH, MUCH more.
PARIS — The financial crisis that began in the United States spread to many corners of the globe. Now, the American bailout looks as if it is going global, too, a move that could raise its cost and intensify scrutiny by Congress and critics.
Foreign banks, which were initially excluded from the plan, lobbied successfully over the weekend to be able to sell the toxic American mortgage debt owned by their American units to the Treasury, getting the same treatment as United States banks.
If the plan does not let "housing" find it's own value, we're just wasting everyone's time (and money).
In the meantime, cut these bastards off. I wish some of them landed in jail, but I'll settle for no bonuses. The bastards that they are.
Patriot
· 1 year ago
I was thinking that this is beyond belief. What I really feel is that this entire situation is downright criminal, heinous, incredulous and many other terms to describe the downright thievery being perpetrated on the American populace. In a way it seems like 1890's France and all we are waiting for is GW and John McCain to say behind closed doors, of course, "let them eat cake."
Despicable, treasonous, cowardly, inept, corrupt, incompetent, and on and on and on.
Nice legacy George Bush and company.
Patriot
· 1 year ago
This entire mess in addition to a foreign policy disaster makes me wonder if Bush hasn't being doing everything he can to utterly destroy this country before he leaves office.
dad
· 1 year ago
i agree with Chris.
(who agrees with Barney)
Sage24
· 1 year ago
Is the Palin effect wearing thin?
I think so. Palin has turned out to be a shrill woman, unable to deal with national issues, and who has been prevented by the McCain campaign, to answer simple questions that is crucial for a future VP. She has been reading the same script these past few weeks, and uttering the same lies.
And tonights Emmy show is slamming the Righties all around tonight. I hope Crooks and Liars has all the clips. Very impressed but the actors...
Heather
· 1 year ago
I have been thinking about this all day, the more I think about it the angrier I get. If these companies are now costing tax payers 1 TRILLION dollars then why are they not on their way to prison? Shouldn't someone be held responsible for this? Oh yea, it is US. And our children and grand children. :-(
FunMe
· 1 year ago
This is all part of their "plan".
Screw the consumer, i.e. We The People. They did this with car salesman-like attitudes when giving loans to people who truly couldn't afford the high mortgage payments, knowing full well that once the "teaser rate" of 5 years, rates would go up, but the consumer would not be able to afford to pay mortgage at those rates.
But they said "who cares!" The financial institutions were making mega bucks. In fact , they were letting prices go ridiculously high for 5 YEARS , with each year real estate prices going up 20% a year in California for example. Meanwhile, wages only went up at most 5%. And they didn't think a bubble would happen.
Oh YES THEY DID.
They knew a bubble would happen. But they didn't care because they benefited. Oh, and their buddies who weren't making mega bucks with the stock market. Guess what they did? They went "into" real estate, buying a house in LA for example for $350K, then spending $50k for improvements then selling the house for $800K. Nice profit wouldn't you say!
But then as part of 'the plan" they knew things would FALL.
And then after years of making fun of the "welfare queens", they too came up to the government and went into their "welfare king" mode, asking for TRILLIONS for bail outs, because well it would help the "economy".
But did it help the average consumer, i.e. We The People?
HELL NO!
That is why we should tell our representatives to say HECK NO! We will not pay anymore money for CORPORATE WELFARE while consumers get nothing.
It is OUR money, let's make sure it doesn't go to "their plan"
jimfromthefoothills
· 1 year ago
yep
Rocky37
· 1 year ago
I found this thread today that puts some prospective into this bailout.
My, my the outrage from the American people finally hits its mark and places the blame where in truely belongs. The US Congress. The unflapable Barney Frank now comes to rescure of the American consumer? The same Barney Frank who along with his bretheren in Congress gutted the Glass-Stegal act which allowed Wall Street to run wild now finds religion? The only thing that these people understand is that if they don't do something in favor of we the tax payer, they just might piss enough of us off so as to not return them to their positions of power. This election day, when the curtain closes behind you and those wonderful words used by Reagan are still ringing in your ears, ask yourself, ARE YOU BETTER OFF NOW THAN YOU WERE FOUR YEARS AGO? If you find yourself in the majority of those of us who are barely making ends meet, send a clear message to D.C. that we're tired of the bullshit. Either do the peoples business in favor of the people or pack your bags and your congressional perks and leave town before the masses catch up with you. Being tarred and feathered isn't a pleasent experience.
LawMichigander
· 1 year ago
So do I.
Repubs are always talking about how big bonus's are fine because CEO's earn them through performance. Then when a CEO gets one for killing the company they always say well uh um its in a contract so we are stuck. Now I have had contracts 1 and 2 in law school and rarely are you stuck with a contract. WTF, Repubs are corrupt liars.
All Comments
That's their donor base.
the results are shameful. Now , the purposeful look-the-other-way incompetence is calling once again for a rush hit job. How many Bush/Cheney/McSame fiascos must we endure before we wise up? Can the voters be THAT STUPID? ACCOUNTABILITY FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any bank or other company receive any dollar from any bailout cannot have any single employee making more than a GS-15 civilian federal government employye. This highest pay grade, depending upon location pays $115,000 or so.
Socialized banking sucks.
Let's see if they can stand up and do the right thing this time---no bonuses, no severance packages in the millions.
they're still drooling...
Meaning he lost all of it except the part he gets.
So if I go out and lose an entire truck load of cabbage except one bag, which I sell and return the money to the company. I deserve a bonus for not losing it all?
This wealth must die and its past best friend the market needs to serve as the guillotine that severs its head. Et tu Brute?
It is very clear that we did not lack the regulatory powers to stop the greed and madness that led to this situation. The agency heads appointed by Bush were clearly told to look the other way and not interfere with business. It's just another Gonzo/Heck of a Job Brownie situation. The leopard does not change its spots. The hypocrisy of McSame to call for the firing of Cox at the SEC when he KNOWS who directed this Republican appointee to look the other way. This is the Bush/Republican way , with lies to cover-up the treachery.
This is just sooooooooo wrong and if that happens, I am hoping the net bands together to create a big noise over it.
And if we have a President elect Obama, I am hoping he will do what he can to eliminate the joke. No Wall Street bigshot should be getting one dime in bonuses.
The goal now is to ram through their "fix" which will loot some more for their cronies, create a temporary illusion of "crisis averted, all's well" and hamstring Obama before he takes office, blaming him when things again start to go terribly wrong.
these guys intentionally, knowingly took on bad debt, hid it with good debt, and passed it off as all good. they are culpable. they should not be rewarded.
there had to have been some method behind this madness or it couldn't be this pervasive.
It was for poor or middle class people to get a home loan and college loans. It went public in 1967? some time around there. Thats why your generation had the good life Busboy, your generation had a lot of things the past '80's or so generations had to struggle for. We just want what you had, nothing more.
Except our Constitution, rule of law, a functioning Judicial system, etc,etc,
let's see...raise your hand if busboy has changed your mind?
It is not enough, however, to revel in the irony or the hypocrisy of the Administration's current plans. Two things are central: one is solving the financial crisis, and the other is doing so in a way that preserves constitutional values of oversight, checks and balances, and accountability to the rule of law. The government must have the power to act, but only the powers it actually needs, and not those it would enjoy having for the foreseeable future. It must be able to make decisions, but not without any accountability or oversight. That is what the debate is and should be about, and even though it nominally concerns the passage of an emergency measure, it is ultimately a debate of constitutional proportions.
I will now ignore you.
suprised you didn't bring up Biden's son.
seriously.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/21/184...
PARIS — The financial crisis that began in the United States spread to many corners of the globe. Now, the American bailout looks as if it is going global, too, a move that could raise its cost and intensify scrutiny by Congress and critics.
Foreign banks, which were initially excluded from the plan, lobbied successfully over the weekend to be able to sell the toxic American mortgage debt owned by their American units to the Treasury, getting the same treatment as United States banks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/business/22gl...
no more blank checks for these crackheads...
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/schlock-...
In the meantime, cut these bastards off. I wish some of them landed in jail, but I'll settle for no bonuses. The bastards that they are.
Despicable, treasonous, cowardly, inept, corrupt, incompetent, and on and on and on.
Nice legacy George Bush and company.
(who agrees with Barney)
I think so. Palin has turned out to be a shrill woman, unable to deal with national issues, and who has been prevented by the McCain campaign, to answer simple questions that is crucial for a future VP. She has been reading the same script these past few weeks, and uttering the same lies.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/...
Very impressed but the actors...
Screw the consumer, i.e. We The People. They did this with car salesman-like attitudes when giving loans to people who truly couldn't afford the high mortgage payments, knowing full well that once the "teaser rate" of 5 years, rates would go up, but the consumer would not be able to afford to pay mortgage at those rates.
But they said "who cares!" The financial institutions were making mega bucks. In fact , they were letting prices go ridiculously high for 5 YEARS , with each year real estate prices going up 20% a year in California for example. Meanwhile, wages only went up at most 5%. And they didn't think a bubble would happen.
Oh YES THEY DID.
They knew a bubble would happen. But they didn't care because they benefited. Oh, and their buddies who weren't making mega bucks with the stock market. Guess what they did? They went "into" real estate, buying a house in LA for example for $350K, then spending $50k for improvements then selling the house for $800K. Nice profit wouldn't you say!
But then as part of 'the plan" they knew things would FALL.
And then after years of making fun of the "welfare queens", they too came up to the government and went into their "welfare king" mode, asking for TRILLIONS for bail outs, because well it would help the "economy".
But did it help the average consumer, i.e. We The People?
HELL NO!
That is why we should tell our representatives to say HECK NO! We will not pay anymore money for CORPORATE WELFARE while consumers get nothing.
It is OUR money, let's make sure it doesn't go to "their plan"
It's worth your time!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/du...
The only thing that these people understand is that if they don't do something in favor of we the tax payer, they just might piss enough of us off so as to not return them to their positions of power.
This election day, when the curtain closes behind you and those wonderful words used by Reagan are still ringing in your ears, ask yourself, ARE YOU BETTER OFF NOW THAN YOU WERE FOUR YEARS AGO? If you find yourself in the majority of those of us who are barely making ends meet, send a clear message to D.C. that we're tired of the bullshit. Either do the peoples business in favor of the people or pack your bags and your congressional perks and leave town before the masses catch up with you. Being tarred and feathered isn't a pleasent experience.
Repubs are always talking about how big bonus's are fine because CEO's earn them through performance. Then when a CEO gets one for killing the company they always say well uh um its in a contract so we are stuck. Now I have had contracts 1 and 2 in law school and rarely are you stuck with a contract. WTF, Repubs are corrupt liars.