It would be appropriate for us to establish a pledge from candidates for public office that limits all contributions to those coming from individuals and to an amount affordable to most people – I would suggest the cost of a ticket to a Nascar Race, or of a 16gb Iphone 4s. the names of those who do not take the pledge should be published and assumed to be the employees of Wall Street and the Koch Brothers.

While Obama didn’t have anything to do with the crash – you are right that Bush contributed to it, but I would suggest that the biggest culprit was congress pushing Fannie and Freddie to loosen their underwriting standards with the goal of increasing homeownership rates. Yes, they accomplished that goal by agreeing to buy a bunch of loans made to unqualified buyers and turning those loans into Mortgage Backed Securities. Barney Frank spearheaded this whole push.

It’s time for grown-up leadership in Washington – and that certainly isn’t Obama, and neither was it Bush (but I’d take Bush back in a heartbeat compared to Obama’s cluelessness. Who would have thought that Obama would have made Carter look competent, Nixon look honest, and Bush look smart?). You Occupy crowd are being duped and used by Obama. Think for yourselves – no more sound bites and simplistic slogans. You certainly DO NOT represent the 99%. Polling shows that roughly only a third of the population is even somewhat supportive of you. I’m one of the 67% that think Occupy is clueless.

‘Late Night FDL: If You Need “Economic Certainty” Before Investing, You’re Not a Risk Taker’
By: dakine01 Wednesday September 21, 2011 8:00 pm
Link: http://firedoglake.com/2011/09/21/late-night-if-you-need-economic-certainty-before-investing-youre-not-a-risk-taker

By definition, business activity involves risk. If it doesn’t, then it’s called “corporate welfare” or “privatizing the benefits to a privileged few while socializing the risks” (i.e. private investors get bailed out from their bad private debts by a tax paying public to which those debts are transferred).

Same goes for the highest tranche held by some French and German bondholders who should have taken a hair cut long ago if it weren’t for being shielded from their bad bets via the crime wave of fraudulent mortgage foreclosures.

“Foreclosure Fraud: It’s the Tranches, Stupid”
By: Cynthia Kouril Tuesday October 12, 2010 2:34 pm
Link: http://my.firedoglake.com/cindykouril/2010/10/12/foreclosure-fraud-it%E2%80%99s-the-tranches-stupid/

There’s much more on the American side of the international mortgage foreclosure fraud at http://firedoglake.com/foreclosure-fraud.

So, #OccupyDC, #StopTheMach2011 and other #Occupy folks do understand hence why #Occupy.

It takes about 5 hours to play an average round of golf. I’m an ordinary Joe who would love to play more golf, but I’m so busy I can’t find the time – I play about 5 times a year – and have a difficult time finding even that much time to play. Interestingly, Barack Obama has played 41 rounds of golf through the middle of July since he took office. That’s equal to 205 hours on the golf course, or the equivalent of about 5 full work weeks. Furthermore, he took 61 vacation days during his first 31 months in office. So, in other words he’s playing golf or vacationing about 5 weeks a year for his first 2.5 years in office. He’s also been known to play quite a bit of hoop, and throw some pretty extravagant parties that don’t seem to have much connection to the government’s business.

How many of you can take that much time off during a good year? I know I can’t. When someone is presiding over the largest economy in the world, which is failing, how can the leader justify taking more than a month a year off? If our economy was going well and there weren’t significant systemic problems, then I wouldn’t care, but that’s not the state we are in. There are serious problems that need focus and attention. Talk about an elitist! He’s sipping champagne while the country burns. Yet, the Occupy crowd don’t seem concerned with his extravagant parties, golf outings, vacations, and sending Michelle around the world financed by tax payer money, all the while doling out favors and money to people and companies, and organizations he likes (SEIU, GE, NEA, UAW, GM, Solyndra, etc.).

What’s even more appalling is the he takes you all for a bunch of dupes. He is using you as pawns to try to help him win re-election. Yet, what positive outcomes has he accomplished since he has been in office? Is unemployment lower? Is the economy stronger? Are fewer people living in poverty? Is there more or less divisiveness? Are we in fewer wars? Is the government improving the quality of your life? Is education less expensive and more effective? He is now even admitting that parts of the health care bill won’t work. Occupy, you are on the wrong track. It isn’t the 1%, Wall Street, or Banks that you should be protesting – rather you should be camped out on The White House front lawn calling for smaller, limited, more accountable government. The biggest, most undeserving, fat cat in the country occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I understand the frustration of a bad economy, but, unfortunately, the policies the government has pursued over the past 3-5 years are making things worse not better. It’s time for Occupy to turn its protest to where the real blame resides: the White House and congress.