I don't care if every bank in the country goes bankrupt, the government should take control of the situation. It's not the fault of the home owner that they don't understand how their mortgage works. Banks should be more about helping people and less about money.

There appears to be no concern exhibited anywhere as to "how did things GET to be this way?" They are all simply spooked to make sure that their own investments don't go south... and thus they overlook not only the real underlying problem but their own core regulatory responsibilities.

How... how indeed... DID things get to "be this way?" Is this sound fiduciary responsibility with regard to federally-insured money? Is the creation of loans with no documentation whatsoever anything other than fraud? Is the charging of 20+% interest rates on consumer loans, along with billions of dollars worth of ill-acquired fees and penalties, "smart business" or "usury?" And what are the long term consequences to the 300 million or so of us who happen to live in this country?

No one is even thinking to ask these questions. "As for 'them,' let them eat cake." And this is precisely why the governance of this country has failed so completely.

We know .. sure we know .. that politicians as a lot are corrupt and rapacious. But when they steal the coal from the bunkers of their own ship, burn it all in their barbequeues and then seek to sail-away on the lifeboat ... you know, SOMEBODY should be asking some obvious questions.

Warning Warning...this forum will be closing in 5...4...3...2........

The so-called "free market" is this bastard's religion. Clap hands.

Believe me, I find the Veep as sinister and distasteful as anyone. However, there is no solution that the government can offer to "fix" the problem. This was caused by one thing and one thing alone: GREED.

For some mystifying reason Americans seem to think it is their birthright to be obese, to have his and hers H2s in the driveway, a huge color tv (at least one), a giant boat, a McMansion in a gated community, designer sunglasses and the list goes on and on. In the pursuit of these things they have taken on masssive debt, including encumbering what is usually the single largest asset most people have: their home. As a nation, our savings rate is real close to zero. In fact a large portion of the population has NEGATIVE savings rates!

This was foolishness on a scale rarely seen. The response will be predictable. There will be great weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. There will be hearings and pronouncements and calls for regulation and cries for assistance. However, until the sheeple figure out that the "American Dream" is a packaged product sold to them every day and that they don't have to buy it to be happy or successful. Until people stop judging themselves by the things they own and comparing their things to their neighbors, we are destined as a nation to continue to repeat the cycle.

What the Veep said is unfortunately true. The markets (and that doesn't mean Wall Street) will correct the problem. Buckle your seatbelts, we're in for a period of reversion to the mean as far as the housing market. For those of you who over leveraged it's going to get ugly. For those of you who didn't buy the bullshit it's going to be uncomfortable but in the end markets work and this time will be no different.

The outlook for the economy is just as good as the outlook for Mr. Cheney's health. Here is a guy that is a bad risk for health coverage. He had his first attack at 39. He smoked three packs a day. He had two more attacks. Wealth can be shifted upwards even in a depression. Mr. Cheney used war spending and bubbles to help his cronies rip off the middle class. Its all about the rich getting richer. Mr. Cheney's forty economists do not suggest that most of us will profit. In fact, these economist understand that supply side economics floats all yachts.

Without the war in Iraq some companies would have gone bankrupt. That includes Halliburton's subsidiary, KBR because of the asbestos liabilities for which Mr. Cheney was being sued. The war fixed that for Mr. Cheney and oil prices went up for the oil men and the Saudis.

The dollar is falling and you can bet that Mr. Greenspan is not holding many. He admitted that on 60 minutes. Americans need to believe in something. Followers need to be told what to do. Just work more hours, pay your taxes, serve in the military, and vote for Rethugs. "Guns, Gays, and God" (values) rather than the wellbeing of our middle class is the motivation of the people who need progressive policies but vote themselves out of it every time.

The thing about Cheney and American CEOs its all about ambiguity. Markets are working. Are they working well? Are they working in the right direction? The fundamentals are there. Can you name the "fundamentals?" Cheney was not exactly known for his business acumen during his tenure at Halliburton. The genius and his crack team in Halliburton's acquistion deptpartment purchashed KBR seemingly not aware of Kellogg Brown and Root's asbestos problem. Needless to say Halliburton found itself in a legal quagmire until the last few years. I believe this level of genius mirrors the success in Iraq.

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I heard the news about his heart issue, and I was able to post my view. Lucky me, I was on time before they closed the Comments.
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So, I will repeat on this blog.
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Life is sacred, and I value life. Cheney is the exemption. I pray to God he dies very soon.
He caused thousands of American lives, and maybe millions of Iraqi's. So God, please end this earth pollutants very soon.
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God please forgive me.

When is this assholes heart going to blow up?

We don't want to interfere with the fundamental workings of Cheney's heart.

Near...far
wherever you are
time will show,
Cheney's heart will beat on.

A saintly nurse will slip an air bubble into his vein via a syringe

Why in the hell didn't they let his misfiring pacemaker finish the job, and take this crud to humanity OUT?

"The fact is, the markets work, and they are working," said Cheney

Translation: "I got mine and I don't give a good golly fuck about anyone else."

Greed ! Greed ! Greed !

Someone interested in preserving the working of fundamental markets would not subsidize big oil, big pharma, or big agriculture.

So this is a load of BS.