Clinton: Obama "Right Of" Bush On Housing Crisis

Hillary Clinton's camp has released this statement, after Obama opened his trip to Texas with a critique of Hillary's housing crisis solution:

"When it comes to the housing crisis, Senator Obama sounds a lot more like President Bush than a Democratic candidate for President. In fact, Senator Obama has positioned himself to the right of George Bush on this issue. Senator Clinton knows it's going to take a lot more than speeches to fix the housing crisis. She knows we need a candidate who has a plan that acknowledges that the housing market is broken, and who has the strength and experience to propose a moratorium and rate freeze to help Americans get back on their feet. Additionally, Senator Obama's proposed $10 billion foreclosure fund is a mere one-third the size of Senator Clinton's, yet another failure on his part to acknowledge the size and scope of this crisis. When Senator Obama says that Senator Clinton's plan will "reward people who are wealthy and don't need it" he shows himself to be out of touch with average Americans. Senator Clinton's plan only helps subprime borrowers, a population that is disproportionately low-income."

Comments

[KaAp]

11:53 AM on 02/20/2008

This is not about photos it is about people loosing their homes ... I do feel sorry for people I honestly do but clearly people ought to have read the contracts that they signed. I have heard and seen news reports about predatory lenders having non English speaking families sign contracts without having someone translate the fine print ...
But, I also realize others did not look too closely at their contracts and that is indeed problematic and frightening having something to do with a lack of literacy and perhaps a lack of knowledge or critique of capitalism and the profit motive ...
To pander to people who are desperate and about to loose their homes is despicable ... especially given Clinton's ties to the various industries which brought about the problems emergence ... and I do not fault her so much as greed, avarice, and capitalism ...
What ethically and morally enrages me is her pretense at sympathy while she knows she can not change the greed embedded in the system which brought about this travesty's emergence

[imsosure]

05:36 AM on 02/20/2008

Squirming like the greasy snake she is, bwhahaha

[JonStewart4President]

12:51 AM on 02/20/2008

Her policy about this is way off on a lot of levels. But I agree, at least she's getting back to talking policy, I can and do respect that and love looking at each candidate's plans to try and deal with our nation's issues. Not sling mud at each other.

But not cool about the picture. It seems to be deliberately picked to be bad. I know there are better pictures of her out there. That being said, the Michelle Obama one that was chosen was pretty bad, as well.

[NoCorporatePersonhood]

11:41 PM on 02/19/2008

I saw a dry but informative documentary 2 days ago called "the end of suburbia" Anyone interested in what will happen her in the near future should check it out. We have thanks in large part to the auto industry created the most unsustainable way of living in the history of the world.

[MSanford]

11:03 PM on 02/19/2008

$30 Billion plan, Hillary? That's taking $400 from ME in taxes to pay for someone else's McMansion! This is an outrage! If they have jobs they can afford to rent, or move into a smaller home and pay less, LIKE I AM for crying out loud. And if they make a 0% down payment, how can you possibly say it's THEIR HOME? It's that BANKS!

[MSanford]

10:56 PM on 02/19/2008

Hillary's 'plan' will help out homeowners struggling to make payments. For for every body else?

--- Banks won't want to lend anymore, knowing that Hillary may decide to just change the terms, and make them loose money.
--- Because of this interest rates will go *UP*
for everybody looking to buy a home or refinance.
--- Lowering interest rates by fiat keeps the housing market from sorting itself out, preventing home prices falling as they should.

As someone who could have bought, but sat this one out knowing it was a bubble, I feel incredibly insulted that Hillary thinks expensive housing is a Democratic value, and that living in a home you cannot really afford is a right.

I will NEVER vote for Hillary.

[Ides]

08:05 PM on 02/19/2008

What was the word used to describe Hillary Clinton's housing plan? "Disastrous?"

"Hillary's modest proposal (to wreck the housing market)."

http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/16/commentary/birger_clinton.fortune/

[jcandrsn]

08:00 PM on 02/19/2008

I just don't know how she thinks she can freeze a set of interest rates and think that it will have zero effect on others. It makes no sense, she's just pandering.

[SingingBird]

08:19 PM on 02/19/2008

Not only is it pandering, it is putting off the inevitable. Take the hit, deal with the mess and move forward. Stop lowering interest rates as it only slows down the problem instead of resolving it.

[Tankan]

07:43 PM on 02/19/2008

Great photo!

Looks like another crazy moment for Hillary!

[acv]

07:27 PM on 02/19/2008

I have a great deal of respect for the Huffington Post but what's with the consistently bad, horrible pictures of Hillary Clinton. Every single one is bad. Please, be fair.

[Tankan]

07:48 PM on 02/19/2008

It's been said the camera never lies!

But I agree, every single one of Hillary leaves a lot to be desired!

They tried soft focus, that didn't work, so what can Huffin Puff do?

[mrJJ]

08:10 PM on 02/19/2008

Heres a few good picture of Sen Clinton.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1920213/posts

[KQuark]

07:25 PM on 02/19/2008

So Hillary is trying to bribe the electorate to get votes. More proof Hillary has no business in the white house where she will try to micromanage every policy.

[morris1030]

09:06 PM on 02/19/2008

Your ignorance is showing,as Obama has made overtures to delegates and supers for days. Has already pledged over a million to buy votes of delegates. Both sides will do this.

[Snoman]

07:18 PM on 02/19/2008

A freeze on interest rates and foreclosures would hurt the housing market even more as lenders would almost have to refuse to make loans they have no collateral against.

On the bright side, it is nice to see Clinton taking a break from the attempts at character assasination and make a real go at debating the issues.

[PTTY]

06:44 PM on 02/19/2008

Our Infrastructure is crumbling while we spend billions and

billions on a WAR she voted for. Now she is talking about this.
Her vote for the War is the cause of our economy and she cannot admit she is wrong.

BILL, HILLARY, JOHN McCAIN AND BUSH and their WAR have ruined our Country.

As Bill Clinton's Vote for NAFTA has ruined our Economy.Hillary's "Experience" is Bill's Legacy ...NAFTA, Welfare Reform, (GATT94)WTO, Telecommunications Act of 1996, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ..

These were the achievements of the Clinton Presidency ... She can't say she has "Experience" and say she didn't support any of the efforts that defined Bill's Presidency ...

If she supported them, it shows poor judgment on her part ... if she was against them, it shows that she didn't have influence with her husband regarding her disagreements with these issues ...So what is it? Poor Judgment or inability to influence people to accept her position?Either way, those traits do not benefit the United States if they are displayed by the President

NAFTA signed into law by President Bill Clinton. [12/08/93].

They were Co-Presidents then, of course she supported it. They are trying to revise History because Bill Clinton signing that NAFTA Bill has caused America's economy to be in the horrible condition our Country is in.

SOLUTIONS FOR AMERICA she ripped off from NEWT GINGRICH

Results for "DNC Obama 2004 speech"

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dnc+obama+2004+speech&search_type=

[darlamc]

07:04 PM on 02/19/2008

Here some info for ya- four words- Barack Obama, Carlyle Group.www.politicalamnesia.blogspot.com

[LAcarlito]

06:35 PM on 02/19/2008

When Sen Clinton offers a plan that rewards people who PUT NOTHING DOWN how is this good for the long term health of the economy? It all sounds good to garner votes, but it is not smart for the economy. Encouraging unsound risk taking is not good.

Once again, Obama is being honest, Hillary is reading polls and offering solutions that poll well. Don't reward people who did not have anything at risk. We are not building an "ownership society" when we encourage silly risk taking in any type of investment.

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

06:25 PM on 02/19/2008

I'm surprised Hillary doesn't go to the Senate floor and propose a bill that can help homeowners right now-- by February 2009 it may be too late.

Otherwise it's all talk.

[youthrewaspark]

06:28 PM on 02/19/2008

Great point. Though both candidates are guilty of politicking in that regard.

[SamanthaJaneSalem]

06:35 PM on 02/19/2008

I wonder why neither one of them has proposed something on the Senate floor to help the economy-- although Hillary's allies could load down a bill with amendments that could be politically damaging to Obama. Last year Obama tried to increase Homeland Security funds to states with bigger urban populations and got hammered by some other senators.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

07:02 PM on 02/19/2008

If you expect ANY of the candidates to stop their stump speeches and do ANYTHING for which they were actually elected to the Senate, you obviously are new to this dog and pony show.

[SingingBird]

08:01 PM on 02/19/2008

Voltaire....let me educate you. Obama was in Washingto to vote on the FISA issue and voted against telecom immunity. Clinton on the other hand failed to stop her stump speeches and vote on the important issue.

By that example alone, Clinton is all talk and Obama is all action.