This from a man who will not admit a mistake, lies and covers up his relationships and voting record, and as a sitting US Senator encourages the use of initimidation tactics by his supporters and public officials under the color of authority. Imagine what life could turn into when he gets his Civil National Security Corps and mandatory civil national service.

To me, Fred Barnes is a liberal in republican clothing. I am fed up with him in Fox News and don’t want to see him again frankly. As for Krauthammer, he is an elitist in the sense of George Will. Krauthammer is gifted in wordage, but his analysis is obscure and rather weak.

jencab on October 3, 2008 at 1:05 PM

Couldn’t have said it better myself, jencab!

After all, Fred is one of the stars of the FOX show titled The Beltway Boys.

Yeah, real “finger on the pulse” of flyover country, Fred.

Sen. McCain refuses to fight. Given a golden opportunity during the recent economic crisis, he refused to lead. This election was his to win. It was handed to him on a silver platter and he said “No thanks”.

And now we see why the media hand-picked him to be the GOP candidate… they knew him to (likely) be a toothless maverick that would fail to attack the eventual Democratic pick.

What about Maverick pulling a rabbit out of the hat and attacking Obama for the Democrats’ role in the Fannie/Freddie financial crisis?

He can’t because Republicans were either complicit and/or basically silent until now on this issue. Republicans also had their hand caught in that cookie jar so they’ve lost that argument also. Dems were atrocious and Reps were pathetic.

All McCain is left with is 30 sec ads doing his dirty work for him. You know the ineffective ones with the movie trailer voice, that can’t be trusted and no one listens to anymore.

McCain doesn’t have the nuts to call out Dems/Obama and it cuts into his “working across the aisle” (being everything to everybody) theme.

McCain has worried so much about being perceived as hot-headed that he works extra hard to not step on toes and create balance. If he wouldn’t have worried so much about that false premise and wasn’t so controlled or reactionary to the lib media, he would be winning.

Wait what?

More Fannie Mae stories!

Progressoverpeace,

You have mentioned misvaluation twice, and I am not sure exactly to what you are referring. Are you talking about the detaching of housing prices from inflation, or the misvaluation of the securities these mortgages were bundled into?

DFCtomm on October 3, 2008 at 2:27 PM

I was referring to Fannie and Freddie intentionally overpaying for loans, to take them off the lenders’ inventory and make it appear as if they had been priced correctly at origination – which was untrue. Franklin Raines explained this thinking when he called investments in real estate to be “almost riskless” in response to Republican demands that Fannie should have a larger much larger reserve backing its portfolio.

I also would like to see Frank and Raines and Dodd and Shumer get their comeuppence, but I think the biggest problem with that is not just the complexity of the problem, it is that the Republicans controlled the House for more than a decade. I do think the Democrats are responsible for most of it, but the Republicans were not out of power through all that time.

Clinton was president when it started, but Newt Gingrich did not stop it. And Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid won in 2006, but Bush was president. Bush and McCain both tried to intervene in the situation but were stopped not only by powerful Democrats, but by a lack of concern for the problem by many in their own party.

That makes it harder to blame the Democrats. But that does not mean they can’t try. At this point, there is not a lot to lose.

I know this is above the understanding of some people here, but I think the reason McCain has not laid blame where it belongs is possibly the Democrats have control of both houses of congress. If he believes, like I am sure he does, a bailout bill is needed. Unless he wants the economy to collapse, attacking those at fault prior to the bills passage would be foolish. After passage, however, he is able to shine the light of truth on the issue Bill O’Rielly started last night with his exposure of lies told by one Barney Frank. Who denied saying what a video of him

Zelsdorf Ragshaft on October 3, 2008 at 2:47 PM

That may be it. Or, it could be that if we snooped too closely into who’s been getting sub prime mortgages we’d find that a lot of illegals were getting them.

Get the connection?

Illegal aliens => McCain / Kennedy Amnesty Bill?

The defecrats aren’t the only ones to blame for this; albeit they pretty much put everything in place with the CRA.

And, I don’t care what McCain says about securing the border. He’s for amnesty.

Obama is the perfect example of Peter Seller’s character in “Being There”. The empty suit marches on as the Republicans snooze through the biggest Democrat caused disaster of all time.

***

adamsmith on October 3, 2008 at 4:05 PM

I’ve thought that too. And I’ll add that he’s also reminded me in a way of Forrest Gump during the running period when he had all those idiots following him, though not really knowing why. That said, I loved Forrest Gump, and I loathe Obama. Unfortunately, Obama won’t quit running until well after he’s won the election.

CC

Is it okay for me to still vote McCain/Palin on Nov.4?
I’m going to, just to see if the Marxist can lose……..

I object on the behalf of Jerry Garcia and dead heads everywhere but agree.

Sen. McCain refuses to fight. Given a golden opportunity during the recent economic crisis, he refused to lead. This election was his to win. It was handed to him on a silver platter and he said “No thanks”………..

If Sen. McCain doesn’t start-and start soon-to take some pages from the Palin playbook, Charles Krauthammer’s prediction will become reality.

Blaise on October 3, 2008 at 3:00 PM

Agreed 100%

McCain’s being Mr. Nice Guy, his only hope is to take the gloves off and fight. No way he can ride Palin’s skirt-tail into the White House.

BTW, saw BOC in ‘80, most boring concert ever.

Look, Allapundit is smart and provocative, but he’s not a pessimist. He’s a defeatist – which is a lot worse, in my opinion – and he has been one at least since 2006 on a range of critical issues, but especially in regard to every development in Iraq and in regard to this election.

CK MacLeod on October 3, 2008 at 2:48 PM

In the practical art of politics, you must be prepared to fight at any time in the future. In the impractical art of politics, you should have been prepared quite some time ago, and it’s probably already too late. You’re scroomed.
- Sun Tzu’s Nephew

Exit question: Er, at this point, what does McCain have to lose?

Nothing, dammit! Obviously there will be racial demagoguery, but what else is new? I’d almost like to see them try, and see how the bitter clingers and others, react. If you’re sitting in a county whose real estate values have tanked thanks to the socialist affirmative action program, you’re not going to be in the mood to be called a racist.

Update: Per Ace and Pethokoukis, Michael Barone wonders where Palin was last night on the Dems and Fannie/Freddie.

It was beyond frustrating to watch, hence my inability to give Palin an A and compare her to Reagan as others are suggesting. It’s only the most important issue of the election right now (pushing energy to the back seat) and she (like McCain) blew it.

Maybe this is the game changer…the ultimate October surprise against Obama????

Allah,

What say you on that article link?

Kokonut on October 3, 2008 at 1:03 PM
From the order…..

Philip J. Berg, Esq. (Plaintiff)

v.

Barack Hussein Obama et. al. (Defendants)

Civil Action No. 08-cv-04083

ORDERED

ON DEFENDANT’S, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA AND THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE’S MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT PURSUANT TO RULE 12(b)(1) AND 12(b)(6)

THIS CAUSE came before the United States District Court Judge, Honorable R. Barclay Surrick on Defendant’s Barack Hussein Obama and the Democratic National Committee’s Motion to Dismiss. Having review the Motion and Plaintiff’s Opposition to said Motion and for good cause shown, it is hereby

ORDERED that the Motion to Dismiss pursuant to F.R.C.P. 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) is DENIED. It is further ORDER of this Court that the following discovery to be turned over to Plaintiff within three (3) days:

1. Obama’s “vault” version (certified copy of his “original” long version) Birth Certificate; and

2. A certified copy of Obama’s Certificate of Citizenship

3. A certified copy of Obama’s Oath of Allegiance.

IT IS SO ORDERED

Dated: September ____, 2008

Hon. R. Barclay Surrick
United States District Court Judge
For the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 3, 2008 at 1:23 PM

Note that this Order is neither dated or signed. It was submitted by the plaintiff, along with plaintiff’s brief in opposition to the defendant’s motion to dismiss. Defendant submitted a proposed Order as well. The judge can sign one or the other order, depending on his/her decision or the judge can write his own Order. But the existence of Plaintiff’s PROPOSED order is meaningless; the motion is still pending.

I am completely baffled as to Sen. McCain’s unwillingness to fight and to lead. His selection of Gov. Palin aside (which was a brilliant move, in my opinion) he has done nothing to meet the Democrats, and Sen. Obama head-on.

It may be that partisanship leaves him uncomfortable, and that he wants to be “above the fray”. If you want to be “above the fray”, however, why get into it in the first place?

It is not that citizens in a democracy want, or love, partisanship…it is that they are entitled to it.If you want to avoid partisanship, the world offers many options: North Korea, China, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Belorussia are all warm and cuddly non-partisan states. Venezuela, in it’s last presidential election, demonstrated what happens when one side abandons partisanship (the opposition,in protest, chose not to compete)…you get a Chavez, or a Chavez clone.

Democratic politics requires partisanship, thrives on partisanship. Steel is tempered by heat, not by lukewarm water, and the same may be said for leaders.

Sen. McCain refuses to fight. Given a golden opportunity during the recent economic crisis, he refused to lead. This election was his to win. It was handed to him on a silver platter and he said “No thanks”.

The election is still a month away, and the things can change. Gov. Palin has demonstrated that she can be partisan, she can defend her side, her people and those who support her. Sen. McCain has not.

If Sen. McCain doesn’t start-and start soon-to take some pages from the Palin playbook, Charles Krauthammer’s prediction will become reality.

maybe some of the old election laws with poll taxes and other qualifying requirements wasn’t such a bad thing. Ignorant dumb a$$es make dangerous voters, not to mention gullable sheep.

McCain said that we have to fix the problem first then point fingers.

McCain better have something planned regarding Fannie/Freddie after the bill. Attack the earmarks in the bill, the petty politics on display and all the Democrat fingerprints on Fannie and Freddie. Americans are fed up with Washington.

We heard Biden blaming the mess on McCain and Deregulation. And McCain’s bill for stricter oversight on Fannie/Freddie after their Accounting Scandals? Does Enron and WorldCom ring any bells? Rahm Emanuel was a Board member of one of the GSEs. Jamie Gorelick? Jim Johnson? Franklin Raines? McCain should be prepping a whole laundry list for his upcoming debate and political ads. How much lobby money did Barack take from Fannie and Freddie.

Look, Allapundit is smart and provocative, but he’s not a pessimist. He’s a defeatist – which is a lot worse, in my opinion – and he has been one at least since 2006 on a range of critical issues, but especially in regard to every development in Iraq and in regard to this election.