You likely saw it here first, but Sarah Palin’s preacher problem is starting to go viral, her witchcraft fetish even making it into the pages of the Seattle Times.
In fact, in terms of how this will impact the Jewish vote, it’s worse than the small clip I put makes it. Over on Daily Kos, Kagro X noticed a segment that slipped by me as I was struggling to decipher the preacher’s heavy accent:
The second area whereby God wants us, wants to penetrate in our society is in the economic area. The Bible says that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. It’s high time that we have top Christian businessmen, businesswomen, bankers, you know, who are men and women of integrity running the economics of our nations. That’s what we are waiting for. That’s part and parcel of transformation. If you look at the — you know — if you look at the Israelites, that’s how they work. And that’s how they are, even today.
That’s right, Pastor Muthee is talking about Christians need to take over the banks so that we can end the corruption of the Israelites. Really. Watch the whole clip and the context is pretty damn clear.
It’s even worse than you think, Goldy. Palin credits the “power” of Muthee’s comments with helping her win the governorship: http://www.mollygood.com/palin.....-20080917/
Actually, I would skip this as an issue. Everybody knows she’s a bit right of Atilla the Hun. It might have an impact on the Jewish community, as Goldy suggested in his first post. But running it into the ground plays into the hands of the Rovians who want to keep this election away from the issues, and make it into a “culture war” instead.
This year McCain just about lost the blue-collar, Evangelical protestant vote upon which the Republicans have relied upon for years to keep them in power. They just about lost it because (a) the Repubicans were proven to have cynically used the religious Evangelicals for their partison purposes and then ignored their interests while laughing about it behind their back; and (b) they were slowly becoming aware that the Republican economics programs were stealing them blind.
Palin’s nomination helped McCain a lot to get that group back behind him, at least as far as the Evangelical religious beliefs go. But if we allow Rove to turn this election into a war on the validity those beliefs, it may cancel out the economics issue, also. Rove managed to play the “gay marriage” issue in 2004 to the same effect.
Goldy, you grasping again? I thought you said over the last two weeks Obama is running against McCain not Palin?
WOW, this is great. The media better run with this.
She is fucking insane. Being a ‘normal’ Christian is bad enough. We don’t need a hyper delusional Christian fucktard anywhere near the White House.
Has anyone asked her about the rapture yet? I think its fair for the public to know if our leaders believe in that fucking bull shit.
Palin’s problem is not a preacher problem – it is an intelligence problem. She can’t answer a question. She doesn’t know McCain’s record on banking, she doesn’t know foreign policy, she doesn’t know Bush’s record on foreign policy. Every time she opens her mouth, she either lies about her record or embarasses herself even more. That is why they are trying to hide her away from the press and the American people. She gave one speech full of lies at the convention and then they blame the press for pointing out the lies.
Speaking of lies: McCain and Palin have been caught with totally blatant lies about Rick Davis:
Note the reppeated lies by McCain and Davis about his connections to Freddie Mac. Remember, ol’ Ricky was appointed the HEAD of a lobbying group created by Freddie Mac in 2005 – to lobby for less regulation and oversight for the companies.
Republican John McCain, the anti-regulation crusader, suddenly thinks there is a crisis. Where has he been – and don’t cite the 2005 non-law that the republicans killed – it would have reformed nothing
SeattleJew & Goldy–
Back in your Jewish religion training, did you study the Book of Daniel.
It is filled with descriptions of the excesses and self-worship, self-absorption of the times in Babylon. I see the same sort of things happening today, especially in our heavily, unchurched Metropolitan areas.
Folks having no foundation for their beliefs…just whatever FEELS appropriate.
And you know what happened to Babylon.
And this is not a Republican or Democrat issue to me.
You guys seem so threatened by someone who has a foundation, other than her own feelings & intellect, for living her life or making decisions.
Are you both Jews in name only now?
If you are still believers, Explain what happened as described in the Book of Daniel in Babylon and how it is any different today?
Folks without faith will believe in nothing…or fall for anything.
Read Daniel.
correctnotright–
And “Gaffe-Machine” Biden is a rocket scientist??
Biden sure has gotten a free pass, hasn’t he.
Remember what I have been teaching everyone about Goldy’s posts. Pull back. Look at the picture. Notice how they are all negative? Where are the pro-Obama posts? Hard to find, aren’t they?
To me, this is a big red flag.
David Goldstein, founder of Horses Ass Blog, bashes black preacher.
David Goldstein belittles African customs.
Racism. Christianity. Blacks. Hate speech. Intolerance. Xenophobic.
If you Neo-socialists want to defeat McCain, I suggest you ignore Palin and concentrate on McCain. All this shit being flung at Palin is pissing off a lot of moderate women who are going to vote McCain-Palin ’cause they’re pissed at all this juvenile attack shit against Palin.
Look, the media is in the tank for Obama; that’s 90% of the battle. All these attacks against Palin are essentially undermining your media’s support of Obama.
@11
Great point. Furthermore, I don’t just want to hear why McCain/Palin is bad, I want to hear why I should vote for Obama. I know he’s going to give reparations to illegal aliens and blacks, but what is he going to do for me?
You mean I’m gonna get some free money from Obama for them slavery reparations? Gosh it’s good to be black!
@12
Please stop lying.
@13 “sucka” “wanna dance”
You apparently got in touch with your blackness from watching 70’s blaxploitation flicks.
Goldy, isn’t it true Jews only believe in the Old Testament. And the First 5 Biblical Books are held reverently? I thought it is clear in Leviticus:
Lev 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
And then in Deuteronomy:
Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
Deu 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
Deu 18:14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
Hmmm… So what happened to Saul. Well we know Saul knew the state of the dead right Goldy?
1 Sam 28:8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
1 Sam 28:9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
1 Sam 28:10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
1 Sam 28:11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
Since many people today think you die and go to heaven and Samuel was a righteous prophet, why did Saul ask her to bring him up? Up from where? Hell or the grave? Well we know it isn’t Hell. So it must be the grave.
It says in the Old Testament the witch at Endor was known for having a familiar spirit. So I ask of the HA moonbat!s who posted above; what is a familiar spirit anyway? I submit rightfully so it isn;t God’s angel> Why? Can God contradict himself? God’s strong condemnation against consulting with witches. A familiar spirit is a demonic spirit, on of Satan’s fallen angels. This is what the Endor woman had, demonic communication. This demon was quite capable of impersonating Samuel. It was NOT Samuel who appeared at her summons, it was a demon masquerading as Samuel.
Then if you notice what the demon did first? It exposes Saul’s masquerade to the witch.
Nuff SAID!
Steve HAs Biggest ASSHole: Come on down to an DL sometime and you’ll get in touch with some blackness too!
SeattleJew & Goldy–
Have either of you ever studied the history of Free Masonry??
It’s a scarey cultlike system of rites, rituals & oaths that are worshipped by members. It goes back 1,000 years or so.
I don’t expect you to have an interest if you don’t have any belief in the spiritual world or witchcraft-like beliefs. But just because it creeps you out too much to research it and acknowledge it, does not mean it doesn’t exist.
There is much written about Free Masonry.
As Jews, you should be educated….and appalled.
Start here for an overview:
http://www.religion-cults.com/.....emas2.html
However, SJ & Goldy, if you are JINO’s and Atheists…you are probably excited to have such a cult to undermine Judaism and Christianity.
You 2 seem to be very impressed by your own intellect. Use it to study Free Masonry and tell me what you think!
Puddy–
The New Age Atheist Progressive movement believe the Bible is an antiquated book of stories….that THEY are so enlightened now, they are on a much higher plane of consciousness. That faith is for the weak and THEY have the answers to all the key questions of the universe.
New Age was founded on Free Masonry principles Puddy.
Believers are dangerous Neanderthals to the SJ’s and Goldy’s of the world.
We should trust THEM and all the drivel that enters their alleged minds and trickles out of THEIR mouths….that there is no one true God.
In the end, it’s just between them & God….it’s their cross to bear.
@6 Mr. Cyncial
Asking a Jew whether he is a “believer?” is more than a little insulting. Do you have any idea what Judaism is?
There is no credo, no statement of what a Jew must believe. An aetheist (me) can be a very good Jew (I hope)
Of course there is a Jewish religion and historically that religion has been the glue that has held our community together. Individual Jews may or may not believe in that religion, however, the religion itself teaches that living an ethical life is far more important than believing in some specific picture of God or story about the Garden of Eden.
So amongst us, Einstein, Salk, Spinoza, …. all atheists, we are all Jews.
Beyond that, why you think the book of Daniel is a revelation from God anymore that the Egyptian Book of the Dead is, to me, a profound mystery. FWIW, in Judaism the only “revelation” is books of Moses. You obviously do not understand that Christians have misappropriated our legends to form their bible.
So yeh .. I am a proud Jew and I try very hard to live within our tradition. I am also an atheist. While I certainly can not speak for Goldy, I suspect he and I share a pride in people who have lived great lives built on Jewish principles … including Samuel Gompers and Saul Alinsky …”community organizers” who led the US labor movement, the Mississippi three who died in the the civil rights cause, Hannah Senesh who sacrificed her life to organize rebellion against the Nazis, etc.
Against this background, Sarah Palin is more than a little disgusting.
Puddy …
Your sure are one uppitty goy with all that book learning!
Guess what, while your cutlural ancestors (nt the African ones since you got engrafted onto a Roman root) were painting themselves blue and reading the bones, we were … well … building a civilization. So yeh, it is terrible, terrible to be a member of a people with enough traditions to be able to look say 3000 years back and see what we believed then and what we have learned from.
It must be sad to look behind you and find out that your cultural roots were amputated and replaced with the Roman states’ official religion.
There is a lot more there in our history. WBTW .. do you guys have one?
16 Pussycat
No my little kitten it is not true.
In orthodox Judaism ONLY the Torah is said to be the word of God. But you would not understand that since as a Christian you accept a miscellaneous collection of documents with no clear provencance.
Who did decide what was gonna be in your bible?
As for Plain,.. if you were a real cat you would know that she IS a witch. My cat tells me she knows Palin’s cat, a failiar named Tigger .
Do you want something horrible to consider .. Palin is such a hypocrite that she had Tigger castrated! He would like to kill her.
@18 .. yes I know the legends abut freemasonry. What is the bug deal .. you afraid of the UN black helicopters too?
@17 Pathetic, Pudnut.
@19 Mr C
Oh tee of little faith. Tou have NO idea what Goldy or I beleive.
But I do take your point, you beleive in witches and spirits. Oh yeah .. and that the Deity planted oil and dinosair bones to mislead us. Right?
And where do you get your morality? Odin? Jesus? Zarathrustra? Moroni? Gabriel?
Isn;t it ssssoooo nice to be dismissive of others beleifs!
@7: there is no comparison between Biden mistating a few things and Palin NOT KNOWING or deliberately LYING. If you can’t tell the difference then maybe you should only write about topics you know about. Idiot!
@12:
Obama takes no PAC money and has no 527’s – unlike McCain.
Obama will get us out of Iraq – unlike McCain
Obama will regulate the banking industry that got us in this mess – unlike McCain.
Obama will cut the middle class taxes more than McCain.
Obama will make the rich pay their fair share – unlike McCain.
Obama has a health care plan – unlike McCain – whose revocation of tax breaks for employers will lead to less coverage and cost me more.
Obama understands economics – unlike McCain.
Obama’s campaign is not run by lobbyists – unlike McCain
Obama is not a serial liar – unlike Mccain.
Obama picked a VP that could take over, unlike McCain.
I think those alone are enough reasaons – but the other key reason is that McCain is unstable. In a time of crisis, he first said there was no problem in the economy, then he wanted the fire the SEC chairman, then he wanted no bailout, then he wanted a bailout, then he decided the crisis was so important he could not even debate (but could still run his campaign). He has been all over the map and incoherent on this. He is not suited to be the president. Obama has been steady, identifying the problem, proposing a solution and not just lying down and accepting the really flawed Bush proposal. The contrast could not be more clear. McCain has panicked, been incoherent, did not wait for the details and has contradicted himself over and over. That is not presidential we can believe in.
All this shit being flung at Palin is pissing off a lot of moderate women who are going to vote McCain-Palin ’cause they’re pissed at all this juvenile attack shit against Palin.
No, it isn’t. Check the polling next time before you post.
@16: The bible says many things – god did not like Ur – so he dies. why? We don’t ever get to know.
People who lie should should be stoned – are you willing to be stoned Puddy? Because surely you and all others have sinned and lied.
Most people who interpret the bible realize tht there are allegorical portions and taking things literally from the ancient context is both bizarre and unreal.
Unless you can read the original Hebrew or Aramaic, puddy, then you are using someone else’s interpretation and are not going by the original word anyways.
You people are always great for a laugh, if nothing else. The moron your party picked for VP thinks FDR was President when the market collapsed in 1929 and that he then “went on television to reassure the public”. Where are all the stories and comments about Biden being senile, and unfit to be President?
Instead you continue with this “get Sarah” desperation which is causing sane people all over the country to question why they ever voted for Democrats. I enjoy watching you melt down and showing everyone what spoiled grade school crybabies you really are. Keep up the good work!
@26
Media Mum on Barney Frank’s Fannie Mae Love Connection
Democratic House Financial Services Committee Chair promoted GSEs while former ‘spouse’ was Fannie Mae executive.
By Jeff Poor
Business & Media Institute
9/24/2008 4:00:57 PM
Are journalists playing favorites with some of the key political figures involved with regulatory oversight of U.S. financial markets?
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews launched several vitriolic attacks on the Republican Party on his Sept. 17, 2008, show, suggesting blame for Wall Street problems should be focused in a partisan way. However, he and other media have failed to thoroughly examine the Democratic side of the blame game.
Prominent Democrats ran Fannie Mae, the same government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) that donated campaign cash to top Democrats. And one of Fannie Mae’s main defenders in the House – Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., a recipient of more than $40,000 in campaign donations from Fannie since 1989 – was once romantically involved with a Fannie Mae executive.
The media coverage of Frank’s coziness with Fannie Mae and his pro-Fannie Mae stances has been lacking. Of the eight appearances Frank made on the three broadcasts networks between Jan. 1, 2008, and Sept. 21, 2008, none of his comments dealt with the potential conflicts of interest. Only six of the appearances dealt with the economy in general and two of those appearances, including an April 6, 2008 appearance on CBS’s “60 Minutes” were about his opposition to a manned mission to Mars.
Frank has argued that family life “should be fair game for campaign discussion,” wrote the Associated Press on Sept. 2. The comment was in reference to GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her pregnant daughter. “They’re the ones that made an issue of her family,” the Massachusetts Democrat said to the AP.
The news media have covered the relationship in the past, but there have been no mentions since 2005, according to Nexis and despite the collapse of Fannie Mae. The July 3, 1998, Reliable Source column in The Washington Post reported Frank, who is openly gay, had a relationship with Herb Moses, an executive for the now-government controlled Fannie Mae. The column revealed the two had split up at the time but also said Frank was referring to Moses as his “spouse.” Another Washington Post report said Frank called Moses his “lover” and that the two were “still friends” after the breakup.
Frank was and remains a stalwart defender of Fannie Mae, which is now under FBI investigation along with its sister organization Freddie Mac, American International Group Inc. (NYSE:AIG) and Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH) – all recently participants in government bailouts. But Frank has derailed efforts to regulate the institution, as well as denying it posed any financial risk. Frank’s office has been unresponsive to efforts by the Business & Media Institute to comment on these potential conflicts of interest.
While the relationship reportedly ended 10 years ago, Frank was serving on the House Banking Committee the entire 10 years they were together. The committee is the primary House body which along with the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has jurisdiction over the government-sponsored enterprises.
He has served on the committee since becoming a congressman in 1981 and became the ranking Democrat on the committee in 2003. He became chairman of the committee, now called the House Financial Services Committee, in 2007.
Moses was the assistant director for product initiatives at Fannie Mae and had been at the forefront of relaxing lending restrictions at the company for rural customers, according to the Feb. 23, 1998, issue of National Mortgage News (NMN).
“Herb Moses, who helped develop many of Fannie Mae’s affordable housing and home improvement lending programs, has left the mortgage industry,” Darryl Hicks wrote for NMN. “Mr. Moses – whose last day was Feb. 13 – spent the past seven years at Fannie Mae, most recently as director of housing initiatives. Over the course of time, he played an instrumental role in developing the company’s Title One and 203(k) home improvement lending programs.”
Hicks explained in his story how Moses orchestrated a collaborative effort between Fannie Mae and the Department of Agriculture.
“The Dartmouth grad also played a crucial role in brokering a relationship between Fannie Mae and the Department of Agriculture,” Hicks wrote. “This led to the creation of Fannie Mae’s rural housing program where the secondary marketing agency agreed to purchase small farm loans insured through the department.”
While Moses served at Fannie Mae and was Frank’s partner, Frank was actively working to support GSEs, according to several news outlets.
In 1991, Frank and former Rep. Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., lobbied for Fannie to soften rules on multi-family home mortgages although those dwellings showed a default rate twice that of single-family homes, according to the Nov. 22, 1991, Boston Globe.
BusinessWeek reported in its Nov. 14, 1994, issue that Fannie Mae called on Frank to exert his influence against a Housing & Urban Development proposal that would force the GSE to focus on minority and low-income buyers and police bias by lenders regardless of their location. Fannie Mae opposed HUD on the issue because it claimed doing so would “ignore the urban middle class.”
Moses left Fannie in 1998 to start his own pottery business. National Mortgage News called Moses a “mortgage guru” and said he developed “many of Fannie Mae’s affordable housing and home improvement lending programs. Moses ended his relationship with Frank just months after he left Fannie.
Even after the relationship ended, however, Frank was a staunch defender of Fannie Mae even as other experts suggested there were serious problems building in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
According to an article by Kathleen Day in the Oct. 8, 2003, Washington Post, Frank opposed giving the Bush administration the right to approve or disapprove business activities that “could pose risk to the taxpayers.” He told the Post he worried the Treasury Department “would sacrifice activities that are good for consumers in the name of lowering the companies’ market risks.”
Just a month before, Frank had aggressively thwarted reform efforts by the Bush administration. He told The New York Times on Sept. 11, 2003, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s problems were “exaggerated,” a gross miscalculation some five years later with costs estimated to be in the hundreds of billions.
“These two entities – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – are not facing any kind of financial crisis,” Frank said to the Times. “The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.”
Frank has also reaped campaign contribution benefits from Fannie Mae and its counterpart Freddie Mac. According a front page story in the Sept. 19, 2008, Investor’s Business Daily by Terry Jones, Frank has received $40,100 in campaign cash over the past two decades from the GSEs.
Frank is ranked 16th on a list that includes both houses of Congress and fifth among his colleagues in the House. According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org, political action committees financed by both Freddie and Fannie have contributed $3,017,797 to members of Congress since 1989. And according to the July 16 issue of Politico, the two entities have spent a whopping $200 million to buy influence – including not only campaign donations to members of Congress, but also presidential campaigns and lobbying efforts.
In a July 23 op-ed, Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Editor Paul Gigot put the blame for the GSEs’ collapse firmly on the members of the liberal establishment who took money from Freddie and Fannie. “Fan and Fred also couldn’t prosper for as long as they have without the support of the political left… This includes Mr. Frank and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) on Capitol Hill, as well as Mr. [Paul] Krugman and the Washington Post’s Steven Pearlstein in the press.”
Frank was asked by CNN’s John Roberts on the Sept. 22, 2008 “American Morning” about this and his opposition to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Originally, he claimed he didn’t think the two GSEs were facing any problems when the issue first surfaced in 2003. He instead blamed the Republican-controlled Congress for their ultimate fall, failing to mention his friendly relationship with Fannie Mae and the contributions it had made to his campaign over the years.
“Yes, I did not think we were facing a crisis in 2003, but that didn’t mean we didn’t have to have reform,” an animated Frank said when confronted with the question. “Here’s the deal, the Republicans controlled Congress from 1995 through 2006. They did zero to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”
However, on Sept. 17, 2008, former Bush administration Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove elaborated on the Bush administration’s efforts to curb abuses at the two GSEs in 2003. He told Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes” that Frank was among the most aggressive opponents of White House attempts to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
“All of this bad stuff on Wall Street happened because people got greedy and the greed started at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,” Rove said. “And I know this because five years ago, the administration was alerted by the regulator, James Lockhart, that there was insufficient authority and that these institutions – particularly Fannie – were out of control.”
Rove said the Bush administration’s efforts to reform Fannie and Freddie were opposed by congressional Democrats – specifically Frank and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.
“And I got to tell you, for five years, I was part of an effort at the White House to fight this and our biggest opponents on the Hill who blocked this every step of the way were people like Chris Dodd and Barney Frank. And Fannie and Freddie are the $200 billion contagion at the center of this.”
Frank has been quick to blame deregulation for some of the problems in the financial environment, as he did on Bloomberg television’s Sept. 19 “Political Capital with Al Hunt.” However, as earmark crusader Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. pointed out – it’s not deregulation, but it was the structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that had been guarded by Frank and other members of Congress.
“Some people point at deregulation,” Flake said to the Business & Media Institute on Sept. 23. “It’s not deregulation at all. We have for far too long shielded Fannie and Freddie for example, with the implicit and now explicit guarantee. I just found it humorous.”
Flake specifically named Frank as one of the members behind letting allegations of transgressions at the two GSEs for slipping by without oversight from Congress.
“Just a few minutes ago, a reporter was asking me about this and saying, ‘Barney Frank is saying that’s just – because there were allegations,’ correct ones – ‘that Fannie and Freddie have been the playground for politicians for years and now the other side is saying Fannie and Freddie were just a small part of this and this goes far beyond.’ It does, but these same people a couple of weeks ago said, ‘You got to bail out Fannie and Freddie because they touch everything out there. They touch nearly every mortgage out there.’ And because of that explicit guarantee – that we would come and bail them out, nobody has been subject to market discipline.”
Frank claims differently, according to a letter to the editor published in the Sept. 17, 2008 Wall Street Journal. Frank noted that in 2005 he supported regulating compensation for Fannie and Freddie executives.
“In fact, my reform efforts had begun when we were still in the minority. In 2005, I joined Michael Oxley, then chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, in supporting legislation to increase the regulation of Fannie and Freddie that passed the House by a vote of 330 to 90,” Frank wrote. “When former Congressman Richard Baker proposed to examine the compensation structure of Fannie and Freddie’s top executives, and some members of Congress tried to block him, I explicitly spoke out in support of his right to do that and our right, as a Congress, to examine the GSE’s compensation practices.”
The red flags were raised long before the government bailed out the two GSEs in August 2008. The first egregious scandal involving Fannie Mae occurred in 2004. A 2004 Wall Street Journal editorial was first to point out claims in an OFHEO report that showed accounting malpractices by the GSE.
“For years, mortgage giant Fannie Mae has produced smoothly growing earnings. And for years, observers have wondered how Fannie could manage its inherently risky portfolio without a whiff of volatility, the Oct. 4, 2004, editorial, “Fannie Mae Enron?” said. “Now, thanks to Fannie’s regulator, we know the answer. The company was cooking the books. Big time.”
See Related Sidebar: Networks, Once Silent on Fannie Mae, Blame Capitalism for Debacle
SeattleJew–
Most Atheists are reluctant to admit they are Atheists. Yet you have deluded yourself, just like the Babylonians in the book of Daniel, to believe and worship only your intellect…and feelings which change like the wind.
I’m a firm believer that we all have the free will to make our own spiritual choices. You talk about the “legends of free masonry”. Legends?? That implies they are mythical and not real. Denial is a comfort zone for many Atheists. You seem to believe there is absolutely no spiritual realm SeattleJew.
Kind of an empty, self-absorbed existance, ain’t it?? I mean, you die and it’s all over.
So you are working so hard for some self-importance driven benefits to future mankind??
Question SeattleJew (the race not the religion):
How will you ever know if you were successful?
What is success if everyone whoever lives dies and there is nothing in the spiritual realm?
Seems like banging your head against the wall with no hope…because Man will eventually cease to exist.
What a dilemma you have created for yourself SJ?
But how wonderful you have the free will to make that choice!
How sad you must condemn those of faith because of your own shallow, hopeless existence.
SJ–
When did you become an Atheist?
Are/were your parents Atheists??
What is it with McCain and fanatics?
Wasn’t one of the other names they were running for his VP some guy who was part of an exorcism when he was younger?
Huh
neverbrightandalwaysincorrect?
Obama Presidential contributions
Moveon.org $347,463
NEXT
SeattleJew, please tell me what books I posted the law from?
Bereshit, בראשית, Shemot שמות, Vayikra ויקרא, Bamidbar במדבר, and Devarim דברים
Didn’t I use Vayikra ויקרא and Devarim דברים for my initial delivery?
Just checking…
David@33, are you really a pinhead or you post as one on HA?
We all know why you avoid this one, Pud.
Exodus 22:19
“Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.”
@31
Atheism and belief in a spiritual realm are not mutually exclusive. There are plenty of atheists that are deeply spiritual. They, like me, just don’t believe in a deity. Buddhism is non-theistic and the fifth most followed spiritual philosophy in the world with over 350M practitioners..
My existence isn’t hopeless. In fact, it’s ultimately hopeful. I’m not denying anything. What state of denial do you believe I live in?
Like I said before, I do not care what her religion is. I do care however about her judgement. The law of the land is the Constitution. It is not the Bible. If she uses her faith to inform her morality, I’m okay with that as long as she’s not a literalist. If she uses her faith as a tool for advancement, as a free pass for bad decisions or an out for responsibility, or uses it as a tool over others, then I could not in good faith vote for her.
Not having much interest in the early books (I’m just a Christian – I believe in the teachings of Christ; i.e., the New Testament and all that)…
I have to ask the folks commenting above, why they are so wrapped up in trying to interpret another faith’s works? Seems to be common among many Evangelicals, but I just don’t get it.
Puddy
cool tool … how do you get this ting to post Ivrit?
uptown–
Because your spiritual faith is a large part of who you are and the foundation of how you look at various issues. Politics and faith have never been or will never be mutually exclusive. I know that is painful for some idealists…but just not possible.
I am not wrapped up in SeattleJew’s Atheism…but I am curious. He is a very bright individual…highly educated and analytical. But as you can tell from SeattleJew’s posts, it is HE who is wrapped up in the faith of others as he has anger in his posts as he rules out Palin, Rossi and others of Christian and Catholic faith. He seems to be a bit more tolerant of religous Jews for some reason.
Just because folks are uncomfortable talking about faith and beliefs…or unbeliefs doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of more discussion. In fact, the discomfort and anger of many means we ought to be discussing it much, much more.
@38 rla
I like your post.
My one concern is with idea that one’s religion can somehow be considered as fundamental to one’s character and at the same time off-the-table when we are discussing qualification to be President.
In Palin’s case her religion teaches many things that .. if she believes them … would worry me. For example does she speak in tongues? Also, is she is a dominionist, how does that effect her interpretation of the law? etc.
Even Buddhism. I assume you are theravada? If so and you wanted to be President, I would very much want to know how you would apply the dharma of suffering to a situation like the current economic crisis.
Similarly, for a Roman Catholic, the Church has banned a number of people form communion based on their political views. If Biden is Veep, would a threat of that sort affect his decisions?
Muslims are taught that sharia is universal. If a muslim was running isn’t it reasonable to asl what rule she ouwld want sharia to play?
Orthodox judaism has strenuous rules about who may and who may not be killed in warfare. If Lieberman were running wouldn;t it be fair to ask him whether he could order a nuclear atrike?
In my personal view of Judaism, I take the laws on lying totally seriously. If I were running for President wouldn’t yo want to know how this would effect my diplomacy?
The trouble with simply being tolerant is that different religions DO have real moral values.
@42
I’d never be President because I’d probably have to walk off the path in order to get elected. :)
Very interesting question you posed.. long boring plan follows – skip to end if you don’t want a nap:: The amount of suffering because of the financial crisis is so wide spread that it would be hard to know how to proceed. Of the proposals so far, the that seems as though it would alleviate the most and create the least suffering would be for the government to buy supplemental shares in a private equity offering from the company’s to help them raise their cash positions. The proviso on buying each equity tranch would be that the company suspend it’s dividend and require it to use the cash to build equity, the the equity be bought back over a 10 year period by the offering institution and that the pay packages and ongoing expenses be reviewed by financial regulators. All saving must be put into building a minimum liquidity position and anything extra should be pushed into keeping the interest rates for all those loans held by the company at the lowest possible rate and still remain profitable.
Lots of details need to be fleshed out though…
And you’re right, all religions have real moral values. And all religions have a wide variability in the application of those values. Some of each ilk take their beliefs to the extreme and allow human failings to be excused or justified by their view of their traditions and teachings. I have a fear that we’re witnessing just that..
rla ..
great exchange!
Are you Theravada?
It seems to me that under Theravada the first issue would be to detach from others suffering. This is why I think Theravada leaders/teachers make better monks than they do leaders.
One reason I am not a Buddhist is the centrality of suffering, as explained in sutras, seems to me to deny love. I have for many years felt sad that Siddartha denied the love of his wife and mother because in his search for Nirnvana he solved the problem of pain by detaching himself from love.
A Mahayana friend of mine tells me that this problem i solved in Mahyana. Perhaps so but I have trouble with many of the actual practices of Mahyana including the selection of Lamas, designations of nobility, recognition of deities, etc.
In my fantasies I think that Baruch Spinoza and Maimonides were intellectual reincarnations of Siddartha without the bagggage associated with the Buddha’s origin in a Hindu culture. Neither, however, really deals very well with love either. If I had to pick one teacher who approaches the synthesis that I like it would be Judah ha Levy in the Khazari,
@39 uptown
“I have to ask the folks commenting above, why they are so wrapped up in trying to interpret another faith’s works? Seems to be common among many Evangelicals, but I just don’t get it.”
Our Jewish problem is that the Christians claim that their living religion was created out of the carcass of our dead religion. Since they think this way they also take our writings and re-interpret them to fit their religion. Sometimes living as a Jew in a Christian society is like watching one’s own autopsy.
Sheesh……
I get back from a short vacation, and as a long time follower of Wicca, I am pretty appalled at what the McCain-Palin ticket is presenting to us.
Look, I understand that my spiritual beliefs are in the minority. I accept and celebrate Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and many other faith systems as valid spiritual paths.
However, while she seems devoutly spiritual, she seems to want to chase me away because she does not happen to believe in the same faith system as I do.
Yeah, it is the rare Republican that I would consider voting for, and McCain certainly was not my choice. But would it be asking too much not to have to worry whether or not the next step will be that she might propose burning me at the stake?
I was metaphorically frightened before of the possibility of Sarah Palin eventually becoming president. But now, I may have reason to really worry.