Tough Act to Follow, yet Gov. Jindal Makes Great Point

You have to give it to Governor Bobby Jindal and the Republican party. Americans are looking for a strong direction, and it's got to be tough to keep the dual party system full frontal in the face of the current economy. How do you follow an American President, giving an American Message, to the American Public?

Governor Jindal made some great points. Auto and oil companies should be the guiding forces to a cleaner environment and big government always makes mistakes. Banks and financial markets should be the guiding force to the economy - after all we are a free market.

I just have one question for Governor Jindal: What are these companies still waiting for?

If you can't lead, and you won't follow, then get the hell out of the way! That's the America I love. It's built on innovation and competitiveness. Congress members that can't get off their seat know this, the American public has their point man!

Attorney General Eric Holden calls 'a spade a spade'.

Attorney general Eric Holden used word choice to get attention. ‘Coward’ is powerful and negative choice from the platform. He could have used the words weak, timid, fragile, uncommitted, which would have conveyed similar sentiments about his opinions. Words have an impact and given the current situation the United States is in economically and politically, his choice had an edge that ruffled some feathers. Just as my choice for the ‘lead’ might have hit a nerve.

Although the term, calling a spade a spade ‘is thousands of years old and the etymologically has nothing whatsoever to do with any racial sentiment’ (Random House), it has become a sensitive statement that can be misinterpreted.

Only time will tell if Mr. Holden’s word choice achieves the result he desires. You’ve got to give the new presidential and administration kudos for understanding buzz. By using the words ‘a nation of cowards’, Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr. achieved a result – discussion on race, which was the entire point. The shock appeal to the media has him getting press in the Washington Post six days after his comments.

On February 21, 2009, The Washington Post commented on the heated discussion still continuing. They mentioned the fact that a call for this discussion has been brought up before, by President Clinton in 1997, and it died. I’m sure that this fact was not lost on Mr. Holder as he prepared his speech.

It you want something changed it requires a great deal of attention. By calling a ‘spade a spade*’, he got that attention. I wish to believe that he made a good choice and his timing is right for open discussion, and I hope you believe I made a good choice in my lead to get a moment of your time to further this discussion.

Stanford's wherabouts unknown and smoker wins lawsuite

Source USA Today - February 19 - 1B: Federal regulators can't find billionaire banker R. Allen Stanford charged with a "massive" $8 billion international financial fraud. - Try an ATM!

3A - A Fort Lauderdale jury ordered Philip Morris to pay $8 million in damages to the widow of a smoker who died of lung cancer that could set a standard for 8,000 other Florida lawsuits. Should we sue smokers for a piece of their winnings as a result of forcing 2nd hand smoke on us?

Power and the Presidency

I get the point about the cost of the Presidential Helicopter. I don't care. I want my President to be presidential!

Ronald Reagan understood the image of power: He was always shown waving and walking to or from the helicopter. Jimmy Carter didn't: He carried his own bags.

Obama carried his own bags during his campaign. I think it hurt him a little. I don't want him to make the same mistake as President. It's a tough job and I want to know he's pampered with helicopters, trips to Camp David, and frequent short get-aways once he's settled in.

They said Jimmy Carter was our smartest president. I think Obama may be the new standard. He's going to make mistakes (that AIG comment during the campaign was a big one). I just hope he follows his mistake with a very presidential helicopter ride.

Why isn't the financial sector supporting the governments efforts?

You can do an FHA Streamline refinance without a credit, income, or valuation check. This gives some borrowers immediate relief by lowering interest rates for existing FHA loans.

The problem is the lenders are adding requirements in addition to the FHA requirements. Lenders are requiring credit checks and appraisals which could eliminate 80% of those that would otherwise be able to refinance. Doesn't make much sense for the current situation.