Is Health Reform One of the 5 Biggest Stories of the Decade?

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Clinton’s misuse of jimmy carter’s Community Reinvestment Act lead to recession:
“In 1992, Congress mandated that Fannie and Freddie increase their purchases of mortgages for low-income and medium-income borrowers. Operating under that requirement, Fannie Mae, in particular, has been aggressive and creative in stimulating minority gains… Fannie Mae has agreed to buy more loans with very low down payments–or with mortgage payments that represent an unusually high percentage of a buyer’s income. That’s made banks willing to lend to lower-income families they once might have rejected.”
“The extremely left-wing New York Times noted in 1999 that the GSEs gave out the risky loans under duress from Democrat Bill Clinton.”
“Fannie Mae, the nation’s biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.”
“According to the New York Times in 2003, George W. Bush tried to stop the Democrats from ruining the economy with these forced loans. He was blocked by Democrats like Barney Frank.”
“The Bush administration today recommended the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago.”
http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/democrats-caused-the-recession-and-republicans-tried-to-stop-it/

Bill Hedges of MO 4:12PM January 02, 2011

This great recession I refer to was created by a still existing problem of Derivatives Market (The largest Financial market on Earth. 400-500 $Trillion) and the Credit Default Swaps Market "CDS" (Possibly, The second largest market on earth Currently appx. $55 Trillion)
This following is a long sentence!
Without going into elaborate explanations of Securitizations and "Tranching" for Derivatives and The two-Party "Private" Agreements" of Insurer and insured that make up the World Wide CDS market, one could categorically state the volatility of bad securitized-debt in 2006-2007, that was part of the Derivatives Market in "Tranches"; and the terrible bets in the CDS Market as to the possibility of high volatility, in percentages of that debt defaulting, caused the need for huge amounts of currency to be dispersed world wide to preserve an undeserving Wall ST and International Banking Industry.
Sorry for the long sentence, it needed to be that way.
The sad fact is that our Financial Regulations, just passed, are far less than adequate to prevent another such disaster. For instance, the CDS markets were not made into a Public Market! Had it been, there would be Initial Margin requirements on Agreements. The Agreement would be recorded in a Public ledger to revue and Daily "Mark to Markets" would be collected and recorded.
Derivatives Have been collected and Tranched (grouped together in specialty formats) for fees over and over again. Their should be only one Tranching allowed.
A Super Glass Steagall Act was not em-placed. This would have genuinely separated Trading group from banking licenses which would have protected us far better. There should be public debates on these subjects to prevent another Great Recession.

Kenezen of FL 8:41AM January 02, 2011

I wonder if all "milestones in social evolution" are a good and positive. And I certainly have reservations about turning our military services into petri dishes of social experimentation and novelty.
I don't think judging the value of human life based on another's "wanting" of it is particularly enlightened. Nor, does it bode well for the lame, sick, or elderly. In the past 40 years killing the unborn has devolved from murder to a "choice". Is the "mercy killing" of other "unwanteds" far off?
Is changing the definition of "marriage" a civil right? If so, where is that found in the Constitution. Rights are not the same as words and definitions. Perhaps some words need to remain precise and exclusive. Nowadays, even the definition of "man" and "woman" is being blurred by progressive tolerance and inclusiveness. I wonder, where distorting the language to suit "evolving" cultural mores will take us.
I wonder why a publicly funded institution, like the Smithsonian, can have degrading expositions of Christ covered in urine, insects or feces - but couldn't (or wouldn't) have an exhibit praising Christianity and its influence on Western Civilization. More "social evolution" I suppose.
The nation suffered a sexual predator as president for 8 years, and another as a senator for over 3 decades. Even the Rad-Fems loved them - putting the "choice" of dismembering a baby in the womb, for the sake of personal convenience, above every other political, cultural and social issue. Ah... the true colors of neo-feminism.
Our families are barraged by explicit depictions of sex, drugs, perversion and violence. There is no avoiding it - billboards, magazine covers displayed at checkout lines, prime time in our living rooms, outdoor advertising, and endemic in our schools. Like the proverbial frog in the bubbling pot - happily basking until it boils.
"Social evolution" was largely responsible for spreading the AIDS virus and millions of dead. But progressives can't look that in the eye anymore than they can the true horror of abortion.
Tolerating the intolerable is not a virtue - nor is all "social evolution".

R.L. Schaefer of CA 1:21PM January 01, 2011

The first new rule says you HAVE to have insurance. Both my husband and I have pre-existing conditions, and although the new bill says we can't be denied coverage because of it. So far, the cheapest health insurance we've been able to find is called "Wise Health Insurance" search for it online if you are pre-existing conditions.

kimkey of CA 2:18AM January 01, 2011

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998.
"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."
Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998.
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18,1998.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998.
"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."
Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999.
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.
"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002.
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I b elieve that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002.
"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do"
Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002.
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weap ons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/wmdquotes.asp
http://www.jrwhipple.com/war/wmd.html