With the global stock markets getting slammed (the Dow is down 660 points as I write), it is clear that the Wall Street Bailout was not enough or really about the real problems we face. We need HOLC and we need a new New Deal.

While I doubt anyone expected this kind of sell-off, I don't think the immediate purpose of the "bailout" was to increase the value of the Dow.

But, given the seriousness of the crisis the nation faces, it would be both morally and pragmatically preferable for him to step up now.

He is asking the American people to give him great power over their lives and their futures. In such serious and frightening times, he has a moral obligation to tell the people what he wants and intends to do with that power.  

FDR was not born a working class hero. He became one. The story about Hillary is probably similar. The Kennedys are not poor people heroes genetically, they get there.

I hope the Democratic candidate for President, Barack Obama, realizes that we will need bold progressive leadership from our next President.

I gave up on this hope a loooong time ago.

The effect of this provision is that under our shiny new law, the Secretary of the Treasury has the option of side-stepping the purchase of "assets" nobody knows how to set value on and instead give taxpayers a share of direct ownership in the banks we're supplying with money.

It's like, the banks are homeowners with some toxic stuff down in their basements; they need us to buy that stuff from them so they can keep functioning.  But --thanks to whoever slipped this provision into the bill-- we don't have to just hand over the dough for whatever crap is in their basement; instead we become part owners in their houses . . .on the show they said that this idea is the favorite among economists, but that naturally it got shot down as "socialism."

Sec. 601. Secure rural schools and community self-determination program.
Secure Rural Schools lead sponsors Reps. DeFazio (D-OR), Bill Sali (R-ID); Sens. Wyden (D-OR), Larry Craig (R-ID), are major boosters of this program that expired in 2006. In 1908 the federal government agreed to share logging revenue from Forest Service land with neighboring communities that could not tax the land because it was federal. As logging declined in the 1990s, the "county payments" program was initiated in 2000 to directly provide federal funding, more than half going to Oregon, to deal with the loss of revenue. The original version of this provision was introduced as a bill in early 2007 and was estimated to cost $2.2 billion when the OR and ID delegations came to agreement. To give the package more heft, Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) was added to the package, bringing the total cost to $3.3 billion. PILT provides more general funding to counties for federal lands located within their borders. Sen. Reid (D-NV) talked about the PILT program being one of the important elements of the package when the Senate passed the bailout bill.

Sec. 201. Deduction for state and local sales taxes

Example - FDR was a working class hero. Think about it.

that FDR, while a child of great wealth, was raised in a family that took its civic responsibility seriously, as part of the price of that wealth. FDR displayed far more empathy with the struggles of "joe sixpack", than any republican, then or since.

as well, eleanor roosevelt was the "princess diana" of her day, beloved by the people, because of the true concern she had for them. actually, i should say, princess diana was the eleanor roosevelt of her day, mrs. roosevelt was her role model.

all that said, it wasn't FDR's policies that lifted the country out of the "great depression", it was the advent of america's entry into wwII, and the huge (deficit) gov't spending that it required.

i'm not sure this is the correct model to follow for the current crises. the banks, with the acquiescence of the regulatory agencies, and the active, willing participation of the consumers, brought on this fiscal disaster. they should, for equity's sake, be the ones who bear the brunt of it.

This was primarily a democratic problem put on steroids by the republicans in order to make it look like there was more affluence than there really is to boost middle class and lower class consumerism while very wealthy people skimmed, skimmed, and skimmed some more.  Those would be the primary supporters of the two major parties.  You don't bite the hand that feeds you.  Don't expect congress nor the executive branch to change the direction of this train.  There is a reason no oversight was placed into the bailout bill. Heck, Biden helped make it nearly impossible for the average person to weather this storm by being unable to declare bankruptcy nor seek further assistance.  He's credit card company all the way.

You are trying to make your candidates into something they aren't - populus politicians concerned with the little guy.  They simply are not this and will not become this.

You are choosing to be ruled by the elite because you continue to repeatedly support for and vote for the elite.  And, because of our collusion we now have a market owned by media who selects and reports on the issues that the politicians address after they have been paid by the markets and special interest to give their money to the media to broadcast their stances on the issues selected by the media.

This is quite simply a recipe for disaster and it has been painful to watch so much energy, money and time from everyone here and everywhere else go into supporting a system that betrays us and fleeces us again and again.

There is no longer a distinction between media, politican, corporation, and trained consumer.  If you stay within the pre-selected choices, next time make sure the candidate with the best track record of actually challenging the system while thriving in the system gets elected.  Don't lay down because your DNC leadership tells you what's best for you and accept their choice by breaking nearly every DNC rule available to do it while Dem's stand by like deer in the headlights.

You want to stay in the system or let the system rule you, next time insist that the one you cast your general election vote for is better at colluding and getting you all a better piece of the pie.  Obama and Biden have yet to show evidence of ever having done this.

Thank you Biden for Clarence Thomas?  Thank you Biden for preventing middle class bankruptcy access?  Thank you Biden for taking away money from women's projects then re-wrapping some it back into a monstrously difficult package to use to increase congressional control over it and managing to be hailed as a champion of women rather than just one more person in the way? Thank you Biden for Iraq?

Thank you Obama for voting to give big oil more tax breaks so that the other legislation increasing their fees is offset by Cheney's bill?  Thanks for caving into nuclear energy?  Thanks for voting for offshore natural gas drilling?  Thanks for leaving all those people in your district in Rezko's tenements without heat in the winter?  You're real swell.  Real competent. Thanks for FISA enlarge?  For wanting to restrict a woman's right to choose?  For trying to bait queers like me into believing you give a rat's a--.  For funding the war?  Again and again and again?

Is there a difference between republicans and democrats.  Yes.  Not much.  But enough to make an election look square.  But from where I'm sitting, this nation is being played by both these parties as they wrestle back and forth for power.  Power and money.  That is the underlying goal.  A drive for money and power.

"I would call my attorney general in and review every single executive order issued by George Bush and overturn those laws or executive decisions that I feel violate the constitution," said Obama