Obama and His Subprime Supporters

[Omaha Steve]

I'm an AFSCME member. I post this for discussion purposes only. AFSCME has spent 5.5 million donated $ to elect Senator Clinton. Another 1.5 is on the way. She has been very good to labor for the most part. I myself support Senator Obama at great ridicule at times.

http://www.afscmeblog.org/2008/03/28/obama-and-his-subprime-supporters/

March 28th, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama and his campaign have recently stepped up their rhetoric on the mortgage foreclosure crisis, and senior economic adviser Austan Goolsbee wrote a piece in Sunday’s Washington Post pledging that Obama would take immediate steps to regulate subprime loans.

The problem, says AFSCME President Gerald McEntee on the Huffington Post, is that Goolsbee was an outspoken defender of subprime loans just one year ago. In addition, contributors from the subprime lending industry have provided more than a million dollars to Obama’s campaign.

Senator Obama should answer this simple question: Is he planning on following the public advice of Professor Goolsbee on the subprime crisis, or is he working behind the scenes to keep his fat cat contributors happy?


Read the full post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gerald-mcentee/obama-and-his-subprime-su_b_93778.html

[murielm99]

1. You do a great deal of good in here, Steve.

I hope you don't get attacked for this.

[TML]

4. Well

Hillary talked about those mean mortgage lenders during one of her campaign stump speeches, yet accepted their money and never returned it.

Based on that, can we trust her?

[McCamy Taylor]

2. The entire Democratic Party is pretty much owned by the corporations

Esp in presidential elections. These things are not cheap.

The differences between the Dems and the Republicans are on issues like how far they will go to keep the corporations happy and which base is more important to them---the people or the elite--and whether they respect justice and the rule of law.

I am not going to get excited by money scandals of either candidate.

[joshcryer]

3. The key, I believe, is to look into his policy decisions.

He talks a good talk but when you look at his policies, his lack of mandate on health care, his unrealistic tax cuts, his "regulation" of the housing industry, it's mostly fluff. Ask Paul Krugman. Do the analysis, read up on liberal economics. (Not neoliberal, liberal, aka 'socialist' if you want to use a big scary word.)

While both Hillary and Obama are deep in the pockets of the corporate interests, at least Hillary promises to change the way things are, a mandate on health care, only middle class tax cuts but hikes everywhere else, regulation and subsidies of the housing industry.

This sort of analysis goes on deaf ears here, though. I have been flamed on numerous ocassions, called an idiot, without anything backing up such allegations.

But I know policy decisions when I see them, and I know how to sift through talk and true policy.

[murielm99]

6. I agree with you.

Krugman has done a good job comparing the positions of the two candidates.

Obama has accepted quite a bit of corporate money. And isn't Goldman-Sachs his largest contributor?

While Obama was running for Senate here in Illinois, he began to accept large amounts of corporate cash. They knew the winner when they saw him, and they backed him early. I didn't hear him complaining then, or now.

[joshcryer]

9. Unfortunately this will only lead to a Bush-esque presidency, with little overall change.

We won't get truly good policies inacted, I'm afraid.

But anything is better than GOP.

[democrattotheend]

5. I'm a union member, and I have a problem with AFSCME's approach

This is not the first time they have posted anti-Obama information or mailers, and I don't think it's a good idea. If Obama gets the nomination they are likely to endorse him, and many of their members, such as you, support Obama. You ought to speak up and tell them you don't think it's an appropriate use of your dues. It's one thing for unions to endorse in primaries, but I think attacking other Democrats is not a good use of union dues.

[murielm99]

7. A union endorsement does not require

the rank and file to vote for that person.

Obama supporters crow over every endorsement, and cry foul over every Clinton endorsement. After awhile, we stop listening. Grow a thicker skin.

[democrattotheend]

15. I know how union endorsements work

And I have no problem with them. But most unions who endorse in primaries focus on the positives of the candidates they endorse. It's relatively uncommon for unions to spend members' dues on negative advertising against a Democrat. A few unions have done that this year and I have a problem with it.

[Omaha Steve]

8. AFSCME Executive Board Members Send Scathing Letter to Union Chief McEntee Demanding End to Anti-Oba

http://thepage.time.com/2008/01/05/page-exclusive-house-of-labor-divided/

From Jan. 5th.

Add in AFSCME in TWO states went Obama. His home State of Illinois and Oregon.

[Cha]

10. Good! Thanks

Steve for all the info you give us on this and other Labor
issues. clinton needs that money to pay mark penn a little and some of her debts.

[democrattotheend]

16. Yeah, I remember that

I was happy to see that. One labor leader told me privately that she thought McEntee was a little over the top.

[1776Forever]

11. Here's one for your buddies to look over - Check the BIG givers list out:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/95458/output/print

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. peas in a pod.... just different colors and sexs....meet the new boss same as the old boss

[stevedeshazer]

13. Thank you, Steve, for your tireless support of unions

:)

[mrJJ]

14. The Hillary Deathwatch

The Hillary Deathwatch

Deathwatch: Down and on the way out.


Hillary Clinton is as good as dead. This became the consensus over the past week, when the media awoke en masse to the dual reality that 1) Clinton can't close the pledged-delegate gap and 2) Obama has her beat in the popular vote. But the Clinton campaign shows no signs of slowing--she said herself she's prepared to compete for at least three more months. So the question now is not just "How dead is she?" but "When will she realize it?"

In the tradition of Slate's Saddameter (gauging the likelihood of invading Iraq), the Clintometer (measuring the chances of a Lewinsky-related ousting), and the Gonzo-meter (charting the attorney general's demise), we bring you the Hillary Deathwatch, a daily update on Hillary Clinton's dwindling chances of winning the Democratic nomination.

http://www.slate.com/id/2187558/

[AllentownJake]

17. I respect the Labor Movement

My great great Grandfather was a Molly maguire on my Mother's side and my Great Grandfather and Grandfather were Union leaders for coal miners in PA. However I disagree with your union's endorsement. I'm not going to bash your union out of the respect for what they represent.

I will not wear a campaign item for the campaign unless it displays the Union label on it. There are plenty of underground items going around for both campaigns and the first thing I look for on a pin, sticker, T-shirt, or sign is the Union label. I honor my Mother's father and Grandfather when I do that.

I myself am an accountant and unfortunately we have never unionized.

I'm glad you support Senator Obama.

You are aware HRC worked for one of the most Anti-Labor law firms in the US. That she did nothing to advance your cause when she was in a position of power at Wal-Mart the most Anti-Labor company in the US.

I also want to point out the average contribution to Obama's campaign is $109 total. I'm middle class and I've given more than that.
If you want to talk "big money" contributions I'm sorry HRC has no place to stand on her average contribution is around $500.

[nichomachus]

18. Everyone needs to grow up

We need to get money -- as well as religion -- out of politics. Until we do, none of this will change and all the whining in the world won't change it.

So, you can spend all day and all night sniping about whose candidate took how much money from which corporation -- but it's all bullshit. Just as you can talk about whose minister said what on which day, but as long as a candidate has to belong to a mainstream church -- no atheists, UUers, or Religious Science people need apply -- we'll have to deal with someone going to a church where some minister said some asshole statement. They all do on a regular basis.

Everyone needs to grow up.

Stop whining -- get money and religion our of the electoral process -- or just STFU about who is taking money from whom.

[AllentownJake]

19. The system

Is in place for right now and this election. We have to look at who is raising their money from ordinary folks and who is raising their money from the big donors.