Dems Bailout Proposal Redirects ‘Paulson’s Profits’ To Left-Wing Groups
-By Warner Todd Huston
Bush told the country that we are in an economic crisis and his Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, came up with an idea that would, it is claimed, end up actually making money for the U.S. Treasury in the long run. That’s all well and good, but the Democrats already have a plan to siphon off any repayment of the people’s money back to the treasury by adding one little line to the agreement that would end up stealing money from any repayments and giving it to left-wing political advocacy groups like ACORN, the National Urban League and the Hispanic group La Raza. Instead of trying to help the economy, the Democrats just want more money for their left-wing political constituents. It’s business as usual for the Democrats, of course, but a bigger question is will the media let them get away with it?
On Thursday, the Senate Democrats shopped around a one page “Agreement in Principle” from the U.S. Senate Banking Committee that laid out their proposal for the bailout of the economy. At first it all seems rather straight forward, but hidden inside this document is one little line that proves that Democrats aren’t as interested in the economy as they are in trying to extort a payday for their favorite political advocacy groups. Yes, even in a bill as important as the bailout the Democrats are trying to stuff it with pork!
Of course, the claim that this bailout will make money is not cut and dried. But the idea is that the bailout will put the Treasury Department in ownership of what could easily later become lucrative investments. And, at that later date, the Treasury Dept. can then begin to sell these investments off at a profit and, thence, pay back the Treasury for the bailout — in essence repaying the American people. But, the Democrats already have a plan to spend “profits” that not only do not exist yet, but may never exist. In the “Agreement in Principle” is the following line:
“Directs a certain percentage of future profits to the Affordable Housing Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund to meet America’s housing needs.”
So, the Senate Democrats want to re-direct profits to the “Affordable Housing Fund” and the “Capital Magnet Fund” instead of keeping these future profits going to pay back the American people for this $700 Billion bailout loan. And what are these special agencies the Senate Dems want to fund? We turn to the Wall Street Journal in a July 2008 piece that reports on what sorts of groups that were to be the recipients of the federal pork from earlier bills the Senate tried to pass.
That tax eventually will channel upwards of $600 million annually in grants for developing and restoring housing, mostly as low-income rentals, available to Acorn and other groups (such as the National Council of La Raza and the National Urban League ). Democrats on Capitol Hill and housing groups say the housing-assistance money is vital to helping Americans hit hardest by what some call the largest drop in home values since the Great Depression. But they acknowledge the perception of political conflict in giving federal funds to an organization that does political work. “We are guarding against it,” said Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank in an interview. He secured the Affordable Housing Trust from his seat as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee…
Many may already know that ACORN ( The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is under investigation in several states for voter fraud. They have been caught turning in hundreds of thousands of fake voter registration cards in an effort to stuff ballot boxes with fake voters and pump up Democrat vote totals. ACORN’s founder also tried to cover up an embezzlement scheme his little brother perpetrated when he stole $1 million dollars of the organization’s money. This has only lately come to light.
Of course, many are also aware of the race oriented Hispanic La Raza group that has been a major player in trying to allow illegal aliens to enter the U.S., vote in our elections, and take freely of schools and social welfare monies.
Naturally, all these organizations exclusively support the Democratic Party.
Lastly, there is one more aspect of this that proves the Democrats are playing politics with this issue instead of being concerned with the saving the economy. The Senate Democrats and Democratic Speaker of the House Pelosi have been pressuring John McCain to sign onto this deal. If he does and this payoff to left-wing groups like the vote fraud infused ACORN or the racemongering La Raza stays in the bill, McCain will be responsible for giving pork to dangerous hardcore, left-wing organizations. If he doesn’t sign onto this because of this pork laden provision, the Democrats can then turn around and say that McCain is a stumbling block in this important bailout bill. The Democrats have, in other words, slipped a poison pill into the plan.
Once again, the Democratic Party proves that it doesn’t care about capitalism, doesn’t care about the economy, doesn’t care about working for the people, but does want to continue slipping huge amounts of cash to their buddies in anti-American groups as well as using important bills to advance mere political partisanship.
So, lets see if the media siezes on this one line in the Senate Democrat’s “Agreement” and reports it for what it is: a cynical, partisan attempt to play politics during one of the most important crises in years.
(H/T Bill Smith of ARRA News Service)
(Image credit: renewamerica.us)
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September 26th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
So, that provision redirecting funds should be completely taken out.
A possible replacement would be directing those same funds to pay down national debt.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Hey let’s not knock ACORN. We know a community organizer has to be good when they can organize dead people to vote! Ummmm I just wonder why these dead people always vote….Democratic!
September 27th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Of course the Dems have their hand out to Paulson’s idea. He is frightening Republicans on how Democratic he is himself.
“America is more communist than China right now,” billionaire investor Jim Rogers fumes in next month’s issue of Fortune magazine when asked about Paulson’s methods, adding that his interventionism amounted to “welfare for the rich”.
How does that work?
In March this year his bridge-building efforts came in very handy, as he was forced to act swiftly to save Bear Stearns from the brink and orchestrate a Government bailout and a quick sale to JP Morgan. The Democrat Congress hardly blinked. Paulson had a free rein.
***Crickeys. JP Morgan shouldn’t be buying out any more banks. This takes out trade competition. No wonder China and Russian banks are trying to buy out banks themselves.***
Then in April, with the economy in free fall, Paulson announced a plan for complete reform of the nation’s financial regulators.
In so doing he transformed the Federal Reserve from an interest-rate obsessed think-tank to a powerful regulator of regulators, with a hand heavy enough to take on Wall St.
****The Federal Reserve does not need more power. It needs less power.****
But events overtook his plans for reform and all of a sudden, Paulson was in the middle of an economic nightmare. Just as quickly as he had saved Bear Stearns he nationalised Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the twin US mortgage guarantee outfits.
He handled the AIG bailout in person, calling chief executive Robert Willumstad last Tuesday night to give him the boot – after a long weekend during which he in effect closed down Lehman Brothers and forced Merrill Lynch to merge with Bank of America.
****Merger huh? Sounds suspect.****
Paulson spurred more corporate M&A activity in five days than he did in an entire career on Wall St.
But there is a growing chorus of detractors in the US who think this type of heavy-handed and inconsistent interventionism will, in the long term, worsen the global crisis.
*****Strange how it was Republic Senators that walked out on the bailout meeting saying this was bad for business and tax payers.*****
Who is Paulson?
Paulson started his career as a liaison between the Treasury and Commerce Departments in the Administration of President Richard Nixon. He later went on to earn a master’s in business administration at Harvard University and in 1974 joined Goldman Sachs where he spent his entire 32-year private career.
****Damn good years those early 70’s and a lifelong career for the banks. Wow!****
Indeed, Paulson was the only member of President Bush’s cabinet who dared acknowledge that human actions contribute to global warming and that America should take swift action to address it.
Then he prescribed new policy to fix global trade and investment policy.
In a series of recommendations that had Republicans fuming, he vowed to reform social security and health care for the poor and to address the growing income gap between rich and poor. To talk of an income gap when all others in the Administration were still slapping themselves on the back for maintaining economic growth at all costs was utter heresy in the Bush camp.
http://tinyurl.com/3jepcx
September 27th, 2008 at 1:21 am
They just can’t help themselves, can they. I bet if they came across an accident they would want the victims to show their insurance card.
September 27th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Thanx for posting my comment. I had wondered for a moment if comments that didn’t agree with the right were allowed on this site.
I don’t care too much about the politics in America nor that we live in a Rockefeller/Rothschild dynasty. These are corrupt things you cannot change in the immediate future.
……..
I have faith in people enough to know that Americans and the rest of the world will help other countries stop bankers and corporate power.
America isn’t even really owned by Americans but other countries have built up enough by educating their people that resources will not go so easily to the bad people.
The left has hit Africa as well as Asian countries and the East. And with it will come the bargaining of land not the sale. With it will come humanity care rather than profit care.
No more should countries be like Hawaii where the people live in tents on the beaches while the corporations have built sky scrapers on their land and make billions through visitors, raw resources and industrialism.
I like this man Paulson. He knows the score and he knows the game. He must protect the banks and he must care for the people. He looks to play his cards well.