Loan

Where do your Senators stand on the illegal alien student bailout — which President Obama is openly pushing as?

Where do your Senators be upstanding a set on the illegal alien student bailout — which President Obama is openly pushing as a “down payment” on a larger shamnesty? Fearless immigration enforcement supporter Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.


With any fortunes, on their necks!


With any good fortune, on their necks!

Does anyone deny Obama has more than tripled the budget deficit since taking office? Is that hope and change?

Obama is residing over the longest slump since the great depression. He has passed all of his wreckinomic policies like a $787 billion dollar stimulus, $1 trillion dollar Obama trouble, financial reform, student loan reform, union bailouts, bank bailouts,


Why didn't you into operation your mouth and why didn't Republicans open their mouths, when Bush stole the surplus for a war he fictional we needed to go to for his own personal agenda? And when things didn't turn out the way he thought he kept spending


No more "Security" , just a little $change$ left .....................

Home Raided By SWAT for Student Loans

A SWAT together broke into a home at the request of the US Bailiwick of Education to arrest and collect on a defaulted student loan. Kenneth Wright ...

Mark Shields: Republicans Are Biggest Winners in Super Committee Failure

On 11.27.11 @ 11:13 AM

Rambler, Collective Security and payroll taxes are actually premium payments for social security programs; they are not suppose to be tied to income. In fact, the programs are much more progressive than the takings tax, since low-income people receive far more benefits as a percentage of their contributions than high-return people.

Also, the amount of property taxes one pays is a function of the value of your home. Therefore, mouth-watering people pay higher taxes than people of less means. Of course, in California the voters enacted Prop 13 and decisive to impose a less progressive system because people were fed up with the outrageously high property taxes in the dilatory 1970’s. I don’t think the voters will be changing this anytime soon.

If you would like to bourgeon the adjusted gross income for lower-income people, the answer is not to forcibly redistribute the gains from wealthier people. As AN50 repeatedly tells us, you need to grow the pie. BTW, without a reasonably acceptable educational system, no amount of welfare or handouts will lift people out of poverty. Of course, that is another thesis which doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves from the Occupy Wall Row crowd.

on 11.28.11 @ 01:20 PM

People in the middle and lower classes are seeing their gains erode because of simple supply and demand: the supply of competing labor was increased by sundry off-shoring and globalization efforts of the past 15 years.

Henry Ford set his workers wages spacy enough so every one of them could afford a Model T, if they wanted one. That innate wisdom is scarce these days: as corporations have increased their provide of cheap workers by off-shoring, they have reduced the supply of consumers for their own products. Tax revenues reduce in lockstep, and what? we give another tax break to “wealth creators.” I am rolling on the deck, laughing. Not really.

The way to address the problem is obvious, effective, and extremely nasty: general strikes and boycotts. We’ve been using them since the proud days of the Boston Tea Social gathering. OWS is germination of next step, and you are going to be shocked at how hard it hits when that point gets reached.

If the characters upper class 1% were smart, which is not necessarily a requirement, they would sense this coming and take steps to avert it. Improve the tax laws to 1996 levels first. Stop threatening public education, SSI, Medicare, and college subsidies. Get rid of the incentives to off-shore. Those people are not wealthy to buy your stuff, anyway.

Don’t turn to force, tasers, or pepper spray. Not if survival is a aim.

on 11.28.11 @ 01:30 PM

Ok Rambler, growing the pie is adding wealth to it, not moving wealth around. As I have said, far too many times now, the monetary sector is no different than the government when it comes to wealth growth. They are both in the transfer traffic and are net consumers of wealth.

I asked a nit wit OWS supporter a question which he never answered. Of the 1% you liking to hate how many are wealth contributors (add more wealth to the economy than they consume) and how many are net wealth consumers? The bone move could not answer the question because he did not know what it meant. So I explained the difference between two uber conspicuous liberals, Bill Gates and George Soros and he still did not comprehend. As with most liberals the concept of property generation versus wealth accumulation is a non sequitur.

But you Rambler have acknowledged that contrast and I thought you understood what it meant. But now I doubt it. Either that or you just love being contrary to anything a prudent might think. Lou explained very well the different tax and collections the government does and it is quite distinct that the top pay far more than the bottom even on such regressive and anti poor tax policies as gasoline taxes. And to think progressives like you demand all energy to be far more costly! How regressive and punishing to the poor can you get? Oh but you’ll make that up by pulling more marvellous out of the economy at the top and passing it around? Have you done the friggen math? You could literally bankrupt the top 10% and that wouldn’t become a bit of difference to the bottom 90%. We would all end up being poor. But then I guess that is what being a liberal is all about, share suffering. Since there are those who won’t be a success we should make sure no one does, huh?

I more than anyone posting here have criticized the wealth accumulators for being the bluff sighted, narcissistic, greedy individuals they are. It helps when demographically they are mostly liberals. But I have balanced that with panegyric on the most abused, stepped on, regulated, screwed class in our culture, the wealth generators who now do most of their abundance generation in countries that still allow it, like communist China. How friggen ironic is that?

Cultivate the damned pie does not mean more wealth accumulation it means more wealth era. It means the accumulators can still accumulate but we prioritize the generation. When our country was small and childlike all we had was resources, labor and know how and little wealth to redistribute. So we generated a ponderous amount of wealth. We did so up until our domestic oil ran out and we decided to run our manufacturing out at the same time and then you liberals came along and unambiguous we should just divide up the remains more evenly. Good grief! Get a damned suspicion.

Conservative | Obama adds to list of bailouts with student loan legislation

Mr. Stikkel is a disencumber and logical thinker and presents the facts well. Obviously I agree with him. I was raised by parents that went through the economic decline, and the mantra was to never borrow unless 1) you had saved the 75% of what you wanted to adopt (in case you lost your job and couldn't continue to pay as much), and 2) you could plan to pay off the total in a sure, dedicated way in a limited amount of time. The exception to condition number one was when buying your welcoming comfortable with...and, later, buying a car. All else required that you first earn the money, then spend it. Education was the same. You had to see how you could rich enough it. If a school cost too much, then you apprenticed and earned money so that you could afford to take night courses and get your course of study that way. If somebody offered you a loan, but you couldn't realistically ( a word that has come into disuse lately) foresee certain ability to pay it back, you didn't take the loan. You expected to fulfill your agreements, your commitments, your promises, your contracts...not prowl away from them whining about "unfairness." Think and plan before you sign...and if you return a mistake, deal with it and learn. Don't blame others.

obama student loan bailout - Bookshelf


The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome, Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream
207 pages
The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome, Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream

... the rule's bailout, the Fed moved to guarantee certain mortgage, dependability- card, and student-loan securities. Enter Obama Although the Barack Obama ...

Should the Federal Government Bail Out Private Industry?
114 pages
Should the Federal Government Bail Out Private Industry?

One encouraging way to do this would be to cancel student loan debt. If the government used a ration of the bailout funds to erase this debt, ...

Progressivism: Our Road to Serfdom, Arise America: Rebuild Your God-given Capitalist Foundations
284 pages
Progressivism: Our Road to Serfdom, Arise America: Rebuild Your God-given Capitalist Foundations

Obama is now going legislation through Congress to take over the Private Student Loan Industry. Track THE MONEY Obama and the Progressive Socialists vote ...

theGrio’s “Ten Stories of the Decade That Have Changed Black America” (with six of my own additions…)

I think that’s my longest post title so far.

Anyway, it seems to be the cool thing nowadays to put together “Top 10″ lists for the decade. Pretty much every news outlet is doing it.

Looking back on it, there was a lot of stuff that went down from 2000 to 2009, especially as it relates to Black America. So, of course, there had to be a list of the ten most important things to happen to Black America over the last decade. And sure enough, the good people over at theGrio put together a list that’s entitled, “ Ten Stories of the Decade That Have Changed Black America .”

I’m not gonna lie… it’s a great list. But I still have to give out a few honorable (and dishonorable) mentions, because there was just way too much stuff that happened.

I’ll start with the theGrio’s list, and I’ll give you my own additions to the list after that.

9/11 AND THE IRAQ WAR : “As the United States entered the War of Terror, adding military action to Afghanistan, few countries joined or continued the fight. Questioning Bush’s true motives, anti-American sentiment grew and, most importantly, thousands of lives have been lost in both Iraq and Afghanistan, with African Americans significantly represented. To date, the total cost of war since 2003 tops $900 billion, stressing an already lackluster economy, disproportionately affecting African Americans.” ESCALATING HIV/AIDS RATE: “By 2002, it was increasingly clear that HIV/AIDS was a dominant health threat to African Americans, especially to growing numbers of black women. Throughout the 2000s, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued statistics revealing HIV infection rates trending highest among African Americans. According to the Minority Nurse Newsletter (Fall 2003), African Americans accounted for half of all new reported HIV infections in 2001. Black women specifically accounted for almost 64 percent of all new infections among women in 2001. In 2004, according to the CDC, HIV infection was the leading cause of death for black women, ages 25-34. High contraction rates through heterosexual interaction among African American women pointed to bisexuality among African American men, helping fuel the down-low hysteria of seemingly “straight” African American men sleeping with both men and women.” HURRICANE KATRINA: “Thousands and thousands of black people were displaced at numbers comparable to Reconstruction, with more than a thousand people perishing. FEMA failed. Bush failed. The Army Corps of Engineers failed. And, sadly, racism was at the core of some media coverage, with black people “looting” and white people “surviving” as both groups struggled to cope. Today, New Orleans’ black population, which included many who’ve lived in the city for five generations or more, has dropped significantly as the white population has risen, dramatically changing the city’s demographics. Ultimately, Hurricane Katrina revealed that, even in 21st century, there’s a greater divide between the haves and have-nots.” “AGE OF ME” ENTERTAINMENT AND TECHNOLOGY: “Being Bobby Brown,” a reality show featuring the life of former R&B chart-topper Bobby Brown and his then mega-star wife Whitney Houston, delivered record ratings for Bravo in 2005, opening a floodgate for more BBBs, Blacks Behaving Badly. The following year, well known Public Enemy member Flavor Flav solidified the trend with his popular VH1 “Flavor of Love” reality series, where women vied to become his significant other, a hilarious proposition for many since Flavor Flav is widely regarded as very unattractive. Yet, it became a pop culture phenomenon drawing historic ratings. Jumping on the bandwagon, BET found success with “The Way It Is” with singer Keyshia Cole, unleashing an avalanche of other urban- and music-themed reality shows that many critics claim have reinforced age-old stereotypes and encouraged coonery. … Urban-oriented blogs like MediaTakeOut.com, Bossip.com, TheYBF.com and SandraRose.com, aided by advancing technology and social media innovation such as camera phones and Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and the fading MySpace, have cashed in on this “age of me” obsession.” BLACK COACH WINS THE SUPER BOWL: “During the 2006 NFL season, a then record high six black coaches, out of thirty-two, headed NFL teams and two, Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears, defying odds Vegas would not have even backed, faced off on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, a city run by black female mayor Shirley Gibson, ensuring that an African American coach would win a Super Bowl. … It was the breakthrough win of Tony Dungy that has forever opened up the NFL head coaching slot, and perhaps the college ranks as well, to African Americans.” JENA SIX (OR JENA 6): “A tree at Jena High School was designated the white tree and when a black student asked about the tree and was told in a school assembly that anyone could sit under the tree, two nooses hung from the tree the next day. Three white students received school-administered punishment only. Months passed, a fire broke out at the school raising tempers and, shortly thereafter, six black youth…allegedly beat white student Justin Barker (17) badly, sending him to the hospital. Despite being discharged hours later and attending a school event that same night, the six were charged with attempted murder, with Bell, who had a criminal record, eventually facing up to 22 years in prison. … Erected as an example of how justice is meted unfairly to African Americans, the call was issued to gather in Jena for the Mychal Bell sentencing to be held September 20, 2007 and thousands on top of thousands poured into the town. … Charges were eventually reduced for all the defendants but Jena Six did show the potential for mass demonstration among African Americans in the 21st century to protest racial injustice, especially regarding how justice is unfairly administered in courtrooms all over the nation.” FINANCIAL MELTDOWN: SUB-PRIME MORTGAGE LOAN CRISIS, FORECLOSURES AND TARP: “In 2002, President George W. Bush seemed on the right track with the Minority Homeownership Initiative meant to increase homeownership among African Americans and Latinos by offering downpayment assistance and other services. Predatory lenders, however, swooped in with sub-prime mortgages aimed for borrowers with poor credit scores. By the time the bubble completely burst in 2008, African Americans were on the losing end yet again. … Estimates for loss of African American wealth…range from $71 to $122 billion as a direct result of the crisis. Republicans in Michigan even attempted to use foreclosure as a means for blocking voters, potentially affecting African Americans at disproportionate numbers. … Worsening matters, free market economics was thrown out the window in 2008 when the government approved the controversial Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), dispensing $700 billion to “bailout” presumably “for profit” companies…essentially nationalizing them and creating a form of corporate welfare. … The National Urban League, in a December 2009 letter to President Obama, urged TARP repayment in favor of the creation of jobs for African Americans, whose unemployment rates stood at double digits, and other Americans.” FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT: “When Barack Obama, the Ivy League-educated, bi-racial state senator originally from Hawaii who claimed the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois his home, announced his candidacy for President of the United States of America February 10, 2007, he was greeted with much skepticism, especially among older black people who had borne the brunt of some of the worse racism this country could administer. … On November 4, 2008, when election results poured in, the impossible became reality; and, on Tuesday, January 20, the day after the nation celebrated the King holiday, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America with his wife Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha by his side, ready to serve as the nation’s first African American family, shattering the ultimate glass ceiling in American politics.” DETROIT: “Kwame Kilpatrick, dubbed the “hip-hop mayor” when he was elected Detroit’s youngest mayor at age 31, led two mayoral administrations full of controversy. At the top of 2008, Kilpatrick’s text messages suggesting an illicit extramarital affair with his chief of staff Christine Beatty prompted national attention, quickly resulting in an indictment, trial, conviction and removal as mayor, not to mention jail time. Impropriety after impropriety tainted Kilpatrick’s rule, literally costing the already beleaguered city suffering from high unemployment and home foreclosures millions and millions of dollars it could ill afford to lose. The failing auto industry only compounded Detroit’s mountain of troubles when national scandal erupted after the CEOs of Chrysler, Ford and GM flew to Washington in private jets to request a $25 billion loan from the government in November 2008. … Today, the once booming “Motor City” is a shell of its former self, with the prospect of bankruptcy looming larger as it faces a $325 million shortfall.” THE DEATH OF MICHAEL JACKSON: “Michael Jackson’s shocking death on June 25, 2009 as he prepared for a global, comeback tour reverberated around the world, prompting nonstop media coverage that touched upon everything from prescription drug misuse to allegations of sexual molestation and debates surrounding ethnic identity. A breakthrough entertainer, Jackson pioneered the musical artist of the new age, cultivating a global appeal through emerging technology. Credited with desegregating MTV, which rarely played videos by black artists in the 1980s, premieres for Jackson’s “Thriller,” “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” became pop cultural milestones. … Recognized all over the globe, Jackson was later as noted for his idiosyncrasies (i.e. touting a pet monkey named Bubbles, highly publicized allegations of child molestations, speculation about bleaching his skin) as he was for his enormous talent.”

(I tried to shorten that as much as possible, so if you want to read the rest of the commentary that I left out, read the original article at theGrio .)

In my opinion, however, there are still some stories from this decade that need to get at least an honorable (or dishonorable) mention. And here they are:

EMINEM: Technically, Em began gaining steam in 1999 with the release of his first major studio album, . In its first week, the album sold 1.7 million copies, becoming the fastest-selling rap album in music history. To date, the album has sold more than 10 million copies. The funny thing about Eminem, though, is that he’s white. Of course there were white rappers before Eminem, like the Beastie Boys and Vanilla Ice. But Eminem was the first white rapper to actually rap really well, with so much creativity. And he really changed the game. For one, look at his fashion. In a genre where “bling” is one of the most recognizable words, Eminem made it cool to keep it simple. He doesn’t wear the most stylish clothes, or wear the most expensive jewelry, but his words serve as his appeal to his listeners. Secondly, his ability to tell his story through his raps is untouchable. Couple that with unmatched wordplay, and you have the formula for one of the best rappers of all time. “CHAPPELLE’S SHOW” & “THE BOONDOCKS”: I’ve never seen two shows in my lifetime that drew such strong opinions from their viewers. Some people think that these shows set the black community back 50 years. Some people think that these shows are brilliant and have done so much to highlight the absurdity of racism. Personally, I agree with the latter opinion. In case you’ve been living under a rock, “Chappelle’s Show” was a comedy sketch show, created by Dave Chappelle, that ran on Comedy Central from 2003-06. According to Wikipedia, “The show is notorious for its handling of the topic of sexuality and Chappelle’s casual usage of racial epithets, categorizing the show as a racial comedy. The show also handles such topics as prostitution, the entertainment industry, gun violence, numerous drug references (particularly marijuana, PCP, and crack cocaine) and music, all performed in a comedic fashion with a touch of antagonism.” They’re right. “The Boondocks,” created by Aaron McGruder, is a cartoon series that stems from the comic strip of the same name. McGruder’s series, which began in 2005 on Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim,” basically carries Chappelle’s torch, dealing with topics of racism and culture wars. One of “The Boondocks’” most controversial episodes was “Return of the King,” in which Martin Luther King, Jr. did not die after being shot in 1968, but instead fell into a coma, from which he awakens at the start of the episode. The episode, which presents a story of what may have happened if King was alive in today’s society, drew harsh criticism from many, especially over King’s usage of the word “n***a.” The episode, however, also won a Peabody Award for being “an especially daring episode.” And that’s what both of these shows are. Daring. And I like it. BILL COSBY’S “POUND CAKE” SPEECH: Not often does one of the foremost figures in Black America come out and criticize blacks for their own problems. When you have people like Al Sharpton running around blaming white people for every single thing that’s happened to blacks, it’s odd to hear a black person blaming the black community for their problems. But that’s just what Bill Cosby did on May 17, 2004, in his “Pound Cake” speech delivered at D.C.’s Constitution Hall. The speech, given during a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board ruling, was extremely critical of the black community. And I actually agree with Cosby. He wasn’t saying that blacks were at fault for of their problems, but he did say that there were many ways in which we weren’t making it any better. Like parenting. His main point was that, if parents did their job the way they were supposed to, the black community would be a lot better off. And again, I agree. THE PACERS/PISTONS BRAWL: November 19, 2004. A day that will live in infamy. Known also as “The Malice at the Palace,” the brawl at The Palace at Auburn Hills (the Pistons’ home court) symbolized, in the minds of many, a new age in the NBA. In short, there was a small altercation on the court between some Pacers and Pistons players. Then a fan threw a cup of soda at then-Indiana Pacer Ron Artest, and Artest ran into the stands to confront the fan. And everybody went crazy. At the end of everything, nine players were suspended for a total of 146 games, and five players and five fans were charged with assault. All of the players suspended and/or charged, however, were black. Most of the fans involved in the fight were white. Five years later, with an NBA featuring a brand new professional dress code for its players, the effects of this event are more than obvious. MICHAEL RICHARDS: Everybody knew Michael Richards from his role as Cosmo Kramer in “Seinfeld.” But then he got back in the public eye for something not funny at all. On November 17, 2006, at The Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, Richards called out two black hecklers in the audience. He didn’t just call them out, though… he called them “n***ers.” Repeatedly. (If you haven’t seen the video of his rant already, click here .) Of course, he tried to make up for it after the fact, but the damage was done. The widespread media coverage of the event forced both blacks and whites to re-examine the usage and implications of the N-word. The next year, on July 9, 2007, the NAACP held a funeral for the N-word . Even comedians like Paul Mooney, who once joked that he said the N-word 100 times every morning to keep his teeth white, stated that he would refrain from using the word from then on. I couldn’t imagine anyone even coming close to upsetting the black community the way that Richards did with his outburst. But then… DON IMUS’ “NAPPY-HEADED HOS” COMMENT: Lord. I still don’t believe he said this. Anyway, in April 2007, Don Imus made a comment on his radio show, referring to the players on the Rutgers women’s basketball team (mostly African American) as “some nappy-headed hos.” Imus played it off, saying that it was just “some idiot comment meant to be amusing.” It really wasn’t amusing to most people, though. Imus’ radio show was canceled soon after, and he was off of the radio until December 2007, when he returned to the airwaves on ABC Radio. His comment, however, was indelibly imprinted into American society, and gave blacks yet another reason to feel hatred towards the white man. It came to a climax, though, with the labeling of President Obama’s own two children as “nappy-headed hos,” in an art exhibit entitled “The Assassination of Barack Obama.” (More of that exhibit can be seen  here … but let me warn you, it is a little disturbing, to say the least.)

That’s about all I have. I really can’t wait to see what the next decade brings…

And if there’s anything you want to add to the list, leave a comment below. Whether it’s about O.J. finally getting arrested, or Tiger Woods’ pitiful fall from grace, I want to know what you think I should have put up here. So yeah… comment!

This is a rather limited point, but I think still worth mentioning:

Arboleda’s exhibit, to which you link in #6, was actually designed as a way to expose and critique the peculiarly racialized way in which Americans view issues pertaining to politics, not perpetuate it. The way you cite the exhibit implies that it was set up by a racist maniac, whereas it was actually set up by an (albeit excessively) avant-garde artist to help us “better understand how American society communicates and how visual codes appeal to cultural stereotypes, prejudices, desires, and fears.” ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yazmany-arboleda/the-art-offends_b_108281.html )

It’s not even that I care for his art, or agree with his method of exposing the racial prism of American life (far from it); you just seem to be falsely interpreting his rather pronounced technique as a simple manifestation of violent racism, whereas, in fact, it is anything but.

I’ll just respond to your responses.

1. Eminem- he is also important, because he represents the changing audience of hip hop. How it was formally an urban form of expression, it, as it was at that time is now a commercial industry with it’s fan base in white suburbia.

3. Still don’t agree with Cosby. He tries to encompass the black community as one static group, that can all have their problems fixed through the same solution.

finally O.J. should not be added, I’d personally like to forget his whole existence in this decade.

Possible mentions:

-Colon Powell stepping down from the Bush administration while Rice stayed.

-Oprah?

Confirming Ben Bernanke III

The confirmation of Ben Bernanke moved a step forward today….  the vote was  16 - 7 in favor…

But an expanding group of Senators is questioning the role of Chairman Bernanke over his role in the bailout of AIG , Goldman Sachs and European banks in September of 2008.

In the hearing two camps emerged as Senators praised and criticized the efforts of Chairman Bernanke. The praise was generally lukewarm and the criticism was heated.

Senators who want to deny Chairman Bernanke believe that the American public has been ill served while Wall Street has emerged from the crisis with only minor damages.

The belief that the central bank often favors the interests of the banking community is longstanding. These tensions are not unique to Ben Bernanke.

President Andrew Jackson abolished the Second Bank of the United States in 1832. Jackson laid out his reasons for ending the national bank in his veto message:

It concentrated the nation’s financial strength in a single institution. It exposed the government to control by foreign interests. It served mainly to make the rich richer. It exercised too much control over members of Congress.

Does any of that sound similar to the circumstances we find ourselves in today with the Federal Reserve?

We won’t have another Jacksonian - Congressional crisis because President Obama is standing firmly behind Ben Bernanke and the expansion of the authority of the Federal Reserve.

But the people of America know in their hearts that something is out of balance when global banks get bailed out at their expense but no one is requiring mortgage modifications or increasing small business lending.

The response of our government to the woes of the banks is of a much different caliber than their response to the distress of the people. Repairing the financial system and keeping the bond markets content is the number one priority of the Bush and Obama administrations… but does this serve the Republic?

*  *  *

Senators Bunning, DeMint and Vitter see the circumstances around the AIG bailout as murky. And they tried to halt the Committee from voting today until more details can be brought forward to judge the actions of Chairman Bernanke.

Louisiana Senator Vitter argued that is was not appropriate for the Committee to vote without having had access to the documents requested from Chairman Bernanke and the Federal Reserve.

These documents have been seen by some Banking Committee staff at the Federal Reserve.

But the staff of individual Senators have been denied access to these documents and believe that they have a responsibility to review the information related to these cash transfers to Goldman Sachs and foreign banks.

Chairman Dodd said that he had spoke to former staff of past Chairman Sarbanes to understand what the rules of the Senate were in relation to assessing documents from the Federal Reserve. He explained that both he and Ranking Member Shelby had signed a request for their staff to see the documents at the Federal Reserve related to the payment to AIG’s counterparties on collateral calls. This  payment was $62.5 billion .

Chairman Dodd and Ranking Member Shelby stated that staff should be able to see these documents. Chairman Dodd said that he didn’t want any staff member being denied access although he didn’t know specifically what the requested documents were.

*  *  *

The details of the AIG bailout have not been adequately evaluated by those in the Congress. The House Oversight and Reform Committee  held a hearing on May 13th and the Senate held a hearing on  March 5 .

The outcome of the Senate hearing was the release of the names and amounts of payments to AIG counterparties. We learned that over $36 billion of these payments went to foreign banks.

The Special Inspector General of TARP evaluated the bailout of AIG and his conclusions were reported by the New York Times …

The Fed “refused to use its considerable leverage,” Neil M. Barofsky, the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, wrote in a report to be officially released on Tuesday, examining the much-criticized decision to make A.I.G.’s trading partners whole when people and businesses were taking painful losses in the financial markets. There have been suggestions that the Fed chose to negotiate weakly, Mr. Barofsky said, to give a “backdoor bailout” to A.I.G.’s banks. He said Mr. Geithner and the Fed’s lawyers had denied this, but added that “irrespective of their stated intent,” there was no doubt about the result: “Tens of billions of dollars of government money was funneled inexorably and directly to A.I.G.’s counterparties.”

History has not yet substantiated whether AIG’s payment to their counterparties at 100 cents on the dollar was legal and necessary.   Some contend these actions were illegal and the Federal Reserve did not have the authority to use AIG as a conduit in this way.

Lucian Bebchuk of Harvard Law suggests that AIG Financial Products was adequately ringfenced from the insurance subsidiaries and counterparties should of have been haircut for their derivatives claims.

Elizabeth Warren’s  Congressional Oversight Panel is reviewing the topic this month. This review, at least, should be completed and published prior to the full Senate vote of Chairman Bernanke’s confirmation.

The treatment of AIG and it’s counterparties is of particular importance because it tells us how Chairman Bernanke, if confirmed, will help shape our financial system for the 21st century.

*  *  *

Members of Congress were involved in crisis events last year and that may be why some feel comfortable reappointing Chairman Bernanke. Others feel differently.

It’s helpful to look back at those events.

James B. Stewart  wrote of the crisis events of September, 2008 in the New Yorker …

TUESDAY, SEPT. 16…

“At 6 P.M., most of the House and Senate leadership, summoned on short notice, gathered in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s conference room for a briefing by Paulson and Bernanke. Paulson announced that the Fed had decided to loan A.I.G. $85 billion and essentially seize control of the company under the Fed’s emergency powers.

Bernanke pointed out that A.I.G. stock was one of the ten most widely held in 401(k) retirement accounts. Reid put his face in his hands. ‘I hope you understand this does not constitute formal approval by Congress to take action,’ he said.

‘Do you have eighty-five billion?’ Representative Barney Frank asked. ‘I have eight hundred billion,’ Bernanke said, referring to the Fed’s balance sheet. Senator Christopher Dodd twice asked how the Fed had the authority to lend to, and take control of, an insurance company. Bernanke argued that the Fed had emergency powers to aid any company as long as there was a ‘systemic risk,’ and gave a brief tutorial on a little-known section of the Fed’s authorizing statute. Bernanke said that even this step might not be enough. Legislation authorizing additional aid probably would be needed as well.” …

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17: “At six that evening, Bernanke met with his top aides—Donald Kohn; Kevin Warsh; Scott G. Alvarez, the general counsel; and Michelle Smith, the spokesperson—with Paulson and Geithner participating by speakerphone. ‘We cannot do this alone anymore,’ he said. ‘We have to go to Congress and get some authority.’ Paulson hadn’t yet taken any concrete steps to enlist legislators to authorize a government rescue.

Paulson reiterated his concern about getting congressional leaders to go along. ‘I spoke to Harry and Nancy’—Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker—‘and the political advisers,’ he said. ‘If the Treasury and the Fed say it’s an emergency and we need help, and help doesn’t come,it would further destabilize the markets. You don’t go public until you’re reasonably certain you’ll get what you’re asking for.’

Bernanke was growing agitated. ‘Hank! Listen to me,’ he interrupted. ‘We are done!’ It was the first time Fed officials had heard him raise his voice. ‘The Fed is already doing all that it can with the powers we have,’ Bernanke continued.

One participant recalled, ‘Ben gave an impassioned, linear, rigorous argument explaining the limits of our authority and the history of financial crises in the U.S. and abroad.’ That history showed that efforts to resolve such crises ‘are successful only when overwhelming force from all parts of government is brought to bear,’ the participant said. ‘It was an encyclopedic tour de force.’ It was as though Bernanke were the professor and Paulson the student. Bernanke’s comments lasted about fifteen minutes, and Paulson was uncharacteristically silent until near the end. ‘Got to go,’ he said, and hung up.”

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18: “The Fed group reconvened at six-thirty that morning. They had decided the night before that repetition would be helpful, so Bernanke started on the same lecture. Thirty seconds into it, Paulson interrupted. ‘Ben, Ben, Ben . . . ’ Bernanke stopped talking. ‘I’ve done some thinking,’ Paulson said. ‘You and I should go see the President and then go to Congress tonight and ask for more authority.”

At 10:15 a.m., President Bush delivered a two-minute televised statement outside the Oval Office, his first public pronouncement since the crisis began, which concluded: ‘Our financial markets continue to deal with serious challenges. As our recent actions demonstrate, my Administration is focussed on meeting these challenges. The American people can be sure we will continue to act to strengthen and stabilize our financial markets and improve investor confidence.’ When staffers again huddled in Paulson’s office, Paulson wanted to know what ideas they had come up with. Asian and European markets were continuing to plunge, with banks and insurers bearing the brunt of the losses. …”