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Failed Vote Deals Economy Another Blow
Wall Street Journal ^ | September 30, 2008 | Justin Lahart and Kelly Evans

Posted on 09/30/2008 6:59:39 AM PDT by reaganaut1

Lawmakers' failure to pass the Treasury's bailout plan Monday could further weaken an economy already hurt by a crisis of credit and confidence

...

Even economists who expressed skepticism about the bailout legislation said action was preferable to no plan at all -- and essential to shore up confidence.

University of Chicago Graduate School of Business economist Anil Kashyap was among those with reservations about the Treasury plan, which he felt didn't adequately attack the problem of low capital levels at financial institutions. Mr. Kashyap also felt that given the fragility of financial markets, the consequences of not acting would be dire.

"This is pretty irresponsible not to pass it," he said. "To stand there and say, 'I'm warming up...I'm warming up...I'm not ready.' "

Without a plan, Mr. Kashyap said, strained credit markets could make it impossible for more troubled financial firms to get short-term financing, pushing them into failure.

"If another big institution fails it could easily set off a bad chain of events," said Douglas Diamond, a colleague of Mr. Kashyap's. Commenting on Monday's action in financial markets, he said, "If this is not enough to get the Congress to act, maybe they just stand by and think that the 1930s were a fluke."

Additional failures could send more investors careening into cash, tying up lending markets to the point that even creditworthy businesses and households may be unable to borrow. Unchecked, that would cut deeply into spending, leading to rising bankruptcies, rising unemployment and a severe recession.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bailout; corporatewelfare; financialcrisis; paulsonplan
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A good article on the financial crisis by Diamond and Kashyap is at http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/diamond-and-kashyap-on-the-recent-financial-upheavals/ .
1 posted on 09/30/2008 6:59:39 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

In all this talk about the bailout failure why is ther NOT ONE MENTION OF CHANGING THE LAWS THAT CAUSED IT- I.E. FORCING BANKS TO LOAN TO UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE

ARE WE STILL GOING TO DO THAT?


2 posted on 09/30/2008 7:03:51 AM PDT by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
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To: reaganaut1
maybe they just stand by and think that the 1930s were a fluke

Well, the 1930's were a kind of fluke. It's highly unusual for the government to intervene so strongly during an economic criris. Usually, the crisis resolves itself in a short while, as the vulnerable entities fail and the stronger entities pick up the pieces. Hoover and FDR changed the game by having gov't try to pick up the pieces. That's why the 1930's were so bad for so long.

It could happen again -- but only if a bailout bill passes.

3 posted on 09/30/2008 7:04:47 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Michelle, spare me your phony outrage, you know as well as I do that dress makes your butt look big)
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To: reaganaut1
Oh yes... doomsday scenarios that never materialize. Let's give the markets the chance to work. Suck in our breaths. And slowww down! Nothing good in this world ever came of doing things in haste.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

4 posted on 09/30/2008 7:05:34 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: reaganaut1

This pisses me off to no end, the WSJ is one of the largest cheerleaders for “Free Markets” and yet, when that same market dictates that Stocks lose value based on poor decisions, they are now one of the largest megaphones screaming for taxpayer money to prop up that failing market.

They owe an apology to every factory worker that lost their job due to outsourcing and there inconsistent adherence to the “Free Market”, if it is good for a autoworker in MI, it is good for the perfumed princes as well.


5 posted on 09/30/2008 7:09:16 AM PDT by padre35 (Sarah Palin is the one we've been waiting for..Rom 10.10..)
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To: reaganaut1
Lawmakers' failure to pass the Treasury's bailout plan Monday could
further weaken an economy already hurt by a crisis of credit and confidence


That may be.

But the financial sector got a message yesterday.
They've got to accept that if they get a bailout, it's going to
be REAL MEDICINE.

Without a teaspoon of sugar to make it taste good.

Some sort of bailout/assistance is probably actually needed.

But just dumping buckets of money into the mess...at least now it
may be done with more discretion and thought.

And not done in an exercise that reminds one of the glorified
"burn rate" that was a badge of honor during the Internet Bubble.
6 posted on 09/30/2008 7:10:34 AM PDT by VOA
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To: ClearCase_guy

Conservatives, in their effort to make a point, are losing their credibility. Suck it up and do something to help liquidity in the financial markets. Otherwise, take the blame for the consequences.


7 posted on 09/30/2008 7:13:04 AM PDT by popdonnelly
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To: popdonnelly
The Treasury just pumped $630 billion into the financial markets to calm them down. If that doesn't do it, I don't think throwing $700 billion more of taxpayer dollars into them is going to solve it.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

8 posted on 09/30/2008 7:19:41 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: popdonnelly
The situation today was not created by Conservatives, it was created by Liberal government do-gooders. But I don't see a lot of people blaming Liberals.

The proposed solution is (apparently) more government do-gooding. And if this course is not chosen, a lot of people will be blaming Conservatives.

How is it that everything gets blamed on Conservatives? Nothing On Liberals?

I support free markets. Our basic problem today is that we don't have free enough markets. I'll stand by my Conservative principles because I'm convinced that adhering to Liberal principles will only cause a larger problem.

9 posted on 09/30/2008 7:19:58 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Michelle, spare me your phony outrage, you know as well as I do that dress makes your butt look big)
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To: reaganaut1
I'm looking out my office window at Long Island sound. Sky is blue, water is calm and the sailboats still look scenic.

I don't see any sky falling anywhere really... sure my 401k lost some value, my son lost a bit on the markets yesterday (because he didn't listen to me!) but no sky falling far as I can see.

Just to test matters, I'm driving over to my bank in a bit to apply for a small business loan. I'll report back, but I expect this will go just fine in spite of the fear mongering in DC.

Cheers,
Lloyd

10 posted on 09/30/2008 7:22:27 AM PDT by Lloyd227 (and may God bless Oriana Fallaci)
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To: popdonnelly
Conservatives, in their effort to make a point, are losing their credibility. Suck it up and do something to help liquidity in the financial markets. Otherwise, take the blame for the consequences.

Oh shut up. The Dems and Bush could have passed this monstrosity if they wanted to all by themselves without a single conservative vote. They didn't because they want to spread the blame for it evenly.

This thing failed because the people boosting it know it's a disaster and they want to spread the blame for it as widely as possible.
11 posted on 09/30/2008 7:23:08 AM PDT by Antoninus (Ignore the polls. They're meant to shape public opinion, not measure it.)
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To: Mr. K
ARE WE STILL GOING TO DO THAT?

That folly has gone beyond getting its big ugly foot in the door to now having a designated seat the table. Pure unadulterated folly. IMHO, until at least 2/3 of these socialist scoundrels in the current Congress are tossed out on their collective ears nothing is going to change much. The cancer that we call Congress has progressed too far and has its tentacles too deep in the national treasury.

12 posted on 09/30/2008 7:25:31 AM PDT by Ron H. (If I had a conservative candidate to vote for I would vote for one!)
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To: padre35

Good points. I agree.


13 posted on 09/30/2008 7:27:00 AM PDT by Ron H. (If I had a conservative candidate to vote for I would vote for one!)
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To: ClearCase_guy
How is it that everything gets blamed on Conservatives? Nothing On Liberals?

You're noticing that too, eh?

It's because liberals control most of the media mouthpieces and most of the people who get their news from these outlets, even if they're usually pretty level headed, are still easily stampeded.

This one is really simple. If this legislation is so great, the Dems have the majority in both houses of Congress. They could pass it and Bush would sign it. They could have their bill and take complete credit for it.

The fact is, THEY DON'T WANT CREDIT FOR IT.

What does that tell you?
14 posted on 09/30/2008 7:29:11 AM PDT by Antoninus (Ignore the polls. They're meant to shape public opinion, not measure it.)
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To: popdonnelly
Conservatives, in their effort to make a point, are losing their credibility.

If you mean with liberals and RINO's you may be right but with fiscal and social conservatives their credibility rose a notch or so, especially for those conservatives in the House who turned a thumbs down to this socialist enabling legislation that was defeated yesterday. This was clearly a case of the cure killing the patient. Now maybe Americans can get a better piece of legislation.

15 posted on 09/30/2008 7:32:38 AM PDT by Ron H. (If I had a conservative candidate to vote for I would vote for one!)
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To: Lloyd227

Go get em’ Llyod.


16 posted on 09/30/2008 7:49:14 AM PDT by redstateconfidential ("Go to the mattresses")
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To: reaganaut1
Lawmakers' failure to pass the Treasury's bailout plan Monday could further weaken an economy already hurt by a crisis of credit and confidence

Translation : we at the WSJ support free market capitalism unless fascism can make us some green at taxpayer expense.
17 posted on 09/30/2008 7:53:05 AM PDT by mysterio
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To: mysterio

This occult professor must feel kind of like an idiot this morning as the market gains 300 pts. Don’t worry Prof., it’s just your turn to ride the short bus.


18 posted on 09/30/2008 8:03:28 AM PDT by NaughtiusMaximus (Drill here. Drill now. No bailout. Put the blame on the Dems.)
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To: redstateconfidential
Know what she told me?

"Thanks, is there anything else I can help you with today?"

This is a scam folks, there is no credit freeze

19 posted on 09/30/2008 10:31:09 AM PDT by Lloyd227 (and may God bless Oriana Fallaci)
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To: reaganaut1

Ridiculous article. Action is needed - it doesn’t matter what.

Thanks a lot WSJ. I’ll never buy one of your stupid papers again.

And this comes from someone who has money, unlike the readers you’re catering to who never buy your stinking paper.


20 posted on 09/30/2008 10:37:47 AM PDT by o2bfree
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