Posted on 03/06/2009 10:43:10 AM PST by Syncro
*snip*
In April 2001, before the events of 9/11 and just after entering the White House, President Bush began signaling warnings to members of congress that both Fannie and Freddie were headed into deep treacherous waters which could cause “strong repercussions in financial markets.”
In early 2003, the Bush White House upgraded its warnings to “a systemic risk that could extend well beyond just the housing markets.”
On September 10, 2003, Bush Treasury Secretary John Snow testified in congress that something had to be done to confront the growing storm at Fannie and Freddie. Democrat Barney Frank, now Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, reacted by saying “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are NOT in a crisis...” completely rejecting Bush administration calls for reform.
Frank went on to say that Fannie and Freddie should do even more to get low-income families into homes. “The more people, in my opinion, exaggerate the threat of safety and soundness, the more people conjure up the possibility of more serious financial losses to the treasury, which I do not see, I think we see entities that are fundamentally sound financially, and withstand some of the disaster scenarios, and even if there were a problem, the federal government doesn’t bail them out, but the more pressure there is there, then the less, I think we see, in affordable housing.” Said Democrat Frank
Congressional Democrats then killed the 2003 bill put forth by Republicans, intended to head off financial crisis.
In 2005, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan went before congress to sound an even louder warning concerning the soundness of the Government Sponsored Enterprises headed for disaster, testifying that...
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
One thing that he did was drive the Conservatives into the wilderness.Plus NO one could stick their head in the sand as much as he did when the RATs attacked it had to be deliberate.
IMHO the people who insist on idolizing Bush are the real “lurkers”. To argue that he didn’t leave us a pile of crap to clean up is at best delusional and at worst disingenuous.
I get this crap from them all the time. How can anyone think defending Bush legacy could ever sell at this point and help republicans win in future? Bush had a golden opportunity to do anything he wanted after Sept 11 so the 2003 democrats blocking Bush arguments dont impress me. Sure by 2005-2006 Bush lost most of his power to do things, so in 2007 he responded by cutting deals with Pelosi against Republicans. What a hero!
My argument is Bush-Pelosi era and Obama is More of the same! just like Schiff says.
Please don’t spam the state topics.
Explain your comment.
Thanks.
Well yea. That's one of the main points of this thread.
Each side levers the situation further to one anothers advantage.
True, because both sides have the same goal.
Fyi, bo’s ELECTION was approved of and CERTIFIED by saxby chambliss. juan mccain, Lindsay Grahmnesty, Kyl, Specter, Snowe, Collins et al.
Those RINOS are ABSOLUTELY DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the ELECTION of bo.
Absolutely Bush just sat on his hands when gasoline went to $5.00 He could of used EO's like the Kenyan Junior Senator to get the ball rolling on our own energy and funded Oil Shale..
Just canada.
And do not see them there now.
Maybe it is glitch in your system if you see them.
If it was done, it could have been any one of thousands of posters.
For future reference, I don't do things like that.
Thanks for the bumps!
They were removed by a moderator a few minutes ago.
Thank goodness they can see who posts them, so they don't get madder at me.
My contrarian points on this thread have to do with the that that video was widely posted here last fall before the election, and McCain even tried to bring it up and it didnt work at all. I am not saying Democrats were not up to no good, they were trying to destroy everything, it's just that absolving Bush when most of country long concluded he was to blame, and he was clearly at least part of problem, as I pointed out, is just more dreaming, err delusional.
Democrats claiming their actions now (debt increase /spending) are Republicans fault is another story , complete crap. For 6 years they cried accountability in attacking Bush, it's meaningless to them
Democrat Barney Frank, now Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, reacted by saying “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are NOT in a crisis...” completely rejecting Bush administration calls for reform... went on to say that Fannie and Freddie should do even more to get low-income families into homes. “The more people, in my opinion, exaggerate the threat of safety and soundness, the more people conjure up the possibility of more serious financial losses to the treasury, which I do not see, I think we see entities that are fundamentally sound financially, and withstand some of the disaster scenarios, and even if there were a problem, the federal government doesn’t bail them out, but the more pressure there is there, then the less, I think we see, in affordable housing.” ...Congressional Democrats then killed the 2003 bill put forth by Republicans, intended to head off financial crisis.
bttt
For many years the President and his Administration have not only warned of the systemic consequences of financial turmoil at a housing government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) but also put forward thoughtful plans to reduce the risk that either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would encounter such difficulties. President Bush publicly called for GSE reform 17 times in 2008 alone before Congress acted. Unfortunately, these warnings went unheeded, as the President’s repeated attempts to reform the supervision of these entities were thwarted by the legislative maneuvering of those who emphatically denied there were problems.
2001
April: The Administration’s FY02 budget declares that the size of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is “a potential problem,” because “financial trouble of a large GSE could cause strong repercussions in financial markets, affecting Federally insured entities and economic activity.”
2002
May: The President calls for the disclosure and corporate governance principles contained in his 10-point plan for corporate responsibility to apply to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. (OMB Prompt Letter to OFHEO, 5/29/02)
2003
January: Freddie Mac announces it has to restate financial results for the previous three years.
February: The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) releases a report explaining that “although investors perceive an implicit Federal guarantee of [GSE] obligations,” “the government has provided no explicit legal backing for them.” As a consequence, unexpected problems at a GSE could immediately spread into financial sectors beyond the housing market. (”Systemic Risk: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Role of OFHEO,” OFHEO Report, 2/4/03).
September: Fannie Mae discloses SEC investigation and acknowledges OFHEO’s review found earnings manipulations.
September: Treasury Secretary John Snow testifies before the House Financial Services Committee to recommend that Congress enact “legislation to create a new Federal agency to regulate and supervise the financial activities of our housing-related government sponsored enterprises” and set prudent and appropriate minimum capital adequacy requirements.
October: Fannie Mae discloses $1.2 billion accounting error.
November: Council of the Economic Advisers (CEA) Chairman Greg Mankiw explains that any “legislation to reform GSE regulation should empower the new regulator with sufficient strength and credibility to reduce systemic risk.” To reduce the potential for systemic instability, the regulator would have “broad authority to set both risk-based and minimum capital standards” and “receivership powers necessary to wind down the affairs of a troubled GSE.” (N. Gregory Mankiw, Remarks At The Conference Of State Bank Supervisors State Banking Summit And Leadership, 11/6/03).
2004
February: The President’s FY05 Budget again highlights the risk posed by the explosive growth of the GSEs and their low levels of required capital, and called for creation of a new, world-class regulator: “The Administration has determined that the safety and soundness regulators of the housing GSEs lack sufficient power and stature to meet their responsibilities, and therefore…should be replaced with a new strengthened regulator.” (2005 Budget Analytic Perspectives, pg. 83)
February: CEA Chairman Mankiw cautions Congress to “not take [the financial market’s] strength for granted.” Again, the call from the Administration was to reduce this risk by “ensuring that the housing GSEs are overseen by an effective regulator.” (N. Gregory Mankiw, Op-Ed, “Keeping Fannie And Freddie’s House In Order,” Financial Times, 2/24/04).
June: Deputy Secretary of Treasury Samuel Bodman spotlights the risk posed by the GSEs and called for reform, saying “We do not have a world-class system of supervision of the housing government sponsored enterprises (GSEs), even though the importance of the housing financial system that the GSEs serve demands the best in supervision to ensure the long-term vitality of that system. Therefore, the Administration has called for a new, first class, regulatory supervisor for the three housing GSEs: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banking System.” (Samuel Bodman, House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Testimony, 6/16/04).
2005
April: Treasury Secretary John Snow repeats his call for GSE reform, saying “Events that have transpired since I testified before this Committee in 2003 reinforce concerns over the systemic risks posed by the GSEs and further highlight the need for real GSE reform to ensure that our housing finance system remains a strong and vibrant source of funding for expanding homeownership opportunities in America… Half-measures will only exacerbate the risks to our financial system.” (Secretary John W. Snow, “Testimony Before The U.S. House Financial Services Committee,” 4/13/05).
2007
July: Two Bear Stearns hedge funds invested in mortgage securities collapse.
August: President Bush emphatically calls on Congress to pass a reform package for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying “first things first when it comes to those two institutions. Congress needs to get them reformed, get them streamlined, get them focused, and then I will consider other options.” (President George W. Bush, Press Conference, The White House, 8/9/07).
September: RealtyTrac announces foreclosure filings up 243,000 in August – up 115 percent from the year before.
September: Single-family existing home sales decreases 7.5 percent from the previous month – the lowest level in nine years. Median sale price of existing homes fell six percent from the year before.
December: President Bush again warns Congress of the need to pass legislation reforming GSEs, saying “These institutions provide liquidity in the mortgage market that benefits millions of homeowners, and it is vital they operate safely and operate soundly. So I’ve called on Congress to pass legislation that strengthens independent regulation of the GSEs – and ensures they focus on their important housing mission. The GSE reform bill passed by the House earlier this year is a good start. But the Senate has not acted. And the United States Senate needs to pass this legislation soon.” (President George W. Bush, Discusses Housing, The White House, 12/6/07).
2008
January: Bank of America announces it will buy Countrywide.
January: Citigroup announces mortgage portfolio lost $18.1 billion in value.
February: Assistant Secretary David Nason reiterates the urgency of reforms, says “A new regulatory structure for the housing GSEs is essential if these entities are to continue to perform their public mission successfully.” (David Nason, Testimony On Reforming GSE Regulation, Senate Committee On Banking, Housing And Urban Affairs, 2/7/08).
March: Bear Stearns announces it will sell itself to JPMorgan Chase.
March: President Bush calls on Congress to take action and “move forward with reforms on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They need to continue to modernize the FHA, as well as allow State housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to homeowners to refinance their mortgages.” (President George W. Bush, Remarks To The Economic Club Of New York, New York, NY, 3/14/08).
April: President Bush urges Congress to pass the much needed legislation and “modernize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. [There are] constructive things Congress can do that will encourage the housing market to correct quickly by … helping people stay in their homes.” (President George W. Bush, Meeting With Cabinet, the White House, 4/14/08).
May: President Bush issues several pleas to Congress to pass legislation reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before the situation deteriorates further.
* “Americans are concerned about making their mortgage payments and keeping their homes. Yet Congress has failed to pass legislation I have repeatedly requested to modernize the Federal Housing Administration that will help more families stay in their homes, reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure they focus on their housing mission, and allow State housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to refinance sub-prime loans.” (President George W. Bush, Radio Address, 5/3/08).
* “[T]he government ought to be helping creditworthy people stay in their homes. And one way we can do that – and Congress is making progress on this – is the reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That reform will come with a strong, independent regulator.” (President George W. Bush, Meeting With The Secretary Of The Treasury, the White House, 5/19/08).
* “Congress needs to pass legislation to modernize the Federal Housing Administration, reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure they focus on their housing mission, and allow State housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to refinance subprime loans.” (President George W. Bush, Radio Address, 5/31/08).
June: As foreclosure rates continued to rise in the first quarter, the President once again asks Congress to take the necessary measures to address this challenge, saying “we need to pass legislation to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” (President George W. Bush, Remarks At Swearing In Ceremony For Secretary Of Housing And Urban Development, Washington, D.C., 6/6/08).
Thanks-
Here’s one that sealed congressional republicans fates and his economic legacy:
21 October 2007: President George W Bush said that with 49 consecutive months of astounding economic growth under his leadership that the United States has surpassed all prior White House administrations for adding jobs and increasing wages.
The president claims to have added some 8.1 million jobs since August 2003, although the White House does not as a matter of principal mention the number of jobs lost during the same period.
In September 2007 “our economy added 110,000 new jobs,” the president said 20 October. “And that’s good news for people here in our country. It’s an indicator that this economy is a vibrant and strong economy,” the president said.
http://www.thinkandask.com/2006/102107-bush.html
not to worry.
the new screwl texts will have george w 43 as hoover and
zero 44 as fdr. /s
si.
Yep! Already so!
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