Honey, Have You Talked To Your Sister? Plus: Shays On Bailout And Himes Too

Just four and a half months until Yankee pitchers and catchers report to spring training. If you’re a Mets fan are you done puking up another choke season? Someone pass the bucket.

My World Series is now the November election. And, of course, rooting for any team to beat the Red Sox in the playoffs.

A guy like me has nothing better to do than talk to Bridgeport police officers. A mayor axing cops is worse than a parade of drug dealers sticking up their middle fingers past police headquarters.

In a twisted way, this national financial meltdown makes it easier for Mayor Bill Finch to execute ostracized decisions. We’re all in this mess together. What’s a mayor to do? If things don’t get better, if that moolah budgeted for developments such as Steelpointe doesn’t materialize, more city layoffs may be coming.

Does Chris Dodd, that big-shot Senate banking chief whose political campaigns have been greased by the greedy bastards that helped cause this mess, give a shit about the state’s largest city? Chris, can you throw in a few extra bucks for Bridgeport?

Thursday’s vice presidential debate should be a hoot. That’s the day the McCain campaign takes the ankle bracelet off the Snow Queen. Let’s see now, Sarah’s against stem cell research. Mac’s for it. She’s for drilling. He’s against it. Mac says don’t talk about taking out enemy interlopers in Pakistan. Sarah says, what, me worry? Bomb the place! And while we’re at it, let’s demonize Putin for daring to travel into Alaska’s air space.

I wonder if an Iditarod team will mush Sarah back to Alaska when the debate’s over.

Maybe the Dems should keep an extra dog sled for Joe Biden in case he unloads another out-dated beauty.

“Teddy Roosevelt didn’t need reminding about corporate greed. He’d have flown the first jet to DC to lampoon the bastards.”

The Thursday debate is actually an important one for McCain. The polls are slipping away. How the Ice Lady performs directly impacts McCain’s judgment. Whatever initial spark Palin provided has flared out. When you take a risk and choose a national novelty like Palin the last thing you want to do is stop being risky. Makes you look like you’re regretting the decision. That’s the danger of American politics. We fall in love so easily: like that juniper-aided, one-night stand with the hot babe. It’s all heart-pumping passion. And then you wake up the next morning to realize it’s your sister-in-law. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

News release from Congressman Christopher Shays

Shays Statement on H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Christopher Shays (CT-4), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, spoke in favor of passage and voted for H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, when it failed to pass the House by a vote of 205 to 228.

Shays proposed an amendment to this legislation which would have increased the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance to $300,000, but unfortunately no amendments were allowed to be offered by the rule reported out of Committee this morning.

The following is Shays’ statement:

“Most of my constituents consider this a bail out. Some of them, in fact, are willing to walk bread lines in order to see wealthy Wall Street tycoons pay for their greed. The fact is, that would be irresponsible.

“While this is not 1929 all over again, it could be if we step aside and let the wonders of the market work its will in this environment. We can’t let the foolishness and greed on Wall Street bring down Main Street; at least I don’t intend to.

“We are witnessing the economy come to a grinding halt. Money is simply not being lent to individuals who need it. For businesses, this has meant an inability to borrow, to expand, invest in new equipment, stock shelves or even meet short-term cash needs, such as payroll. For individuals, it has threatened the assets of everyone who has an IRA or 401(k), college savings, pension plan or owns a home.

“It has been difficult for me to hear so many members act like they were not responsible for this credit crisis when they had the opportunity to advocate reform, or at least support it, but chose not to.

“We will have plenty of time to determine what went wrong and what individuals and institutions are responsible, but this is not the day or time to focus on who is at fault and what systemic changes need to be made.

“I recognize today’s liquidity injection is a short-term solution to a long-term systemic problem. Those of us who return, and I make no assumption about my own election, have our work cut out for us in the next Congress.

“I will vote for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and thank my colleagues in both chambers, and on both sides of the aisle, for their bipartisan efforts to avert a more serious economic crisis.

“I believe the negotiators have worked in good faith, but we all have lingering questions.

“My own continue to be whether $700 billion is actually enough; why we are not increasing the FDIC deposit insurance above $100,000 so depositors don’t withdraw their funds; and why we are not addressing directly the capital markets problem like we did in the early 1980’s.

“I believe this legislation will address in the short-term the liquidity problem.

“And in the end, I believe tax payers, at a minimum, will be held harmless or even see a positive return on this expenditure.

“If this bill passes and it puts liquidity in the market like we hope, we should be given the time we need to make some long-term changes.

“I urge my colleagues to carefully weight the effects of action or inaction and allow this solution not only to pass, but to work.”

News Release from Jim Himes

SHAYS ON BAILOUT: “NANCY BLEW IT”

BRIDGEPORT, CT – Today, as Congress failed to approve a necessary bailout package for Wall Street and the markets plunged, Chris Shays turned to partisan politics. Once it was clear that the bill would not be approved, Shays cast blame on the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Shays’ precise words were, “Nancy blew it.” The bill, which was submitted to the Congress by President Bush, was supported by 140 Democrats and only 65 Republicans. The Himes campaign issued the following statement:

“It is disappointing that Chris Shays would choose this moment for partisan games,” said Jim Himes, Democratic Candidate for Congress. “Our economy is in peril and now is not the time for partisan blame casting. Our representatives need to set partisanship aside, find a solution that works for Wall Street and American families, and keep our economy afloat.”