Letters to the Editor
Ricardo Malocchio
Published Letters: 155 Editor's Choice: 2
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Yes, yes, and yes.
[Read the article: Obama's plan to change the economy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As a securities fraud litigator (plaintiffs' bar), I've been waiting for any one of these candidates to seriously address the question of market regulation. I confess, even as an Obama supporter, that I had little expectation that I would be as impressed as I am (expecting something more along the lines of the Hillary handouts with no fundamental change). When Wall St. analysts themselves throw their hands up in the air and declare that they have no means by which to effectively evaluate and rate certain derivitive instruments such as, for example, the dreaded collateralized debt obligations, we all need to ask why does this fundamental lack of transparency remain and why are our legislators and regulators so far behind the curve? It's a damn shame that neither Bernanke or Paulson acted on Obama's recommendations of March-2007 to head off the housing crisis (and the corresponding CDO-related implosions), but sadly it too often takes a crisis of the present proportions to force *any* action. This will take presidential leadership. And more, mind you, but leadership on these issues is sorely lacking today.
(Credit, however, to Barney Frank, one of a small number of legislators who has provided no small degree of leadership on these issues.)
Bravo, Obama. The only serious candidate in this race. Full text here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGBNsq
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The McCain Morons respond:
[Read the article: Obama's plan to change the economy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Tucker Bounds, McCain campaign spokesman issued the following statement on Mr. Obama’s speech: "No amount of rhetoric can hide Senator Obama’s clear record of embracing the liberal tax and spend, big government policies that hit hardworking American families at a time when they’re most vulnerable, and are certain to move America backward."
Like a fucking broken record! Just how do those "hardworking American families" feel right about now about McCain/Bush economic policies? D'ya think they're willing to "stay the course"?
Oh man, I'm starting to believe we're gonna bury this imbecilic relic, burn off his coattails, and run a few more Republicans outta Washington.
(Yeah, yeah... call me when that actually happens ...but I'm feelin' it. I'm feelin' it!)
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I'm pleasantly surprised: Obama's most difficult period to date appears not to have changed the basic dynamics of the race.
[Read the article: Polls: Obama weathers Wright controversy ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The PEW findings:
"[T]he Wright controversy does not appear to have undermined support for Obama's candidacy. The latest nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted March 19-22 among 1,503 adults, finds that Obama maintains a 49% to 39% advantage over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, which is virtually unchanged from than the 49% to 40% lead he held among Democrats in late February. Obama and Clinton continue to enjoy slight advantages over John McCain in general election matchups among all registered voters.
"The new polling suggests that the Wright affair has not hurt Obama's standing, in part because his response to the controversy has been viewed positively by voters who favor him over Clinton. Obama's handling of the Wright controversy also won a favorable response from a substantial proportion of Clinton supporters and even from a third of Republican voters.
Of course, there are these voters (the "Ferraro block"?):
"[W]hite Democrats who hold unfavorable views of Obama are much more likely than those who have favorable opinions of him to say that equal rights for minorities have been pushed too far; they also are more likely to disapprove of interracial dating, and are more concerned about the threat that immigrants may pose to American values. In addition, nearly a quarter of white Democrats (23%) who hold a negative view of Obama believe he is a Muslim.
On the other hand, NBC/WSJ finds the following:
"Both [Sen. Clinton] and Sen. Obama showed five-point declines in positive ratings from white voters. But where she is viewed mostly negatively, by 51% to 34% of whites, Sen. Obama's gets a net positive rating, by 42% to 37%. Among all voters, he maintained a significant positive-to-negative score of 49% to 32% -- similar to Sen. McCain's 45% to 25%.
And finally:
"The negativity of the Obama-Clinton contest seems to be hurting Sen. Clinton more, the poll shows. A 52% majority of all voters says she doesn't have the background or values they identify with. By comparison, 39% say that of Sen. Obama, and 32% of Sen. McCain.
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Yes, depressing to most Democrats...
[Read the article: Polls: Obama weathers Wright controversy ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...just not those in the Clinton campaign. Her "southern strategy" will continue.