2. Banks got on board the sub-prime train as fast as they could. They didn’t need it; they wanted it. They craved it. Everybody else was going to make a potful of money and by God they would too. They couldn’t get big enough fast enough in their subprime units, and the employee count is large. And as we all now know, the money was far from chump change.

You know that scene from the movie “Dave,” where he puts his hands in a machine and says he once caught a fish “This Big,” as his hands go out a machhine-extented forty feet apart? That’s Subprime. Now hold up two fingers to make a V for victory sign. That’s CRA.

You’re fighting the good fight, Barry.

This is about the economic mess we are in and the main reason why. Not what those democrats did or didn’t do way back in the old days when they actually had some power to do something.

The fact is that the neocons were in solid control of all three branches from 2000-06 (that is from way before all those bad loans and financial instruments started taking hold). Even after the democrats took the house and Senate they have been fairly powerless because they cannot overcome a presidential veto on their own. So no matter how many contortions you go through you cannot lay this on any democrats.

Another Obama Koolaid drinker. You Democrats are like Stalinists with your non-deviating party line. Just can’t say anything bad (no matter how true)about the Comrades.

Ironically, that’s exactly how we got into the mess against which you rail: refusal to face facts.

So you are telling me that the things that Barney Franks and Chris Dodd etc. were opposed to 4 years ago all got killed because the republican majority were so scared of them. Gosh you must be coming from a parallel universe. In the one I lived in 4 years ago the republicans didn’t even want to lets these democrats talk in the house because it was such a waste of time to let them express their opinion before the neoconmen passed their legislation anyway.

I’ll explain, but you’re obviously French, so I’ll try and speak as plainly as possible.

The problem WAS a lack of regulation — correct regulation of FRE and FNM (not government strangulation). THAT was opposed (just 4 years ago) by Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Maxine Waters, etc. Have you checked to see how much $ was given to their campaigns by Franklin Raines (oh yeh: Joe Biden: $150,000). Charlie Rangel writes the tax laws from which he exempts himself.

I find the Democrats despicable because for most of the 20th century, they set the tone in Washington. They controlled the Presidency (from 1932-1952; 1961-1969; 1976-1981; 1992-2001).When they weren’t controlling it, most of the GOP Presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon, and the Bushi) GOVERNED economically as Democrats. And remember: for almost all of that time, the Democrats controlled BOTH Houses of Congress. THEY have set the culture of corruption in D.C. I detest the GOP because they were corrupted by the system they inherited. I dislike Bill Clinton — but I abhor George Bush more. Democrats at least deliver what they promise. The GOP just gives us a little less Democrat for our $.