I expect the beer wholesaler his current spousal unit controls, found him as useful.

I’m thinkin’ we need three pictures side by side:

this one, cake sharin’/huggy time with Gee-Dumbya, and climbin’ into the yacht for this year’s birthday party

Party on, John…more of the same ol’ same ol’.

So, here’s what I’d like to know. Is McCain wearing (a) a pinata? (b) one of those Christian Lacroix cone bra things that Madonna wore back in the day? (But for the chick from Total Recall with three bosoms…) (c) Or just the world’s ugliest hat? And, good lord, why?!?

Bush speaks lays a steaming pile at the podium, thens walks away, not deigning (of course) to take questions from the peasants….

well, the CNBC stooges seem to have their marching orders – blame it on the goddamned idiot irresponsible putative homeowners who were so fucking stupid that they bought the horseshit that the haloed banks were pushing.

Ergo, of course, the banks must be saved.

LOCK EM UP THROW AWAY THE KEY

Under RICO, a person who is a member of an enterprise that has committed any two of 35 crimes—27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes—within a 10-year period can be charged with racketeering. Those found guilty of racketeering can be fined up to $25,000 and/or sentenced to 20 years in prison per racketeering count. In addition, the racketeer must forfeit all ill-gotten gains and interest in any business gained through a pattern of “racketeering activity.” RICO also permits a private individual harmed by the actions of such an enterprise to file a civil suit; if successful, the individual can collect treble damages.

When the U.S. Attorney decides to indict someone under RICO, he or she has the option of seeking a pre-trial restraining order or injunction to temporarily seize a defendant’s assets and prevent the transfer of potentially forfeitable property, as well as require the defendant to put up a performance bond. This provision was placed in the law because the owners of Mafia-related shell corporations often absconded with the assets. An injunction and/or performance bond ensures that there is something to seize in the event of a guilty verdict.

In many cases, the threat of a RICO indictment can force defendants to plead guilty to lesser charges, in part because the seizure of assets would make it difficult to pay a defense attorney. Despite its harsh provisions, a RICO-related charge is considered easy to prove in court, as it focuses on patterns of behavior as opposed to criminal acts.[2]

There is also a provision for private parties to sue. A “person damaged in his business or property” can sue one or more “racketeers.” The plaintiff must prove the existence of a “criminal enterprise.” The defendant(s) are not the enterprise; in other words, the defendant(s) and the enterprise are not one and the same. There must be one of four specified relationships between the defendant(s) and the enterprise. A civil RICO action, like many lawsuits based on federal law, can be filed in state or federal court. [1]

Both the federal and civil components allow for the recovery of treble damages (damages in triple the amount of actual/compensatory damages).

Although its primary intent was to deal with organized crime, Blakey said that Congress never intended it to merely apply to the Mob. He once told Time, “We don’t want one set of rules for people whose collars are blue or whose names end in vowels, and another set for those whose collars are white and have Ivy League diplomas.”[2]

[edit] RICO offenses

Under the law, racketeering activity means:

* Any violation of state statutes against gambling, murder, kidnapping, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act);
* Any act of bribery, counterfeiting, theft, embezzlement, fraud, dealing in obscene matter, obstruction of justice, slavery, racketeering, gambling, money laundering, commission of murder-for-hire, and several other offenses covered under the Federal criminal code (Title 18);
* Embezzlement of union funds;
* Bankruptcy or securities fraud;
* Drug trafficking;
* Money laundering and related offenses;
* Bringing in, aiding or assisting aliens in illegally entering the country (if the action was for financial gain);
* Acts of terrorism.

Could we call what has gone on, as well as much of what is currently going on, ‘Capital Crimes’?

What is a suitable punishment for those who engage in such hornswoggling, such blatant destruction, such callous disreagard of consequence for the rest of us and the nation?

Oh right, bail ‘em out.

Why?

Let a bunch of ‘em sink, let the Free Market decide. The price of ‘Enterprise’ should include paying the piper for them what called the tune that everybody has to dance to. Fair is fair.

Let them be paddled by ‘the unseen hand’.

Hooray – there ya go. A class action w/ a class of 200,000,000 +

doofus said merika has unpresidented economic challenges….DOOFUS YOU DID IT, you F@#$%^@#$%^#$%^&$R%T^idiot

we want our money BACK……REPUKES….go get it,and BRING IT BACK,NOW!

And something totally and completely off topic but I think something that needs to get out there, big time…and in a very big way…and flogged and flogged until the damn thing falls apart: Not only is McCain just four more years of Bush — Palin is Cheney all over: The Hill reports that it inquired with both Joseph Biden and Sarah Palin about whether they would consider themselves to be part of the executive branch in the next administration. The Hill’s Kevin Bogardus reports, “Sen. Biden (Del.) believes the office he is seeking is solely in the executive branch, according to his staff. But aides to Alaska Gov. Palin did not answer the question…Already, Palin’s handling the “Troopergate” probe has demonstrated a striking resemblance to Cheney’s penchant for secrecy. Palin is thwarting both a state legislature probe and a state Personnel Board investigation into the ethics scandal. Like the Bush White House, she is claiming “executive privilege” on e-mails from personal accounts. And just yesterday, her husband Todd Palin — following in the footsteps of Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten — said thanks but no thanks to a subpoena demanding he appear before the state Senate Judiciary Committee.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/…..ve-branch/

Obama is consulting with Paul Volcker. As Fed chair starting in 1979, Volcker presided over double-digit prime rates “peaking at 21.5 percent in December 1980.”

I should add that the initial Volcker Fed policy unfortunately led to the ascendancy of the Ronald Raygun regime and their philosophy celebrating commercial greed and gutting of the country’s manufacturing capital, exporting jobs to other countries, and transferring most of the country’s wealth to the relative few. Fed bank rate cuts and the ensuing frenzy on Wall St helped bolster the false notion that their philosophy had resulted in prosperity on Main St.

I think McCain’s getting to the age where he really should consider a quiet night at home (one of them!) as a birthday celebration alternative… First he’s sporting a fruitbasket that was a gift from Keating, no doubt — and then the tarmack with the melting cake and a Bush by his side.. He should watch the company he keeps!