What should be in the news!

Monday – August 23, 2010

What should be in the news!

After Saturday’s events in Iran, with the loading of the rods into the nuclear reactors, Iran tested a new delivery system. It is an unmanned drone that will be capable of delivering a nuclear warhead into Israel and beyond with further development..

It has been a custom of U.S. Presidents to vacation in August. The Bush’s did it during their time of peril. The Clinton’s did it and even Reagan did it. But when this President did it, we sent a message. It is one more message of weakness, because this administration has moved the line in the sand back each time a major event has occurred in Iran. What other conclusion could this enemy have of us. I find it interesting that Iran’s nuclear program has been accelerated under this president’s watch

On September 2nd, the U.S., the Palestinians and Israel will start the peace talks again. Each side has dug in and if this administration does not get a victory, it will be another sign of this administration’s diminished role and diminished stature in the world of politics and leadership.

What has not been in the news is why Israel has not attacked Iran’s nuclear sites. They are hardened underground installations that could be penetrated or significantly harmed and unable to produce nuclear energy and fuel. They can be destroyed and they can be eliminated, if there is a will. I am sure Israel has it, but this Administration doesn’t.

The Rasmussen daily tracking poll for Sunday, August 22, 2010 shows that twenty five (25%) of the nations voters strongly approve of the way the president is performing his role as president. Forty two (42%) strongly disapprove, giving the president an approval rating of negative 17 (-17).

One thing for sure is that Iran is part of the 25% that approves of the way this president is performing. Israel on the other hand is part of the 42% that disapproves. You will not hear this in the news.

When Reagan created “the trust but verify” option, the Russians had no choice or option but to trust and verify because that was what Reagan wanted. The Russians who are helping the Iranians with this program are saying “just trust us, we will do the verifying now!” This you will not hear in the news.

It is no easy task to go to war or design covert operations of the magnitude that would take out these nuclear facilities. However, these sites just didn’t appear and the threat has not recently made itself known. As history will tell us again, it is a lot easier to take early action instead of denying the events when they appear. This story will not be in the news.

Another story that will not be in the news this week is what Barney Frank has said about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These financial lending institutions have been run by the government and as a result, caused the meltdown and great recession that started in 2008. Frank, a Congressman from Massachusetts, is the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee admitted, "it was a great mistake to push lower-income people into housing they couldn't afford and couldn't really handle once they had it." He then added, "I had been too sanguine about Fannie and Freddie."

In other comments he said, “I hope by next year we'll have abolished Fannie and Freddie.”
When asked about a long - term phase out plan that would shrink Fannie and Freddie and establish new mortgage – purchase limits, and merge them into the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for separate low income families and keep the government out of the middle income housing subsidies, he replied: “ that, I think, is exactly what we should be doing."
Frank also said that any federal housing program should be transparently priced and put on budget. But he then added that the private sector must be encouraged to re-enter the housing finance market as the government gradually pulls out. What will not be in the news is the story of why the government got into the business in the first place.

Some political watchers might say that Frank’s mea culpa is politically motivated. The reason is that in the November midterms big government is public enemy no.1 and number 2. Poll after poll show that the $150 billion dollars that was given to these organizations in the form of bail out and which will rise to 400 billion is detested by even the most liberal voter in Massachusetts.

The fact of the matter is that failed government agencies are in such bad shape that they can’t even pay their dividends that are owed under the conservatorship deal that was reached two years ago by this same Congress. For Fannie and Freddie to pay the $1.8 billion dividend on the department of treasury stock they had to borrow $1.5 billion from the tax payer. In other words, you paid for it again!

I think Barney is running as a conservative just to get re-elected again. “You can’t teach an old dog, new tricks.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote to John Adams in 1786:”I like to see the people awake and alert. The good sense of the people will soon lead them back if they have erred in a moment of surprise.”

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: With 71 days until the midterms you can teach old dogs new tricks. Talk to those who are questioning what is happening in Washington and relate some of this information. Some of these old dogs are questioning why they voted for this President and this Congressman.