I hope voters are paying attention and realize the only way to get things turned around will be to gain seats in the Congress. Specifically, to elect more moderates in both parties and hope the Democrats gain a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate.

Clinton's proposal to address this situation for foreclosures and job creation (good paying jobs not minimum wage jobs that the companies create with the Republican tax breaks) is a solid solution. But she will need the support of Congress to make it happen.

When are they going to get the fact that they are waaaaay to late to do anything meaningful to slow down or stop the forslosure crisis. We are in the middle of it and there is nothing to be done but weather it, get to the other side and try to make sure that it doesn't happen again. The way to do that is to set up a new type of home buying assistance that will not cause a forclosure during this period to bar you from buying a home in the next decade, but will also be sensible regarding home values and ability to manage the loan. People that have lost thier homes, but still have jobs, and reasonable incomes should be able to recover financially from these crazy years and be able to buy a home before retirement.

Clinton has not proposed creating any jobs. Her forclosure plan is to order banks to stop foreclosures for 90 days. All of which is moot since nothing she would want to do would occur for a year or more. the market will have bottomed by then. Clinton also seeks to put further burden on people by mandating they pay for health insurance at market value. Unless she plans to tell insurance companies what they can charge. Any once a year tax credit does not help with month to month bills.
Clinton wants to win, no matter what the cost. Winning the primary that way will lose her the general election. She is the anti-hope, anti-change candidate. She is a firm supporter of gathering power for the peoples own good and will make Bush/Cheney's power and fear mongering look like amateur hour. Calling her a monster was too kind.

I think we may be in for some hard times ahead regardless of who controls congress. The stock market bubble of the late '90s burst, but was rescued by the housing market. Now the housing market bubble has burst and it's taking the stock market with it. Even the relatively well-off are starting to feel the pinch as borne out by retail figures at Nordstrom's.

The American consumer has been the backbone of the world economy for the last ? years. Now that home equity is shrinking, along with 401(k)'s, coupled with increasing unemployment, and the future looks bleak for at least a couple more years. I don't know if either party will be able to do much about it until the credit crisis plays itself out.

There is no doubt the branches are going to have to work together and with businesses. Clinton proposed the moratorium but that is not what I was referring to as the plan. Longer range, she proposed a freeze on mortgage interest rates to allow recovery and time for refinancing efforts to occur. Even Donald Trump agrees with that. He advises all Americans facing foreclosure to not move out and to "fight to the death" because he said the banks will refinance and even revalue. It is in their best interest to do so to avoid going bankrupt themselves. The credit crisis is a huge boondoggle caused by a lack of oversight and regulation just like the S&L days. There are things that can be done to change that as well. What I find interesting is one of the largest, Bank of America, absorbed failing Countryside and then followed a similar plan from the Clinton camp: 30 day moratorium on foreclosures, active refinancing efforts, and complete stop of all predatory lending practices. Business will respond to sound proposals. I think Clinton is a moderate because she knows you have to have a balance between capitalism and socialism. Consumers need businesses to thrive. Businesses need consumers to spend. I think she has gained support in Congress for that reason.

Bank of America has not yet bought out Countryside. It has proposed to do so and right now the deal looks very iffy. I'm not surprised that Donald Trump, a real estate mogul, is advising homeowners not to foreclose. Trouble is, if it's a choice between making a mortgage payment and putting food on the table, the latter always wins. What's even more troubling is that consumers are using their credit cards more and more to buy necessities like food. Government oversight and regulation could help, but I think a more disciplined consumer would be just as beneficial. I mean, please, was it really necessary to take out that home equity line of credit just to buy that Hummer?

I think you are really out of touch with Americans who are struggling. Struggling Americans have no choice but to use credit to survive and the credit extended is predatory. Hummers and home equity loans are not even an issue or a possibility for the majority of Americans. It is all a very complex issue... chicken or the egg take your pick. Bottom line is a cooperative effort between business, consumers, and government is the only way to resolve the problem to get out of the catch 22. As much as the Congress tried to make bankruptcy filing requirements stiffer, we are still seeing record filings, record job losses, record buying power reductions, and a disappearing class as a result of failed Republican policies placing the trust of the welfare of people in the hands of capitalists and stock owners. We need a balanced solution that benefits all and is fair. Turning things around for everyone can take us all back to prosperous positions in the world economy.