Thursday, July 05, 2012

To all the people excusing Fannie and Freddie from any blame

in the economic mess, screw you:
Countrywide Financial Corp. gave discount loans to former and current members of the U.S. Congress and executives at Fannie Mae (FNMA) as it lobbied to scuttle legislation that would have diminished its sale of sub-prime mortgages, according to a report released today by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa.

The report, which caps a three-year inquiry by the panel, concluded that between 1996 and 2008, Countrywide executives used a special VIP loan program to try to stop legislation that would have restrained the company’s business with Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored mortgage company. Countrywide had an exclusive agreement to sell billions of dollars in mortgages to Fannie Mae at a discounted rate, according to the report
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Some people are getting desperate:
White House chief of staff Jack Lew on Sunday would neither confirm nor deny whether President Barack Obama himself is involved in the Operation Fast and Furious cover-up.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Lew refused to answer when asked if Fast and Furious documents now protected by Obama’s executive order include consultation with the president himself.

“There has to be the ability for a president to get confidential advice,” Lew said in response to Crowley pressing him on the reasons for asserting privilege. “There has to be an ability for Congress to use its speech and debate clause.”

Crowley followed up, pushing him on whether that means Obama was involved.

“Were there things in the documents that involved consultation with the president?” she asked Lew. “Is that why you invoked executive privilege?”

Lew balked.

“I’m not going to speak to the specific documents,” he responded, ducking the question
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I'd like to yell about this and some other things some more, but had some family stuff earlier today, after not enough sleep, and it'll have to wait till tomorrow.

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