Obama Clearly Gets Things Done

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/obama-in-command-br-the-rolling-stone-interview-20100928

"What I was surprised somewhat by, and disappointed by, although I've got to give some grudging admiration for just how effective it's been, was the degree to which [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell was able to keep his caucus together on a lot of issues. Eventually, we were able to wear them down, so that we were able to finally get really important laws passed, some of which haven't gotten a lot of attention — the credit-card reform bill, or the anti-tobacco legislation, or preventing housing and mortgage fraud. We'd be able to pick off two or three Republicans who wanted to do the right thing."



**(I noticed this. These important laws that did not get the attention they deserved to get-all this should have been front page news for ages, now.

I was wondering if it was my imagination that predatory lending and mortgage fraud issues were being addressed more than normal.

It wasn't something I paid any attention to until I wanted to buy a house, read the terms of the mortgage, balked because the terms were outrageous, and was audaciously threatened with a lawsuit because my real estate agent hadn't put a contingency in my offer to back out if the terms of the mortgage were unacceptable to me-but I wasn't to see the terms until the closing day!

After that, I became very aware of mortgage fraud, because my terms were written like an absolute set-up to fail, and it was a loan for low income people.

I wasn't allowed a fifteen year mortgage although I had the money to afford it. I asked about it. I wanted the fifteen.

The entire situation was bizarre, and the math was wrong. I didn't even notice THAT. A friend of mine did. I'm mathtarded, and I'm the first to admit it, too. Which I did, so they should have been more diligent.

I didn't fill out the paperwork. The loan officer did.

So, I took a pass on that.

When I began to try to figure out how to buy a house without getting screwed, well, it didn't seem like it was possible.

After Obama got elected, though, people started getting caught.

He directed the FBI in the direction of white collar crime and made up a Mortgage fraud Task Force (Thank God.)

The FBI had been saying this was happening for years. Bush was too busy golfing, apparently. In my opinion.

It wasn't mainly regular people lying on their applications, either. The common misconception was people were lying and taking out loans they could not afford, which they were but it wasn't negligent ignorance, it was often blatant fraud committed by people who knew exactly what they were doing. Lawyers and brokers and agents...mortgage fraud rings.


Maybe I should thank Obama for my quitting smoking, too. I didn't even have to try. It's just so inconvenient.)