Ga. legislators succumbing to rainmakers’ spiel
Back in the old days, a breed known as “rainmakers” would travel rural, unsophisticated areas of the country promising that — for an upfront fee of course — they could bring rain to drought-stricken farmland. If you read Sunday’s story by the AJC’s James Salzer, you might come to the conclusion that the breed has never gone away entirely. It has merely changed its sales pitch.
As Salzer reports, out-of-state companies have come to Georgia pitching what they call CAPCOs. It works like this:
1.) Thanks to a new law, insurance companies are given the right to contribute up to $125 million to private CAPCOs that otherwise would have been paid to the state. (The insurance companies are later repaid a share of that $125 million as an inducement to participate).
2.) CAPCO operators — the people pushing the plan in Georgia — use the $125 million to invest in local small businesses. They get paid management fees for handling the money. Even though it’s not their capital at risk, they get whatever profit the investment produces. In the end, they even get to keep the $125 million investment capital.
3.) By funneling state revenue into the hands of private investors, the state supposedly gets jobs and investment but no share of the profit. The jobs, however, are notoriously difficult to count. And as Salzer recounts, several states have tried the CAPCO approach, often producing more disappointment than employment:
“If they sold deals like this to naive little old ladies, they would go to prison,” said Republican state Sen. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, where a similar program has drawn criticism. “I don’t know what should happen to you if you sell deals like this to naive legislators.”
… Julia Sass Rubin, an associate public policy professor at Rutgers University and a leading critic of the CAPCO model, said states have much more cost-efficient ways to invest in small businesses to create jobs.
“The CAPCO is the classic $200 million toilet,” she said. “You don’t ask, ‘Does it flush?’ You ask, ‘Why did you pay $200 million for a toilet?’ ”
CAPCO promoters have an advocate in state Rep. Ben Harbin of Augusta, one of the more influential members of the House. The chief Georgia lobbyist for the plan, former state senator Pete Robinson, is a longtime friend of Gov. Nathan Deal and served on Deal’s transition team. Deal also backs the CAPCO approach.
The plan passed the state House on the next-to-last day of the 2011 session. When the Legislature reconvenes in January, it will be one Senate vote away from Deal’s signature.
Once that happens, the rains will start falling from the heavens, and the crops will rise green and lush from the moist Georgia earth. Or so we’re promised.
– Jay Bookman
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342 comments Add your comment
Jm
October 24th, 2011
11:16 am
And jay, you can blame house Republicans too. But don’t ignore the fact that Frank led the charge against the Bush reforms.
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
11:16 am
1811: “Should the Iraq’s pull that stunt ………… simply refuse to turn the personnel over to their jurisdiction and send them home. If we can invade a country and kick their a** we should have the guts to do that.”
But when Mr. Bush went into that country, and then kept doubling down on the venture, he claimed the reason was to establish “freedom” in that country. Well, this is what it looks like. So, why the need for a US overlord to keep said country under its boot? Doesn’t sound like “freedom” to me.
Did I lose you already?
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
11:16 am
Jm lives in a fantasy world where a single powerless House member in the minority party controlled housing policy.
Too much redneck AM radio for you, pal!
Matti's Southern Drawl
October 24th, 2011
11:17 am
The more absurd the spiel, the better it plays in Georgia. Yeah, I said it! I’m from here. I should know.
Paul
October 24th, 2011
11:18 am
Scout
When you return, your 11:08:
“Should the Iraq’s pull that stunt ………… simply refuse to turn the personnel over to their jurisdiction and send them home. If we can invade a country and kick their a** we should have the guts to do that.”
You mean we should knowingly lie and sign an agreement with the Iraqis we have no intention of keeping?
Those are the American values we are to project to the world?
You really worked for the Secret Service?!!?
Paulo977
October 24th, 2011
11:19 am
Butch Cassidy
October 24th, 2011
10:53 am
Wait, am I reading this correctly? The same people that bitch about Obama not keeping his promise to get us out of Iraq, are now bitching because he’s keeping his promise to get us out of Iraq?
Yeah , it seems we favor this HYPOCRISY which is mistaken for Integrity!!!!!
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
11:19 am
Buck Hayek, Barney Frank and Chris Dobbs are the ones who wrote and passed these corrupt mortgage laws and they all are democrats.
Normal
October 24th, 2011
11:19 am
Paul @ 11:18…
Jm
October 24th, 2011
11:21 am
Buck is angry at Bush for some of his behavior that was Democrat like.
Too funny. He blames bush for being too much Dem, and then tries to argue we need more of them?
Tooooooo funny. What a joke.
carlosgvv
October 24th, 2011
11:22 am
TruthBe – 10:10
I got a good laugh out of that. I guess you haven’t been watching the Republican debates, where they vie to see who can lie the most, or noticed that your beloved Republican Party is totally owned by Big Business.
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
11:22 am
TruthBe – that is an AM redneck radio lie.
You can’t name a “mortgage law” they wrote. Wall St blew up on their own lack of risk management. Lehman, Bear, Merrill were unregulated.
Mighty Righty
October 24th, 2011
11:22 am
I don’t understand why the insurance companies are supposed to give 125 million dollars to the state. There is something missing from the article. But other than that, it sounds like an Obama “green jobs” program. No job creation, no expectation of profit, no taxes, no return to taxpayer just plain old corruption. The only difference is a taxpayer subsidy to consumers of the product.
Jm
October 24th, 2011
11:23 am
Buck, too much LSD for you pal.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2011
11:24 am
I tell ya, it was Barney Frank’s Ghey-Dar wot dunnit.
Jm
October 24th, 2011
11:24 am
Buck Hayek sounds like Jay prior to agreeing with Volker
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2011
11:27 am
Word is that this COLA increase will the last for some time as we enter a new era of bipartisan austerity. It’s incredible that a nation that can seem to afford multiple simultaneous overseas wars and tax cuts for the insanely wealthy would consider balancing its budget on the backs of these people.
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
11:28 am
Jm – I don’t get my “news” from AM radio rednecks like Boortz and Limpy.
The GOP ran the Congress from 1995 2007 while the housing bubble cranked up. Barney Frank couldn’t get a meeting room during that time (literally true).
GSE Reform Act 2005 — PASSED (HR 1461)
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2011
11:29 am
“I haven’t been so hurt since Obama was mildly critical of us!”
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
11:31 am
Jm lives in a fantasy world where a single powerless House member in the minority party controlled housing policy.- Buck Hayek
One thing that fascinates me about the liberal mindset is that they act like the Dems had no power or influence on the senate banking committee and in Congress in general when Bush was potus and the repubs had both houses of Congress. Then they turn around and say that in Obama’s first 2 years when he had both houses of congress including a near fillibuster proof 59 seat senate that it was the Republicans blocking and hindering Obama with all sorts of fillibusters and parliamentary moves. The inconsistency and absurdity of their arguments is nothing short of astounding.
Adam
October 24th, 2011
11:33 am
Scout: “Obama: ‘I’d like to work my way around Congress’ … ”
“OBAMA TO SIDESTEP CONGRESS”
Perfect example of media sensationalism, and exactly why reading only a headline hardly keeps you informed.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
11:34 am
Buck Hayek with the “redneck AM radio lies” routine. Always interesting to see the blatant hypocrisy of uber liberals who bemoan bigotry and racism while yelling rednecks. And the funny thing is they don’t have the brains to figure out their own hypocrisy. Amusing but sad at the same time.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
11:35 am
In addition to wrecking the economy with his failed policies it is now rumored that Obama is having problems with his TPS reports.
Peadawg
October 24th, 2011
11:36 am
“Obama: ‘I’d like to work my way around Congress’ … ”
“OBAMA TO SIDESTEP CONGRESS”
What’s the difference, Adam? One is sugarcoating. One is blunt and says it how it is.
Jay
October 24th, 2011
11:39 am
I never said or believed the GSEs played no role, jm.
I have said, accurately, that they did not drive the process, and in fact entered that market late in the process as a way to keep up with their private competitors.
But it’s as I expected: You read into Volcker’s comments a criticism of Barney Frank that wasn’t even slightly hinted at in Volcker’s actual speech. It’s actually kind of pitiful. You even dramatically rewrite his own words from “government tolerated” to “government-required,” because you know what he REALLY meant.
Personally, I’ll trust Volcker’s own account of what he really meant, thank you very much.
Volcker’s critique goes to the very existence of GSEs, not how they are regulated. Anything that removes moral hazard from the equation, he opposes.
BTW, yes, you have indeed complained about increasing capital requirements for BofA.
“Bosch those regulations I cited have nothing to do with BofA. BofA’s problems are both internal and external (the government).
Capital regs, new lending regs, and the endless endless US government lawsuits.”
getalife
October 24th, 2011
11:39 am
I knew I could get a flashback from scout.
Look at Vietnam today scout.
Nobody wants to invade, they just want to be left alone to live their lives.
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
11:40 am
Thulsa Doom: “Then they turn around and say that in Obama’s first 2 years when he had both houses of congress including a near fillibuster proof 59 seat senate that it was the Republicans blocking and hindering Obama with all sorts of fillibusters and parliamentary moves”
Operative word here being “almost”.
I’ll give you a hint: it’s about ideology, stupid, not party.
Guy Incognito
October 24th, 2011
11:41 am
Yeah, I’m goning to need Obama to ppd his rounds of golf this weekend and come in on Sat and Sun to finish up those TPS reports.
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
11:43 am
Look Thulsa, we live in a time when culture defines our party affiliation – not economics.
The top capitalists are all liberals who support Obama (Buffett, Ellison, Gates, Google guys, Soros, Woz, and RIP – Jobs for example). Try as the right wants to you can’t paint us capitalists as “socialists” – it won’t work anymore.
Its CULTURE – the GOP is anti-science, Creationist, Southern, bigoted, and provincial —in other words – redneck.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
11:45 am
carlosgvv, Obama and the democrats have recieved more money from big business and gave away more influence than any of the republicans. You liberal progressives are just dishonest and lack the facts. GE = Obama, Warren Buffet = Obama, Big Insurance Companies = Obama, Big Oil = Obama, George Soros = Obama, Peter Lewis=Obama,
Big media = Obama, Hollywood = Obama. Get the facts straight please. Obama is nothing but a radical left wing corrupt Chicago Thug democrat period. And you losers have drank too much obamajuice.
Adam
October 24th, 2011
11:47 am
Peadawg: The difference is Obama CAN’T sidestep Congress. No matter how much he’d “like to.”
WOODSTOCK MIKE
October 24th, 2011
11:47 am
Every new video I see of Ghadafi being murdered confirms my assumptions that these middle eastern people are savage animals. Imagine a country that murders their president and drags his bloody body through the streets cheering. At least Saddam stood trial and was hanged for his criminal acts. Regardless of what crimes are committed, no human being should be killed that way…
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
11:47 am
The current economic regime is utterly corrupt and must be overthrown.
A system that privatizes profits and socializes risk will collapse. And that’s what we’re seeing.
A widespread uprising is likely the only answer to what is currently an absolutely hopeless situation.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
11:47 am
Buck Hayek, You must be one of those hate filled angry negros using the racist terms.
Bosch
October 24th, 2011
11:48 am
“Obama and the democrats have recieved more money from big business and gave away more influence than any of the republicans.”
TruthBe,
You simply can not have it both ways — as Buck pointed out above — Obama is favorable towards capitalists and big business. So your accusations of him being the business hating socialist is just contradictory to yourself.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2011
11:48 am
Anyway, off topic as can be, but I appreciated this heart warming human interest story about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s efforts to connect with the public, from our Finest News Source.
Romney, an unsuccessful candidate for the 2008 Republican nomination, said that in recent months his town hall appearances and campaign rallies have served as constant distressing reminders of his inability to spark genuine enthusiasm among voters or form any kind of meaningful bond whatsoever.
“Sure, some people cheer and wave signs, but it all seems so mechanical, like they’re just going through the motions,” Romney said. “Have you ever seen anyone at a Mitt Romney rally with tears streaming down their face? No, of course not. Has anyone ever spontaneously started a spirited ‘Mitt, Mitt, Mitt’ chant that I could spend a solid minute basking in before finally beginning my speech? No way. In fact, it’s hard to even imagine it. Why is that? What am I doing wrong? I mean, I say inspirational stuff, don’t I?”
“I’m not asking for people to faint or go into hysterics or anything, but would it be too much for just one person to respond intensely and personally to who I am and what I stand for?” continued Romney, adding that he would even be thrilled to have a voter shout at him in anger, because then he would at least be able to say he had actually moved someone. “Frankly, I don’t even care who it is—an elderly woman, a child, a mentally-ill person who just happens to be wandering through the rally. I am wide-open here.”
Jay
October 24th, 2011
11:49 am
Thulsa writes:
“One thing that fascinates me about the liberal mindset is that they act like the Dems had no power or influence on the senate banking committee and in Congress in general when Bush was potus and the repubs had both houses of Congress.”
Let’s set aside the question of accuracy here and get to relevancy. Barney Frank is a HOUSE member, so would have almost no impact on the SENATE Banking Committee.
And in the House, the ability of the minority party to influence things is much much smaller than in the Senate.
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
11:51 am
Truthbe-
Nahh – I’m a white guy tired of being called a “socialist” by ignorant wingnuts.
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
11:51 am
Woodstock Mike: “Every new video I see of Ghadafi being murdered confirms my assumptions that these middle eastern people are savage animals. ”
I love it. You neatly and conveniently excise our nefarious role from the picture — our bombs which hit the Ghaddhafi convoy and deliberately left him to the mercy of the “rebels”, who then proceeded to savagely murder him.
And then you assign 100% blame to the peoples of the region, deliberately refusing to see our fingerprints all over the events that set these later events in motion.
This is the very essence of racism.
Normal
October 24th, 2011
11:52 am
Woodstock Mike,
Just look at what the Italians did to Mussolini. When you are forced to live under another’s oppression, the “savageness”. you call it, it sometimes justified.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
11:52 am
Welcome to the occupation trotsky,
Glad you brought that up about “almost” having a filibuster proof senate trotsky. If I remember correctly the one independent was someone who voted with the Dems the overwhelming majority of the time. It may have been Bernie Sanders, a socialist from Vermont, or Joe Lieberman who was independent but was always a Democrat previously. One thing is for certain. Obama certainly had more votes in the senate than Bush did when the Repubs controlled the senate. Just the facts sir.
Adam
October 24th, 2011
11:52 am
TruthBe: Your entire post just now can be explained in just two of your sentences:
Get the facts straight please.
A call for facts. Facts are not opinions and have some basis by which we can determine whether a statement is true or false. FOLLOWED BY:
Obama is nothing but a radical left wing corrupt Chicago Thug democrat period.
A statement that is completely bereft of any facts at all, and is entirely opinion.
BONUS, all of that was PRECEDED BY a bunch of other suppositions that mostly cannot be linked factually. If we assume that _____ = Obama means that Obama has some influence, all of the statements are false. If we assume that means, instead, that he supports such causes/industries/groups, then most of the statements are false. If we assume that means those causes/industries/groups support Obama, then there’s really no way to guarantee a false or true, and it again enters the realm of opinion.
I know this will fall on deaf ears, but if you want to talk fact, talk FACTS, not opinion.
Butch Cassidy
October 24th, 2011
11:53 am
TruthBe – “GE = Obama, Warren Buffet = Obama, Big Insurance Companies = Obama, Big Oil = Obama, George Soros = Obama, Peter Lewis=Obama,
Big media = Obama, Hollywood = Obama.
But wait, I thought Obama was a business hating, jobs killing, spread the wealth, entitlement mentality, socialist. Why oh why would these Captains of the Universe be so ready to support a man they know wants to kill them? Hmmmmmm….
Adam
October 24th, 2011
11:53 am
Thulsa Doom: Just the facts sir.
If only that were true all the time, we wouldn’t be having such a hard time agreeing on things.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
11:53 am
Buck Hayek, Do you believe in America or just hate it like most of the liberals?
Joe COOL
October 24th, 2011
11:55 am
-Report says that Romney’s state health plan supports illegal immigrants-
Romney signed the state’s health care overhaul into law when he was governor, in 2006. The law includes a Health Safety Net program, which provides medical care for undocumented immigrants and other uninsured residents of Massachusetts.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/la-times-romney-state-health-plan-supports-illegal-125902537.html
Say it aint so MITT..lol
Bosch
October 24th, 2011
11:55 am
“Do you believe in America or just hate it like most of the liberals?”
That’s wingnut code for “my argument has been shown to make no sense, so now I must concede”
getalife
October 24th, 2011
11:55 am
You are missing the word “moderate” scout.
tireofit
October 24th, 2011
11:55 am
Never, I mean never confuse a republican with the facts, it my cause brain damage.
getalife
October 24th, 2011
11:56 am
One day the cons might win a argument.
Keep trying cons.
DannyX
October 24th, 2011
11:58 am
Barney Frank pinned down Tom Graves and shoved a huge 2 million dollar signature down his throat. It was not a pretty site, poor Tom.
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
11:58 am
Thulsa Doom: “One thing is for certain. Obama certainly had more votes in the senate than Bush did when the Repubs controlled the senate. Just the facts sir.”
Just two words: Blue Dog.
You see, the Democratic party lacks something very fundamental right now which the GOP in no way shape or form lacks:
Ideological discipline.
So your argument is in shambles.
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
12:00 pm
Yeah – Truthbe – when Buffett invests billions on the future of the USA he does it because he “hates America”.
Flashback to 2003 and the disastrous invasion of Iraq – us anti-Bush people were told we hated America then too.
Whenever we are correct we “hate America” – Fox News has brainwashed you well.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
All, Because Obama gives away so much to his cronies in big business and cuts them all kinds of insider deals. Example Warren Buffet got the lions share of Goldman Sachs from Obama, and the other shareholders didn’t get the same opptunity. GE with their no taxes deal and their no bid deals from the Obama adminstration. Those greenjobs companies given huge amounts of money from Obama that have the who’s who’s of inside the beltway democrat donors and family members of corrupt democratic leaders.Just look for yourself and stop listening to his cheerleaders in the corrupt media.
Jefferson
October 24th, 2011
12:04 pm
The GOP has nothing to offer.
Midori
October 24th, 2011
12:04 pm
Hi Paul
Hi Bosch
Last week when the weather turned I caught this terrible cold.
They ran me out of the office!! LOL!!
Feeling much better now. Thanks and good to see you guys
Jm
October 24th, 2011
12:05 pm
Jay 11:39
You “expect” wrong. Volker didn’t criticize Frank, he criticized Congress. I’m making the logical extension of Volker’s point, and that is that Frank deserves a significant portion of the blame.
As far as my comments on regs, yes. And I was referring to the issue of both the debit card fees, government lawsuits, etc.
If you keep digging, you will fund where I say the capital requirements should be held high, and they should be treated like utilities in many ways.
Where in those words you quoted me on did I say: huger capital requirements are bad?
Guy Incognito
October 24th, 2011
12:05 pm
“NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States will likely suffer the loss of its triple-A credit rating from another major rating agency by the end of this year due to concerns over the deficit, Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecasts”
Here come the, “Merrill L is wrong. They’re racists. They’re controlled by R’s……..blah, blah, blah
TaxPayer
October 24th, 2011
12:05 pm
Nahh – I’m a white guy tired of being called a “socialist” by ignorant wingnuts.
I must take offense with your post. If the wingnuts were merely ignorant, they could be educated.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
12:06 pm
Buck (Rogers)Hayek, Warren Buffet puts his money in China. Get the facts straight before you look foolish. And Buffet only cares about his own pocket not what’s good for the Country. And I guess the homosexuals at MSNBC have brainwashed you Buck.
Butch Cassidy
October 24th, 2011
12:07 pm
TruthBe -”All, Because Obama gives away so much to his cronies in big business and cuts them all kinds of insider deals”
Great, now maybe we can get off the “Obama is a Socialist” merry go round, since his actions clearly show otherwise.
Jm
October 24th, 2011
12:07 pm
Huger = higher
But as typo autocorrect goes, that was close enough
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
12:07 pm
Trushbe – Buffett loaned Goldman money and got warrants on stock. He never received a thing from Obama. Buffett probably never owned common stock outright.
Finance is my specialty – you are out of your league here.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
12:07 pm
Yes. Jay I realize Frank is in the House and I believe it was Dodd who is in the senate and on the senate banking committe. Small faux paus but it doesn’t change what happened. As I understand it the Bush administration in either 2001 or 2003 wanted the house committe that Frank sat on to look into fannie and freddie and their stability. The issue broke along party lines and never made it out of committee. And if you google Frank and fannie mae you find quite a few cozy relationships there such as getting an exec at fannie to get Frank’s boyfriend a job at Fannie Mae. If that’s not corruption then what is? Newt is right. Something smells about the whole situation and Frank and Dodd probably need to go to jail. More of the Dem’s crony capitalism.
larry
October 24th, 2011
12:08 pm
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
11:52 am
Nope, wrong again. The Senate went 59-41 after Senator Kennedy died and was replaced by Senator Brown to serve out the remainder of Kennedy’s term. What resulted was a record breaking 112 filabusters by the Republican Senate.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
12:08 pm
Jefferson, The democrats have nothing to offer except for more corruption. And your boy
Obama is their fearless leader.
Jm
October 24th, 2011
12:09 pm
Guy incognito
You left it “blame bush for the downgrade”
Even though he hasn’t been in office for 3 years
getalife
October 24th, 2011
12:10 pm
I think we should praise our cons when they write the truth.
I will be waiting for that.
Jm
October 24th, 2011
12:10 pm
Jay
Dodd frank is about much more than just higher capital requirements
And you know that
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
12:10 pm
TruthBe: “And I guess the homosexuals at MSNBC have brainwashed you Buck.”
??
AmVet
October 24th, 2011
12:10 pm
This transparently ludicrous poutrage over the corporate ownership of this administration is pathetic.
BHO was the first Dem candidate for president to EVER to outraise his GOP opponent in money from BIG business.
And I wrote on this very forum (well it was Luckovich’s back then) that Obama was just another VERY corporate friendly politician who would never stand up to his monied paymasters.
If honesty were involved, TruthBe and the other far right wing servile apologist’s, would admit that this topic was in no way remotely near their radar until sometime after January 21, 2009.
And the day a Republican gets back in the White House. it will once again disappear from their talking points…
St Simons - we're on Island time
October 24th, 2011
12:10 pm
Metaphorically, the con-trolls’ strategy seems to be – wear down the host’s fist with their faces.
larry
October 24th, 2011
12:11 pm
larry
October 24th, 2011
12:08 pm
that should be Republicans in the Senate
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
12:11 pm
Welcome to the occupation Trotsky,
I’ll match the absurdity of your blue dog argument with the rino card since there are numerous rinos in the senate. Looks like your argument is right back in shambles again. Please delete your previous post and try again. It was inane, inconsequential, and most of all irrelevant.
Paul
October 24th, 2011
12:14 pm
g’morning, sfd
When I read “Finest News Source” I thought it was code for Fox News… but, it’s The Onion. So I guess it’s on a par with Fox’s political entertainers.
Gotta say I’m mystified why Romney doesn’t connect with the Republican base. He’s rich. Really, really, really rich. But he doesn’t care for tax cuts for people like him. Guess that’s what ticks off the base.
Maybe there’s something else. Lot of them like blame, guilt, that sort of stuff. Read an article about him from the perspective of a guy who was a wayward Mormon youth. Was then 19 and supposed to do missionary service, but he’d gotten into some serious drug and alcohol use. Lied to ecclesiastical authorities (Romney was head of the Boston area, like a diocese.
Bryce Clark was a recipient of Mr. Romney’s spiritual advice. Late one summer night in 1993, distraught over his descent into alcoholism and drug use, Mr. Clark, then a 19-year-old college student, decided to confess that he had strayed from his Mormon faith. So he drove through this well-heeled Boston suburb to Mr. Romney’s secluded seven-bedroom home.
As the highest-ranking Mormon leader in Boston, Mr. Romney was responsible for determining whether Mr. Clark was spiritually fit for a mission, a rite of passage for young Mormon men. Mr. Clark had previously lied to him, insisting that he was eligible to go. But instead of condemnation that night, Mr. Clark said, Mr. Romney offered counsel that the younger man has clung to for years.
“He told me that, as human beings, our work isn’t measured by taking the sum of our good deeds and the sum of our bad deeds and seeing how things even out,” recalled Mr. Clark, now 37, sober and working as a filmmaker in Utah. “He said, ‘The only thing you need to think about is: Are you trying to improve, are you trying to do better? And if you are, then you’re a saint.’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2793361/posts
Hope that outlook doesn’t get smothered trying to win the Republican base for the nomination.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
12:15 pm
Buck, Then why did he get the better class of voting shares??? Remember the other angry sharholders at Goldman Sachs. They complained about it. Corruption starts at the top and slides down. I’m not you emeny I’m just tried of the one sided BS. The career corrupt democrats and republicans with the help of Bush / Obama are destroying our Country. Both parties are ran by crooks. Americans should throw all of them out out office.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
12:15 pm
Larry,
So where was I wrong? If you’re saying the senate went 59-41 AFTER Kennedy died then obviously that means they had a filibuster proof 60 before he died according to you which would make me even more right than I thought. 2 other points- 1. If they had 59 votes then all they needed was one rino to get the 60 needed right? Point 2 is that Scott Brown may be a Republican but just how Republican do you really think the man is in a state heavily Democratic and in a senate seat owned by a liberal lion like Kennedy? Seriously?
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
12:15 pm
Thulsa – wrong again.
GSE Reform not only made it out of committee – it passed the House with 331 votes (bipartisan) so Barney Frank is out of the loop.
Then Bush killed it.
HR 1461 – look it up.
Paul
October 24th, 2011
12:17 pm
Joe COOL
“Report says that Romney’s state health plan supports illegal immigrants”
Just like federal law requires?
getalife
October 24th, 2011
12:17 pm
Still waiting cons…….
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
12:18 pm
Thulsa Doom:
Even before the current Congress came in, the combination of 98% captivity to neoliberal ideology in the GOP ranks combined with anywhere between 30-60% captivity among the Dems, depending on issue, meant that Barack Obama never had anything like a solid majority for any kind of truly bold legislation. As it happens of course, Obama himself is pretty much captive to the same ideology, the difference just being a matter of degrees, so that further makes your argument misguided.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2011
12:19 pm
Hope that outlook doesn’t get smothered trying to win the Republican base for the nomination.
Agreed.
Buck Hayek
October 24th, 2011
12:19 pm
Truthbe-
Obama fined Goldman $550 million. He also is subjecting them to tight capital requirements (called tier 1 capital) and position limits on commodity trading (oil margins).
How did Goldman “buy” Obama again?
Soothsayer
October 24th, 2011
12:19 pm
“Yeah, I’m goning to need Obama to ppd his rounds of golf this weekend and come in on Sat and Sun to finish up those TPS reports.”
I’ll make sure you get another copy of that memo, OK?
Paul
October 24th, 2011
12:20 pm
Glad you’re feeling patient, Midori
“Still waiting cons…….”
Good thing you’re a patient guy, getalife
larry
October 24th, 2011
12:20 pm
He only had a fliabuster proof Senate for only 6 months. Of course , you could not explain the record 112 filabusters from the Repubs in the last Congress.
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
12:21 pm
Obama is corrupt just like most career politicans. As for his ideology straight out of the little red book.
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2011
12:21 pm
Also, Paul, I think “america’s finest news source” has been the Onion’s slogan since they were still solely a print-newspaper parody, back in the late 80s.
Jm
October 24th, 2011
12:21 pm
Buck. More lies.
See 2003 oversight reform proposal that Bush initiated
larry
October 24th, 2011
12:22 pm
If only we could hop in the DeLoren and go back in time and heed this man’s words……………………
http://www.break.com/index/too-big-to-fail-1999-warning-in-congress-2193451
stands for decibels
October 24th, 2011
12:24 pm
Of a recent-historical note–
People tend to forget that the MN election recount and legal challenges meant that the 60-vote Dem caucus didn’t begin until Franken was seated, on July 7, 2009.
Jm
October 24th, 2011
12:24 pm
Buck
“HR 1461…. Actually increases the opportunities for Fannie and Freddie to exploit their subsidies in order to expand into other areas of residential finance.”
Buck. Stop lying. You look ridiculous and undermine your non existent liberal credibility.
Paul
October 24th, 2011
12:26 pm
sfd
I became familiar with them just a couple of years ago.
So,,, what’s the parody? Finest News Source as applied to the Onion… or that other F network?
Jm
October 24th, 2011
12:26 pm
So many lies from liberals they have no credibility with anyone including voters
That’s why they’ve lost almost every election since 2008. Fact
TruthBe
October 24th, 2011
12:28 pm
Obama had Buffet buy Goldman Sachs. Look into Shore bank of Chicago and the Chicago Climate Exchange ( CCX ) inwhich Obama, Buffet, and Goldman Sachs had ownership interest. There is connection if you want to know. The resaon is the same ole dog and phony show (money). Communist like money to the diffeence is they want all of it and the power that follows. None for you or me. Just their few cronies to share together.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
12:29 pm
Trotsky @ 12:18,
Sir do you not understand the difference between opinion and fact. What you just posted is your own subjective opinion with some nonsense thrown in about “captivity percentages” to try and make the argument that Obama had less core support. You’re simply moving the goal posts and introducing your own subjectivity as fact. And you’re really looking foolish in doing so. Its a very simple question Trotsky.
Now allow me to help you out with the facts Trotsky
The Republican controlled 107th Congress (2001—2003) had a weak link: the Senate. Jeffords was a Republican senator from Vermont. Early in Bush’s first term, Senator Jeffords switched from Republican to Independent, changing the 50/50 balance of power in the Senate. Although the House remained in Republican hands, those hands were tied, so we were told, because the Republicans no longer controlled the Senate.
Lets just stick with the facts of how many senators have an R after their name and how many have a D after theirs.
And in the 109th Congress the Repubs had 51 senators, 48 for the Dems, and 1 independent.
Bottom line is the Repubs never got anywhere near 59 senators like Obama did. I’m sorry Trotsky but those are the facts. And the facts are clearly on my side sir. You are hereby dismissed.
Welcome to the occupation (Trotsky)
October 24th, 2011
12:29 pm
By the way, Thulsa Doom, if you want to see what I mean about the entire Congress being essentially captive to the same basic ideology, witness the recent passage of the Panama, Columbia, and S Korea trade deals. (http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/23/3523594/good-deal-for-state.html)
How did trade policies with such fundamental ramifications on our society manage to pass without so much as a peep of public debate?
The answer: near unanimity in ideological terms among our ruling class.
Which translates to: sham democracy.
Soothsayer
October 24th, 2011
12:30 pm
“If only we could hop in the DeLoren and go back in time and heed this man’s words……………………”
Or this guys warning.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
12:32 pm
stands for decibels,
In other words Obama only had a year and a half after Franken took his seat in July to begin his war against America. Can you or trotsky or someone please point out to me the last time the Repubs had 59 or 60 seats in the senate?
Tundra Dude
October 24th, 2011
12:32 pm
bman@9:41 am, wrote, in part:
I’m trying to remember when and where I have heard of CAPCO. I will have to read more about it, but I thought it had been around for a long time?
CAPCO a Trojan Horse
http://tinyurl.com/6hdltpw
Comments by states and independent experts having evaluated CAPCO actual results
http://tinyurl.com/6hrfqpr
“It’s a scam,” said Colorado state Treasurer Mike Coffman – “I don’t think there’s anyone who thinks this is a good deal for Colorado, with the exception of those companies who lined their own pockets.” Ref
A Wisconson audit found the CAPCO credits generated 316 new jobs at a cost of more than $90,000 apiece, other programs created jobs for $556 to $22,727 each. Critics have called the program inefficient because the investments are funneled through the insurance companies.
Thulsa Doom
October 24th, 2011
12:33 pm
Trotsky @ 12;29,
You can argue all day long with your subjective opinion. I’ll stick with my facts thank you.