What a difference an administration makes....

Twenty four little hours ago, it looked grim. But the government is stepping up to the plate and hitting it out of the ball park for wall street.

I'm reading the headlines this morning and this one stopped me cold

"America's economy is facing unprecedented challenges. We're responding with unprecedented measures," Bush declared, standing in the White House Rose Garden with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Christopher Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"This is a pivotal moment for America's economy," Bush said. He said that a financial contagion that began with low-quality home mortgages had "spread throughout our financial system."

Indeed. This is a pivotal moment indeed - and we need to do our part to ensure this doesn't happen again.

I'm sitting at my computer reading this and I remember that when Clinton's term was up, I was driving down the 10 freeway, feeling free, listening to NPR on my way out for a weekend drive, or maybe for a middle of the week getaway, I don't remember now, but I remember the news report about the surplus Clinton had succeeded in creating. As he was leaving office, we were left with an incredible surplus and it felt good.

One administration later, I'm at my computer, working from home (thank god because I don't know how I would afford the fuel to and from work everyday, much less road trips 'just because' anywhere anymore). I'm going cabin crazy because I don't get out much anymore -- can't afford it. And our economy is tanking, our markets are in crisis, I can't afford fuel - I cringed yesterday at Ralph's supermarket when my bill was totaled -- oh, well, there goes any ideas of an outing this weekend.

This administration has mismanaged the country like no other administration has ever done. Hubris. And who pays the price in this case? We do. The Government is having to step in and bail everything out...I'm not opposed to this. The alternatives were too calamitous to even imagine. But here are the republicans agreeing that the government is right in this case to step in. When all along they think there should be less governmental involvement, socializing the debt, privatizing the benefits.

This is what happens. I don't know much about the markets, in fact, I know nothing, about the financial world and world markets, not really. But even I could see where this was heading. If you listen to the news, or read the news and you're a responsible person, you couldn't help but see where this was heading. Why couldn't they? This is what happens when there is no oversight.

All these big boys playing with big toys, making up their own rules, bullying the smaller boys and girls, wiping out anything 'mom and pops' in their greedy little games - adoring administration encouraging this irresponsible conduct -all for the sake of 'creating more jobs,' more wealth in the pockets of every American - not just wall street. Ask any unemployed person if that has actually happened - if they are in a better position since the benefits of the markets have been soaring for wall street

Now that the shit hits the fan, yeah, now it's okay for government to step in - its no risk, it's a good thing for us if we're gonna save anything from totally tanking:

"This has led to an erosion of confidence that has frozen many financial transactions including loans to consumers and to businesses seeking to expand and create jobs," Bush said.

"As a result we must act now to protect our nation's economic health from serious risk. There will be ample opportunity to debate the origins of this problem. Now is the time to solve it."

Yes, indeed. An erosion of confidence, and erosion of family an erosion of dreams of future for an entire generation.

I'm sorry for all the hard work Clinton did, despite being under the gun with investigations and obstacle at every turn by republicans out to make him an ineffective president, tirelessly trying to stain his presidency (with some help by Mr. Clinton himself!) - in spite of all this, he left the American people in a good economic place. A record surplus that had never been seen before.

And what does he come out looking like? A sandwich - stuffed between to bumbling Bush administrations.

yes, please, give us less government involvement and oversight so you all can screw us over again, until all you big boys get outta hand and the government needs to bail you out - again. No thank you very much, Mr. president.

But I do hope that the public heeds his words "This has led to an erosion of confidence..." and "There will be ample opportunity to debate the origins of this problem. Now is the time to solve it."

Yes, let's debate later, and fix the problem now. Everybody, put a big red circle around November 4th - we need a responsible, populous administration, not one for the privileged, for the few - that runs and leaves us holding the bag.