A Brown win would be huge. Funny how the Democrat hasn’t invited Obama to campaign for her lately. Pretty telling, huh? Nor Pelosi, nor Reid. The Ds lose this seat, they are in for a terrible fall.

Obama is going to Mass. on Sunday. Coakley evidently took this election for granted in the beginning. Hopefully, it’s not too late now that she’s woken up.

Don’t read too much into this campaign, my Republican friends. It is an aberration (despite what the media pundits, who love to take down whomever is on top, are saying).

The GOP tax-cut-and-borrow has been bankrupting the country.
The Dems tax-to-invest-and-repay is a better long term strategy.

David,

The problem is that they’re spending way too much and crowding out private borrowing. How can companies borrow money when the government borrowed it all already? A trillion and a half budget deficit means that they had to borrow a fresh $1.5+ T (remember that social security augments the figures) in addition to the standard borrowing used to pay back the bonds that come due naturally each year. Your theory is fair, but the practice doesn’t bear it out.

Perhaps Elizabeth Sestak and Margaret Infantino could use their financial wizardry to revitalize the national economy. Unless you are concerned about legalities, of course.

EK-
The banks have plenty to lend for small businesses, especially after the bailout, but they are hoarding and giving themselves big bonuses.

Hater-
Now, this is a rather specific reference. As Joe’s sisters are key to his fundraising.

What legal issues? Any from the following list?

Types of campaign finance violations:
– accepting quid-pro-quo bribery for congressional votes
– promising/offering votes/action for donation
– trying to ‘buy’ votes from the electorate
– spending campaign money for personal stuff
– unreported personal loans from campaign
– failure to disclose details of expenditures
– taking money or services beyond the legal limit (example: a maxed out contributor subsequently buys computers or office equipment that don’t appear on the books)
– sales of T-shirts at a place of business
– employers making a campaign contribution a condition of employment or salary
– buying underwear for Todd Palin

In the last FEC report filed, there were some VERY large reimbursements that Margaret received for campaign purchases she made.
$3,428 for “Wired Tree”
$2,151 for “office equipment”

All tolled, it was about $10,500 in reimbursements. However, while it seems unusual, I don’t see how it causes a legal problem, as they detailed it all.

To me easiest source of abuse, but hardest to quantify, is the “in-kind” contribution of labor. Volunteers work for free. But, if you assigned them minimum wage, they would probably exceed the limits. If $300/hour lawyers are helping the campaign for free as volunteers or offering legal advice, how does that get recorded? Can it even be recorded?

David,

Firstly, the “banks” are giving themselves massive bonuses because they’re involved in stock trading which was wildly profitable last year as the market recovered from the 2008 crash. Please try to remember that the market has rebounded very quickly, with the Dow gaining about 4,000 points between its low in the winter of 2009 and the close of business in December 2009. Of course they got bonuses.

Secondly, the banks are not “hoarding” money. They’re securing their financial position. If you almost went bankrupt a year ago, would you be out and about spending every last dime you have now? Of course not, you’d be saving your money up until you had a comfortable cushion. Please don’t call prudence greed.

The banks were giving the funds to prevent their collapse AND to encourage lending. The lack of lending was seizing up the economy.

They shouldn’t be getting massive bonuses, if they aren’t lending or paying back the TARP money. If they can give out massive bonuses, they have a cushion.