Blogs

Friday Movie Night - Interview with U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commissioner

hot buttered popcorn It's Friday Night! Party Time!   Time to relax, put your feet up on the couch, lay back, and watch some detailed videos on economic policy!

 

If you haven't heard of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission you should. If you care about our massive trade deficit and U.S. jobs, this commission has written some absolutely frightening reports on China trade and security.

Tonight's movie is a long interview with the Commission member Patrick Mulloy, giving an overview on some of the commission's findings.

 

Mulloy, Part I

 

BoA & ForeclosureGate: They don't care because they don't have to

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At the moment, things look bad for Bank of America but this too shall pass.

Yves Smith wrote a nice summary of the latest on ForeclosureGate . This includes just released information concerning HUD assistant regional inspector general William Nixon. Supposedly, he is after BofA for significantly hindering an investigation into wrongfully filed claims on failed mortgages, about $6 billion worth.

Smith reminds us that she saw the BofA purchase of Countrywide as a real loser. Her reference to a prescient column by Gretchen Morgenson from August 27, 2007 contains this gem:

NYT: "Obama Seeks to Win Back Wall St. Cash" - When Did He Lose It?

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It's time for Plan B. The White House is about to be sold to the same people who bought it in 2008. The front page of today's New York Times says it all. President Obama is on the hunt for campaign cash and the Wall Street crowd represents his main target. After all, he and his "good friend Tim" (Geithner) delivered in the biggest way possible. Obama must be thinking that it's payback time! Pony up fellas.

This much is clear. There will be no federal prosecutions of Wall Street crooks for the 2008 financial collapse, no day of judgment for massive mortgage fraud before, during and after the housing bubble, and no representation for the people the in the White House, no matter who wins in 2012. Populist rhetoric will guarantee a place on the no-fly list for any who stray from the new party line.

The Times article resorts to irony right out of the gate:

"Mr. Obama, who enraged many financial industry executives a year and a half ago by labeling them “fat cats” and criticizing their bonuses, followed up the meeting with phone calls to those who could not attend." New York Times, June 13

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