THE RICH SCORE ANOTHER VICTORY IN THE CLASS WAR:

"In its leading personnel, the Obama administration has drawn on the same social layers represented in the Bush administration, particularly those sections of the financial elite most closely tied to the speculative mania on Wall Street. It has gone so far as to retain individuals directly implicated in the financial collapse, like Timothy Geithner, head of the New York Federal Reserve Bank and a key figure in the failed bailouts last year under the Bush administration, now Obama’s treasury secretary.

The Obama administration constitutes an effort, on the part of key sections of the ruling class, shaken by the failures of the Bush administration and the financial debacle, to delude the American people with vague rhetoric while the most intense efforts are made to safeguard the position of the financial oligarchy, both at home and abroad.
The Obama administration demonstrates the impossibility of effecting any significant change within the existing political institutions and the two-party system. These are wholly dominated by two forces: the military-intelligence apparatus and big financial interests."
SEE Patrick Martin http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/feb2009/pers-f23.shtml

Just adding to my last post. Those at A.I.G. and else where were warned..."it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter heaven". So be it.

Some on the right like to scare the unknowing with the term socialism.

Those who understand the Gospels and Jesus teachings,know that Jesus and the disciples where world changing socialists, by any definition.

The Executive Director of "Progressive Christians Uniting" wrote, "...so bloody deferential..." Why would a genuine, Christian - let alone "reverend" - use the term "bloody" which is an insulting reference to his supposed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Answer: because he's not a genuine follower of Jesus Christ.

Mr. Laaman and the commentors have done nothing more than engage in the great American pastime: victimhood. Anyone who came into the current financial era with no saving, or worse, negative savings in the form of mortgages exceeding the value of the property, over-extended credit card debt, and fully leveraged margin calls, cannot not seriously blame investment firms and banks for the current problems. You were all playing the same game!

There is a debt-free movement in this country for at least 30 years. Are you saying you never heard of it?

From the majority of the comments I see here it appears that the religious right is going to be perfectly happy having their pockets picked by the Wall Street fat cats.

They'll just consider their noble contribution to propping up the US economy.

Wish they wouldn't draq me down with them...

You use the title "Reverend" but it's a mystery who confers upon you that title or why you should be revered. Clearly you shouldn't be revered for your understanding of the nation's financial system. If banks are holding bad assets, they won't lend, period. If banks don't lend, companies don't function and "main street" won't have jobs or cash. That's why Obama is pushing a bailout, not because he's kowtowing to the bankers. So butt out, "Reverend," and read an econ 101 text, or maybe a page from your own manual: "prophets and priests are frauds, every one of them."

David 771: "Now is not the time to talk with indignation about how AIG is a thief and shouldn't be rewarded. Now is the time for the church to realize it was duped and used by the Republican party to enrich corporations and their cronies while decimating millions of families."

I think Reverend Laarman just made the realization, publically.

Plus, not all religious organizations and Christians for that matter were or are in bed with the far right conservatives. Many thinking and caring Christians disdained GW and the neocons vehemently.

Stop being such a noob.

Rev. Laarman, I respect your comments. But its 2009 and frankly unless you've been under a rock with regards to pop/business culture for the last 30 years, you have to know of the amped-up, predatory workings so famously underpinning the US financial community top-to-bottom. If one doesn't, then one exemplifies a word that rhymes with "Tucker."
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And I am sure that the next round of "born-again" equity investors will seek shelter in shares of stocks of companies involved in impossible-to-besmirch fields such as "Green technology," "Alt fuels," "Enviro-Efficiency" and the like. Said stocks and the community from who you buy them are still just as ready to give it to you in the rear if you don't know what you are doing.

I was ready to lay out a bit of diatribe against Mr. Laarman's unbelievably obtuse commentary, but DAVID771 beat me to it. All I can say is that I wholeheartedly agree that Christians of all stripes aligned themselves with the far right and now have no standing for such indignance about the predictable results. Religious zealots do not get to play both sides of the aisle when it suits their needs. In fact, let's just keep church and state separate and be done with it.

Plain speaking. Thank you. And, if I may mangle an FDR speech from 36--the powerful will hate you and you should welcome their hatred.

It may be the church basements filling up with their now homeless parishioners, but it was the Church pulpit that was used all across America to extol the greatness of George Bush and the Right Wing Republican's that got us in to this mess. Maybe it is time to stop masquerading as the innocent lovers of the right wing nuts who call for 0% taxes on the rich, 30% taxes on middle americans, and usury rates for everything from health insurance to credit cards.

YOU are the ones who shouted how wonderful it was that George Bush called on government to deregulate financial markets, while at the same time tightening regulations on private citizens and their ability to retire usury based debt obligations.

The CHURCH fanned the flames of how great their Republican leaders were when they passed the Bush Tax Cuts of 2004. 95% of the trillions of dollars of tax cuts went to US corporations in the way of incentives to shutter US businesses, fire US workers, and relocate facilities overseas.

Now is not the time to talk with indignation about how AIG is a thief and shouldn't be rewarded. Now is the time for the church to realize it was duped and used by the Republican party to enrich corporations and their cronies while decimating millions of families.

That is their idea of family values. The church is so warped into the Republican lunatic fringe that parishioners are jumping ship by the 10's of thousands per day.

I used to love to go to church. That was until I realized that 90% of church goers are just pawns of the Right Wing Republican nuthouse brigade. Now I can't stand to be in a church unless it is empty. Then I truly can feel the power of prayer.