CitizenPundit

Things Change

2010-08-10T23:12:00.001-04:00

As a nation and as a community we have seen many changes in the past few years. Changes we may not have anticipated. That was certainly the case at Atlantic Funding Group, my previous business. Having spent 30+ years in the financial services industry, primarily mortgage origination, I had witnessed the industry re-make itself on more than one occasion. I’ve decided not to take part in the current “re-make”.

Having spent 30+ years in the financial services industry, primarily mortgage origination, I have witnessed the industry re-make itself on more than one occasion. I’ve decided not to take part in the current “re-make. I am taking my expertise and success from my past experiences and applying them helping families understand their options regarding their life and health insurance and prepare for a stable retirement.

While originating mortgages I was always involved in a win/win situation. I was able to help my clients attain the dream of home ownership while providing a decent living for my family.

With the drastic downturn and over regulation of the mortgage industry I decided to turn my expertise and success from my past experiences and appl them to helping families understand their options regarding their life and health insurance and prepare for a stable retirement.

Things Change. Sometimes it is hard to get your head around that, but change is inevitable. If you find yourself facing some tough changes here are a few things I have learned:

• Be Open Minded; look at every opportunity. You never know when you might find yourself in the right place at the right time

• Find a new niche; don’t cling to what you’ve always done just because you’ve always done it.

• Don’t be afraid to move forward; take your expertise from your past experiences and apply them to your future.

Where's My voice?

2010-08-10T22:49:00.000-04:00

Where do I start? I’ll just tell you my story and if you find yourself relating, then maybe you will jump in and get involved.

I’m 55 years old and have seen things change drastically in our society in my adult life. As a child all adults were my boss and my teachers believed pretty much the same thing as my parents. An undisciplined life brought shame to you and your family and most families had a mom and a dad. And of course, just about everyone went to church or they were embarrassed to admit that they didn’t.

Today it seems like we live in an upside down world. In 2005 37% of all U.S. births were born to unmarried parents. Forty seven percent of adults in their 30’s and 40’s have lived in cohabitating relationships. Forty Three Million unborn babies have lost their lives since the U.S. Supreme Court made Roe v. Wade (and its companion Doe v. Bolton) the law of the land. As of July 8, 2008, Massachusetts and California permit same-sex couples to marry. California voters took to the polls and passed legislation banning same sex marriage only to have it overturned by one activist judge. The states of Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire offer civil unions.

How did we get here? Is anyone in particular to blame? Can we fix it and how? Well, I have an opinion, so here goes. I believe the church got comfortable. We gorged ourselves on the blessings of God and left the things of the world and society to the undisciplined. As things spiraled down the church was told they didn’t have a place in making the rules of society and many believed it. Now we are left standing alone on the prairie wondering “Where is My Voice?” “Can anyone here me?”

Now is the time to be heard. Effective citizenship begins with knowledge. Today, Christians need to play an active role in government again like never before. If we are going to be able to change policy and influence decisions, it is imperative that people of faith become committed to doing what Ronald Reagan called "the hard work of freedom". We are driven by the belief that people of faith have a right and a responsibility to be involved in the world around them. That involvement includes community, social and political action.

Ok, maybe you're not 55 years old and maybe you didn’t live in the “Good Old Days”, maybe you are a young family starting out, and you’re shaking your head wondering what is going on here and what you can do about it.

We are in the heat of a political season right now. As I type this, early voting for Florida's primary is in progress. The results of this primary will determine our candidates for the November election. This November mid-term election is crucial. We will not just be choosing candidates, we will be choosing the direction of our country. It will be more than just deciding big government over small government. It is more than just choosing whether the public sector will work for the private or whether the private will work for the public. We will be choosing one world view over another; Where do our rights come from? Are we truly "endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights" or is it time for a "second bill of rights" as many on the left have called for?

Choose wisely; it could be your last opportunity

Is It Worth it?

2009-10-16T12:28:00.003-04:00

Is It Worth It?

America is in a challenging time. A time, like few before, that will have a permanent impact on the direction of this country. Our nation is in the midst of deciding more freedom or less freedom, more self reliance or more government reliance, more of God or less of God, or maybe even none of God.

Some of you, who read my posts, know me personally, but many do not. For those of you, who don’t know me; let me give you some background. I love my country. I love my God and I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He has never let me down. For 20+ years I was a single mother of two children, a smart, funny, compassionate boy and a multi-talented extraordinary girl. Both are now married, serving the Lord and contributing to the good of society and I am now re-married. While raising my children, I worked in the mortgage industry and participated politically, although not as much as I have been lately. I thought, like many American’s, that voting and raising my voice on occasion, was all that was needed. That those elected to office were “looking out for us.” I see you snickering, but didn’t you?

I no longer believe that. I believe Washington has become obese with power and corruption and few even remember that they were sent there to represent. This realization has motivated me to be more vocal, more active and more aggressive in trying to inform others. I had become weary in well doing. I found myself wondering, what is the use? Is anyone listening? Is it worth it? I spent 30 years building a mortgage business to see it decimated by industry and government corruption. I moved on to the insurance and securities industry, which I’m afraid, may take the same route as the mortgage industry. And the corruption in Washington reigns on.

I have painted on the back window of my Mini-Van “I am 1 of the ‘Angry Mob’.” I have been considering removing it, feeling it was pointless, perhaps offending. Yesterday, as I was out trying to build yet another business, I had the radio on, tuned to conservative talk. A mother called in distraught with the conditions of the country. She said she was a 51 year old mother of a 6 year old. She was crying. She said she could no longer support this corrupt government and was not going to send them anymore tax dollars. The host encouraged her to reconsider, because her 6 year old needed her at home and not in jail. It was very emotional. At the same time a car pulled up next to me. It was an elderly man, perhaps in his late 70’s. He was connected to a portable oxygen tank. He turned his head slowly and looked me in the eye, raised his hand and gave me the thumbs up. Why? He had read my back window. I heard that still small voice say “Is It Worth It?” I cried the rest of the way home…and am still emotional as I write about it. I will never forget the look on that man’s face. I felt he was saying, “Thank You”.

So, for the 51 year old mother of a 6 yr old, for the elderly gentleman next to me on oxygen, and for you, I will keep on. I will shrug off this “weariness in well doing” and I will continue to fight for the inalienable rights endowed by our creator. I invite you to join me. You may not be able to do the same things I do, but you can do something. I urge you to stay informed, seek the truth, and communicate what you learn.

“The choice before us is plain. Christ or Chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come, it now is, when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America’s future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God’s government.” Peter Marshall, The Rebirth of America.

Regina Brown

Largo, Fl.

Stress, The Silent Killer

2009-02-14T11:36:00.006-05:00

I don’t know about you, but what I see and hear going on in our country troubles me…it causes me “stress”. Stress is actually an engineering term. It describes the forces that try to tear a structure apart such as weight, wind, temperature and pressure. In humans it is much the same, certain pressures try to tear us apart. Sometimes these stresses come from inside of us; sometimes the pressures tearing us apart come from the outside. Where does stress begin? Stress is caused by change – any change. Change requires us to rearrange our priorities to meet new circumstances. Stress is the accumulation of all the things that pull us apart. The antidote to change is homeostasis. The Greek word “stasis” means to stand still or to stand equally. It describes a point where the tug-of-war balances out and motion ceases. Can you imagine that? Homeostasis is the ability to adjust our internal environments to create balance. We are created with it. Just imagine all of the stresses pulling you apart every day. What balances that tug-of-war? God’s Word tells us to STAND against the devil’s schemes. To STAND our ground, and after we have done everything, to STAND. STAND FIRM. Isn’t God awesome that he would create within us the ability to “stand still”, an antidote for the pressures pulling us apart? Our “homeostasis” is the Armor of God.

The Armor of God
Ephesians 10-20: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

Have a homeostasis week!

Regina

Faithful

2009-01-31T09:08:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking about faithfulness lately. It is so easy to talk about faithfulness when everything in your life is going smooth. At those times we think back fondly on the days of uncertainty and remind each other that "God is certainly faithful." As the trials pass and we settle into the mundane we tend to forget that faithfulness is a two way street. I looked up "faithful" on the Webster online dictionary. There were several definitions, but what caught my attention was the definition that Webster labeled "Obsolete". It was the term "full of faith". The common and accepted definitions today are good; steadfast, true to the facts, given with strong adherence, but whatever happened to 'full of faith"? Faith; a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof . Is this the faith that has become obsolete?

So much is happening in our lives and our country today. Many of us are facing struggles we haven't faced in a long time, or maybe never. I propose we bring back the obsolete "full of faith". A belief and a trust in God that is unshakable. One that will strengthen those around us. One that is a two-way street with God, where He can call us faithful and not just one demanding his faithfulness to deliver us out of the trials.

Psalm 101:6
My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; those whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

Imagine that, we the faithful (full of faith), ministering to the Lord. Let's give it a try!

Don't Be Bamboozled!

2009-01-28T13:41:00.007-05:00

President Obama met today with business leaders from across America. He said he wanted their input into what would stimulate our sick, irresponsible economy. After the meeting he spoke and state that the answer did not lie in the hands of Washington. He was in the hands of business. He stated "all Washington can do is create a favorable environment". I say, Well, Mr. President, welcome to the party, if that is what he really believes. Just 20 days ago he said that only government can fix this.

Do not be BAMBOOZLED by the president's fine rhetoric. Read the fine print. The 647 page bill is porkulous!

*The $825 billion bill would dump $10,520 of new debt per household into the laps of our children and grandchildren. The interest on this debt ($347 billion) will dump even more.
*The current "stimulus" bill will be the largest spending bill ever enacted by Congress, making the New Deal look small, accounting for inflation
*President Obama anticipates that spending over $800 billion will create 3.7 million new jobs. That means each job will cost more than $200,000, which is roughly equivalent to 5 times what the average American worker earns!
* 335 Million for education & prevention of sexually transmitted diseases
*21 Million for new sod on the national mall
*600 million for new cars for bureaucrats
*650 million dollars for digital TV converts

The bottom line is that TWELVE CENTS of every dollar is stimulus. Do you see a light at the end of the tunnel for your troubling business, now? Is hope surging?

Contact the Republican leadership in the House & Senate, and of course your own congressmen, and tell them to stand firm. Don't cave! It will still pass because they have the majority, but we need to let them own this. And we need to let the Republican leadership know that we mean business, we will no longer tolerate their "go along to get along" attitude

Change You Can Count On

2009-01-26T10:48:00.002-05:00

Barak Obama campaigned on the message of change. He was inaugurated on Jan 20th, and as of today January 26th, he has certainly been true to his word. So far, he has implemented the following changes:

* Rescinded the "Mexico City" rule which President Bush imposed. Your tax
dollars are now paying for abortions all around the globe.
* He has stopped the trials on the 9/11 terrorists
* He has named a Secretary of State that receives millions of dollars from
foreign countries (Hillary Clinton)
* He has shut down any foreign prisons
* He has nominated an admited tax evader for Secretary of Treasury (Timothy
Geithner)
* He has eliminated Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuals
now allowing them to serve openly in the military
* He signed an executive order banning lobbyist from serving in his
administration, and them immediately turn around and appointed a lobbyist to
be deputy Secretary of Defense (William Lynn III)

For more "Change You Can Count On" please visit www.whitehouse.gov and click on the agenda link at the top of the page. The only link that is still "under construction" as of this writing is his "Ethics" agenda.

Now, you can continue down his road to change, or you can join thousands of others that are committed also to change, but change of another kind. Join my local Facebook group. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=59758848915

Thanksgiving Proclamation 1789

2008-11-27T08:24:00.002-05:00

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

President George Washington

Life will give you whatever you will accept

2008-11-20T19:15:00.003-05:00

I believe that your life will turn out exactly as you allow it to. If you accept being average and ordinary, life will make you average and ordinary. If you accept living with financial hardships, life will give you hardships and heartaches. If you accept being unhappy, life will deliver that, too.

It all depends on your attitude, your expectations. Basically, if you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.

If A Voice Could Be A Weapon

2008-11-14T07:33:00.004-05:00

I was having one of my wonderful conversations yesterday with my highly intelligent and very creative daughter. We were both expressing our frustration with the bureaucracy in Washington. Our question and bottom line was, how do you change it? Do we finally all just give up and go get a job at Taco Bell? How do you get the message out that the power is in our hands? Her comment was "If a voice could be a weapon" and that got me thinking. What we hear coming out of Washington is the self fulfilling prophesy that things are bad and that they will get worse unless Washington fixes it by printing, or borrowing, more money and handing it out like candy to a spoiled child. My frustration lies in that I have been watching Washington and financial policies for 30 years and they have brought us to where we are now. The primary demise of our financial services industry lies in the fact that Congress was pressured by special interest groups to loan to individuals hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase homes they would never be able to afford. Again, like giving candy to a spoiled child. But, in my opinion, even this didn't fully collapse our economy. I believe the rhetoric coming from our so called leaders has contributed greatly. When members of Congress and the the Administration take to the airwaves and tell everyone "We Are Doomed", well then the market tends to follow. All that does is give them more power. They have used their most powerful weapon, their voice. And this ever increasing power kills the spirit of initiative.

It's time to fight back. Use your voice! Things look bad right now when you are looking through the prism of their words, but the reality is this; Home prices and interest rates are low. You can still buy your primary home with a 3.5% down payment. As far as the stock market, now is the perfect time to start investing. Now is the time to begin acquiring shares for the long term. This is the market where wealth is created. For those who are in the market and fearful of loosing their retirement wealth, there are exciting new guaranteed products that will protect your income for life.

The government can not fix the problems we face on a daily basis in our business. We have to fix it! Fight Back! Use your most powerful weapon, use your voice.

Give Us A King

2008-11-11T07:41:00.008-05:00

I posted this blog on Nov 7, 2007, but thought it would be worth re-posting at this time.

America is at a crossroads, we must choose between two worldviews. Can man deliver us, or do we trust in God to deliver us? As I listen to one Christian leader after another make their endorsements, I am reminded of the people of Israel in the Old Testament. God had delivered the people from Egypt, he had given them their land, but they had joined themselves with the world around them and had become dissatisfied. Things just were not going right for them. “Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” They needed someone who could solve the problems of their world. But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord and the Lord said to Samuel “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.”As I watch the way the Republican primaries are unfolding, I am sick with disappointment. When, as people of God, we are looking for “A true fiscal conservative” to lead us, we must remember the warning that Samuel gave the people of Israel; With a King, comes a Kingdom.

As we stand at this crossroad, I urge you today, revisit I Samuel chapter 8 and consider the cost. There is a Godly choice to make; compromise is not necessary, it never is.

Choose Mike Huckabee for President.
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Hindsight is 20/20
Nov 11, 2008

Some Things Never Change

2008-11-01T14:44:00.001-04:00

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be
refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of
officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the
assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome
become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead
of living on public assistance."

-----Cicero, 55 BC

Lemming or Leader

2008-11-01T13:21:00.002-04:00

2008-11-01T09:37:00.004-04:00

Where's My Voice?

Where do I start? I’ll just tell you my story and if you find yourself relating, then maybe you will jump in and join us.

I’m 53 years old and have seen things change drastically in our society in my adult life. As a child all adults were my boss and my teachers believed pretty much the same thing as my parents. An undisciplined life brought shame to you and your family and most families had a mom and a dad. And of course, just about everyone went to church or they were embarrassed to admit that they didn’t.

Today it seems like we live in an upside down world. In 2005 37% of all U.S. births were born to unmarried parents. Forty seven percent of adults in their 30’s and 40’s have lived in cohabitating relationships. Forty Three Million unborn babies have lost their lives since the U.S. Supreme Court made Roe v. Wade (and its companion Doe v. Bolton) the law of the land. As of July 8, 2008, Massachusetts and California permit same-sex couples to marry. The states of Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire offer civil unions.

How did we get here? Is anyone in particular to blame? Can we fix it and how? Well, I have an opinion, so here goes. I believe the church got comfortable. We gorged ourselves on the blessings of God and left the things of the world and society to the undisciplined. As things spiraled down the church was told they didn’t have a place in making the rules of society and many believed it. Now we are left standing alone on the prairie wondering “Where is My Voice?” “Can anyone here me?”

Now is the time to be heard. Christian Coalition (http://www.cc.org/) has been speaking up in a five fold manner since 1988. Christian Coalition offers people of faith the vehicle to be actively involved in impacting the issues they care about - from the county courthouse to the halls of Congress. The Coalition is a political organization, made up of pro-family Americans who care deeply about ensuring that government serves to strengthen and preserve, rather than threaten, our families and our values. To that end, we work continuously to identify, educate and mobilize Christians for effective political action.

Effective citizenship begins with knowledge. Since its inception, the Christian Coalition has worked to provide critical education and political training to the pro-family community in order to challenge and equip individuals and churches to make a difference at all levels of government.

Today, Christians need to play an active role in government again like never before. If we are going to be able to change policy and influence decisions, it is imperative that people of faith become committed to doing what Ronald Reagan called "the hard work of freedom". We are driven by the belief that people of faith have a right and a responsibility to be involved in the world around them. That involvement includes community, social and political action.

Ok, maybe your not 53 years old and maybe you didn’t live in the “Good Old Days”, maybe you are a young family starting out, and you’re shaking your head wondering what is going on here and what you can do about it. We want you to join us. We need your voice and your ideas. Come get involved on your schedule.

What does a "community organizer" do?

2008-10-30T08:48:00.002-04:00

Imagine you are a politician, particularly a liberal politician, and you really can’t get all the power you want because the people who want what you are selling don’t vote and the people who do vote are to smart to turn their lives over to you. How do you get the illiterate and uneducated to vote? You walk into their neighborhoods and sell class warfare. You tell them it isn’t their fault they have nothing and you are here to help. And for their help, you will need to pay a monthly fee to them and participate in a minimum of 5 demonstrations that they call per year. Oh….and when it it’s time to vote we’ll take you there and let you know what candidates are bad (the ones that hate you and will not help you). You collect millions in tax dollars and you terrify the big banks with lawsuits of discrimination if they don’t help. In my opinion, this is insidious. It is secretly eroding away the foundation of this country and only political junkies that will actually read the legislation find out about it. You remember what I showed you yesterday in the Nancy Pelosi sponsored bill in 05/08 calling for increased lending to low income and very low income borrowers. Tell me, how can we increase that?
On top of all that is going on this week, this research really angered me. This organization is part of the problem, along with the help of the Congressional Black Caucus and the democratic house banking committee. On their web-site you will notice a picture of their president with Barney Frank.

I understand that many of you in the real estate industry may do business with these guys or at least are strongly tempted to…just remember that when you refer business to them you are making a political referral as the clients will commit to become involved with their political activities or they can not get help.

https://www.naca.com/index_main.jsp

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04022008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/bailout_bullies_104670.htm
http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_1_the_trillion_dollar.html
http://www.indeed.com/forum/cmp/NACA/Don-t-work-here/t11428 (some blog comments regarding the group)

Senator Chuck "CRISIS" Schumer's Irresponsible Behavior

2008-07-14T10:49:00.002-04:00

As we all know the nations banking industry is in crisis management mode at this time. Being that I am in that industry, and have been all of my adult life, I have some insight. There is plenty of blame to go around, the Federal Government pushing lenders to loan to less qualifed borrowers to prove they are not discriminating; lenders reacting to that with programs that basiclly left out qualifying at all; mortgage originators looking out for their pocket books and not their borrowers; and last, but certainly not least, the borrowers themselves thinking there would be no consequence to buying a home they should have known full well they could not pay for.
All of that being said, those who hold positions of responsibility should act responsibly and do what is in there power to instill calm in the nation. I am referring to Senator Chuck "crisis" Schumer from New York and his releasing of an inflamatory and according to IndyMac inaccurate letter to the public causing a run on that bank. How irresponsible can you get? I have called his office at 202-224-6542 and let them know that I do not appreciate his actions.

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IndyMac Blasts Schumer
Run on deposits blamed on senator's letter
June 30, 2008
By MortgageDaily.com staff
IndyMac Bancorp Inc. said a run on its deposits over the weekend has abated and blamed a U.S. senator for sparking the panic.
IndyMac today commented on a letter sent last week from Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat, to bank regulators.
In its statement, the Pasadena, Calif.-based company acknowledged that depositors withdrew around $100 million on Friday and Saturday. The level of withdrawals represented around 0.5 percent of its total deposits.
"While branch traffic is somewhat elevated this morning, it is substantially lower than on Saturday, and we are hopeful that this issue appropriately abates soon," IndyMac said.
The elevated withdrawals were attributed to Schumer's letter.
Schumer's staff last week promised but failed to provide MortgageDaily.com with a copy of the letter.
IndyMac admitted that its business and financial position has deteriorated since last quarter but noted Schumer's letter did not give the impression that its regulators were adequately apprised of its position. It also indicated that, contrary to the impression Schumer's letter left, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco has been diligent in boosting margin requirements on mortgage loans and mortgage securities.
The company also criticized Schumer's inference that IndyMac utilized brokered deposits to rapidly and irresponsibly grow from Dec. 31, 2006, to March 31, 2008.
"When the credit markets collapsed last summer, we, like many financial institutions, raised deposits (both retail and brokered) to improve our operating liquidity, to meet the higher margin requirements imposed by the FHLB and to pay off completely all of our market funding sources," IndyMac stated. "While insured, brokered deposits were used from an expediency perspective, we have since worked on raising retail deposits and expect that brokered deposits as a percentage of our overall funding will decline substantially over the next several quarters.
"Contrary to Sen. Schumer's inference, our use of insured, brokered deposits has lowered the risk for IndyMac Bank and improved our safety and soundness during this turbulent period."
The Center for Responsible Lending today announced a new report that accuses IndyMac of blatantly ignoring sound underwriting and also of condoning mortgage fraud. The group said it based the report on court documents and interviews with 19 former employees.
"I would reject a loan, and the insanity would begin," an unnamed underwriter was quoted as saying. "It would go to upper management and the next thing you know it's going to closing."
The author of CRL's report wrote, "IndyMac's current problems appear to be largely the legacy of top-down pressures that valued short-term growth over making responsible lending decisions."
The Washington, D.C.-based group is calling for more government action in mortgage lending.

What A Brokered Convention Looks Like

2008-03-04T08:02:00.004-05:00

How Lincoln Won the 1860 Republican Nomination
by Gordon Leidner of Great American History

One of the most interesting American political stories involves the nomination of Abraham Lincoln to be the Republican party's candidate for President of the United States in 1860. This was the Republican party's second presidential convention, and the man everyone expected to receive the nomination was the powerful and well-known William H. Seward of New York.

Abraham Lincoln, although having recently been introduced to eastern audiences through a series of political speeches in New England, and prior to that having gained some fame due to his participation in "the Great Debates" with Stephen A. Douglas, was not considered a serious contender for the appointment. How he and his political team brought him from "dark horse" contender to the victor is the subject of the following article.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following story appeared on The Washington Times Civil War page Saturday, August 10, 1996. Copyright 1996 by the Washington Times. Used with permission.

Lincoln Outfoxed Seward for the Nomination
by Gordon Leidner

In May 1860, the nation’s attention turned toward Chicago, where the Republicans were meeting to select their presidential candidate.

William H. Seward, the Republican front-runner from New York, sent his political team to Chicago to lock up his party’s nomination. In the mid-nineteenth century, it was not considered proper for the aspiring candidate to go to the convention himself, so Seward sent his political manager, Thurlow Weed, along with his states’ 70 delegates and 13 railroad cars of supporters.
The residents of Chicago were delighted to have their city of 100,000 chosen for the Republican party’s second presidential convention. At the cost of about $6,000, Republicans there built a new convention center for the occasion. Nicknamed “The Wigwam,” it had excellent acoustics and could seat more than 10,000, which purportedly would be the largest audience yet assembled in the country under one roof.

The candidates

Seward and Weed--some would say the unscrupulous Weed--were confident. It would take 233 votes to win the nomination, and they had nearly a third of that in the New York delegation alone.

Who could possibly upset their plans? Not Pennsylvania’s candidate, Simon Cameron. Cameron was considered a crook by most of the country, and would have little support outside of the 54 delegates from Pennsylvania. Not Ohio’s Salmon P. Chase. Ohio’s 46 votes probably would be split between he and fellow Ohioans Sen. Ben Wade and Judge John McClean. Not Missouri’s Edwin Bates--although Bates had Missouri’s 18 delegates and the backing of the nation’s most powerful newspaper editor, Horace Greely of the New York Tribune.

Seward and Weed recognized that they were not on their own turf, and anticipated that Illinois’ “Favorite Son,” Abraham Lincoln, probably would receive all of the states’ 22 votes. Since Illinois was considered a doubtful state for candidate Seward should he be the Republican candidate (where he would have a tough time defeating the anticipated Democratic nominee--Illinois’ other favorite son, Stephen A. Douglas), Weed was prepared to acquire Illinois votes on the second ballot by offering Lincoln the vice-presidential spot.
That should secure Seward’s nomination in the event of a tough floor fight, he and his supporters reckoned.

Lincoln's strategy

Lincoln had been busy preparing for the convention as well. Using all his political skill, he had persuaded the Illinois delegation to vote for him in a bloc. To lead the floor fight, he selected David Davis, a trusted friend, and Norman Judd, who was due most of the credit for bringing the Republican convention to Chicago. Finally, he provided them with some tactical guidance and limitations of engagement, which included an admonishment to “make no deals that bind me,” and waited in Springfield for the results.

Confident that Seward would not have enough votes to lock up the nomination on the first ballot, Lincoln intended to get the second highest vote count on the first ballot and line up additional votes for the second ballot in order to show increasing strength. He hoped that this strategy--combined with the presence of an enthusiastic band of followers on the floor--would be sufficient to win the nomination on the third or subsequent ballot.

Lincoln’s men left no detail unattended in their pursuit of this strategy. They made certain that Seward’s New Yorkers were seated far from other critical delegations with whom they might collaborate. They printed hundreds of counterfeit tickets and distributed them to Lincoln supporters with instructions to show up early--in order to displace Seward’s supporters.
They also assigned two men with noted stentorian voices to lead the cheering. One of these men reportedly had a larynx powerful enough to allow his shout to be heard across Lake Michigan.

Stop Seward

The first two days of the convention were devoted to acceptance of delegates, administration, and the platform. The evenings were spent in the caucusing of delegates. Weed’s approach was to offer champagne for the present and “oceans of money” for the future.

In contrast, Davis and Judd spent their time lining up votes from delegates of other states that didn’t want to see Seward win. Indiana committed 26 first ballot votes to Lincoln. Several of the New England states, including New Hampshire and Maine, provided Lincoln with many first ballot votes that Seward was planning on.

Even more important were the second ballot votes. Several states, including Vermont, were glad to find that the “stop Seward” forces were finally uniting behind one man and committed most of their subsequent votes to Lincoln.

Pennsylvania was harder to crack. Davis chose to ignore Lincoln’s direction about making pledges in his absence, and got a commitment from Pennsylvania to support Lincoln on the second ballot by offering a cabinet position to Simon Cameron.

Beyond description

Finally, the third day arrived. One thousand Seward men marched behind a smartly uniformed brass band. They wound their way noisily through Chicago’s streets, playing the song “Oh, Isn’t He a Darling?” and finally arrived triumphantly in front of the Wigwam. To their horror, they found that they could not get in: the Lincoln men, admitted with their counterfeit tickets, had taken their seats.

Still, Seward had his share of support. When his name was offered in nomination, tremendous applause went up from the audience--followed by louder applause for Lincoln. The crowd quickly recognized them as the front-runners when the other candidates received less enthusiastic commendation.

When Seward’s name was seconded, the demonstration was so vociferous that “hundreds of persons stopped their ears in pain.” But when Lincoln’s nomination was seconded, the uproar was “beyond description.”

Leonard Swett, a friend of Lincoln’s, said that “Five thousand people leaped to their seats, women not wanting, and the wild yell made vesper breathings of all that had preceded. A thousand steam whistles, ten acres of hotel gongs, a tribe of Comanches might have mingled in the scene unnoticed.”

Holding their breath

After the first ballot, Seward, as expected, led with 173 votes. Lincoln was next with 102. Cameron received 50; Chase got 49; Bates 48; and the rest received a handful each.

A second ballot was immediately called for, and the Lincoln camp knew that their man would gain strength. Vermont was the first state to make a major shift--all 10 votes went to Lincoln, a significant blow to Seward. As the roll call continued, Lincoln gained a few votes here and a few there, while Seward’s tally remained largely unchanged.

When Pennsylvania’s turn came, the Lincoln men held their breath. Whereas only four votes from Pennsylvania went to Lincoln on the first ballot, a whopping 48 went to him on the second. Seward supporters sank in their seats. Lincoln clearly had the momentum. The final tally on the second ballot was 184 for Seward and 181 for Lincoln.

A hush fell

Ballot three began. Lincoln continued to pick up votes--4 more from Kentucky, 15 from Ohio--while Seward lost votes. When the pencils stopped scratching, Lincoln had 231 and a half votes--one and a half short of those needed for the nomination.

A hush fell, and all eyes turned toward D. K. Cartter of Ohio, who stuttered out: “I-I arise, Mr. Chairman, to a-announce the ch-change of four votes, from Mr. Chase to Abraham Lincoln!” For a moment, the audience was silent--then it erupted. The sound was so deafening that the only way people could tell that cannons outside the Wigwam were being fired was by watching the smoke drift from the barrels.

Ironic footnote

So Lincoln was nominated and would be elected the nation’s 16th president. He appointed Seward secretary of state, Cameron secretary of war, Chase secretary of the Treasury, and Bates attorney general.

Lincoln proved to be a better leader than Seward. For example, when the South seceded, Seward proposed that Lincoln evoke the Monroe Doctrine to justify a declaration of war on France and Spain--which he believed would cause the South to come to the North’s aid and re-join the Union. Lincoln ignored this foolishness. “The President is the best of us!” Seward would admit later.

There is an ironic footnote to the convention story: A few blocks from the Wigwam, on the second night of the convention, the McVicker’s Theater was opening “Our American Cousin” --the play Lincoln would be watching at Ford’s Theater his last night on Earth.
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References:
1. Lincoln’s Rise to Power by William Barringer
2. Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
3. Fire the Salute! Abe Lincoln is Nominated! Murat Halstead Reports the Republican National Convention edited by Paul M. Angle and Earl S. Miers
4. Lincoln and the Press by Robert S. Harper
5. Abraham Lincoln by Benjamin P. Thomas

Order Harper's Lincoln and the Press Now

I Will Survive

2008-02-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

Senator McCain, let's have a debate

2008-02-27T22:58:00.000-05:00

News Release: Mike Huckabee Accepts Values Voter Presidential Debate Invitation
February 27, 2008

Little Rock, AR – Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee accepted an invitation to participate in a Values Voter Presidential Debate to be held on Monday, March 3, 2008. Huckabee received the invitation on Wednesday, February 27, for the debate which would also include Senator John McCain, Congressman Ron Paul.

"I look forward to discussing the issues that are important to the people of America such as health care, education, energy independence, terrorism and national security," Huckabee wrote in his letter of acceptance. "I will clear my schedule to make time for this important debate, provided Sen. McCain participates, otherwise we will keep our current campaign schedule."

On Tuesday, Huckabee challenged Sen. McCain to a Lincoln- Douglas Style debate, but has yet to receive an acceptance from Sen. McCain.

The Values Voter debate is scheduled to be held at the Marriott Riverwalk, 711 E. Riverwalk St. in San Antonio, Tex.

New York Times Article

2008-02-09T10:58:00.000-05:00

Huckabee Leads in Keeping His Cost Per Delegate Low

By LESLIE WAYNE
Published: February 7, 2008

If political victory was measured in the wise use of scant financial resources, Mike Huckabee would be the front-runner in the presidential race.
Operating on a shoestring budget, Mr. Huckabee has spent far less lining up his 156 delegates than any other candidate, Democratic or Republican, when measured by cost per delegate.

The calculation is based on end-of-year figures and does not take into account fund-raising in 2008 or the spending since the nominating process began in Iowa on Jan. 3.

By those figures, Mr. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, ran the most frugal campaign, spending $45,000 a delegate, according to The New York Times delegate count. That was far less than the $654,000 a delegate spent by Mitt Romney.

?It?s clear that Mr. Romney?s money can?t buy him love,? said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that collects and analyzes campaign finance data. ?He?s spent so much more than Huckabee, yet Huckabee got a lot more bang for his buck.?

Federal records show that Mr. Romney, a Harvard Business School graduate who has made his business skills a campaign centerpiece, spent $87 million in 2007 and ended Feb. 5 with 133 delegates. By comparison, Senator John McCain of Arizona, leading in delegates with 683, spent $39 million, or $57,000 a delegate.

Mr. McCain and Mr. Huckabee?s campaigns defy the conventional wisdom that says it takes money ? a lot of it ? for a candidate to get out his message. While the presidential hopefuls are on track to raise $1 billion ? and spend it ? Mr. McCain and Mr. Huckabee made the most of ?free media,? taking virtually every opportunity to participate in televised debates, appear on late-night talk shows and turn up regularly on cable news programs.

?They say that the most dangerous place to be is between Huckabee and a cable news show,? said Scott Reed, a Republican strategist. ?He went on every free outlet to get his message out. He was living off cable television. And he did exceptionally well in each of the 15 Republican debates.?

Mr. McCain, who was down to his last $1 million in late 2007 and took out a $3 million bank loan, ended up spending $8.5 million to date on television commercials. Mr. Huckabee spent $3 million on television commercials, according to CMAG, a firm that tracks political spending.

By contrast, Mr. Romney spent $30 million on a nationwide television blitz, representing half the spending by all Republican candidates combined. To help support this spending, Mr. Romney also lent his campaign $35 million, or $263,000 a delegate.

Representative Ron Paul, Republican of Texas, also spent heavily, with little return, $20 million with an estimated five delegates, or $4 million a delegate.

Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York, who spent $48 million, did not line up a single delegate.

On the Democratic side, the neck-and-neck race between Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama continues in the financial arena. Mrs. Clinton, of New York, has spent nearly $90,000 for each of the 892 delegates she has lined up. Mr. Obama, of Illinois, spent $119,000 for each of his 716 .

At the end of 2007, Mrs. Clinton had $37 million in cash, with $18.5 million for the primary and the remaining $19 million earmarked for the general election. Mr. Obama had $18.6 million on hand, of which $13.5 million could be used for the primary race and the remaining $5 million for the general election.

What We Need

2008-01-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

Cinderella Man

2008-01-18T15:20:00.001-05:00

Freedom Lives

2008-01-18T14:59:00.000-05:00

It's About Time

2008-01-18T14:51:00.000-05:00

The Rules Have Just Changed

2008-01-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

What an exciting night for Gov. Huckabee and his supporters.

For months now, maybe years, we have been hearing the "talking heads" tell us that we need to take our country back, and we have agreed with them. I'm beginning to believe that what "they" mean by it and what we mean by it are two different things. They want us to take it back as long as we look and think like them and do it their way.

Gov. Mike Huckabee has shown that there is a frustration in this country. A frustration coming from being ignored, treated as irrelevant. We want leaders that are servants and most politicians, media and talking heads, have no clue what this means. Therefore, they can not begin to understand what is happening with the Huckabee supporters.

Well, we have just begun to show them. Let's keep it going.

It's A Whole New Race

2008-01-01T10:44:00.000-05:00

January 01, 2008 - 12:31 PM

New Des Moines Register Poll

Huckabee 32%

Romney 26%

McCain 13%

Rules Are About To Change

2008-01-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

What Does Leadership Look Like

2008-01-01T10:07:00.001-05:00

Give Us A King

2008-01-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

11/07/2007 10:29 AM
America is at a crossroads, we must choose between two worldviews. Can man deliver us, or do we trust in God to deliver us? As I listen to one Christian leader after another make their endorsements, I am reminded of the people of Israel in the Old Testament. God had delivered the people from Egypt, he had given them their land, but they had joined themselves with the world around them and had become dissatisfied. Things just were not going right for them. “Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” They needed someone who could solve the problems of their world. But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord and the Lord said to Samuel “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.”As I watch the way the Republic primaries are unfolding, I am sick with disappointment. When, as people of God, we are looking for “A true fiscal conservative” to lead us, we must remember the warning that Samuel gave the people of Israel; With a King, comes a Kingdom.
As we stand at this crossroad, I urge you today, revisit I Samuel chapter 8 and consider the cost. There is a Godly choice to make; compromise is not necessary, it never is.

Choose Mike Huckabee for President.