J's Cafe Nette

Archive for December 6th, 2007

Senator Jon Kyl will step in to the Senate Minority Whip position upon Trent Lott’s departure.

Senator Lamar Alexander will be the new chairman of the Republican Conference.

We shall see in the future how well either handles their new responsibilities.

Having said that I wish them both the best and the same to Senator Lott in his retirement.

HT: Lucianne

Tweet This Post

Men of Valor-Part IV has been posted.

In his typical style, Michael Yon tells a story in a way which makes you feel as though you are a part of what these brave men and women have experienced.

I mean that not in the physical sense but mentally envisioning the horrors they have suffered and the triumphs they have felt.

Here’s a brief paragraph from this latest dispatch:

Although the enemy often shot at British soldiers from the Hole in the Wall, the soldiers refrained from firing back with rockets to avoid killing civilians living nearby. There were other known—and named—firing points, like RPG Alley 1, 2 and 3, and soon bullets began coming in from those.

Mr. Yon also has two other recent relatively short pieces posted which were not referenced on this blog. They are both worth a look and may be accessed here, and here.

*Update: These two items of interest were included in an email received today from Michael Yon:

I’ll again be on CNN “This Week at War” this Sunday. “This Week at War” has been doing an excellent job with balanced reporting. I’m honored to do this show again.

and the following which I find encouraging:

2007 has seen tremendous progress in Iraq and many Iraqis seem confident that 2008 will be better still. I’ve never seen Iraqis so optimistic.

Would that not be a great way to close out 2007 and begin 2008? the thought of those who now live in freedom in large part because of the efforts of our military warms the heart.

It doesn’t mean there isn’t much work to do, but it also doesn’t mean we’ve accomplished nearly nothing as some would have us believe.

Tweet This Post

On December 15 at 12 noon, there will be a wreath laying ceremony across the country at the graves of those who have given all for this country.

2007 will mark the 16th anniversary of holiday wreaths being sent from the State of Maine to Arlington National Cemetery. Each year the folks at Worcester Wreath Company make and decorate wreaths that will adorn over 5000 headstones of our Nation’s fallen heroes – in what has become an annual event coordinated with the Cemetery Administration and the Maine State Society.

Arlington will not be the only location for the wreath laying.

If you are interested in volunteering to help, there is a link in the piece referenced above which will provide you locations in every participating state seeking extra hands.

I would be remiss in closing this post without thanking the Worcester Wreath Company and its employees for this most generous contribution to those who deserve to be honored not only at Christmas but every day.

HT:Redstate

Tweet This Post

When people started getting subprime mortgages, knowing their payments would drastically increase they figured the money would be there for the higher payment.

In most cases they were wrong and many people have had their homes foreclosed. This was the doing of themselves and the real estate agents and bankers who allowed it to go on.

It was especially attractive to speculate and buy several properties with the expectation the house would increase in value and some other sap would come along to buy the house in which they had almost no equity.

Then interest rates were raised by the Fed and the bubble burst.

Word has it now that President Bush and his administration have worked out a plan that would freeze the subprime mortgage people now hold for five more years.

There is a catch: Only borrowers who got mortgages between the beginning of 2005 through July 30 of this year will be eligible, and only individual owners instead of speculators will be eligible.

Five years should give these people enough time to make enough extra money to cover their mortgages or sell the property without taking a loss if the market rebounds from this fix.

The administration said that President Bush will speak on the agreement at the White House on Thursday and the Treasury Department announced that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson would hold a joint news conference Thursday afternoon with officials of the mortgage industry.

Treasury also announced that there would be a technical briefing to explain more of the details of the proposal.

Bush Administration Working to Aid Subprime Mortgage Holders, Extend Introductory Rates Paulson, who has been leading the effort to craft a plan, said on Monday that the program would only be available for owner-occupied homes — as a way to make sure that the break is not granted to real estate speculators.

The plan emerged from talks between Paulson and other banking regulators and banks, mortgage investors and consumer groups trying to address an avalanche of foreclosures that are feared as an estimated 2 million subprime mortgages reset from lower introductory rates to higher rates.

The higher rates in many cases will boost monthly payments by as much as 30 percent, making it extremely difficult for many people to keep current with their loans.

The plan is aimed at homeowners who are making payments on time at lower introductory mortgage rates but cannot afford a higher adjusted rate.

Let’s hope this gives some relief and that people have learned a valuable lesson from this whole situation.

Tweet This Post

The following is the opening paragraph to an email received from Congressman Eric Cantor yesterday:

One year ago, when they took control of Congress, House Democrats made many promises.  Most of all, Democrats promised you that they were ready to govern – over the past year it has become all too clear that they have let you down.

Included was the following video.

What a clever way to describe the state of affairs in Congress in the time since the Democrats have gained the majority in both Houses.

Tweet This Post