Bits and Pieces

So, the Donald is going to bail out Ed McMahon on his $4.8 mil mortgage.

Wonder how many regular guys he could bail out with that kind of money? 

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Countrywide Financial Corp. is the subject of yet another federal investigation: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating for possible violations of federal laws in the servicing of its $1.49 trillion loan portfolio.

Aren't they the ones foreclosing on McMahon?

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From the Associated Press:
After a full six months of investigating appraisals in the US, an independent federal agency known as the Appraisal Subcommittee says the nationwide system set up to monitor appraisers because of the savings and loan crisis (?) did little to prevent appraisers, real estate agents and mortgage brokers from colluding to inflate home prices during the housing boom.

There just don't seem to be any appraisers with a backbone in this country . . . I read everywhere that they were coerced into high values . . . Please.

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From the Wall Street Journal:
Are Obama's tax cuts The New Tax Welfare? Is he proposing to create or expand government spending programs disguised as tax credits?

I didn't know he had thought up tax cuts - I thought he just wanted to make sure we were all at a 54% income tax level, in addition to paying for capital gains, and, oh, yeah, when we die . . .

Pax et bonum