John McCain has produced an early draft of another Iraq resolution. According to CNN, the new resolution “[w]hile acknowledging that past mistakes in U.S. strategy have led to a dire security situation in Iraq, it presents 11 different political, economic, and military benchmarks the Iraqi government ‘must make visible, concrete progress toward meeting.’”
“The benchmarks include: taking over security in all provinces in a timely manner; disarming militias and ensuring security forces are accountable to the central government; distributing oil profits to all Iraqis in an equitable manner; conducting provincial elections; and ensuring that billions of dollars in reconstruction funds are distributed to Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad and the largely Sunni Anbar Province.”
“The resolution does not enumerate any consequences if the benchmarks are not met. It says only that “f the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people and the people of Iraq.”
“The resolution might be a way of calming the concerns that many of our colleagues have by establishing specific benchmarks and increasing congressional oversight, McCain explained Thursday.”
Click here to view the full draft.
So what do you think? Are all of these resolutions just political cover or do they represent a sincere attempt by our leaders to help make a difference in Iraq?
To contribute to Mitt’s campaign or to find more news on current events and information on Mitt Romney’s stance on important issues, please visit his official website at www.mittromney.com.
January 29, 2007 at 12:23 am |
John McCain’s Iraq Resolution
December 7, 2009 at 9:39 pm |
People For The People
This may sound radical, however; American citizens, tax payers and home owners are fed-up with the change we’re experiencing in Washington and the banking system. The people in this country are watching the stimulus money (ours and our grand-children’s money) slip away to wealthy businesses and the banking conglomerates who continue to get richer on our money… we are sick and tired of it… it is time for the people of this country to take action.
There are many home owners still facing foreclosure and it will take years for these people to see any effect from the stimulus money, by then, for many, it will be too late. It is heartbreaking to hear of someone losing what would be their largest life time investment. What even makes it worse is that someone else with money buys the home in a short sale for less than half of what was owed or at an auction for pennies on the dollar as the banks do very little or nothing at all to help the current homeowners whose loans are now lopsided to remain in their homes. I currently have two mortgages (a first and second loan) for $139,000.00 on a home that is now only worth $35,000.00 with interest rates of 7.25% and 11.25%. I agree I owe the $139,000 and should pay for it as I committed, however, it is difficult for me in this economy with little work to make these payments. I have tried for 11 months to have them reduce my interest rates to make it more affordable, however, they tell me they cannot as I owe more than it is worth… where is the logic, I owe them the money anyway… lowering my rate would make sense so that I can meet my monthly payments and remain in my home. This scenario fits millions of others. Yet, these are the very same banks that we the tax payers are bailing out; what an unfair concept. It is time to take action.
I wanted to put together a class action law suit against the banking industry; however, I could not find a law firm that would take on the banks for years of unfair interest rates. However, if all mortgage payers would (about 50 million plus) band together maybe the banks, the Federal Reserve and Washington will listen and hear our pain.
The interest rate should be the same for all, regardless of a credit score. Credit score should only project how much one can borrow.
Example: A $125,000.00 home, a person making $30k per year versus one that makes over $1m per year, would the rates be different, YES. WE SHOULD ALL HAVE THE SAME RATE.
Example: If a person making $1m per year was driving a new Jag on tax payer roads and stops for gas, just as the person making $30k per year would the price of gas be the same, YES. We all pay the same at the pump but not when it comes to banking. TAKE ACTION.
It is time to stop talking about what is going on and start doing something about it. If a law firm will not take on the banks as a Class Action suit then we will start an organization called People for the People (PTP).
It will be the citizens, the PTP that will pave the way in putting this country back into financial stability one unified wave at a time as the Government can’t seem to get it right and is sinking us deeper in debt while they are only padding the wealthy.
If the banks don’t want to listen to the PTP, then perhaps we need to do something to make them stop, listen and respond in our favor. A unified stop payment plan may just accomplish this. If we all stop payment to our mortgage lenders and spent the entire payment on things such as the local hardware store to purchase materials to repair or maintain the homes we are trying keep, a department store so we can buy clothing, supermarket for food or take the family out to a nice restaurant, this way the economy and local small businesses will get a quick stimulus boost. There is an estimated fifty million plus home owners that are paying over fifty billion dollars per month to the banks. We can shift this money directly to the economy for one or two months while the banks can think about lowering the rates in our favor. We know that the banks cannot take our homes for missing a couple of payments. We all demand instantly a sweetheart of a deal, no different than Chris Dobbs who received a 4.25% on his mortgage, why should we be treated any differently.
The PTP can set up a Web Site and or utilize Face Book, You tube, Twitter and ALL other well known visited sites to inform the people of America how and when to band together, this would be a modern twenty-first century revolution, a peaceful revolution. There will be no need for Town Hall meetings with angry crowds, no need for tea parties and no marching to Washington which has no affect; therefore, there will be no riots on the streets, no police, no national guard, no military and no union thugs intimidating anyone as in the past, it will be a peaceful online demonstration with action where we, including many on the police force, national guard, military personnel and even the union thugs who are fed up as well and I’m sure they will participate and join in on this national revolution plea/action from our homes, our work places to make a grand statement and where we in a joint effort will be listened to. The internet will be our weapon. Perhaps this concept will be our future method for the government and big business to hear the voice of the people, where we could, in unison and numbers, help to reduce bank interest rates, petroleum costs, electric power, insurance, credit card rates and even remove a crook or bad guy from government office.
People… we must unite… we are the numbers that makes this country what it is today but our power is being taken away from us by a small group who are depleting our finances, our voice and power more and more each day. We are the soul and strength of this country and no one should take that away from us. Our constitution reads… “We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union establish justice and insure domestic tranquility” must stand together and force this government and the banking system to do what is right for all and not just the few.
First wave of request: dates to be determined
1. Give a Chris Dobb interest rate to everyone with an existing mortgage loan upon request without requalifying or stipulations.
2. If a mortgage payer can’t meet a payment, the payee submits an extension request form supplied by the banks and sends the form with the payment stub. The payment then would be added at the end of the mortgage life without penalties nor credit score implications.
3. The amount of extensions would be determined by the life of the loan, (example, a 30 year mortgage can receive 30 extensions throughout the life of the loan; 20 year can receive 20 extensions, etc.).
4. Put back into effect the assumable mortgage.
The current mortgage rescue plan has one big catch
Money-Saving Refi Plan doesn’t apply to 35% of home owners: Who Does Qualify? Millions don’t!
Second wave of requests: To be determined at a future date.
If you think this would make a difference, please contact me.
Thanks
Mark Gilbert
Tampa, FL
O: (813) 933-4416
F: (813) 933-4417