Brother Bush, Can You Spare A Dime?

As Bush's $700 billion bail-out bombed and stock markets took a dive, Democrats and Republicans were quick to point the finger of blame at each other. 

With an election round the corner, few want to get too close to Bush and his years of letting the Wall Street fat cats get away with it. And no-one wants to hand Bush and his treasury secretary a blank cheque.

Both Republicans and Democrats have been inundated with outraged voters telling them bluntly, they don't want the cash going straight into the pockets of Wall Street.

Bush's bail-out strikes deep at the heart of the elections, with both sides making political capital out of Capitol Hill.

It must be hard for the Republicans to change the habit of a lifetime. But voters know Bush lied over Iraq, so why should they trust him over this.

And this is America - the Land of the Free - Enterprise. If you can make a fast buck you are a hero. If you screw up, brother Bush, then no one will spare you a dime.

Democrats can sit pretty. It's not their fault. They're in opposition and knocking the administration is their job. The stock market may crumble, Wall Street may tumble but as long as Main Street doesn't squeal too much, they're happy to let Bush sweat.

Ever since US treasury secretary, Hank Paulson, unveiled the bill, as a 'rescue package' it helped buoy financial markets. But it was quickly seen as a bail-out and that would go against the grain with an unprecedented government intervention in the private sector.

And all sorts of deals, buy-outs and fundings have been earmarked in the bill, to give political advantage. 

House Republicans blamed the bail-out failure on Democrat House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, accusing Pelosi of being too partisan and “poisoning” the Republicans in a pre-vote floor speech, where she blamed the economic crisis on years of Republican economic policies, saying: "It has created not jobs, not capital; it has created chaos."

As the House of Representatives sent the historic bill packing, the stock market went into a tailspin and added to fears that the US will nose-dive into recession, unless the legislation is revived.

But this is one show that could run and run until everyone has had their two cents worth.

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Obama Sells Soap Powder Dream In Denver

The greatest sham on earth hits town this week. 45 years to the day since Martin Luther King gave hope to the world, Obama will try to sell his soap powder dream, at the Democrat convention in Denver - all perfectly stage managed, to be played out in Obamarama on prime-time TV and newspaper pictures, with Obamaoverload in the US and here in the UK.

It won't be Obama who first takes the spotlight. That will be Chicago lawyer wife and mom, Michelle, who will begin the 'dream theme' of the four-day Obamafest. 

With Obama's background causing a bit of confusion among voters and delegates, it will be left to Michelle to kick off proceedings and hit the race issue head on. 

As a true black American, Michelle speaks with a heartfelt and sincere voice - and can hook into Obama's central theme of the 'dream' - and place civil rights leader Martin Luther King, early in people's minds. 

Obama, will pick that up later, during his 'acceptance' speech, perfectly timed for the 45th anniversary of King's "I have a dream" speech of August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

For four days and nights they'll be wheeled on stage and on screen. A film featuring Obama in all-American scenes, family members telling his American story, Obama's side-kick Joe Biden, old party hands like Edward Kennedy, Bill and Hillary Clinton and powerful House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi. 

Along with walk-on appearances by 'ordinary' Americans and a sprinkling of 'celebrity stars'. 

And there will be no plain convention hall with a stuffy old lectern for Obama Superstar. He'll be outside in front of the assembled multitude, in the Invesco Field stadium, before a cheering throng of thousands.

It won't be all plain sailing for the Chosen One. Behind the scenes is Hillary Clinton. 

A growing and increasingly vocal band of Clinton supporters and delegates have gathered at Denver. 

There's the thorny issue of Clinton's name on the roll-call vote for nomination and whether she'll release her delegates to Obama. And a US lawsuit filed by a Clinton supporter, designed to halt Obama's bid for the presidency and nomination. 

Meanwhile, McCain TV ads and YouTube postings, are showing up Obama's 'cult of personality' and question his choice of windbag running-mate, Biden, over Clinton.

US voters want two basic things from their president - a firm hand on global Islamic terrorism and a steady and responsible hand on the economy. 

Selling a dream, packaged up like soap powder, is not the way to win them over.

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