Candidates swung, missed on bailout

By The Daily Progress

Published: October 19, 2008

I read The Daily Progress almost daily. Readers write heartfelt letters about the benefits of either Barack Obama or John McCain as the next U.S. president.

More than 100 million Americans will cast their votes in November. I fear all will have their hearts broken.

Why? Because neither man seems fitted for the job, neither the candidate who wins nor the one who loses.

Consider John McCain as a maverick. The senator had his chance to embrace true maverick status by rejecting calls to bailout the Wall Street bankers. But John chose to break hearts instead and voted for the bailout.

Likewise, Obama, for all his talk of supporting the little guy, wanted to load another $700 billion on to our shoulders and voted “yes” also. What sort of change is that? Loose change, maybe, but more dollars will go missing from the little guy Obama claims to support when the handout occurs.

Sadly, neither candidate spoke of the costly, ever expanding security state or the military-industrial complex. More than $700 billion has been expended already on Iraq, and our U.S. bankers now want an equal sum.

Sadly, both Virginia senators also voted “yes” on the bailout.

Where does it all end? I fear with broken hearts of disillusioned younger voters who are handed a $10 trillion debt. I wish one or the other candidate would speak up about the waste but I won’t hold my breath.

Douglas Herman
Greene County