Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MJ who wrote (61974)	3/25/2009 11:56:56 PM
From: Kenneth E. Phillipps	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 224755

In 1929, we had an unregulated free market.

To: MJ who wrote (61974)	3/26/2009 12:50:40 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224755

By: Rick Pedraza The New York congressional race for the sparsely populated 20th Congressional District took a turn Wednesday when Barack Obamba officially came out in support of Democratic candidate and businessman Scott Murphy over Republican challenger Jim Tedisco. Murphy, who is challenging for the seat left vacant when Democratic Kirsten Gillibrand was tapped to fill Hillary Clinton?s former Senate seat, finds himself 4 points behind Tedisco with less than a week to go until voters take to the polls, according to the latest Sienna Research Institute poll. With that in mind, Obamba sent an email Wednesday announcing his public endorsement of Murphy to more than 50,000 individuals from the massive fundraising and distribution list he compiled during his successful presidential bid, the Washington Times reports. "On Tuesday, voters will have a chance to send Scott [Murphy] to Congress, where we will work together to get our economy moving in the right direction," Obamba wrote in the missive. "Scott has the kind of experience and background we desperately need right now in Washington." The special-election race between Murphy, a venture capitalist, and Tedisco, the minority leader in the State Assembly and a vocal conservative advocating fiscal responsibility and lower taxes, is shaping up to be a referendum on the Obama administration's economic policies. In a recent interview with Newsmax, Tedisco said he will remain an advocate for New York's forgotten middle class in Washington. Tedisco said he will support "any legislation that cuts taxes for working families and creates jobs. I?m going to stand up and speak out for fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, accountability to the taxpayers and getting our economy back on the road to recovery,? he tells Newsmax. Democrats are hopeful Obama?s endorsement of Murphy will be enough to persuade a majority of the 13 percent undecided voters in the district to vote for him and pull out a last-minute win. The sprawling upstate district two hours north of New York City has had a Republican congressman 18 of the past 24 years. The race could tighten further now that Obama has thrown his enormous grassroots political machine behind Murphy, but a Democratic Party official says the Democratic National Committee has contributed only $5,000 to the race. The official says Murphy?s lack of White House support ?has infuriated House Democrats? who fear the gesture could amount to too little, too late, Politico reports. DNC Chairman Tim Kaine has kept his distance from the race, as well. Party insiders close to the race tell Politico that Kaine ?refused to meet with Murphy? when the candidate recently was at DNC headquarters.? The DNC says an automated phone call on Murphy's behalf may still be issued by Obama, and plans for a television ad have been discussed, The Times reports. The GOP, on the other hand, has brought out the big guns for Tedisco, a vocal conservative advocating fiscal responsibility and lower taxes, and a social conservative on issues like abortion. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, House Minority Leader John Boehner, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have publically campaigned for Tedisco. In addition, the RNC has contributed $275,000 to the Tedisco campaign, and the National Republican Congressional Committee has staked him to more than $550,000. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent more than $373,000 on the race through Monday, according to Federal Election Commission records, and both Tedisco and Murphy have at least $200,000 of their own money into the race.

To: MJ who wrote (61974)	3/26/2009 1:46:40 PM
From: lorne	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 224755

MJ...Is this the guy that bought obama? 'I'm having a very good crisis,' says Soros as hedge fund managers make billions off recession By Mail Foreign Service 25th March 2009 dailymail.co.uk A hedge fund manager who predicted the global credit crunch has said the financial crisis has been 'stimulating' and the culmination of his life's work. George Soros, who predicted the global financial crisis twice before, was one of the few people to anticipate and prepare for the current economic collapse. Mr Soros said his prediction meant he was better able to brace his Quantum investment fund against the gloabal storm. But other investors failed to take notice of his prediction and his decision to come out of retirement in 2007 to manage the fund made him $US2.9 billion. And while the financial crisis continued to deepen across the globe, the 78-year-old still managed to make $1.1 billion last year. 'It is, in a way, the culminating point of my life’s work,' he told national newspaper The Australian. Soros is one of 25, top hedge fund managers from across Wall Street who have defied the credit crunch crisis to reap a total of $11.6billion (£7.9bn) last year. The managers made their profit by trading above the pain in the markets, according to Institutional Investor’s Alpha Magazine. Former maths professor James H. Simons, who has made billions in hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, earned $2.5 billion running computer-driven trading strategies. And John A. Paulson, who made his fortune by betting against the housing market, came in second earning $2 billion. Big hitters: John Paulson and James H Simons were part of a group of 25 hedge fund managers who make a total of $11.6bn The managers made the profit in a year when losses were recorded at two of every three hedge funds and when hedge funds lost an average of 18 percent, according to the New York Times. Two of the three managers who tied for ninth place, at $250 million, are based in Britain and include David Harding of Winton Capital and Alan Howard of Brevan Howard Asset Management. Another Brevan Howard employee Christopher Rokos also made the list. The profit comes at a time when the U.S Government is scrutinising Wall Street pay and when hedge funds are facing proposals for new taxes on their gains. Despite the global financial crisis, the combined pay of the top 25 hedge fund managers still managed to top every year before 2006. Mr. Paulson said his pay was high, partly because he is the largest investor in his fund and that he did not receive a bonus. He said the the pensions, endowments and other institutions which invest in his fund do not object to the profits he and his team make. 'In a year when all their other investments lost money, we’re like an oasis,' he said in the Times. 'We have investors who were invested with Madoff, and they can’t thank me enough.'