Late yesterday Portfolio.com reported that a bunch of powerful Washington politicians were given below market loans by Countrywide Financial. Among those receiving “special” loans that saved them thousands of dollars were former HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and Senate Banking chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT). Rounding up the morning’s news for his readers, online left leader Matt Stoller summarized the Portfolio story and then blithely comments: “Go free market!” Go free market?!? This story has nothing to do with the free market and everything to do with the inevitable rent seeking behavior …
We have been calling Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-CT) housing bailout bill “The Wall Street Bailout Enhancement Act” for over a month now. In particular, we have singled out Countrywide Financial as the bank with most to gain from the federal government’s generosity. Countrywide is the largest loan servicer in the nation. It has been accused by bankruptcy judges of using dubious tactics to issue mortgages to unqualified borrowers, and has been at the center of the nation’s still-unfolding mortgage crisis. In the last three quarters, Countrywide has lost $2.5 billion, …
Just like any organized crime group, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has a long and established history of using fraud, deceit and intimidation to achieve its goals. ACORN uses intimidation to shake down corporations for operating funds, deceives its own employees into supporting causes they don’t believe in, and cheats the entire country by submitting fraudulent voter registrations. ACORN is also adept at co-opting government power to fund and legitimize a criminal enterprise. It has been winning federal money since the Carter administration and routinely receives …
