Many people here and elsewhere have said many things about the current financial problems.  I have yet to see anyone give a definitive case about what caused these problems?  

1.  Was it deregulation?  If so, which specific bill(s) was passed by which Congress and signed by which President that caused this problem and what specifically was it that the law did that caused the problem?

2.  Was it an over-priced housing market?  What caused the market to turn downward?

3.  Was it loans to people who could not afford the home in the first place or loans to people who were flipping homes and got caught holding the properties when the prices fell and they no longer could sell them to recoup their investment?  If so, who was at fault for this being possible and what specific action caused this to happen?

4.  Was it caused by greed of people?  Which people and what did they do that caused these problems?

5.  What specifically did any current or past President do that helped bring about these problems.  What specific legislation or action was taken by a President that led to these problems?

6.  What did Republican Representatives or Senators do to cause these problems?  What specific legislation or action did they take that led to these problems?

7.  What did Democrat Representatives or Senators do to cause these problems?  What specific legislation or action did they take that led to these problems?

8.  What specifically did AIG, Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Washington Mutual, Wachovia Bank, etc. do wrong and, what should happen to those companies?  Which ones should be allowed to continue to exist and which ones should not?

9.  Were any government agencies lax in their duties?  What specifically did they do wrong and what should they have done to avert these problems?

10.  Was it the price of gasoline or the war?  Again, if you believe these helped cause the financial problems where we may spend $1 trillion to possibly restore stability to the markets, housing or whatever, please be specific in providing evidence that these caused the current problems.

11.  Last week we were told that if something wasn't done by last Friday, the world, as we know it, would come to a financial end.  Then it was Monday and on Monday, the market went down a bunch.  On Tuesday, today, the DJIA went up nearly 500 points.  Huh?  What happened to the end?  Could the end not actually come if there is not a "bailout?"

I am not seeking answers from everyone.  I am not trolling to start an argument or a debate.  I am seeking answers from knowledgable people who can explain these things to me in an understandable manner and as free from bias as possible.  I understand that the last part may be asking a bunch here, but I am curious as to what actually caused this mess.  If one knows of a great online source that gives a great detailed explanation, I would gladly like to review that source.  Thanks.

I have enjoyed this day and reading all of the comments about Gov. Sarah Palin.  I find it fascinating how various people look at candidates when they are first introduced, especially, when it is someone who is not known by most Americans.  How much do we really know about the Governor?  I truthfully cannot say that I know very much about her.

I have seen many comments about her lack of experience.  Due to the responses I have read, how about a little quiz to check out her competency and its possible impact on the election:

1.  In 1968, the two VEEP candidates were Edmund Muskie and Spiro Agnew.  Which candidate was more experienced and which one became VEEP?

2.  In 1988, the two VEEP candidates were Lloyd Bentsen and Dan Quayle.  Which candidate was more experienced and which one became VEEP?

I am editing the original launch to let people know that I will not be responding to comments made here. I tried last night and this morning to reply, but someone keeps nuking my responses. While some here can use vulgarity and call people names, there are some people who cannot express their comments in a civil manner. One could come to the conclusion that there are some here who are not sure enough of their views to have them challenged. That's a shame. Civil discourse should be the standard of judgment and not complete obedience to an administrators point of view. I have voted for Democrats. I am not a Democrat, per se; however, I don't plan to vote for McCain. At this point, I am unsure of where my vote will land. **smooch** to you, Stipe. Have a good day.