Finding that he no longer had the support of his colleagues in the Philippine Senate, Senator Manuel B. Villar tendered his resignation today as President of the Philippine Senate. He will be succeeded by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, former cabinet member during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

Before his resignation, Villar has declared his intention to run for president of the Philippines in the 2010 national elections. At the time of his public declaration, he was considered as one the most popular candidate for the presidency. Some opinion surveys disclosed that if elections were held at the time of his declaration, he would be a sure winner.

Realizing Villar's popularity as a potential presidential contender, some of his colleagues in the senate who are also eyeing the presidency have asked the senate blue ribbon committee to investigate Villar' possible involvement in graft and corruption for having used his influence in the release of public funds to benefit his vast property holdings. The subject funds were used to build right of way roads that would traverse his properties thereby converting them into instant prime lands. Villar is the nation's richest politician and owner of vast tracks of land located all over the country for future land development.

The issue of graft and corruption hurled mostly by some of his colleagues in the senate who are themselves eyeing the presidency, has greatly diminished Villar's popularity as president of the senate. Villar must have left the senate presidency with a heavy heart because he was never involved in any controversy involving misuse of government funds. He has managed to keep his hands clean even during his incumbency as congressman from Las Pinas and as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Villar said that the tenure of the senate president depends on the numbers supporting him. In this case he thinks that he no longer has that support. “I've been informed this afternoon that I no longer have the support of the majority members. I now therefore tender my resignation” he said.

AIG, another huge company, who backs up the firms, who have to write down mortgages which default, with insurance, was on the edge of filing bankruptcy. They needed a bridge loan to continue with their operations, the Federal Reserve reluctantly stepped in to help the company stay afloat. The loan was granted, because, to not grant the loan would have been devastating to the markets.

Washington Mutual, the largest Savings and Loan, in the United States, whose stock fell to forty-eight cents per share, in the past week, found itself on the verge of bankruptcy as well. The company was taken over by J. P. Morgan Chase, shareholders lost everything. Many offices will be closed and many employees will probably be laid off.

At this moment, another large bank, Wachovia, is in preliminary talks with Wells Fargo, Citi-group, and a Spanish bank, for a possible merger. Wachovia's stock price has fallen, to ten dollars a share.

The wheels came off of giant corporations, in a time period of a few months. This has culminated, in the last week or so, to a point where the Federal Reserve and the FDIC, could see that there might be a collapse of the entire financial structure, in the United States, which would ultimately affect global markets as well.

Up to the Hill, the Federal Reserve Chairman and the Secretary of the Treasury went, information in hand, explaining that, the country was on the verge of a total collapse, of the financial markets, unless there was a huge infusion of liquidity into the system. The plan they had, was that a seven hundred dollar bailout plan, be approved, which included funds to purchase defaulted, sub-prime mortgages, which were bogging down the large banks and mortgage companies, which in turn shut down the cash flow to borrowers, and lowered the credit status of the banks, causing them not to be able to borrow money.

In fact, during the past week, banks stopped lending over-night funds to other banks, based on the idea that the Federal Reserve might not come to their rescue. In effect causing a credit freeze. The lawmakers in the House and the Senate, wrestled with the three page document submitted to them by the White House, along with the Secretary of the Treasury and Federal Reserve Chairman.

After meeting with Fed Chairman Bernanke and Secretary of the Treasury Paulson, the lawmakers on the Hill realized they were indeed dealing with a major crisis, and set out to review and revise the three page plan given to them to pass, in order to deal with the impending financial crisis.

They announced a tentative deal on one day and it fell apart the next day. They went back to the table, bringing along the “Young Turks” as some of the Republicans in the House, are called, who were not in agreement with the tentative plan.

As of today, Sunday, there appears to be an agreement, which includes some of the provisions requested by the House Republicans and most of the original points required by the Democrats and Senator Obama. The bill will be posted on the internet, for review, one place to find the text, would be CNN money.com, should you wish to read it. Now the whipping will come into play, to bring as many Representatives and Senators, along, as the leaders can, to vote for, and pass the bill. There is not an assurance that the bill will pass. After two days and nights of trying to get a passable bill, Speaker Pelosi has inferred that the particulars of the bill, are now closed.

The final points included in the bill are:

Seven Billion dollars - total package

Two Hundred and Fifty Billion dollars- first installment

The President will release the second installment of One Hundred Billion dollars.

The final Three Hundred and Fifty Billion dollars, will have to be approved by Congress for release, after review Curbs will be placed on executive pay for some firms Oversight Board will be put in place An insurance component will be included Individuals with foreclosed properties, will be able to renegotiate their rates, and possibly stay in their homes The agreement is now one-hundred and ten pages, there will be a review of the agreement, by those House members and Senators, and we will see if the bill passes.

Senator's Obama and McCain, are said to be cautiously backing the bill. Some lawmakers do not think anything will happen, but the trouble is, many negative things are already happening.

My question would be, with the value of the dollar so low, and the devalued credit worthiness of the United States' financial system, in play, what country will be interested in holding, United States' Treasury Bills and Bonds? The financial unraveling of the U. S. markets, may be a perceived crisis, already too late to be contained.

I firmly believe that there are no good answers at the extreme end of any spectrum, yet this whole election process serves best to galvanize the public to one pole or the other. Each camp hurls accusations at the other, and tries to spin the events the show themselves in the best light, but there is no truth to be found anywhere.

The Republicans try their best to paint Obama as a narcissistic and a self proclaimed Demi-God. Meanwhile the Democrats suppose to convince us that McCain is just part of the same old conservative show. Neither of these assertions holds water, anymore than cheesecloth. I heard one conservative talk show host try to make up some mileage on the fact that a couple of old women switched flags after Hillary was spanked out the picture; and you really have to give me a break on this one. Those two adamantly feminist crones would have thrown in with the Nazis if they'd had a woman on the ticket.

If you want to know for whom you're voting, then you need to go back before they began posturing. Obama, in his writing and pre campaign comments has exposed himself to be a sensitive and humble man with a very liberal new world viewpoint. Here is a man who had to get permission from his wife to run for President. I am not joking. I paraphrase Mrs. Obama when I say, “Alright dear, you may run for President if you like, but you must quit smoking before you do.”

On the other side, McCain has a 26-year career of being an irascible curmudgeon. He has butted heads with whomever he chooses in order to do what he wishes. I am certain that in his mind, he has never been proven wrong.

So there you have your choices, a charming but essentially weak Socialist, or a bully

The sad thing is, though, that it really doesn't make a big hill of beans for whom we vote. The president is only one person, and no matter who they think they are, they can't swim against the tide for long.

It takes an obscene amount of money to be elected to an office; especially at the Federal level. Candidates and incumbents from both sides of the aisle take their money from the same people and entities, who are largely paying for influence and favor. Who among us is foolish enough to believe that these politicians would take this lucre from the elite among us, then not serve them and expect to receive their support in the future. They are corrupt, not stupid. There is a reason why we essentially have no middle class left in this country.

More upsetting than all of this is that the whole thing reminds me of everything that is wrong with us. We have deadly serious social problems in this culture and are in effect being attacked from all sides, but few among us have the good sense to realize that we are in a war. We have largely become a nation of people who reason by emotion. Most of us having a fully functional Pre-fontal Lobe use it only to justify our own actions and attitudes. We react largely out of fear and anger when faced with the results of complicated social issues, like so many children trying to escape the bogeyman. Some of us, however, have risen to the point where we can muster some good, old fashion moral outrage against that which we do not understand and have convinced ourselves that we would never do. Most of us, though, are just self-absorbed isolationists, who have learned to live in denial of that which we believe we can't change; victims, like as many women who seek the comfort of sympathizers and rail for vindication. Rarely do we take responsibility for our own lives, the choices we make, or the actions we take. Everything is someone else's fault or blame.

We are not living in the golden age of reason, and I don't see any great change on the horizon. When this election is over, we will say hooray or boo, and maybe oh well, but will eventually turn our heads down and scuttle back to our little holes, where we will let the world go by. Only occasionally will we pop out and manage to point a finger at someone else, before hiding again.

I live in this mess, and being unable to escape it, have been victimized by it. I am not willing to be a victim, though, but having no authority or platform by which to change this place, I can only pick up my trumpet and blow.

The policy would contain measures such as, allowing off shore drilling on the Eastern Coast, and more drilling, on the Gulf Coast. With the infrastructure, already in place in the Gulf Coast area, it will make it easier to get the oil to the refineries, according to the lawmakers. In addition, drilling would be allowed fifty miles, off the coast of Florida. Other states on the lower Eastern seaboard, would be allowed the option of drilling or not drilling. Re-cycling of nuclear energy into electrical power generation would be a part of the policy as well, as is, the consideration of the inclusion of more nuclear power plants. Automobiles with battery run engines and alternative fuel sources will be a consideration. Wind energy as a power source is also a major part of the policy. They will take a full inventory of where the American assets are located, to assess what is owned and what amount of revenue is being generated, versus what amount could be generated. In the past, it was thought the amount of revenue generated could possible be five billion dollars, when the actual assessment was made, it turned out to be thirty billion dollars. An assessment is warranted. New technology will also be used to find out where the new sources of energy are located. Automobiles, which will be lighter in weight, with consideration to safety, to benefit an increase in gas mileage, will be explored for development, in the future. Twenty billion dollars is needed to implement the policy as a start. The group known as The Energy and Natural Resources Committee, headed up by Senator Saxby Chambliss and Senator Kent Conrad also said that, there will be a proposal in the policy, to establish a National Commission on Energy Policy. The old energy policy will be replaced by this new energy policy. Section 99 of the Internal Revenue Tax Code will also be reviewed, as a part of the new policy.

The bill will be submitted for review and codification over the next thirty days. The committee, hopes to have a balanced energy policy, when everything is completed. The committee expects to have a full hearing on the bill by September.

But don't ask him if McCain was right about the surge, because he'll tell you his idea was better even though all of congress voted for it. No matter how you look at it, Obama is enjoying acting as our president. Shooting some baskets while the wife sits among selected soldiers does not make one the leader of the greatest free country in the world. I can tell you from experience that the Army only selected Obama supporters and desk jockeys to attend any get together. That's Army protocol.

He was against the surge in Iraq even though he is enjoying the results of it now by putting on his little sideshow. Since he was so much against it, why does he want to use it in Afghanistan? The real fighters in the military are afraid of this clown with the big ears. He wanted to pull them out of the war and admit defeat six months ago! And all of you hippie Obama types that have fallen for his great dream speeches should realize that he's going to copy McCain's ideas for Afghanistan if you elect him. So do you vote for the copier or the person that's the real innovator and leader?

The American people are blaming one person for its struggling economy: George W. Bush. I do not really think that it is right to place the blame on only one person, so I am going to place it on a group of people: the Democrats.

Ever since the Democrats have had control of the Senate, America has struggled. We have a never ending war, the rising price of oil, a slumping housing market, and struggling banks. I want everyone to know that the President is not to blame, it's the Democrats.

The solution is to let the Democrats do what they want for a while. Give them a little power. Then America will eventually permit every gay and lesbian couple to get married, and let everyone that wants an abortion get one. And as time goes by, there won't be any more democrats.

• Spike Lee has come out saying that when Obama is elected, it will be a "Chocolate City"!
  
• Obama promised to debate McCain anywhere and anytime. Now he will only debate him on the 4th of July when almost every American will not be home!
  
• He has promised to bring all ethnicities together but would not let Muslim women set behind him.
  
• He now is sporting his own personal seal which resembles the Presidential Seal! Is this the beginning of the Obama Republic? How arrogant!
  
• Mosheh Oinounou, writes that McCain Campaign Senior Adviser Steve Schmidt says: "As we scrutinize Barack Obama's words, it is increasingly difficult for those of us with the responsibility of following this year's election closely to discern what Obama truly believes at his core on the issues of great importance to the American people."
  
• Barack Obama said during the primaries, "Don't tell me words don't matter." That's all he has done is speak words without any explanations of any plans to restore our country!
  
• Obama reversed his position on accepting general election public financing. This change in position comes after nearly two years of speaking to and signing his name to his commitment to the public financing system. In the end, Barack Obama's words were empty and he decided to break his pledge to accept public financing in the general election.
  
• The energy policy that he assails for being a Bush-Cheney creation for the benefit of the oil companies is the very same energy policy he voted for in the 2005 Energy Bill. Again, Barack Obama's words on energy are empty and actually contrary to his own public record.
  
• His tax increases would hurt the economy and American workers.
  
• Obama consistently attacks John McCain for favoring "tax breaks to corporations." Yet, he recently told The Wall Street Journal that he too was considering cutting corporate taxes. Just last month, Barack Obama called corporate tax cuts "the exact wrong prescription for America." On one day, Barack Obama took two positions on one issue, again leaving observers and voters unsure of what he really believes.
  
• Throughout the primaries, Barack Obama has been determined to withdraw from Iraq regardless of the consequences or the facts on the ground. This week, Barack Obama talked with the Iraqi Foreign Minister. According to The Washington Post, the Foreign Minister left the conversation "reassured". The ABC News headline captures this perplexing issue clearly: "Obama and Iraqi Foreign Minister have Different Memories of their Conversation." In our foreign policy, we cannot afford a president whose public words are discounted by allies and enemies alike.
  
• OBAMA said: "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided." Yet, only a day later, Barack Obama said the future of Jerusalem would have to be negotiated by Israel and the Palestinians. Barack Obama was no longer prepared to say that Jerusalem should be undivided.
  
• At a time when we need a break on gas, Obama is still against any tax cuts which would help the common people!
  

Every word out of his mouth about wanting to help the common people of this nation is a lie! If you don't wake up, We'll have Obama as our Supreme Commander, Farrakhan as our Nation Defense Secretary, Father Michael Pfleger as Minister of Intelligence, Reverend Wright as Minister of Education and Reverend Al Sharpton as Minister of Justice! The time is coming unless America wakes up, we will all be singing, "Hail to the Supreme Commander Obama." (That is if the White Race is not ethnically cleansed by the new Supreme Order!)

The Chinese are trying to poison our children and pets with lead. Now they are slurping up our greatly needed oil just 50 miles of the coast of Florida! We have more oil in just 3 of our states than the whole Middle East combined. Who is allowing this to tear down our democracy? Is there some kind of pact we don't know about? The Democrats in Congress have the majority but refuse to do anything unless they can pocket a huge amount of money in the process. How many of them do you think owns stock in petroleum? Everyone thinks the good old Democratic Party represents the poor and middle classes. That's an old theory now. I'm tired of the Democrats setting on their rear-ends, doing nothing. Then when the people ask why nothing is being done, they just set around and point a finger at the poor President! Even Obama the new Dali Lama, has people believing he will help them. It's a lie! How can you help people by saying you are going to increase the tax on coal and natural gas? Wake up people! That's just going to increase your power bills even more! He says that he wants to send everyone more money to stimulate the economy and help the people. I don't know about you but, I think that may only equal about 5 trips to the gas station. That just means more money in the pockets of the petroleum companies! I'm glad that Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio told Obama to stick Vice Presidency in his ear!

The unheard majority, THE HANDICAPPED, need to be heard also. Most of my readers have no idea what it's like to be disabled. You take our parking spots when you're completely healthy. Until you pull up to a store and dread having to walk to the short distance to the entrance because it feels like you're running a marathon, or until you dream at night hoe you used to run and enjoy life, then wake up to the reality that you can hardly walk or can't walk, or you get hit with diabetes or heart problems and the GOODY-GOODY TWO SHOES people of the world prevent you from being cured through stem cell research, will you ever understand. As long as you remain not handicapped you won't really care as long as it's the other person, not you that needs the help. Try this little experiment. Tie a board to an arm or leg, or both, and go the whole day that way. Then tell the government there is no need for stem cell research!

Thank God for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute that was featured last week on 60 minutes! It gives all of us handicapped a gleam of light at the end of a very long tunnel. Someone cares! Amazing! Maybe we can all walk again!

So, no fuel, no money, no food, no help to cure the sick, food being poisoned, toys and pet food being poisoned, a do nothing congress, all being determined by outside sources. TO ME THAT'S WAR!

Before he was Known

Interestingly enough Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents separated when he was two, only later divorcing. His mother remarried and the family moved to Indonesia in 1967. Obama attended local schools in Jakarta. When he was ten he returned to Honolulu where he attended Punahou School until his graduation from high school. After graduating from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama showed interest in and worked as a university professor and lawyer. He also surprisingly won the election to become the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.

Senate Years

Eventually Obama was attracted to the Senate. While there it is interesting to note that he aided legislation to control weapons and to slow down improper use of federal funds. He has also been fascinated by and furthered legislation concerning electoral fraud and care for individuals returning from U.S. military duty.

Specifically Obama voted for the Energy Policy Act of 2005. He cosponsored the "Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act". While also supporting a bill called the Secure Fence Act, authorizing construction of fencing and other security improvements along the United States-Mexico border. Not to mention the intriguing "Coburn-Obama Transparency Act" which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov. Obama was concerned with eliminating gifts by lobbyists to members of Congress therefore instating the requirement to disclose campaign contributions under the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act". Similarly he put forwards S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive methods employed in federal elections, such as fraudulent flyers and automated phone centers. Obama also introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007," a bill to limit troop numbers in Iraq.

Campaign for Presidency

During his campaign Obama is absorbed in not only ending the Iraq war but advancing energy independence and adopting universal health care. Yet he also has a knack for absorbing endorsements. In January of 2008 he raised $36.8 million, the most ever by a candidate in that amount of time. Then again he peaked our curiosity by rasing $57 million in February!

One of his highly publicized moves was the submission of resignation concerning his membership with Trinity. "It's clear that now ... every time something is said in the church by anyone associated with Trinity, including guest pastors, the remarks will imputed to me even if they totally conflict with my long-held views, statements and principles."

Hamas and other terrorist organizations are hoping he wins so it will be easier to defeat us. Ahmadinejad is licking his chops and telling the world that the unraveling of the United States has begun! He will cleanse the earth by destroying anyone that does not follow his beliefs.

Senators and Congressmen have decided they know better than the people, and selected a Demon with a gold tongue. They actually believe he can control the world and make the people believe all is well with extreme taxation so the Delegates and Super Delegates can gain riches and wealth beyond their wildest dreams! They will be able to have uncontrolled power or the peasants. We won't need an Army as long as the Golden Tongued Warrior exists.

YOU IDIOTS! You have just picked Obama to lead the Democrats because of his speech and race. Just like an American Idol gets selected. Well, when malls start blowing up, you have no money because taxes are so high, and our troops get defeated because of poor morale and not enough supplies; just remember that you selected Obama the Great to lead this country to its destruction. JUST AS IT HAPPENED DURING THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. Someday, someone will read in the history books about a country named "The United States Of America" that was the strongest in the world, but the stupid people failed to see all the warning signs about this man, and collapsed!