TRENTON – In light of President Bush’s visit to New Jersey on Friday, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) is asking why the Bush Administration has provided over $250 billion to Wall Street banks in bailout money, while continuing to shortchange the average American. Bush will be visiting a credit counseling agency in Freehold, NJ, to hold a discussion on the current mortgage meltdown.
“These Wall Street brokerages backed high risk loans to people who they knew were unable to adhere to the payment plans, but they did it anyway,” said Gusciora. “When the loan defaults, the government is now providing a soft landing to the banks, but letting families go homeless.”
The Federal Government has supported such programs as “Project Lifeline” and “New Hope Alliance,” which do little more than counsel homeowners on resolving possible foreclosures.
“While the Bush Administration provides liquid cash to banks,” continued Gusciora, “they give the homeowner a 1-800 number, a mountain of restrictions, and only 30 days to resolve their problem.”
New Jersey currently ranks 13 th in the amount of foreclosures occurring per state. In Trenton alone, 314 high risk, sub-prime mortgages were issued in 2006, with many expected to default. Housing experts contend that house values can decrease as much as $2,100 for every neighboring home that goes into foreclosure.
“This problem will not go away by dropping off truckloads of cash at Wall Street’s doorstep,” concluded Gusciora. “Unfortunately, the Bush Administration continues to rescue the businessman instead of the working man. He is the most disappointing President in my lifetime.”

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama defended his association once again with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright during a radio interview with popular Philadelphia WPHT radio host Michael Smerconish.
The taped interviewed aired today during Smerconish's morning show. Obama did not appear live because is on a family vacation to the Virgin Islands.
Obama continues to defend Wright saying the minister's controversial words were taken out of context.
"This is a pillar of the community, and if you go there on Easter, this Easter Sunday, and you sat down there in the pew, you would think this is just like any other church."
Wright has stepped down as an active pastor of the church, but Obama said he never heard any controversial comments when he was present at services.
"The ones that are most offensive are ones that I never knew about until they were reported on. . . . I don't want to suggest that somehow, the loops you have been seeing typified services all the time. But that is the danger of the YouTube era. It doesn't excuse what he said. But it does give it some perspective," he said.
Obama said Wright is a respected minister.
"Bill Clinton invited him to the White House when he was having his personal crises," he said.

- Newsmax contributed to this report.

I’m still dizzy from Obama’s spin in Philadelphia . Here’s a guy who was the first to jump up on his soap-box and insist that Imus be fired for his one-off remarks about a basketball team, yet rationalized to a kool-aid drinking public why his pastor of many years wasn’t a bad guy, just misunderstood. Thanks to YouTube, videos of "Reverend Wright" preaching God Damn America have now been seen by scores of millions. There's no way to take it back, no way to ignore it, no way to excuse it.

Ophra Winfrey was a member of the same church in the 1990's and bailed a short period after hearing some of the pastor's remarks. What would be Martin Luther King's reaction be to a Jeremiah Wright “God Damn America" sermon? If Hillary’s pastor was a Klansman, yet she only repudiated his remarks after coming under campaign pressure, would we believe her?

Hate is Hate – Spin is Spin – If racist hate baiting is sugar coated with eloquent speeches, this is not the CHANGE that America needs or deserves.
Ken Robinson
Ocean, NJ

Washington, D.C. - Senator Barak Obama's retiring pastor has come under intense criticism for his searing critiques of American foreign policy, including his call for God to "damn" America and his suggestion that 9-11 was deserved.
A member of the nearly all white and fast declining 1.1 million-member United Church of Christ (UCC), Rev. Jeremiah Wright pastors Chicago's Trinity Church, which is the UCC's largest congregation. Officials of the UCC are among the furthest left among major American church denominations.
UCC President John Thomas has fulsomely affirmed Wright's ministry, declaring on March 17 that many "would prefer to avoid the stark and startling language" that Wright employs.
The Institute on Religion and Democracy Director of UM Action Mark Tooley said:
"Instead of directly engaging the Rev. Wright's intemperate language about our nation, the UCC leadership quickly redirects attention to the ostensibly harsher crimes of U.S. foreign policy.

"Senator Obama quickly disavowed Wright's unpleasant remarks about America. Unfortunately, Wright's own denominational officials could not discern any problems with the pastor's harsh words."

"Wright's anti-American rhetoric and far-left politics echo mostly white Religious Left elites much more than so than the traditions of historically African-American churches. His liberal views on homosexuality further separate him from the beliefs of black churches. Wright should be seen as a product of declining liberal Mainline Protestantism, not as a representative of the black church."

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama set the tone on Tuesday regarding the discussion about race. Taking the political high ground, Obama not only stepped up to the plate but took his critics head on and challenged them to be more positive about the race discussion to move the country forward and not remain stagnant.
Blogs around the world have been recording folks reactions with many believing this was the most powerful speech he has given to date and other believing he is just another used car salesman.
Many were disappointed that Obama just denounced Rev. Wright’s rhetoric and not the man. Many equated what he said with his character, which Obama quickly justified in his speech that the man is much more than the highly inflammatory sermon he gave.
Obama turned a negative into a positive and with many equating his speech to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream speech” or President John Kennedy’s speech inspiring Americans to do what they can to move the country forward.
But Obama’s speech is much more than that, he made history.
Bobleblah on the Huffington Post blog said it best:
“Wow! he said it all. This speech is of historic nature. This is the stuff of History. For those of you who can step back from the news cycle and understand it, take hold of this.The thoughtfulness of Barack's world view simply reinforces to me just how much of the real deal he is. For those of you who hate Barack, I have no doubt you will do your job and continue to Hate. I feel sorry for you because History is skipping right by you. For those of you who support Barack, don't even get yourself worked up, while arguing with those who want to scuff up the shine on these Historic words by Sen Obama. This is a time to be proud of a presidential candidate who has shown candidness on the most taboo subject in our country. And he did it with the grace and dignity that has been the hall mark of the way he has conducted himself.To those of you who hate Barack Obama, I have NO DOUBT you will keep on hating, afterall,thats what you were put here to do. For those of you who see the opportunity we all have in front of us at this moment, take a deep breath and feel proud of what has just taken place. You have have just heard the words of a real leader. Calm, collected and imbued with a dignity and class that should make us all proud. But thats JUST my opinion.”
No matter who you are in America discussion racial issues is an emotional one. Whether that discussion involves office politics, family politics, or your allegiance to a political party racial discussion have taken on a new tone.
Are you up for the disucssion.