FEBRUARY 10, 2008 --

The New York Times, in its lead story, January 17, reported  that President Bush and Democrats in Congress are trying to establish "a package that would put more money in Americans' hands in the next few months."   

LPR's major response: wouldn't people have more money if credit cards were not allowed to squeeze people with usurious interest rates?  LPR also wonders if the Times wants us to think that Republicans in Congress are unconcerned about the economy, whose problems, for LPR, derive from predatory free enterprise practices that include interest rates ranging from 18% to well over 30%.  

(BTW -- what is the view of  President Bush and Democrats in Congress on credit card usury?  Indeed, what is the view of presidential candidates on credit card usury? And yes, Fred Thompson, your campaign letter would have resounded for LPR had you affirmed the "common good" principles set forth in Federalist No. 57 and called for cooperative free enterprise as an economic approach supporting the political concept of government of, by and for the people. As LPR sees it, predatory economics does not serve the common good, and cannot promote popular government.)