Article: “Protester in SF attempts to handcuff Bush advisor.”
Last year, the biggest convention excitement was getting to see middle aged mortgage bankers fire up their lighters watching Pat Benatar sing “love is a Battlefield.” This year, it was quite different. While the army of suits were in evidence, on a couple of the days, there were actual protestors (about 20) screaming at us as we entered the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Their posters, banners and signs proclaimed “Housing is a Right,” which as a base human need, could garner strong appeal. However, bankers make loans not housing…and frankly, there are no “rights” to that.
I did notice that the protestors didn’t have a lot of stamina, as they all left pretty early in the morning. But apparently, that was a ruse to bring their protests inside. The Convention did have a lot more security than ever before, so after the two big intrusions into the general session, many were wondering how they got in. Apparently – THEY REGISTERED! I got that from a friend that works for the MBA.
As I walked through the gauntlet, I waved and was cordial…and I was told I “should go to jail and didn’t deserve a bailout.” Funny thing is…I didn’t get a bailout.. nor did 99% of the convention. Those titans of the mortgage industry don’t wander among the booths picking up toys, pens and post-it notes. In addition, most of the bad guys are gone – beset by repurchase demands, losses and withering lines of credit. Those left are mainly small business owners hoping to find relief to continue serving their clients and keep their employees.
When the protestor in the general session with Rove and McConnell went onstage, she made a beeline for Karl Rove intending to execute a “citizen’s arrest.” While he is not my favorite Machiavellian politico, I still doubt he knows there is a T in mortgage. I assume Dem McConnell wasn’t a target because they didn’t recognize him.
It made the news, which is probably all they were hoping for…but it reminds me of the concept of drowning and being angry with the water.
We all hope for change, and are working our best in the craziest environment most of us have ever seen.
