Yep. Congress controls spending so the finger is pointed at the Democrat Party. And to make matters worse, Obama was badmouthing the economy throughout much of 2008 and part of 2009. Whoever didn't take their money out of the stock market during this time lost big.
So, the Democratic Congress in 2007 spent or didn't spend what that caused the recession?
Not entirely, but their inaction played a big part. This mess has been brewing for years and those to blame are on both sides of the political aisle, but the Dems must take most of the blame.
I was once amused to see someone post that the Community Reinvestment Act could not have been to blame for the housing crisis because the number of low-income loans was so low.
Uh, no. What the person did not understand was that the government encouraged banks to give out bad loans and if they didn't they would get a low rating from a regulatory agency. (Read coercion.) Low rating = bad for the bank. So government meddling created an atmosphere of bad lending practices. Yes, there is more to it, but you get the idea. (And the FDIC chairman even said the CRA didn't cause the housing debacle.

How sad is that? A fox guarding the hen house.)
So the Dems started us down this road (including some Republicans) of Crony Capitalism and government coercion and did nothing to stop it. You could see it from a mile away. Thank goodness I saw it.
Uh, no. The CRA banned the practice of banks refusing to lend to QUALIFIED minorities who were trying to buy homes in white neighborhoods.
CRA loans were not the high risk, high interest ARMs that were the cause of the meltdown. CRA sub-prime loans were only 1 point over prime and they adjusted DOWN to prime if the home buyer made their payments on time for 2 years.
It was Bush's 2003 American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) that changed the rules to allow no downpayment loans to people with bad credit for more than the house was worth and who were at least 20% below the standard for the neighborhood.
American Dream Downpayment Initiative - Affordable Housing - CPD - HUD
American Dream Downpayment Initiative
Summary
The American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) was
signed into law on December 16, 2003. The American Dream Downpayment Assistance Act authorizes up to $200 million annually for fiscal years 2004 - 2007. ADDI will provide funds to all fifty states and to local participating jurisdictions that have a population of at least 150,000 or will receive an allocation of at least $50,000 under the ADDI formula. ADDI will be administered as a part of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, a formula grant program.
Purpose
ADDI aims to increase the homeownership rate, especially among lower income and minority households, and to revitalize and stabilize communities.
ADDI will help first-time homebuyers with the biggest hurdle to homeownership: downpayment and closing costs. The program was created to assist low-income first-time homebuyers in purchasing single-family homes by
providing funds for downpayment, closing costs, and rehabilitation carried out in conjunction with the assisted home purchase.
Type of Assistance
ADDI will provide
downpayment, closing costs, and rehabilitation assistance to eligible individuals. The amount of ADDI assistance provided may not exceed $10,000 or six percent of the purchase price of the home, whichever is greater. The rehabilitation must be completed within one year of the home purchase. Rehabilitation may include, but is not limited to, the reduction of lead paint hazards and the remediation of other home health hazards.
Eligible Customers
To be eligible for ADDI assistance, individuals must be first-time homebuyers interested in purchasing single family housing. A first-time homebuyer is defined as an individual and his or her spouse who have not owned a home during the three-year period prior to the purchase of a home with ADDI assistance. ADDI funds may be used to purchase one- to four- family housing, condominium unit, cooperative unit, or manufactured housing. Additionally,
individuals who qualify for ADDI assistance must have incomes not exceeding 80% of area median income.
Eligible Activities
ADDI funds may be used for downpayment, closing costs and, if necessary, rehabilitation in conjunction with home purchase. ADDI funds used for rehabilitation may not exceed twenty percent of the participating jurisdiction's total ADDI allocation. The rehabilitation assisted with ADDI funds must be completed within one year of the home purchase.
Funding Status
In FY 2007, Congress appropriated $24,750,000 for ADDI. Previously, Congress appropriated $74,513,000 in FY2003 and $86,984 in FY2004, $49,600,000 in FY2005 and $24,750,000 in FY2006. HUD has issued formula allocations for FY 2007 to assist participating jurisdictions in preparing their consolidated plans.
Obtaining Assistance
First, check the formula allocation page to determine whether your local HOME administering agency received ADDI funding. If they did not receive ADDI funding, ADDI funds may be available through your state. Every state received ADDI funds. The contacts for state are available in the HOME administering agency list.
USATODAY.com - Bush seeks to increase minority homeownership
Bush seeks to increase minority homeownership
By Thomas A. Fogarty, USA TODAY
In a bid to boost minority homeownership, President Bush will ask Congress for authority to eliminate the down-payment requirement for Federal Housing Administration loans.
In announcing the plan Monday at a home builders show in Las Vegas, Federal Housing Commissioner John Weicher called the proposal the "most significant FHA initiative in more than a decade." It would lead to 150,000 first-time owners annually, he said.
Nothing-down options are available on the private mortgage market, but, in general, they require the borrower to have pristine credit.
Bush's proposed change would extend the nothing-down option to borrowers with blemished credit.
The FHA isn't a direct lender, but guarantees loan payments for mortgages on moderately priced owner-occupied property. The FHA guarantee now permits private lenders to finance as much as 97% of the purchase price of a home for millions of low- and middle-income borrowers.
In the proposal soon to be delivered to Congress, Bush would allow the FHA to guarantee loans for the full purchase price of the home, plus down-payment costs. As a practical matter, the FHA would guarantee mortgages as high as 103% of the value of the underlying property.