Stacy Kaper and Jim Tankersley, October 20, National Journal online, struggling, yes, struggling mightily--confined in what they can write on account for working for a "respectable" insider and Inside the Beltway publication--to grasp why the GOP presidential candidates are so mum on constructive ideas to deal with the housing crisis.

Um, I don't know, a few guesses on that...:

*they don't have any constructive ideas on what to do about it

*if they did, they wouldn't dare offer them for fear Obama might use their support to try to get Congressional Republicans to adopt them (for actions requiring legislative approval).  Because above all else they are unwilling to say anything which might benefit the economy prior to next November.  Because, you know, that could help Obama's chances.  To the contrary, they are very much on board with the GOP agenda to sabatoge any such attempts as their primary election-year strategy. 

*they don't want to sink their chances for the nomination by subjecting themselves to charges of bailing out irresponsible mortgage holders, which in the GOP primary voter conception may include just about all troubled mortgage holders these days.

*some combination of the above 

The apparent belief by the writers that the GOP presidential candidates actually are interested in helping improve the economy prior to next November with good policy suggestions is really very touching.

Now, if the President, on top of his American Jobs Act push (I hope he adds and pushes hard in support of Rep. Schakowsky jobs bill) would take aggressive steps now to change this ugly reality...

President Obama, meanwhile, has given GOP candidates a huge opening on housing by pursuing a suite of anemic policies since taking office.