FREDDIE MAC

Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney sought to create doubts about rival Newt Gingrich among South Carolina conservatives on Saturday by criticizing his highly paid work for mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

The U.S. Senate OK'd on Saturday a $1 trillion bill to fund the government and a two-month extension of the payroll-tax cut, capping a contentious political year while preparing the arena for a fresh battle in 2012.

Deeply divided U.S. lawmakers on Friday eked out an agreement to extend payroll-tax cuts for just two months, and only after Democrats bowed to Republican demands on a controversial oil pipeline.

Following her assault on Gingrich during last night's GOP debate, Bachmann's campaign team went for the jugular in an attack on Newt Gingrich's politics and integrity, telling reporters he was a false conservative who morphs his views according to who's paying him. As the GOP presidential hopefuls head to the Iowa caucuses, Bachmann is pulling no punches in her attack.

After Congressional negotiators signed off Thursday night on a $1 trillion omnibus spending bill that would avert a shutdown and fund the federal government through September, lawmakers' focus returned to the ongoing negotiations over the extension of the payroll tax cut.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday sued six former executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with securities fraud, alleging that they knew and approved of misleading statements related to the companies' holdings of subprime loans.

Securities regulators sued former top executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Friday, saying they misled investors over exposure to risky mortgages.

The Republican frontrunner in the run up to the U.S. Presidential elections, Newt Gingrich, had to face considerable criticism from his rivals, in the final GOP debate of the year and before the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3. Gingrich, throughout the debate, fought back allegations levied against him and compared himself to former Republican President, Ronald Reagan.

Front-runner Newt Gingrich came under sharp attack from rival Republican presidential candidates Thursday night at the last debate before Iowa launches the 2012 election season.

U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates fell in the week ending Dec. 15 to 3.94 percent, matching an all-time historic low, according to Freddie Mac.

Senate leaders on Thursday expressed optimism that an agreement on the payroll tax cut and a spending bill will be reached before Friday.

U.S. mortgage applications increased 4.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in the week ending Dec. 9, led by an increase in refinances, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The city of Chicago said on Tuesday that it would vigorously defend a lawsuit filed by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which challenges an ordinance regulating the maintenance of vacant properties.

Republicans raised concerns on Tuesday over the Obama administration's nominee to head the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), as a possible bailout for the agency looms.

Savage isn't shy about saying why Gingrich can't beat Obama, either. On his blog, he shows Gingrich ads with Nancy Pelosi, the right-wing's antithesis, mentions Gingrich's past infidelity, and notes that when Gingrich is on television he ca off badly compared to Obama and looks like nothing more than what he is: a fat, old, white man.

Radio host Michael Savage has plans to offer Newt Gingrich $1 million to drop out of the presidential race for the sake of the nation.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, on Monday sued the city of Chicago over its new vacant buildings ordinance.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney called on fellow candidate Newt Gingrich on Monday to return $1.6 million in fees from consulting work for Freddie Mac.

Sheila Bair, former chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), is said to be the leading candidate to monitor banks during a nationwide foreclosure settlement.

Newt Gingrich, the Republican front runner for 2012 U.S. presidential election, is indeed emerging as a colorful personality. After initial campaign setbacks he faced due to his personal history, Gingrich surged to the top of the contenders’ list. But his emergence as a serious contender also raises interesting questions.

Surging front-runner Newt Gingrich fought off heavy attacks in a presidential debate in Iowa on Saturday from Republican rivals who portrayed him as a Washington insider and questioned his judgment.