After watching most of the testimony on Fox News, I came away thinking the only competent person in the room was the $1 a year Chairman of AIG.
Across from him, a pompous posturing grandstanding bloviating herd of swine. And if I noticed, I suspect millions of Americans noticed, too. (And if they didn’t, Shepherd Smith surely filled them in.)
During late-night, closed-door talks last month, negotiators for the House, Senate and White House stripped out a measure to the stimulus bill that could have restricted the AIG bonuses.
If this is the best the political system can produce to protect their country’s interests, all I can say is “America, you are so f***ed.”
Related – President Buck Stops With Me is gettin’ out of Dodge…
Update: This didn’t take long.
Related – It’s been a long 60 days of chaos and cajolery.
Disgusting. Obama is doing his usual triad of misinformation, manipulation and blaming others.
He blames AIG, he blames the executives for their ‘greed’. Now wait a minute. First, bonuses in financial institutions are the norm. And, his very own Senator Dodd specifically, deliberately, wrote into that BailOut Package a provision that any and all bonus agreements signed before February 01/09, were valid and must be honoured.
Then, Obama signed this bill into law. So, how can he huff and puff in anger – when he signed the bill to allow it to happen?
And what about the money laundering of 60 billion to foreign banks? Silence.
What about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their bonuses? That same February 1st law applies to them as well.
But all this nonsense about taxing the bonuses, or suing for their return or insisting that half be returned, or posting their names – that’s a red herring diversion. Obama is diverting attention from the waste of pork of the stimulus to ‘causality’ of the need for stimulus, which he puts down to ‘greed’. Greed?
Who is the best representative of greed other than Obama? Greed to get himself into the Senate where he did nothing, absolutely nothing other than mark ‘present’? Greed at spending most of his Senate years campaigning for President, a role for which he brings no expertise, no experience, no policies, no agenda, other than the greed to be in Power.
But this diversion will set up Obama’s next move which is to define people with money as ‘greedy’ and then, raise taxes. But the people with money in the USA are not, proportionally, the film stars and oil barons but in the majority, the people who set up and run small businesses. These business are the backbone of the economy; these businesses are the ones that hire, the support others. And Obama is going to decimate their ability to do this. Why? Greed – to reduce their power and make them dependent on him, his socialist government.
“Across from him, a pompous posturing grandstanding bloviating herd of swine”
That’s pretty much how I would sum it up.
Obama makes me sick. Like, he’s not been selfish and greedy, with his two hands in the cookie jar?? Typical narcissist: It’s everyone else’s fault but his.
I can’t stand his faux sincerity and gravitas. He seems to think that if he ACTS serious, LOOKS serious, and SOUNDS serious everyone will think he IS serious. The act is wearing very thin. In fact, the Obamessiah’s worn it out.
Worst.
President.
Evah!
The 60 billion to foreign banks is interesting. I would like to see a breakdown of where that is going. I suspect it is actually recycled toxic assets for deadbeat properties in the US. Oh and Barney Frank has a face I could never tire of punching.
The Dumbocrats and their butt kissers in the MSM are still pushing the “it was all caused by de-regulation” meme.
Ya right, except AIG’s heavily regulated Insurance business units lost far more than their Derivatives Business Units.
http://tinyurl.com/c4b8k3
Worst
President
Evah
YES !!
The swine, they be mine. So embarrassing.
Under the category of Hypocrisy, wasn’t Barney Frank and that Raines dude ordered to give back some rather unrealistic bonuses they took from Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac a few years ago?
Yeah, AIG raises so what. Obama was too busy putting together his March madness brackets…
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/video?id=3992869
Obama always seems to be in campaign mode, trying to “get out his message”. Well it’s working. I now understand perfectly well that this guy is all talk and no action.
I concur. Business owners will get crushed under BO’s laws. And what’s so wrong with greed? Are BO and his dem buddies trying to kill the American Dream, which is essentially based on greed?
There are two cases of socialism here – the govt spending taxpayers’ money, and businesses spending the government’s money. In both cases, very predictable results occurred.
I’m thinking barry should bitch slap Chris Dodd, Michelle should bitch slap barry and Joe should bitch slap Michelle and chris matthews should bitch slap Joe and then somebody’ s mom, any body’s mom rewrite the stimulus package and gitter done.
Obama and the Dems admited they knew about the bonuses prior to the bailout, and then when the public becomes outraged he pretends he didn’t know. When duck and weave aren’t working he flees like the coward he is.
Everytime there is a crisis he leaves the country or goes on vacation. A real leader, sure.
As the old saw goes, “you don’t get things as messed up as this without the government being the cause.”
Both Dodd and Obama (among others) got hefty campaign donations from AIG and its officers, almost certainly as a quid pro quo for this sort of shenanigan; “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”.
Wow, I’m impressed with Shep. I’ve never seen him get so riled up. We need so, so much more of that. Thank God for Fox.
Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. So much to be accountable for.
Exactly – Sen. Chris Dodd specifically, deliberately, wrote a particular motion into the bailout bill that acknowledged that all bonus contracts – and these ARE legal contracts – signed before Feb of this year, had to be honoured.
This same Sen. Dodd, was the highest beneficiary of AIG political donations with over 100,000 given to his campaign. Obama was second, I believe. But, that’s not the point.
The point is – the law. These bonus contracts are legal. And, they were known, by the Senate and White House as legal before this whole public mob anger. After all, Dodd wrote it into this bill.
The Senate passed it; didn’t those Senators who are now screeching and asking the recipients to ‘commit suicide’…didn’t they READ the bill? Has Dodd forgotten his specific addition? And Obama SIGNED it. Doesn’t he know what he signs? What kind of a leader signs bills without knowing what is in them?
But, the real situation is – the law. And the US government, both Obama and the huffing Senators, are trying to break US law. Those contracts are legal. You cannot demand them back. On what grounds? Because ‘the populist mood’ is against them? You cannot retroactively tax them. Not legally. You cannot sue for them – on what grounds? After all, Sen. Dodd wrote a specific amendment allowing them.
So instead, what is the US administration doing? It is threatening the recipients of the bonuses. Suggesting they commit suicide; suggesting that ‘piano wire death is the best way; asking that their names be made public. What’s this? Hysteria-creating? Mob-creation? And this is the US government – creating mob hysteria?
Meanwhile, this diversion very handily suggests that the CAUSE of the economic problems is, not govt mishandling – in, eg, insisting on mortgages and lending to people who could not afford mortgages or loans…but..instead, stating openly that the cause of the current economic downturn is not govt misregulations but..greed. People are greedy, says Obama. That ignores what the govt did, which was to insist that those banks lend money to people who could not afford loans.
Oh, and speaking of greed, that’s rich, coming from a man whose inauguration was the most expensive in American history. But, leaving such petty concerns aside – Obama’s attack against the middle class, with his proposed new taxes, his attack on the military, with his proposal that they must pay for their injuries themselves; his rejection of the reality of terrorism, reducing it to ‘man-caused disasters’ – which sounds like the accident that happens as a result of accidentaly pulling the wrong switch…these are our serious concerns.
The question in my mind is: How long until the “shroud of the dark side has fallen”, and Darth Insidious has been exposed?
Conservatives in America cannot retreat any further, if they don’t make a stand in 2012, there will be no stand.JMO
Barney Fraud and Chris Dudd at it again eh?
I agree with everything ET stated and so do many others.
The following comment is from the Michelle Malkin site, very similar.
“Dodd, the chair of the banking committee, agreed to this language because most all of the stakeholders — including the administration — wanted it.”
Damn right they knew. Most Dems knew.
WE KNEW when obama and pelosi LEFT TOWN before the spendulus package ink was dry but REFUSED to allow a single soul to read it… for four days.
I have NEVER been so mad at the deceit and outright lies by a president and his admin in my life, attempting to blame anyone and everyone else but their own co-conspirators, going so far as to BREAK LAWS by hinting at destroying forever contract integrity in America. And by attempting to legislate punitive taxes at 100% retroactively to cover their own arses?
Obama should be impeached and thrown out.
Dodd – JAIL.
PELOSI- JAIL.
FRANK- JAIL.
Geithner- Jail and asylum for the incompetent.
and the list will grow.
This, to me, is beyond just criminal, it borders on treasonous.
(a violation of allegiance to one’s sovereign or to one’s state.
-the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.)
They swore to UPHOLD the Constitution of the US.
They are all at fault and in violation of their oath.
At 3:00PM Eastern time, this guy stops all activity, opens the bar and pours himself a cocktail. He then turns to Starchoice channel 503 and watches Shep Smith for the full hour.
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Isn’t Bambam going to be on Leno tonight? Want to bet he gets asked zero questions about the flip-flop? If I didn’t think Leno was a talentless jerk, I might even watch to see if he has the requisite cojones to challenge Bambam (seriously, if he was on The Daily Show, you can bet Stewart would call him out), but I just don’t see it happening. I’ll watch Colbert instead.
Listening to Bush speak yesterday was an honour. The clods outside really have little clue about what life is really like.
Bush is generally a calm man who had a few unfortunate outbursts (“bring it on”), but in general he is a measured effective speaker.
Obama is just a guy with a bullhorn, yelling to get the crowd all stirred up for whatever shakedown comes next.
“(seriously, if he was on The Daily Show, you can bet Stewart would call him out),”
Are you being sarcastic? Stewart wouldn’t call out any important democrat, particularly not now. If obozo appeared on the Daily Show, I suspect stewart’s head would quickly disappear beneath the table. Use your imagination.
“So instead, what is the US administration doing? It is threatening the recipients of the bonuses. Suggesting they commit suicide; suggesting that ‘piano wire death is the best way; asking that their names be made public. What’s this? Hysteria-creating? Mob-creation? And this is the US government – creating mob hysteria?”
Bang on ET, intimidation and character assassination is the tactic. BO and the MSM foreshadowed their plans to use this tactic during the election with their treatment of Joe “The Plumber” and Sarah Palin. “Get in line or we’ll destroy you” sums it up; but, being “in line” doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be thrown under the bus, as the AIG employees and gay marriage supporters have found out.
Needs an insert: “DEMOCRATIC negotiators for the House, Senate and White House”
I hope Conrad gets some new freinds. Has a sitting Pres. ever been sent to jail? Hope. Change.
Soon the liberal left will be forced to deprogram.
When that happens, lookout America. “a woman scorned”? No much worse, entitlement shunned! What a bummer to finally recognize what everyone else has been telling you – You don’t vote for a man simply because he’s “black” and you hope, that that fact will somehow benefit your life. Many in Zimbabwe must feel the same way by now.
This bigoted little Chicago hustler has always been nothing but a “charismatic” puppet to sooth the sheep. Groomed and black, he was a sure sell to the mentally unfit which bought some time to bleed the country dry.
His handlers are laughing all the way to their proverbial offshore banks and Obamba will be tossed aside like yesterdays garbage.
I’ll give it somewhere around mid to late August 2009 for the delusional lefty bubble to pop, meaning the first “we wuz robbed” riots to start in major urban centers.
This guy is something else. What a con man!! The little people should not worry, Obama & his band of elitists have it all under control. Besides where your betters. We need to give bonuses to losers because they went to Harvard. Just eat it say’s Obama, while your children’s future is eaten up by sharks. This is the Age Of Entitlement.
JMO
“destroying forever contract integrity in America.”
Very true, and this is just the beginning. What does this say to those that hold US debt, and how ironic is it that this will happen under the first black President? Like I said before, the only credit that will be available to the US will be the Russell Simmons Prepaid Visa Rushcard.
All joking aside, I can’t think of a heavier blow that BO can deliver to America than to ruin its reputation by not honoring contracts and or defaulting on loan repayments. The “dead beat” stigma will cripple the Americans ability to conduct business in the future, forever. Let’s hope I’m wrong with my predictions.
CNN is now saying that it has ‘broken the story’ and is telling us that is has found out Sen. Dodd is now admitting, to CNN that he wrote that addendum to the stimulus package that ‘forced’ AIG to pay out those bonuses.
First, CNN didn’t break this story. Hot Air and Michelle Malkin, and others, have been saying this exact fact for days: Sen. Dodd wrote that amendment that specifically said that any bonus contracts signed before Feb 11/09 were legal and had to be honoured.
So, the ‘faux outrage’ of Dodd and others, is, well, it’s fake. These specific words were in the Stimulus Package that these same members of the House and Senate (except for Republicans) approved. Oh, and Obama signed it. Didn’t he know about it? Why doesn’t he defend what he signed?
But Dodd is now adding a new scenario; he’s saying that his original amendment didn’t approve of such bonuses. He’s saying that someone, No Name, in Treasury, called him and asked him to add this specific amendment to the Bill. Hmm. Has Sen. Dodd ever heard the word ‘No’? He didn’t use it; he added it. Now, he’s trying to present himself as a hapless victim of Higher Authority. Who?
And Obama? He’s not saying a word about his responsiblity in SIGNING the bill. No. He’s acknowledging the outrage and, nobly, declaring that ‘the buck stops here’. Heh, that’s quite the tactic; you set youself up as a Noble Lord. Pure rhetoric of course, because a Noble Lord is never the one at fault; he just ‘accepts the words’ and then, you start to blame. Who? Why everyone else.
You blame, of course, Bush. Obama’s constant statements of ‘we inherited this mess’..ignore that the mortgage crisis was set up under Clinton and kept in place by the majority Democratic Senate. And Obama’s other criminal? Why, it’s us, the people. We are greedy. That’s a magnificent tactic – the psychological tactic of inducing Sin. Making each and everyone of us feel sinful. Guilty. Greedy.
Result? You cannot argue with someone who changes the cause of a problem from bad investments, lack of regulations, socialism..to your own psychological nature. You, the American people, are greedy. And rich people are the most greedy.
Obama’s attack against the middle class, against entrepreneurs, against people making wealth – is vicious, deep – and disastrous. He cannot handle people having freedom, being able to act on their own. People have to be under HIS control. That’s vital to his pyschological aberration.
So, Dodd has passed the buck to someone else. Who? And Obama is busy passing it to Sin, the Sin of being American and wanting to make money and do better. If you feel such is a Sin, then, you can be controlled by Obama. Thats the basic agenda.
Here is a recent documentary by Alex Jones, called “The Obama Deception”.
It play’s heavily on conspiracy theory of course, which I myself have some trouble with, but what’s interesting are the indisputable facts about Obama and his administration. Conspiracy or not the character of the man is laid out well.
Part 1 of 12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrpRocaEfQE
DOdd’s Pill.
…-
“BREAKING: I was responsible for bonus loophole, says Dodd (Dodd thrown under bus by obama)
Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd told CNN’s Dana Bash and Wolf Blitzer Wednesday that he was responsible for adding the bonus loophole into the stimulus package that permitted AIG and other companies that received bailout funds to pay bonuses.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209473/posts
Hope and ‘spare change’ folks!
Cheers
Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
Obama is giving a ‘town hall’ meeting’ as I type. ET could have written it. The noble o hasn’t said “greed” yet,but I have no doubt it will come along.
Another interesting tidbit from Wolf Blitzer’s program was that AIG CEO Liddy said that within 4 yrs AIG would be split into several pieces and the profitable ones sold off in order to recover and repay the tax dollars they ‘borrowed’.
And as the world economy continues to unwind, I wouldn’t be surprized to see some countries split into smaller pieces so that their citizens can keep a closer tab in the future on their selfish and unrestrained politicians.
I mean, just look at how unmanageable Belgium is.
Change is good Donkey.
It strikes me that in the insurance business during any other given fiscal year a company has the freedom to hand out bonuses as they please.
Socialism at it’s best here folks and the government with it’s fingers in every book and it’s nose up every butt, and it’s hand on the wallets…with someone else’s money.
And no one here is surprised.
What does Oprah have to say?
How many other worms to come out of the woodwork?
How many US reps are staying up reading tonight to find out what else they approved.
Prime Minister Harper…thank you for simple tax breaks and money for infrastructure.
I don’t know what everybody elses opinion on this is but;
As much as I don’t like it, the AIG bonuses were contractually agreed on well before the s@#t hit the fan and they must be honored to maintain any credibility by America for the future.
Having said that, should a senior exec who does nothing but lose the company money be entitled to keep his job let alone get a friggin’ bonus? I think the answer to that is a resounding NO!
/bonus…earn it.
//done ranting
This is their fault. Right. Thankyou.
The fault is that of the politicos, mostly in Congress. They have the State’s bankrole in their pocket and they spread it around as if it didn’t come from somewhere. Certainly, the politicos didn’t earn it.
But it does come from somewhere. Your pockets and sweat. It certainly goes somewhere; to political freeloaders.
End this.
The money sent to foreign banks was payouts. That is what insurance companies do, they write contracts, and when the conditions in the contract are met, your house burns down, your car gets damaged, your spouse dies, they pay out.
If AIG wasn’t paying out on their obligations, they would be in default. With all that that entails, and preventing default was presumably the reason for keeping AIG in business.
But never mind, go back you your hate America.
LT wrote:
“Oh and Barney Frank has a face I could never tire of punching.”
Yeah well put….me too……
“Wall Street got drunk and now we’re dealin’ with the hangover.”
– George W. Bush
This thread goes straight into my “ET’s Greatest Hits” archive.
Very insightful, ET. Great comments.
The 60 billion to foreign banks is interesting. …. Oh and Barney Frank has a face I could never tire of punching.
Posted by: LT at March 18, 2009 4:40 PM
Actually that’s a face I could see wiping my ass with!
Yeah, he’s that creepy!
Our American friends are going to have to do something. Which means tar and feathering Dodd, he seems the most likely one to be thrownunder the bus. You’ll never get the Frank unless you catch him on tape accepting money in an envelope and him saying explicity, “thanks for the bribe I will do what you say because you gave me the money”
I don’t think the OCngress will be democratic controlled in 2010 after all of this, but it is a long way away and lots can change. As for the slowburn on Obama….for the moment he is teflon, but I do not know if he can ultimately escape this one, he signed the darn bill after urging it to be rushed through, as well he may have to throw Geithner under the bus….sad because this will be two incompetent treasury secretaries in a row.
Is Geithner the issue or is the white house preventing Geithner from doing what he needs to. This really is a mess of the administrations making.
“thinking the only competent person in the room was the $1 a year Chairman of AIG.”
Have to agree with you 100% and I think if a poll were taken most thinking people would agree.
Frank comes off as an idiot.
“Frank comes off as an idiot.” – and this surprises you?
Ol’ Shep may bloviate a little and come unhinged at times but by golly, he has his facts straight. Kind of like the kid pointing out the Emperor’s newd clothes.
When his telepromter tells him to start throwing senators under the bus he will. Love the way Rush is asking for an interview with the teleprompter and using the term, TOTUS. And the fact that O reads what is on it verbatim is shown when he reads the wrong speech and thanks himself for inviting himself to the party.
2010 might be too late to save the US people. I read that deposits are up in cdn banks. Could that be US money coming here to avoid high taxes.
The reason Barney has never been blamed or caught is because of his life style. It is politically wrong to go after him, it is homophopic.
Eastern Paul, why would you want to offend your ass by wiping it with B. Frank’s face?
People, we can bitch, moan, carp and criticize all we want but this orchestrated attempt to subvert the Constitution of the United States is going to continue unless and until we get those s.o.b.s out in Congress: Princess Botox and Senator Cadaver need to go and they’re both up for re-election next year. Get organized, get serious and get these nimrods unemployed! Once that is accomplished, we start working on making sure The Usurper is a one-term wonder!
My new nickname for our new leader is “America’s Albatross”