Outrage I Can Believe In

[guido911]

I absolutely agree with Obama's outrage over AIG paying millions in bonuses to executives:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/16/obama-aig-remarks-full-te_n_175312.html

My problem, though, is how the fed, Congress, or any other goverment oversight outfit overseeing the use of bailout money did not know about those employment contracts before it gave AIG taxpayer money. No more freakin bailouts.

[Chicken Little]

I absolutely agree with Obama's outrage over AIG paying millions in bonuses to executives:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/16/obama-aig-remarks-full-te_n_175312.html

My problem, though, is how the fed, Congress, or any other goverment oversight outfit overseeing the use of bailout money did not know about those employment contracts before it gave AIG taxpayer money. No more freakin bailouts.

The short answer is timing and priorities.  When they cooked up the bailout bill last fall they were trying to avert a complete and imminent collapse of the financial system. 

I suspect that we'll see our "pound of flesh" eventually.

Mr Bernanke, in testimony to the Senate Budget Committee, said there was no alternative, even though AIG had been irresponsible."We know that failure of major financial firms in a financial crisis can be disastrous for the economy. We really had no choice," he told the panel.

Yesterday, AIG confirmed it would give the US government a large stake in its two largest divisions as part of a $30 billion lifeline that could lead to a break-up of the 90-year-old insurer. The company, which lost nearly $100 billion in 2008, has been slammed by losses on its credit default swaps that guarantee mortgage-linked securities

The financial services division is history.  Each and every one of those turds will be out on the street soon, and nobody will hire them EVER again.  I suspect many will end up in jail, eventually.

It's important to hold these fools accountable, but there will be plenty of time to do that.  Right now, this year, we still need to figure out how to get capital flowing again.  Priorities and timing.

[Gaspar]

I absolutely agree with Obama's outrage over AIG paying millions in bonuses to executives:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/16/obama-aig-remarks-full-te_n_175312.html

My problem, though, is how the fed, Congress, or any other goverment oversight outfit overseeing the use of bailout money did not know about those employment contracts before it gave AIG taxpayer money. No more freakin bailouts.

Come on Guido.  There's no time to do investigation.  Heck, there isn't even time to read a bill before it gets signed.  We're in a crisis, and you don't want to waste a crisis.   The administration needs to buy as many voting blocks as it can, because that's what they have experience in.  If they pause for even the slightest moment, the economy may begin to recover before a single stimulus payment goes out, or a single project gets built.  That would spell disaster, because it would show complete ineptitude.

It's a big gamble, as they wing it and hope for the best.  Words and actions no longer have meaning or carry consequence.  You will only beat yourself up over the next four years if you believe they do.  Only the outcome will carry judgment.  

The administration can do as it pleases, and say what it wants.  The locks are broken.  Public participation is no longer necessary.  The worshipers cannot have their minds changed.

Sit back and enjoy the ride, no matter how splendid or terrifying.  To rage against it, will simply diminish you.


Just my thoughts.

[Cats Cats Cats]

Come on Guido.  There's no time to do investigation.  Heck, there isn't even time to read a bill before it gets signed.  We're in a crisis, and you don't want to waste a crisis.   The administration needs to buy as many voting blocks as it can, because that's what they have experience in.  If they pause for even the slightest moment, the economy may begin to recover before a single stimulus payment goes out, or a single project gets built.  That would spell disaster, because it would show complete ineptitude.

It's a big gamble, as they wing it and hope for the best.  Words and actions no longer have meaning or carry consequence.  You will only beat yourself up over the next four years if you believe they do.  Only the outcome will carry judgment.  

The administration can do as it pleases, and say what it wants.  The locks are broken.  Public participation is no longer necessary.  The worshipers cannot have their minds changed.

Sit back and enjoy the ride, no matter how splendid or terrifying.  To rage against it, will simply diminish you.


Just my thoughts.

Fair enough.. Now I just hope you had the same feelings about Bush.

[Gaspar]

Fair enough.. Now I just hope you had the same feelings about Bush.

I did.

[guido911]

Come on Guido.  There's no time to do investigation.  Heck, there isn't even time to read a bill before it gets signed.  We're in a crisis, and you don't want to waste a crisis.   The administration needs to buy as many voting blocks as it can, because that's what they have experience in.  If they pause for even the slightest moment, the economy may begin to recover before a single stimulus payment goes out, or a single project gets built.  That would spell disaster, because it would show complete ineptitude.

It's a big gamble, as they wing it and hope for the best.  Words and actions no longer have meaning or carry consequence.  You will only beat yourself up over the next four years if you believe they do.  Only the outcome will carry judgment.  

The administration can do as it pleases, and say what it wants.  The locks are broken.  Public participation is no longer necessary.  The worshipers cannot have their minds changed.

Sit back and enjoy the ride, no matter how splendid or terrifying.  To rage against it, will simply diminish you.


Just my thoughts.

I fear you are about to draw the ire of the typical Obama spooners.

[Hoss]

Fair enough.. Now I just hope you had the same feelings about Bush.

If Gweed did, we never saw 'em.  That's my whole point.  Where was the outrage when Bush was removing liberties?  Suspension of habeas corpus?  End-arounding FISA?  Then he starts this campaign of mock outrage at our current president when things go bad, but has nothing to say good when they go good (last weeks DIU uptick).  Where was the outrage when the Repubs had control of Congress and essentially rubber-stamped every bill sent to them on the insistence of GWB?

Never mind though; it's Gweed's modus operandi

Gas, though, I can say, did freely offer up criticisms when they were warranted, at least along his beliefs (which I have no problem with; I respect him more than most conservatives for not blindly following the CIC).

[Chicken Little]

Just my thoughts.

The economy's fixing itself?  That's a relief! 

[Cats Cats Cats]

I did.

Well that is great, it is nice to see people not changing their definition of what is right and wrong based on if there is an R or a D after their name.  After the Democratic Congress and the Republican Administration started us down this path of bailouts, I don't know when to get off.  After you throw your first several hundred billion in the hole, maybe another 200 will fill it up?  Not the best situation but it is a gamble you have to take.  You are right, Obama has an interest in the "stimulus" to prove or fake that it worked.  I don't see how any bill is too crucial to read (Patriot Act, Stimulus Bill).  I would rather lose money than freedoms.  But still it is the same thing.  I am glad there is somebody that would be just as angry as the quick signing of both of those bills as they were of the fact that Bush's financial buddies showed up one day and said "If we don't throw money at this today we are all screwed!"  Really... Nobody knew a month ago this was a very real possibility?

[Gaspar]

With all due respect Guido.  I am getting fatigued by your constant grasping for controversy.  It's almost as bad as FOTD.  Plugging this news source, and that news source.  We can all read Drudge.  

I admire your tenacity, but even great failures deserve a degree of quiet consideration.  Let them build their temples or dig their graves.

No, I do not agree with how the current administration is conducting the affairs of this country.  I think it's reckless and loose, but I don't see a need to rail on Vice President Biden every time he opens his mouth and f@rts.  Former President Bush was no better with his tounge.

Sure I was critical in the past when there was a benefit to pointing out the weakness of the candidates, but the election is over, and personally I don't think that the Obama administration requires any criticism or side discussion.  They are doing a far better job of showing their weaknesses than even the most hardcore critic could ever attempt to illuminate.  

The more you hammer President Obama with regurgitated negative news stories, the more you strengthen his persona in the minds of his followers.  You can't fight a God.  

Slowly the polish is fading, and through his own limited abilities and shortcomings he is becoming flesh.  His own followers will devour him for this.  It's beginning to happen.

[nathanm]

I would rather lose money than freedoms.

There are times when both are lost simultaneously. I'm sure Mr. Paulson saw the impending implosion of the financial sector and thought of the many times in history in which financial turmoil has led to authoritarian leadership. Of course, being a finance type, he would see any market correction in that light, as a catastrophe, not as a natural result of bubble economics.

[Cats Cats Cats]

With all due respect Guido.  I am getting fatigued by your constant grasping for controversy.  It's almost as bad as FOTD.  Plugging this news source, and that news source.  We can all read Drudge.  

I admire your tenacity, but even great failures deserve a degree of quiet consideration.  Let them build their temples or dig their graves.

No, I do not agree with how the current administration is conducting the affairs of this country.  I think it's reckless and loose, but I don't see a need to rail on Vice President Biden every time he opens his mouth and f@rts.  Former President Bush was no better with his tounge.

Sure I was critical in the past when there was a benefit to pointing out the weakness of the candidates, but the election is over, and personally I don't think that the Obama administration requires any criticism or side discussion.  They are doing a far better job of showing their weaknesses than even the most hardcore critic could ever attempt to illuminate.  

The more you hammer President Obama with regurgitated negative news stories, the more you strengthen his persona in the minds of his followers.  You can't fight a God.  

Slowly the polish is fading, and through his own limited abilities and shortcomings he is becoming flesh.  His own followers will devour him for this.  It's beginning to happen.

I appreciate threads like the one about Obama and saying that he wouldn't oppose taxing health benefits if it came forward, I might not have known otherwise.  The issue is the way you try to spin it to say he IS doing this and is actively trying to get it done.  That takes away from the obvious hypocrisy of the statement.  I also don't think that people think Obama is a "God".  Most of it is the way the criticism is given and the fact that everything is a "attack" with varying levels of truth.  That makes people want to try to balance out the attack.  It is the same thing you get when you try/tried to say anything about Bush with a lot of die hard Republicans.  You might disagree, but I think if all the Red states elected their democrats and all the blue states elected the Republicans (or everybody elected independents) the country would be a lot better off.

[guido911]

With all due respect Guido.  I am getting fatigued by your constant grasping for controversy.  It's almost as bad as FOTD.  Plugging this news source, and that news source.  We can all read Drudge.  

I admire your tenacity, but even great failures deserve a degree of quiet consideration.  Let them build their temples or dig their graves.

No, I do not agree with how the current administration is conducting the affairs of this country.  I think it's reckless and loose, but I don't see a need to rail on Vice President Biden every time he opens his mouth and f@rts.  Former President Bush was no better with his tounge.

Sure I was critical in the past when there was a benefit to pointing out the weakness of the candidates, but the election is over, and personally I don't think that the Obama administration requires any criticism or side discussion.  They are doing a far better job of showing their weaknesses than even the most hardcore critic could ever attempt to illuminate.  

The more you hammer President Obama with regurgitated negative news stories, the more you strengthen his persona in the minds of his followers.  You can't fight a God.  

Slowly the polish is fading, and through his own limited abilities and shortcomings he is becoming flesh.  His own followers will devour him for this.  It's beginning to happen.

Um, Gasman, if you look at this thread I started you will see I am AGREEING with Obama. Where in this thread am I hammering him?  Also, if you don't like the fact that I cited Huffington Post, then try this one:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96V8OM00&show_article=1

You will see it is an AP story.

[Gaspar]

Um, Gasman, if you look at this thread I started you will see I am AGREEING with Obama. Where in this thread am I hammering him?  Also, if you don't like the fact that I cited Huffington Post, then try this one:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96V8OM00&show_article=1

You will see it is an AP story.

I guess I've just developed Obama fatigue.


Who is John Gault?

[Cats Cats Cats]

Um, Gasman, if you look at this thread I started you will see I am AGREEING with Obama. Where in this thread am I hammering him?  Also, if you don't like the fact that I cited Huffington Post, then try this one:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96V8OM00&show_article=1

You will see it is an AP story.

Guido, we all know this was a softball to try to say that you don't hate Obama that much because he said something you liked