Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Brig for Brigands

All during the Presidential Campaign last year, I kept my disagreements to myself about the Obama strategy. Too easy on Hillary. Too easy on McCain. Leaving Sarah Palin to Tina Fey. Nobody would listen to me anyway, and if he won, that was all that mattered. He was welcome to have the last laugh on me. The proof is in the pudding.

I read the business pages instead of the comics, because that is where all the most outrageous jokes are, even if they are on us. Hewlet-Packard 4th Quarter earnings were up, but their profits were down. Delta Airlines lost money because of a fuel contract signed when prices were at their highest. Who’s in charge at these places? Chrysler chairman Robert Nardelli, who hammered Home Depot into near-uselessness before he became an auto expert, tells his employees that more union concessions are needed, as he also looks to the taxpayer for help. I guess that means auto workers will pay twice.

Wall Street gave out more than $18 billion in bonuses last year while markets crashed and 401Ks crumbled. I thought a bonus was a reward and pat on the back for good work. What is it going on here? President Barack Obama called the corporate behavior "the height of irresponsibility." Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, an Obama ally, said, “We have a bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer. They don't get it... You can't use taxpayer money to pay out $18 billion in bonuses." She proposes pay caps at any company accepting taxpayer bailout funds, limiting executives to the same salary as the President of the United States, $400,000. Vice President Joe Biden, drama understudy for no-drama Obama, said of corporate brigands, “They belong in the brig.”

Obama is trying to pass an economic recovery plan in Congress to "save or create more than 3 million new jobs over the next few years." The U. S. Department of Labor reports 4.8 million Americans, an all-time high, currently receiving unemployment benefits. Obama has tried to reach-out to Republicans. He even invited both Republican Senators from Arizona to a Super Bowl Party at the White House to watch their home team the Arizona Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dear Mr. President, we regret we will be unable to join you for chips and dips and a couple of cool ones.

The GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party) only knows one song. When they have the keys to Ft. Knox, they know how to steal everything in sight. Now, all they can do is oppose condoms and favor even more tax cuts for the wealthy. Somewhere there is an intersection of financial failure and fraud. Listen for the crash. Here's wishing Obama's Attorney General well. Much as bipartisanship sounds like a step in the right direction, I suspect somebody will have to go to jail before any lessons are learned. And I’m not talking about the impeached Governor of Illinois.

Copyright 2009 by William C. Cotter

2 comments:

Tina said...

Speaking of strategy, I like the recent Democratic strategy of treating Rush Limbaugh as the image/spokesperson of the Republican Party. All the Republicans are scared spitless of him because of his venomous commentary. Now the Repubs will either have to give Rush a pat on the back and acknowledge him as their leader or disown him. All aboard for a Limbaugh-Palin ticket in 2012! And hey, they could make Ann Coulter secretary of state and Michelle Malkin could be in charge of HEW ! If the Republicans don't want those folks to be the official faces of the Republican party, then somebody with good sense had better step up fast. There is an interesting scenario playing out and I think it is purposeful.

Anonymous said...

You can add to your list the president of the peanut company who is also a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture board on standards, while producing salmonella tainted foods to schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. http://blacklistednews.com/?news_id=3162
The disconnect is so stupifying that you would think all the chiefs were interested in was avoiding paying taxes.

 

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