Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Outrage Game Bites Obama (VP search chair Jim Johnson resigns amidst Countrywide scandal)
Time Magazine ^ | June 11, 2008 | Michael Scherer

Posted on 06/11/2008 4:01:50 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Politicians deploy righteous indignation like college students use credit cards—to excess and with abandon. For such seasoned performers, the emotion is easy to muster, and there are few upfront costs. Rail against powerful interests or the mendacity of your opponent on the stump, and the crowd goes nuts.

But there are sometimes hidden costs in the fine print, interest payments not due for months, especially when the outrage is calculated for maximum political effect. And that outrage came back to haunt Barack Obama Wednesday when Jim Johnson, the man running his vice presidential search team, stepped down after the Wall Street Journal reported that he had received preferential deals on mortgages because he was friendly with an executive at Countrywide Financial, which has been tied to the subprime foreclosure crisis. "Jim did not want to distract in any way from the very important task of gathering information about my vice presidential nominee, so he has made a decision to step aside that I accept," Obama said in a statement.

The road that led to Johnson's withdrawal began back in February, when Obama and his Democratic allies started highlighting the many lobbyist ties that bind together the Republican campaign of John McCain. "His top advisers in the campaign are lobbyists," Obama told his traveling press, making no secret of his disdain for politicians who fraternize with influence brokers.

The approach initially paid off handsomely, given that the McCain campaign is, in fact, broadly populated by former lobbyists who have done the bidding of enormous corporations in the U.S. and sometimes in unsavory countries around the world. Current lobbyists also populate the ranks of McCain's unpaid advisory staff.

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2008veep; countrywide; election; electionpresident; elections; jimjohnson; obama; propagandawingofdnc; scandal; scandals; subprime
Hoist on his own petard.
1 posted on 06/11/2008 4:01:51 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

2 posted on 06/11/2008 4:03:09 PM PDT by Jeff Head (Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Scherer is a B-teamer at Tard, which gives you an idea of the lack of import they attach to this.


3 posted on 06/11/2008 4:04:53 PM PDT by StAnDeliver (But nonetheless, Schadenfreude!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Between hoisting his own petard and throwing people under buses, he is going to get into good shape.


4 posted on 06/11/2008 4:05:05 PM PDT by SF Republican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: StAnDeliver

Also, the Time article neglected to mention that Johnson was at the time a Board member of Fannie Mae. That his compensation was errorniously reported as $7,000,000 when it was $21,000,000, and that the books were cooked for 3-5 years to pay these handsome bonuses to the Board! So far, no prosecution, a DOJ insider, Jamie Gorelick (she of 9/11 Chinese Wall fame) also was on the Board and raked in much more than Johnson.

All in the WSJ.


5 posted on 06/11/2008 4:19:53 PM PDT by masadaman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Another Obamanite swiftly knocked off under the bus!

Now tell us Mr. John still-pathetiK-erry, who’s “confused” again and again and again???


6 posted on 06/11/2008 4:50:34 PM PDT by parisa
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Comrade Obama and the friends he keeps is it’s own culture of corruption.


7 posted on 06/11/2008 5:09:42 PM PDT by Tarpon (Ignorance, the most expensive commodity produced by mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
As I have every reason to believe that Johsnon will not the last in a LONG list of those Barack ("Peace Be Upon His Middle No Name") Obama has/will throw under the bus, I have a suggestion for a theme song:

"Another One Bites The Dust."

Pass it on if you agree

8 posted on 06/11/2008 5:31:09 PM PDT by Conservative Vermont Vet ((One of ONLY 37 Conservatives in the People's Republic of Vermont. Socialists and Progressives All))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Head

I like the Banner....


9 posted on 06/11/2008 8:35:54 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson