Posted on 03/17/2009 7:44:17 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Congressional Democrats careened between the circular firing squad and the three-ring circus Tuesday as they struggled with their new reality: playing defense on the economy.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) blamed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for letting bailed-out insurance giant American International Group pay $165 million in bonuses to its employees, saying he wrote a letter to Geithner two weeks ago warning him of just such a possibility.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), tagged by Republican aides for sponsoring an amendment to the stimulus bill that allowed the bonuses, shifted the blame to the Treasury Department and “the bill conferees,” saying he had no idea that the AIG bonuses were coming.
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), joined by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), introduced a bill that would impose a 70 percent tax on “excessive” compensation paid to employees of all bailed-out companies. President Barack Obama has said the White House would use all legal means possible to get the bonuses back, but House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) acknowledged that there were “some questions” as to whether Congress could do anything at all.
And while Hoyer begged AIG execs to give up the money voluntarily, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) just tried to change the subject. Asked about Geithner’s role in failing to stop the bonuses, Reid said: “Let’s talk about what we have accomplished this Congress.”
Nice try.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
They want TOTAL control. Who gets what, how much, when, and how it gets spent.
$165 Million paid by AIG for contractually-earned bonuses? BAD
$90 Billion paid by AIG to offshore banks? FINE.
Both Obama and Dodd each received over 100,000 from AIG in 2008. What does that tell you?
More republicans I once respected reveal themselves scornworthy....
Is Dodd denying he didn't offer the amendment?
If the republicans would get their stupid asses organized on this, they could politically destroy the dems. Too bad they needed to do it YESTERDAY! If they can get their act together tomorrow, there might yet be hope.
The ker-fluffle over AIG bonuses is a red herring.
It is meant to take our eyes off what Obama is doing to our country in the meantime.
Don’t get blindsided. This POTUS is busy undoing our Capitialist system and countering our Constitutional rights.
Our State Legislatures need to be vigilant; we could end up enslaved by 2010 if they aren’t “on point”.
How about just cutting pork out of you next bill. These are contracts that have to be honored. You haven’t seen outrage if you selectively tax someone.
CORRECTION
*** Denying he offered. ***
Well, the fact that the Dems are continuously on the defensive and GOP congressional numbers are going up tells me they are doing a pretty good job.
Typical Dems - they can’t lead or accept responsibility, so they play the blame game. BTW Grassley is a useful idiot for carrying the Dems’ water.
It is meant to take our eyes off what Obama is doing to our country in the meantime.
Don’t get blindsided. This POTUS is busy undoing our Capitialist system and countering our Constitutional rights.
—
You got that right!
With these incompetent bozos in DC, I fear we’re completely vulnerable to those who wish us harm. obama and the dems can’t even manage our country, much less protect us.
Obama and the Dems want power over your benefits, your pay, your bonuses, even AFTER THE FACT, even if your company is not bankrupt!
The number of Wall Street and Mortgage business Democrats is ridiculous.
The amount of money they give to Democrat politicians is insane.
If the Republicans don’t seize this issue and hang it around the necks of these clowns, then even more of them deserve to be voted out of office.
Somebody at the RNC needs to break in to Nancy Pelosi’s office and grab the jar with all their balls in it.
Is this the ‘hope and change’?
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