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John Stossel: ‘Thuggish Chicago Shakedown (by Vladimir Obama)’ Of BP Is ‘Not Democracy’
Mediaite.com ^ | 6/23/10 | Frances Martel

Posted on 06/24/2010 6:18:38 AM PDT by Libloather

John Stossel: ‘Thuggish Chicago Shakedown’ Of BP Is ‘Not Democracy’
by Frances Martel
7:50 am, June 23rd, 2010

It seems that every time someone in the GOP expresses some radical libertarian idea, the rest of the party scatters as far from the person as possible. And like a brave firefighter to a burning building, John Stossel rushes in to save the embers of his beloved philosophy. He arrived on the O’Reilly Factor tonight with fistfuls of red-hot free market capitalism, calling the $20 billion BP escrow account a “thuggish Chicago shakedown,” by “Vladimir Obama.”

While Stossel didn’t defend BP CEO Tony Hayward, calling him and his corporation “despicable,” he was equally appalled by the fact that the Obama administration made BP agree to save $20 billion in an escrow account specifically for claims. “I disagree with you,” he told Bill O’Reilly, “that Obama was right to say we go in there with a machine gun. We have rules in America!”

Stossel affirmed that he believed the deal was a “shakedown”– no, a “thuggish Chicago Shakedown”– and despite disapproval from O’Reilly, who had no problem with BP officials being “roughed up,” Stossel was worried that it was a slippery slope. “What if next time, Fox News is evil, and O’Reilly is evil,” he argued, and Fox News was taken off the air? O’Reilly basically responded that he’d cross that bridge when we get to it, and that he didn’t believe the federal government would ever take him off the air. Stossel didn’t buy the argument and concluded that this type of deal “is like Venezuela, it’s thuggish, it’s not democracy,” and called O’Reilly a member of the “liberal media.”

Video from The Factor below:


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bhofascism; bp; democracy; democrats; obama; oilspill; shakedown; stossel
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1 posted on 06/24/2010 6:18:44 AM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather

But it is exactly the kind of democracy the Founders warned us about.


2 posted on 06/24/2010 6:19:33 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: Libloather

I guess if obama decides to “rough up” BOR with regular IRS audits (as he claims the Clintons did), he’ll be OK with that


3 posted on 06/24/2010 6:21:23 AM PDT by silverleaf (Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.)
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To: Libloather

Stossel is right, and as usual, Ted Baxter is wrong.


4 posted on 06/24/2010 6:22:21 AM PDT by Double Tap
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To: Libloather

Bravo, Stossel!


5 posted on 06/24/2010 6:22:40 AM PDT by American Quilter (The Democrats are deliberately destroying America. They must be destroyed in turn.)
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To: Libloather

well, isn’t it altogether fitting that the mentioned city for thuggery is in fact the birthplace of marxism in America???

http://gunnyg.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/chicago-communist-paradise-of-the-midwest-by-al-benson-jr/


6 posted on 06/24/2010 6:24:49 AM PDT by gunnyg (Surrounded By The Enemy Within--~ Our "Novembers" Are Behind Us...If Ya Can Grok That!)
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To: Libloather

BOB SEGER - SHAKEDOWN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-W_i7Z59I


7 posted on 06/24/2010 6:25:41 AM PDT by nolongerademocrat ("Before you ask G-d for something, first thank G-d for what you already have." B'rachot 30b)
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To: Libloather

Is Stossel a Republican? I thought he was Libertarian.


8 posted on 06/24/2010 6:27:19 AM PDT by Clara Lou
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To: Libloather

BOR has been way off the reservation in his attempt to be fair to obama. He doesn’t want to face what the rest of us already know. I only tune in to BOR for certain segments (Morris, Coulter, Miller).


9 posted on 06/24/2010 6:27:35 AM PDT by jersey117
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To: silverleaf

Apparently BOR would be fine with it if the administration deemed him to be harming people with his false claim of “Looking out for the folks” and stripped him of money.


10 posted on 06/24/2010 6:27:40 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: Libloather

As if Obama and the Democrats care. The MSM back Obama’s Orwellian vision for the USA (sacrifices have to be made to achieve social justice!!!) and the average sports/MTV viewer doesn’t pay attention to what is happening.

That is why I think the Midterm elections won’t be a runaway for the Republicans. Most Americans like paying no taxes and getting freebies from the top 5%. Add 40 million illegals to the voting roles, ...


11 posted on 06/24/2010 6:28:34 AM PDT by whitedog57
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To: dirtboy

Exactly - and we’ve GOT to take the language back.

This situation is exactly what a “democracy” will get you - if the majority approve of an abrogation of rights of others, then it happens.

This should have been done under the rule of law, with due process.


12 posted on 06/24/2010 6:28:34 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a (de)humanist and a Satanist is that the latter knows who he's working for.)
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To: silverleaf

IMHO it was the DOJ and criminal charges 0 used as his stick.
DOJ could use a federal grand jury to indite a ham sandwich.


13 posted on 06/24/2010 6:29:05 AM PDT by updatedscreenname
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To: silverleaf

IMHO it was the DOJ and criminal charges 0 used as his stick.
DOJ could use a federal grand jury to indite a ham sandwich.


14 posted on 06/24/2010 6:29:15 AM PDT by updatedscreenname
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To: Libloather
Stossel is right, it was 'thuggish'. Everyone knows what a shakedown is but not many know the legal implications of EXTORTION. America has tough rules and regulations regarding oil companies drilling etc. anywhere, on shore or off shore......if BP was 'derelict' in not following all the rules then I suggest someone high up looked the other way.
15 posted on 06/24/2010 6:29:45 AM PDT by yoe (The "N" word stands for NO...as in NO MORE VOTES FOR IRRESPONSIBLE CONGRESSMEN OR SENATORS.The new)
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To: Libloather
O’Reilly basically responded that he’d cross that bridge when we get to it, and that he didn’t believe the federal government would ever take him off the air.

BOR has been soft on Obama lately, trying to position himself as "fair" and thus he is like the person who feeds the alligator believing it will eat him last.
16 posted on 06/24/2010 6:34:38 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia (Forcing one person to pay for the irresponsibility of another is NOT social justice.)
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To: Clara Lou

The article says that Stossel is a libertarian.


17 posted on 06/24/2010 6:36:37 AM PDT by carton253 (Ask me about Throw Away the Scabbard - a Civil War alternate history.)
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To: Libloather

O’Riley is pathetic as usual. The man doesn’t understand something as simple as the rule of law.

If BP had really wanted to they could have fought this. It was clear they were a willing participant. The media (and maybe BP) are wanting to make it look like obama was the guy that made it happen.


18 posted on 06/24/2010 6:43:01 AM PDT by boycott (CAL)
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To: Libloather
Fox should give the O’Reilly time slot to Stossel. Yesterday would be good timing as far as I'm concerned.
19 posted on 06/24/2010 6:48:10 AM PDT by Mobties
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To: Libloather

The “Rule of Law” is dead. The “Rule of Thuggery and of Pull” is in effect..........Any Rand was a prophet.............


20 posted on 06/24/2010 6:48:43 AM PDT by Red Badger (No, Obama's not the Antichrist. He's just some guy in the neighborhood.............)
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