Posted on 11/14/2011 3:16:03 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
If Sarah Palin had run for president, Sunday night's episode of "60 Minutes" likely would have marked a significant moment for her campaign.
In the venerable CBS News program's opening segment, Hoover Institute fellow and Palin adviser Peter Schweizer previewed his forthcoming book, "Throw Them All Out," which details allegations of legal, yet ethically dubious insider trading and conflicts of interest among members of Congress.
There are all sorts of forms of honest graft that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy, Schweizer told correspondent Steve Kroft. So it's not illegal, but I think it's highly unethical, I think it's highly offensive, and wrong.
Schweizer has been described in various news reports as a foreign policy adviser and a speechwriter for Palin. In fact, he is both of those things, and far more than that.
Though he has managed to stay largely under the radar until now, Schweizers influence on Palin since joining her staff last spring has been profound.
When Palin was still mulling a presidential run back in September, she delivered a closely watched speech in Iowa that served as a preview of sorts for Schweizers new book. In the speech, it was the former Alaska governors references to crony capitalism and the permanent political class that picked up the most attention -- buzz phrases that appear near the very beginning of Schweizers new tome....
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Sigh...
“Just because she decided not to run for president... thats not going to change.”
Depending on what happens this year...she might look even better in four. It all adds up...in five years, she’s good, in nine, she’s good. She’s going to be with us a long time.
Newt doesn’t have the ethical authority to tackle cronyism........he’s had 20 years of shady dealings in D.C.......he will be shown to be an hypocrite as soon as he gives a major speech about it
(I only bother when HE instigates. My reply -
Farm subsidies is one of the biggest frauds ever devised to funnel money to buddies - big donors and politicians. It's disgusting. All they have to do is buy a piece of land and then get paid - more often than not - for NOT planting.
And "Crony Capitalism" - through paybacks to big donors - through their lobbyists. Lobbyists are another layer of gov't - they need to be gotten rid of. Our 'representatives' are supposed to be directly dealing with WE THE PEOPLE - FOR the people, not big business through lobbyists. Crony Capitalism is Capitalism turned on it's head.
When Sarah Palin named it "Crony Capitalism", a lot of people who hadn't a clue, caught on. It isn't Capitalism that's the problem. It's the criminal buddy-buddy between big business and politicians. Big business has 'owned' our politicians for decades - and used them for protection from competitors who come up with a better product that, if put on the market, would threaten their bottom line.
I think the "Tucker Torpedo" was a prime example. The Tucker Torpedo was so far advanced, compared to the "Big Three" - that there would have been SERIOUS competition. Absolutely disgusting what those senators got away with in blocking the "TP" from being put on the open market - and THEN they were allowed to steal his engineering improvements and use them on THEIR cars/ Time to watch the movie again....;) "Tucker, The Man and His Dream". It was very good - and eye opener. A PERECT example of Crony Capitalism.
The Tucker Torpedo - 1948
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Trucker_Car.jpg
With true Capitalism, entrepreneurs come up with an idea, start a business and it sinks or swims on it's own...government stay to hell out of it. Real capitalism has been strangled in this country for decades. (It's mind-boggling to think of all the inventions that we have NOT benefited from because of this protection racket. Or even products on our store shelves. The BIG companies buy '"face space" on the shelves. the more money, the more space for THIER products, pushing the little guys off the shelves - who may have a better product but cannot afford to compete for 'face space.' )
Innovative design features that the "Big Three" of Detroit, stole (and still in our cars today) after they got their cronies in the Senate to block him from production. - new engineering features included: . Magnesium wheels, disc brakes, fuel injection, self-sealing tubeless tires, and a direct-drive torque converter transmission - etc
CRONY CAPITALISM: Capitalism turned upside down.
"Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal"
http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Ideal-Ayn-Rand/dp/0451147952/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1321202372&sr=8-12
I do wonder, however, getting back to the article you cite, if instead of taxing the millionaires (JOB CREATORS) out of their hides, mighten they instead not collect social security. Social SECURITY was meant for just that. To assure people had a roof over their heads and food on the table. For those who retire as millionaires, they do not need the pittance in SS. BUT, it would be a perfect vehicle for the the uber rich to 'contribute' to society. Forfeit the amount they paid into SS - and they DO NOT pay into it based on their total income. There's a cut off on the rate of income they actually pay on. So most of their income is SS deduction free. And they shouldn't need medicare. They can afford their own insurance. That would go a long way towards SS being solvent -
that and doing what Newt Gingrich says - Take that two plus trillion dollars that belongs, right now, to the SS funds and get it the hell out of the general funds where the politicians can't keep stealing from it. I think it was Lyndon Johnson that grabbed it and put it into the general fund. It does not belong there. That's where our income taxes go - SS is NOT supposed to. Like Newt says, get rid of the medicare fraud and put the SS money back where it belongs, and SS is solvent.
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=newt%20gingrich%20on%20social%20security&tnr=21&vid=1415786987569&l=117&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D1415786987569%26id%3D17844a9ed949087e5ebd1d68b5fafd27%26bid%3DvXbaWtb6q26Ubg%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.cnbc.com%252fid%252f15840232%253fvideo%253d3000056522&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2Fid%2F15840232%3Fvideo%3D3000056522&am p;sigr=11gkd7i5g&newfp=1&tit=The+Future+of+Social+Security
Crony Capitalism has to go. Flush it down the toilet with the lobbyists. How did it ever get so prevalent?
When Truman left office, he and Bess climbed in their own car, him behind the wheel, and drove themselves home to Missouri to live in the house he grew up in...no lifelong pension/benefits...no Secret Service for life.
I'd like to see someone write an investigative book on how the DC elite got such inflated largess from the Truman years to now.
Has there ever been a brokered convention? I confess to be woefully uninformed about this.
Cindie
If she were still running, 60 Minutes would've spiked the story...a la Michael Isikoff & the Lewinsky story...
yep let’s circle the wagons and shoot into? the circle.
I was at the Indianola speech in September, and it was a clear vision of what needed to be done to change course.
She is the only one with the proven track record of tackling crony capitalism head-on. Fearless.
The folks we have left running just do not inspire.
I’m not attacking Newt necessarily but pointing out that it takes rare people like Sarah or others who actually have a real record of going against their party in cronyism in tackling cronyism widespread. No one is going to take Newt seriously on this issue when he talks about be abuse his hands has been in it do deep and only when he’s running for President is he bring out the issue
Yes please
Some still don't.
We have who we have - for candidates and that's what we need to work with.
I didn’t say anything about Sarah running...all I’m saying is that it takes someone like her who actually has a record of doing it to legitimately tackled it without being laughed off the staged.
Newt can try and I’m sure he will since its an important issue right now but I doubt he can get much traction on it
No Newt!
Newt Gingrich endorses Dede Scozzafava in NY-23 House race
Gingrich Explains Scozzafava Endorsement, Slams Right-Wing Critics
Memo to Gingrich: Get Lost. Now
Gingrich Backs Obamacare's Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance
Gingrich donors dropping like flies
Bill Bennett to Gingrich: Youre Shooting at [Paul Ryan] From Behind! (Testy Radio Interview)
Mark Levin grills Newt Gingrich on his comments about Paul Ryans plan
Gingrich Calls GOP Medicare Plan 'Right-Wing Social Engineering' (supports individual mandate)
Gingrich Backs Obamacare's Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance (Newt praises Romneycare)
Gingrich Backs Obamacare's Individual Mandate
Gingrich Apologizes to Paul Ryan for 'Right-Wing Social Engineering' Criticism
Gingrich: Strategic Blunder for Palin to Mock Obama as Community Organizer
Newt Gingrich Acknowledges Contradictions On His Libya Views, I Was Trying To Follow Obama
Gingrich: My Ad on Global Warming with Pelosi was a "Debate," I will "Not Apologize"
crony capitalism?
WTFU (Wake TF Up). It’s cronyism, crony fascism, or crony socialism. Control the language.
DEFUND socialist collectives, foreign and domestic.
DEPOPULATE socialists and RINOS (Republicans Implementing Nuances Of Socialism) from Congress.
http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=71§iontree=2,71
Legislatures (state and federal) could be part-time jobs with 1/10th pay, NO retirement, NO insurance, NO benefits and NO perks. These POS politicians can get a full time job doing something productive not progressive.
Their part-time job could be spent DEFUNDING/DISMANTLING socialist collectives, foreign and domestic (our government in particular).
—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Alter it.
Above all, if you wish to be strong, begin by rooting out every particle of socialism that may have crept into your legislation. This will be no light task. - Frederic Bastiat 1801-1850
I don't see any of the rest really dealing with it except in *word* noise.
Wasn’t she one of the few people warning about “Arab Spring” and “QE2” as well????
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