Taibbi & I Exchange Words after he States a No NO of "Bush HANDS DOWN Tougher"

[laserhaas]

Last edited Thu Apr 17, 2014, 08:12 PM - Edit history (2)

For more than a decade I've been battling the White Collar fraudsters of Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital (and their cronies like Romney); and Matt Taibbi at Rolling Stone did try to help (some) with his "Greed & Debt" Story (pic below from Rolling Stone September 2012 Cover Story "A True Story About Mitt Romney & Bain Capital".
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As I'm one of the sources of the "Greed and Debt" story I take umbrage with Taibbi's contention (especially since Rolling Stone {apparently} prevented Taibbi from telling the whole story about Mitt Romney and Bain Capital) - that GW Bush was "Hands Down" tougher on Corporate America.

BTW - Rolling Stone's "Greed & Debt" - Left Out eToys!

Then, after Taibbi exited RS {and I've waited some time for Matt to show U.S. how he's going to continue his campaign against Wall Street White Collar Crimes}, Matt goes on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman and says this {c}hit... That GW Bush was "Hands Down" much tougher on corporate America!

WTF?

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Here's the link to Democracy Nows story "Who Goes to Jail - Taibbi" and interview by Amy Goodman (with the Transcript).

That has the following Q&A

AMY GOODMAN: Who was tougher on corporate America, President Obama or President Bush?

MATT TAIBBI: Oh, Bush, hands down. And this is an important point to make, because if you go back to the early 2000s, think about all these high-profile cases: Adelphia, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, Arthur Andersen. All of these companies were swept up by the Bush Justice Department. And what’s interesting about this is that you can see a progression


http://www.democracynow.org/2014/4/15/who_goes_to_jail_matt_taibbi

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The Video of Amy Goodman's interview of Matt Taibbi, I'm having trouble getting link to post.
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HOW Taibbi is Getting it Wrong!

GW Bush prosecuted parties; because it served secret interests better. Most are not aware of what REALLY went on at Enron, Tyco and Worldcom; and I won't argue those cases now (and the secret agendas thereof).

The issue is - they ALL were transpiring on GWB's watch!

It was GWB's administration that permitted the mortgage crisis to begin with. It was GWB who gave Wall Street a $700 Billion bailout before he left office. It was GWB whom Rumsfeld worked for when Rumsfeld went before the nation and said "We've lost $2.3 Trillion dollars".

During GWB we had the Rothstein, Freeman, Palm Beach, Frank Vennes, Lancelot, Marc Dreier, Tom Petters, Stanford, Okun and Madoff scandals. (Without even going into Abramoff, Delay, Scott Bloch etc etc).

President Obama's administration got a quick guilty plea to the SEC by Sheldon Adelson;
(once Romney failed to get in and hire that "friendly" USAG Mr. Adelson sought).
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As the title states, Matt and I took swipes at each other today (his email to me being rather snide, where mine to him begged a question that I'm most certainly allowed to ask). I still have high praise for Matt Taibbi - but he got that remark WAY wrong - and put a foot in his mouth in so doing. He's worked all these years, building a reputation and gaining our trust in him for advocacy against white collar cronyism and corruption.

Then he goes and shoots himself in the foot by giving a gangster/war monger credit - where NO credit is due.

Sure GWB punished Enron; but who do you think benefited? Matt needs to be more sharper than this. He's now out (basically) in a new independence format; and such requires that he garnishes our adoration for him more so (not vexing U.S. with crap remarks such as this).

I still need him (and so does the country) - to tell the whole story of "Greed and Debt" (

He left out the middle (eToys).

WTF is he doing - and where is he going - with these remarks

- Who Knows ?
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UPDATE: on the banter between the media guy and the victim of Romney guy.

Some people, including Matt Taibbi, take things the wrong way.
(I use to be thin skinned myself - it is human nature to take things personal).

After Matt let me have IT (and perhaps he had good cause and was right to do so); then we bantered some more and I saw a point (human side) - I didn't see heretofore. Thus, I must remember that we all have "days" (and we aren't perfect). I simply disagree with the Bush remark being proper form for a warrior; but respect Mr. Taibbi's right to say what he wishes (hoping he respects I have the right to disagree). Matt stands by his remarks as "keeping it real"; and that's commendable. Still wish he hadn't said it - but it is FAR from the end of the world. As for my views on him, I'll quote what I said to him (during our heated banter).

I'm in your corner; and have great respect for you - - Keep up your good works

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------------------------------------We are in a Civil War!

And need not waste time against each other.

THEY - are the ones - we need to get accountability of!

[Warren Stupidity]

1. who went to jail for the global crash of 2008?

[laserhaas]

2. The point isn't JAIL - the point is that we are NOT having "Global Crashes"

N'est-ce pas!

[Warren Stupidity]

3. So that is a completely different argument than the one Taibbi made.

But you have conceded Taibbi's point. Multi billion dollar fraud, nobody responsible went to jail, the administration hid behind "too big to jail", nobody even suffered financially, other than all of us. None of them.

[laserhaas]

4. NO - I have NOT conceded Matt's point. The argument is that GWB was HANDS DOWN better than Obama

jail time is a snow job (125 years - what a joke that is)....

The issue is who did better in preventing White Collar crimes
(and please bare in mind {if you don't know} who you are digitally chatting to)

I'm upset at Eric Holder; but have no reason to blame my case on Obama.

In case you haven't noticed - Goldman Sachs is in the hot seat everywhere.

[snot]

6. Those who looted the world economy and brought it to its knees in 2008

have been richly rewarded for it instead of being prosecuted; and they are still at it.

The effects are temporarily masked by the bailouts and the Fed's massive money-printing, which has inflated the stock markets and warded off deflation (while inflating costs for the necessities of life).

Meanwhile, banks' positions in the credit derivatives that were the real instruments of our mass destruction in 2008 have mushroomed in ever-larger proportions.

A lot of us are not so sure we aren't about to tank again.

Jail time is the least of what should have been done. Obama has, at best, been had, as have we all.

[laserhaas]

7. The lack of consideration of national/global economics is understandable.

I'm a student of the economy and certain indicators.

(such as sales of plastic bags on the rise - even when plastic bags are becoming antiquated)

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You can't put just "some" bankers/brokers/hedge funds in jail.

To do it to them all would be the key;
and that would result in catastrophe.

Instead, we have massive billions in fines
(granted, it should be MANY massives)

but there's punishment all the same.

[snot]

13. Are you saying that the individuals responsible have in fact paid billions in fines?

Just trying to get clear.

That might satisfy me, if it actually left them in the kind of poverty much of the 99% endures.

[cheapdate]

28. There's this :

Partial List of Financial Sector Officials Convicted since 1/20/09
2/2/12 David Higgs and Salmaan Siddiqui, Credit Suisse, plead guilty to conspiracy involving valuation of MBS
3/6/12 Allen Stanford, former Caribbean billionaire and general schmuck, convicted on 13 of 14 counts in $2.2B Ponzi scheme, faces 20+ years in prison
6/4/12 Matthew Kluger, lawyer, sentenced to 12 years in prison, along with co-conspirator stock trader Garrett Bauer (9 years) and co-conspirator Kenneth Robinson (not yet sentenced) for 17 year insider trading scheme.
6/14/12 Allen Stanford sentenced to 110 years without parole.
6/15/12 Rajat Gupta, former Goldman Sachs director, found guilty of insider trading. Could face a decade in prison when sentenced later this year.
6/22/12 Timothy S. Durham, 49, former CEO of Fair Financial Company, convicted of one count conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, and one count of securities fraud.
6/22/12 James F. Cochran, 56, former chairman of the board of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and six counts of wire fraud.
6/22/12 Rick D. Snow, 48, former CFO of Fair, convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire and securities fraud, one count of securities fraud, and three counts of wire fraud.
7/13/12 Russell Wassendorf Sr., CEO of collapsed brokerage firm Peregrine Financial Group Inc. arrested and charged with lying to regulators after admitting to authorities he embezzled "millions of dollars" and forged bank statements for "nearly twenty years."
8/22/12 Doug Whitman, Whitman Capital LLC hedge fund founder, convicted of insider trading following a trial in which he spent more than two days on the stand telling jurors he was innocent
10/26/12 UPDATE: Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta sentenced to two years in federal prison. He will, of course, appeal. . .
11/20/12 Hedge fund manager Matthew Martoma charged with insider trading at SAC Capital Advisors, and prosecutors are looking at Martoma's boss, Steven Cohen, for possible involvement.
02/14/13 Gilbert Lopez, former chief accounting officer of Stanford Financial Group, and former controller Mark Kuhrt sentenced to 20 yrs in prison for their roles in Allen Sanford's $7.2 billion Ponzi scheme.
03/29/13 Michael Sternberg, portfolio mgr at SAC Capital, arrested in NYC, charged with conspiracy and securities fraud. Pled not guilty and freed on $3m bail.
04/04/13 Matthew Marshall Taylor,fmr Goldman Sachs trader arrested, charged by CFTC w/defrauding his employer on $8BN futures bet "by intentionally concealing the true huge size, as well as the risk and potential profits or losses associated."
04/04/13 Matthew Taylor admits guilt, makes plea bargain. Sentencing set for 26 June; faces up to 20 years in prison but will likely only see 3-4 years. Says, "I am truly sorry."
04/11/13 Ex-KPMG LLP partner Scott London charged by federal prosecutors w/passing inside tips to a friend in exchange for cash, jewelry, and concert tickets; expected to plead guilty in May.
08/01/13 Fabrice Tourré convicted on six counts of security fraud, including "aiding and abetting" his former employer, Goldman Sachs
08/14/13 Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout charged with wire fraud, falsifying records, and conspiracy in connection with JP Morgan's "London Whale" trade.
08/19/13 Phillip A. Falcone, manager of hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners, agrees to admit to "wrongdoing" in market manipulation. Will banned from securities industry for 5 years and pay $18MM in disgorgement and fines.
09/16/13 Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout officially indicted on charges associated with "London Whale" trade.
02/06/14 Matthew Martoma convicted of insider trading while at hedge fund SAC (Stephen A. Cohen) Capital Advisors. Expected sentence 7-10 years.
03/24/14 Annette Bongiorno, Bernard Madoff's secretary; Daniel Bonventre, director of operations for investments; JoAnn Crupi, an account manager; and Jerome O'Hara and George Perez, both computer programmers convicted of conspiracy to defraud clients, securities fraud, and falsifying the books and records

http://www.democraticunderground.com/111650970

[laserhaas]

33. Great post "cheapdate" (erh - How cheap)??? It shows that there ARE

prosecutions of substance.

As for me, I believe Eric Holder (is) and Lenny (was) tools of special interests.

They came from the enemy side of the ranks and did little to convince me of their deep intent to arrest WS persons.

Be that as it may - there's some good prosecutions there.

[snot]

38. How many of these were overseeing sales of MBS's & purchases of derivatives

at the major institutions that primarily benefitted from those transactions?

[laundry_queen]

14. Silly.

All that has happened is the can got kicked down the road. Now you can expect when, someday (and it will happen eventually) there is a repuke in power, the same thing as '08 will happen on an even larger scale all because they got away with it this time. They are now emboldened.

You don't have to put all the bankers in jail - just the ones that were in charge.

So you are a student of the economy. Let me know which school so I can avoid it. How long till you graduate? I have 2 more courses.

[snot]

43. Where are the hits to the personal fortunes of the individuals who should be held responsible?

Are they in the poor house? I guarantee: NOT.

[okaawhatever]

30. What specific charge would you charge the bankers with? If a bank is found guilty of a criminal

charge they will lose their banking license in this country and by extension shut down. When it was the Savings and Loans the remainder of the banks and credit unions could absorb the fallout (although the taxpayers still lost plenty) are you ready for more economic problems? How do you feel about Holder/Obama Justice dept. getting the criminal conviction on the foreign subsidiary? I thought that was a pretty good move.

[snot]

37. (A) I'm talking about convicting individuals, not entities.

(B) What should have happened is (e.g.) that we should NOT have bailed out AIG. Goldman et al. who bought derivatives from AIG for a fraction of pennies on the dollar should never have collected on their bets – they'd stacked the odds against AIG to begin with. We should have liquidated AIG and their like. The guilty and those who were in on the game would have been deprived of their ill-gotten windfalls; others could have been protected. The costs would have been miniscule compared to what taxpayers have paid and suffered instead. This is how we dealt with the S&L debacle, and its' how we should have dealt with this one.

(C) I'm not just unimpressed with what Holder/Obama have done re- convictions, I'm outraged.

For more, find whatever William Black's saying about all this; I second it.

[snot]

5. I assume you jest – ha ha!

[DeSwiss]

16. ''The point isn't JAIL.....

... - the point is that we are NOT having Global Crashes''

- Hilarious. You should consider stand-up.

[liberalla]

17. Friends don't let friends get tattoos without spellcheck

but, I like the sentiment...

[Skittles]

20. that's comma abuse too

[Bluenorthwest]

25. If the point isn't jail, then why are low level drug dealers in jail while the Cartel's money

launderers wander about Manhattan like unhinged Princes of the Universe? If jail is not the point, you should stop your precious defense of powerful people and instantly devote yourself to the liberation of all those who rot in prison for a drug crime lesser than the laundering of billions of dollars.
You are upset over a bit of harsh rhetoric, but sanguine about the massive injustice of jailing people down the crime chain while rewarding those at the top of the same criminal cartel.
Jail is not the point he says in a country with more people in jail for drug offenses than any nation in history.

[russspeakeasy]

8. Thank you for this post.

[babylonsister]

9. Thank you for your pov.

That needs to be heard.

[Iliyah]

10. K & R

[joshcryer]

11. It's possible he feels he has to say these things to please The Intercept.

[Maedhros]

26. I seriously doubt that.

[laserhaas]

34. I have to concur with your conclusion "Maedhros"

I've got a pleading deadline for tomorrow;
but I'll get more into this over the weekend....

[JohnnyRingo]

12. Well written and knowledgeable.

I'm a decades long subscriber to Rolling Stone and a huge fan of Taibbi's writing, but I too was taken off guard by his comment. This is perhaps because I've perused every word he wrote in the last several years, and it just didn't match up to what I'd been reading. I doubt it appears in the book he's plugging either.

It's frustrating that many here who refuse to see a paper's breadth of difference between the former and current president single out this one offhand comment among his volumes of pages to cite.

Maybe Taibbi's getting career advice from his dad. He's at that prime age where we men stop rebelling and start listening to the old man.

[Samantha]

15. Here is just somethng to think about

If Jeb Bush does run and ends up in the White House (Gawd help us), Taibbi in his new role doesn't want to be blacklisted. So saying nice things about George W. Bush* is helpful in that respect.

Sorry to be cynical, but I live in the metropolitan DC area, and all things here are political.

Sam

[Cha]

18. I think taibbi is just showing off for glenn greenwald, marci wheeler, and pierre

omidyar.. Has to get down dirty and ignorant with the rest of them doesn't he? Not being held accountable for any of the bullshit they pass off breathlessly as breaking news and outright bullshit. It's their MO.

[Number23]

19. What a fascinating OP. Thanks for posting this and for sharing your perspective on this issue

[laserhaas]

21. I appreciate good candor and honest reflections. The enemy of my enemy is a friend.

Since Taibbi fights the over all evil in general and I'm fighting the evils specific - we are kindred.

Doesn't mean we have the same goals. Just that my enemy should also be his enemy.

What boggles my mind is that the evidence in our eToys case is overwhelming (I have confessions already) - profuse (they admitted to lying to the court 33 times and that it was INTENTIONAL {no greater evil in court than Fraud on the COURT by approved officers}) and also Undeniable (as the evidence is predominantly court docket records and federal archives).

I would hate to accuse Taibbi of being afraid;
but he's never "explained" {to his source}

why the dodge of the eToys issues.

Because eToys ties in his Stage Stores and Kay Bee Romney/Bain/Glazer cases

Into RACKETEERING.....

[FSogol]

22. Translation: I sent a nonsensical email to Matt and he was curt.

[laserhaas]

23. Taibbi is still giving me {c}hit this morning and is cursing me this time

Just don't understand how everyone can be so obtuse to one of the biggest stories of our day.

[Autumn]

24. Your points seem like apples and oranges to me.

They ALL were transpiring on GWB's watch, but who has had the watch since 2008 when Obama swooped in to get TARP set up? And another question who jumped in to save the bonuses paid to these jerks who crashed the economy?

[Maedhros]

27. Your post is unconvincing.

Taibbi has more bona fides that you do when it comes to analysis.

[99Forever]

29. Taibbi has solid credibility.

You?

Not so much.

Sorry.

Fail.

[laserhaas]

31. FACT - I'm one of (if not THE) source of "Greed & Debt" issues and Taibbi is emailing me now

That's all the credibility I need.

FACT

Romney "retroactively" retired from Bain Capital (purportedly) in August 2001; back to February 11, 1999.


FACT

MNAT law firm works for Romney/Bain issues (like THE Learning Company and Bain in Kay Bee case)
Colm Connolly was a partner of MNAT from 1999 to August 2001


FACT

MNAT confessed to supplications of bogus Affidavits to the court


FACT
(which Taibbi missed by cancelling our phone call just before Greed & Debt)
Michael Glazer as CEO of Kay Bee was ALSO at Stage Stores as Director.

FACT
Barry Gold was the Stage Stores Directors Assistant

FACT
Barry Gold hired Paul Traub's law firm for Stage Stores


FACT
MNAT lied to become eToys Debtors counsel (confessed)

FACT
Traub lied to become eToys Creditors counsel (confessed)

FACT
Traub put in Barry Gold as a post-bankruptcy petition CEO

FACT
eToys was sold to Bain/Kay Bee (by yours truly) for tens of millions of dollars

FACT
Barry Gold and Paul Traub are also (secretly) partners (confessed)

FACT
The law required that MNAT, Traub and Barry Gold be removed (disqualified) from eToys

FACT
Instead, MNAT submitted a forgery saying that Haas "waived" his rights to be paid ($3.7 million)

FACT
Traub, MNAT and Gold then reduced the prices of eToys (such as eToys.com from $10 million to $3 million)

FACT
Those sale price reductions were done WITHOUT informing anyone of the connections.

Traub, Gold/MNAT all equal Bain and sold eToys (their Court APPROVED Clients) - OUT - to Bain/Kay Bee.

But this was NOT prosecuted;
because Colm Connolly ( a partner of MNAT)
became United States Attorney on August 2, 2001

It's NOT ethical rocket science

[bvar22]

32. Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Envy Matt much?
Looks like he Hit-the-BigTime,
and you are just screaming "UNFAIR" from the Peanut Gallery.

Good Luck with the rest of your career.

[KoKo]

35. yep...Recommend!

[randome]

40. Do you have any idea what this is about? Read post #31.

laserhaas is already in the 'big time', as you put it.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[laserhaas]

42. Like those incarcerated wrongly, who are not celebrated until they are released

Yours truly - even with mountains of evidence

will not get to celebrate - until another (much more significant that 'moi')

points out the facts

are rock solid/iron clad/ beyond all doubt FACTS

[laserhaas]

36. Yeah well, then its going to disappoint you that Taibbi and I are (sort of) making up.

It amazes me how people find it easier to be snide;
instead of objectively looking at the issues at hand.

More to come (I assure ye).....

[randome]

39. Stay focused like a laser, laserhaas!

You're doing great!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[laserhaas]

41. thanks 'randome'. As I said, I've apologized and he is not spanking me so hard today

THEY - are the enemy

and we are just 2 different style of warriors;
with crossing agendas.

Appreciate your support.

Have great update this weekend.....

[Drew Richards]

44. I respect your right to an opinion and to change that opinion but I too have followed taibbi's

Writings and my belief is that he is just another Koch sucker looking for his payday. This is nothing new for him.

[laserhaas]

45. The "First Look Media" effort of Taibbi pathway bodes hard against that Koch thingy

http://kauilapele.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/matt-taibbis-new-home-first-look-media/

One thing I adore of this realm, is we can have (civil) discourse of opinions.

We will see - what will be - of the new digital Matt Taibbi

[Drew Richards]

46. I know that is what confuses me. Everyone has the right to make a living as they see fit

I am the first to admit I am partisan. And I applaud more than I disagree with him.

I'm just a bit disillusioned with my print heroes...none that I have followed are consistent these days...

I hope I am just being too critical and will wait and see.

[laserhaas]

47. I'm disheartened too. But (hopefully) this new effort of Taibbi's means a change is transpiring

One can only hope......................