Goldman Executive Named as Obama Adviser

[MannyGoldstein]

Source: NY Times

President Obama said Friday he would nominate Robert Hormats, a vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International, to a top economic position at the State Department. Mr. Hormats, 66, will be under secretary of state for economic, energy and agricultural affairs. He was deputy trade representative from 1979 through 1981 and held other posts at the State Department throughout his career. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the secretary of state, said in a speech on Wednesday that she hoped to make economic policy and trade a larger part of United States diplomacy.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/business/18bizbriefs-GOLDMANEXECU_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=obama&st=cse

---

Quelle surprise!

Having taken over the US, the DLC is now consolidating total control of the Earth.

[babylonsister]

1. OMG, someone with lots of federal experience, nominated

for a federal job. The HORROR!

[KoKo]

3. It's not his experience its his association with Goldman-Sachs.

It's unseemly to have so many former Goldman executives in his administration. It leaves him open to criticism of cronyism amongst the Goldman crowd. We criticized Bush for cronyism.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. He'll Leave Behind His Goldman Loyalties

Like Paulson did.

[KoKo]

15. lols.

[bread_and_roses]

74. ROFL. Good one. (n/t)

[sallylou666]

119. Sold out

FDR had the guts to be considered a class traitor. Obama has sold out. He's one of them now. Obama will be a one term president, perhaps remembered as fondly as Hoover. I had hoped for better.

[Iowa]

144. Agreed...

When we desperately needed a decent president to start repairing the damage of the previous 8 years, Obama sold himself as that president, and then he went on to sell this country out. I supported Dennis Kucinich in the Iowa caucuses because it was pretty clear, even then, that Obama was a snake and a lightweight (and other candidates weren't much better). Unfortunately, my fellow Iowa Dems catapulted Obama into prominence and he went on to win. He has pretty much destroyed any enthusiasm that may have existed for politics, especially among a younger generation who might have, with a decent president, gone on to become another FDR-type generation. When we desperately needed an FDR, we got a Hoover.

[DaLittle Kitty]

151. Edwards Was Da Man!

:think:

[lib2DaBone]

172. Edwards was no different than Obama..

[Divine Discontent]

177. That is debatable. I can understand where the originations of that is coming from based on his

pre-08 run, but from everything I saw in the newest run for the white house, he seemed truly to be a populist candidate who 'got it' and that's why he performed so clearly from Sen's Obama & Clinton in the debates, they were cautious 'politicians', he was speaking for the people and why he went from 12-14% to 18-20% before dropping out for a myriad of reasons - I never thought Obama a truly progressive type - and he certainly doesn't prove to be anything near one as of yet, things could change, but he's pretty much in the back pocket of the corporations on these big deals - I'd like to know his real thoughts on what he's doing, I'm thinking he might be thinking that if he brings them all in, or gets them to agree to contracts with the govt, that they can control them that way... not so sure that's gonna work. Hope I'm incredibly wrong!!!

[earth mom]

248. Maybe, maybe not. But you can be damn sure if Edwards as prez was pulling the crap Obama is as prez

that you would NOT see the rah rah rock star groupie bullshit that's going on around DU.

Time to stop living in denial and get REAL.

[Amos Moses]

275. They wouldn't cut him a bit of slack

and rightfully so.

[earth mom]

350. I really liked Edwards, but now I'm on the fence about him. Stuff has come out that I'm NOT ok with

But if as prez, he was screwing the people over, I would be on it like white on rice.

[harmonicon]

199. but he just isn't returning my calls....

I think this snake oil he sold me must be defective. He said it was great, and I believed him. Cures all ailments, he said. I bet he was swindled, because he wouldn't lie to ME.

[MsLeopard]

159. K&R your reply - if I could

You expressed much better than I ever have what I feel - profound disappointment in the lack of change, change that was promised by Obama for the betterment of all of us, not just the few. I supported him, believed in him, genuinely felt he spoke the truth during the campaign, hoped with the best of them for a "new day". Now I can't count the times my jaw has dropped in the past six months plus, at the actions of the administration. And I hate it that I'm getting to the point where I'm just pissed I was taken in by it all. K&R

[Hardrada]

181. Culver sucks too.

[truedelphi]

207. I wish I could agree with you. But unless we miraculously arrive at

Some kind of third party solution, with that solution being one that is supported by the M$M, Obama has already been promised and ensured term number two. (It was included in the overall package deal for him selling out.)

You can tell what is going on by the amount of attention that Candidate 2012, Sarah Palin, is getting from the M$M. When election day Oh Twelve comes rolling around, we will all be scared Sh__-faced into the notion that if we don't vote for Obama, it will be Palin.

I used to rant and rail against the election machinery. But the systemic corruption now riddling this system of our Banana Republic's electoral processes is far deeper than mere machinery. Instead, this corruption guarantees that we cannot get a truly progressive person into office. Many of us HOPED that by voting for Obama, we might get someone a little bit colder to the Corporate Rulers of the Universe than Senator Clinton. Someone who would not participate in the G8, G20's and WTO end of things. These processes are not legal - those conventions of the elite actually pass agreements taht thatte Presdient than comes home with and sees that our COngress pass as legislation.

Attending such meetings with the intent to agree on legislation thus conceived is not legal for any President. If you read the Constitution - the President is NOT SUPPOSED TO EVER allow himself into legislating - there is supposed to be a clear balance between the Legislators, and the Executive Branch. And he is certainly not supposed to be legislating with rich foreigners,on foreign soil, for the benefit of the foreign elite!

[earth mom]

249. I think Obama has sold out. But you also make excellent points in your post.

:thumbsup:

People need to pay attention to what's really going on!

[lexanman]

270. Frankly

maybe voting for Palin is the right thing to do. At least it would speed up our rape instead of prolonging the agony. But in this bizarro world now, Palin would probably become a people's champion and populist.

[No Elephants]

299. LOL. Vote for Palin, rather than a Green Party candidate? Fat chance. I don't

know of a single Democrat who would do that. In fact, I don't know of a single Democrat who would even contemplate it, let alone suggest it.

[lexanman]

336. I was half joking

but Obama certainly is not stepping on the gas pedal. He's had his foot on the brake and the same players are in the car with him. I hope Im proven wrong with the health care stuff coming up./

[Fish70]

312. Yep

I think the only candidate who would have made a difference in the last election was Dr. Ron Paul. 3 years before the elections I had never heard of Obama. 6 months before the election it was clear that he was going to be our next President. There is no way that a complete nobody could be projected onto the national stage like that without the clear support of the people and entities that really run the United States.

For no reason other than apathy I am still a registered Republican (haven't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since the 90's). The Republicans want to be Big Brother as much as the Democrats want to. The vast majority of voters are members of two parties that differ only sightly from each other. I lived in two different states during the 2008 campaign and one couldn't go a mile without seeing a street sign supporting Ron Paul. There is no way he got less that 2% of the Republican vote during the primaries. I just don't believe it. Most Americans want the government to do something about everything. As long as this is true we are hosed.

[truedelphi]

328. Ron Paul captured 10% of the Republican vote in my slightly Red County

And Kucinich got a clear 5% of the Dems here during Primary season.

Those two men were the only two running for President who openly stated what needs to be done to save the middle class from peonage.

Like you say, it is one Big Tent. On the Repug side, the banners say "Enter here if you care about national security and feel we need wars over there to stop war from coming here." And on the Democratic side you see the signs of "We care about the poor and we will see you get food stamps." However no one on either side has promised anyone in this country a return to manufacturing and the jobs that would bring with it - which is the only way that any society has ever ensured itself of a fat and happy middle class.

Deep inside that tent, the Corporate Elite is abolishing the rest of us, claiming it is for our own good. Among those in the inner purvey of what is going on, humanity will be sterile from all the GMO foods and vaccinations by 2020. To say nothing of the chemtrails blanketing our skies, chemtrails that Obama's science adviser stated April 9th 2009, will soon be put to use to control the Global Climate Crisis.(Obama is so popular that he can afford to acknowledge this controversial program, though they will lie and say they are starting it. Their lies really truly seem to be out of one of George Orwell's chapters.)

[ProudDad]

341. Ron Paul is bat-shit crazy

Even the republicans know that...

[Grinchie]

138. ROFL.. Like Paulson did. Man that is too funny. Touche`

[PainPerdu]

201. Never can say goodbye!

Sometimes, it's just so hard to leave your best buddies behind.

[omega minimo]

212. What about his Goldman royalites?

[bjobotts]

261. They go back and forthe between gov. service and private office. It's how they get rid of competitio

[bjobotts]

262. Somebody please tell Obama that Godman-Sachs has been exposed

[bjobotts]

263. It should be a disqualifier for gov service to ever have worked for G-S.

[bjobotts]

264. "Goldman-Sachs: Taking over the world's economy one country at a time"

[bjobotts]

265. Too big to fail my ass. If gov won't bust up Sachs then we must. find a way.

[bjobotts]

266. This is what starts revolutions- a ruling class of inherited wealth keeping the people poor.

[Javaman]

296. you know you could have put that all in one post. :)

cheers. nt

[No Elephants]

301. Any suggestions?

[marasinghe]

271. LoL. best of the DC dog & pony show: sire-henry kiss'; dam-goldman sachs; humped-the people. n/t

[foginthemorn]

18. Rolling Stone did an article on the WH --Sachs connections.

I heard him interviewed on Air America a few days ago. He is a good journalist.



http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29127316/the_great_american_bubble_machine/7


The Great American Bubble Machine

From tech stocks to high gas prices, Goldman Sachs has engineered every major market manipulation since the Great Depression - and they're about to do it again

MATT TAIBBI

Posted Jul 13, 2009 1:49 PM



Previous Next Page 7 of 7

From issue 1082-1083, the story that inflamed Wall Street — Matt Taibbi on how Goldman Sachs seized Washington. Plus, click to watch Taibbi break down his report in our exclusive video.

BUBBLE #6 Global Warming

................Fast-forward to today. It's early June in Washington, D.C. Barack Obama, a popular young politician whose leading private campaign donor was an investment bank called Goldman Sachs — its employees paid some $981,000 to his campaign — sits in the White House. Having seamlessly navigated the political minefield of the bailout era, Goldman is once again back to its old business, scouting out loopholes in a new government-created market with the aid of a new set of alumni occupying key government jobs.

Gone are Hank Paulson and Neel Kashkari; in their place are Treasury chief of staff Mark Patterson and CFTC chief Gary Gensler, both former Goldmanites. (Gensler was the firm's cohead of finance.) And instead of credit derivatives or oil futures or mortgage-backed CDOs, the new game in town, the next bubble, is in carbon credits — a booming trillion dollar market that barely even exists yet, but will if the Democratic Party that it gave $4,452,585 to in the last election manages to push into existence a groundbreaking new commodities bubble, disguised as an "environmental plan," called cap-and-trade.

The new carboncredit market is a virtual repeat of the commodities-market casino that's been kind to Goldman, except it has one delicious new wrinkle: If the plan goes forward as expected, the rise in prices will be government-mandated. Goldman won't even have to rig the game. It will be rigged in advance.

Here's how it works: If the bill passes, there will be limits for coal plants, utilities, natural-gas distributors and numerous other industries on the amount of carbon emissions (a.k.a. greenhouse gases) they can produce per year. If the companies go over their allotment, they will be able to buy "allocations" or credits from other companies that have managed to produce fewer emissions. President Obama conservatively estimates that about $646 billion worth of carbon credits will be auctioned in the first seven years; one of his top economic aides speculates that the real number might be twice or even three times that amount.

The feature of this plan that has special appeal to speculators is that the "cap" on carbon will be continually lowered by the government, which means that carbon credits will become more and more scarce with each passing year. Which means that this is a brand new commodities market where the main commodity to be traded is guaranteed to rise in price over time. The volume of this new market will be upwards of a trillion dollars annually; for comparison's sake, the annual combined revenues of all electricity suppliers in the U.S. total $320 billion.

Goldman wants this bill...................
........

[Locrian]

28. yep.

It's pretty much game, set, match.

If it wasn't already obvious who's running things, this makes it blatantly obvious.

[emilyg]

62. Makes it 100% clear.

:wtf:

[PainPerdu]

126. None so blind.....

"If seeing ain't believin',somebody's blind!" Joe Bageant

[bjobotts]

267. Bring back regulation and FDR idealism to take away the power of these Economic Royalists

[bjobotts]

268. Obama...Can't you see from their greedy past what they plan to do to our nation?

[bjobotts]

269. Gain their trust, get 'em to like you then you can rob them blind with deregulation and default swap

[defendandprotect]

31. Corporate cancer on government grows with pre-BRIBES ..

Thank you -- just quickly scanned the article and will try to get back to it --

[ChiciB1]

43. That's Where I Heard It!! Taibbi Has Done Some Good Research & I

think he's a stand up guy too! Much like David Corn who I've followed for a very long time.

But then, I'm just one of those "liberal" types who used to think that "we the people" really had a voice in our DEE-MOCK-CRAZY! I still blog, but tell my kids it's time for THEM to pick up the torch and DO SOMETHING!!

I'm tired out, too many campaigns, too many fights, too many losses... just too much these days! I just wish I could wipe away my memories when "activism" was alive to some extent!

[Frank Booth]

103. There's nothing wrong with imposing a cost on carbon emissions.

Even if it's Goldman-Sachs who profits from suddenly expensive and thus reduced carbon emissions, that's still a net positive.

[flyarm]

233. bullshit..go watch the Obama deception and tell me you want those fucking taxes! To pad Goldman

pockets and the new world order elite!

eom

[Name removed]

254. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flyarm]

256. Your welcome..thanks for posting the link..i have been giving the DVD out to as many people as

possible.

Somehow we must stop allowing these elite to divide us and we need to collectively stand up for what this country was predicated on..and we must stand for truth above all and at all costs..there will always be some that sell us out cheaply..we must stand above that and them.

[Amos Moses]

276. In case you haven't seen it,

The Corporation is another must see, IMO.

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4264571/The_Corporation_Filmmakers_Official_Download_Edition_-_DIVX

[Amos Moses]

277. Something esle you might want to see.

The Corporation

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4264571/The_Corporation_Filmmakers_Official_Download_Edition_-_DIVX

[midnight]

280. So this is how the system is rigged. I would love to be able

to have the system work for me like this. Boy are these guys lucky. So the new economy will be based on the old economy and the new rules will enforce that these lucky ones keep a profit turning. So all the talk about alternative energy sources are competing with this system, or not? This is not change!

[Odin2005]

24. FDR had Joe Kennedy and Henry Morganthau.

They weren't the most financially clean individual, either. :shrug:

[JDPriestly]

68. Financially clean or dirty is not the problem. The problem is whether

this nation is governed by the people or by Goldman Sachs. Obama is opening himself up to accusations of being sold out. He has some 'splainin' to do, and he needs to do it very soon. This will be worse than Rev. Wright, and I predicted that one very early on.

[valerief]

165. It's run by Goldman Sachs. nt

[KakistocracyHater]

167. Goldman sucks!

*

[Captain Hilts]

220. He had them...at each other's throats. nt

[No Elephants]

302. Whatever their own past, they did help FDR put in place laws and regulations

that worked until Ronnie got into office and started dismantling or vitiating them and so many others. In any event, they did not recommend a combination of mortgaging the future of this country to bailout of Wall Street plus a pork bill.

In light of what we now know, for that alone, we should honor them posthumously.

[ProudDad]

342. Joe Kennedy was sent to the Court of St. James

and had NOTHING to do with the New Deal... He blew that gig when he insulted the royals.

Morganthau no doubt argued vigorously against the New Deal but was overruled by the impending collapse of Capitalism and the need to co-opt part of the Socialist/Communist/Populist platform to patch up that obscenity -- to give capitalism another few decades of "life".

"Morgenthau was an orthodox economist who opposed Keynesian economics and disapproved of some elements of Roosevelt's New Deal. In New Deal or Raw Deal?, Burton Folsom quotes Morgenthau, testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee in May 1939: "We are spending more money than we have ever spent before and it does not work. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get jobs. We have never made good on our promises. I say after eight years of this administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started and an enormous debt to boot."

Sounds like he sided with the capitalist masters who caused the Depression in the first place...and then parroted the right-wing lie we still hear from the pukes today...

[ChiciB1]

36. Yes, There Are A LOT Of Goldman People Getting Nice Jobs With This

administration! How many times have we heard it said... "it's all about appearances?" Seems I read a thread here recently on just HOW MANY Goldman people are working inside this administration.

Seems, unseemly or something. Great name though... Gold-Man Sacs (Sacks) so catchy and all! Meanwhile in Syracuse, people find bags of money on street and GIVE IT BACK!

FOLLOW THE MONEY, FOLLOW THE MONEY!! It's been working for a very long time now! Them that GOTS, KEEPS! Them that don't, well they can eat cake! Or pound salt!

[KoKo]

39. "How Does Goldman End Up Golden" an article...

How Does Goldman End Up Golden?
By Aaron Knapp • on January 24, 2009

As one of his first actions as President, Barack Obama issued ethics rules applicable to White House officials.

The Executive Order on Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel requires that lobbyists who become members of Obama administration will not be able to work on matters they lobbied on for two years, or in the agencies they lobbied during the previous two years. Anyone who leaves the Obama administration will not be able to lobby his administration. The orders also instituted a ban on gifts by lobbyists to members of the administration.

Obama’s ethics edict is a good thing, at the right time. But does it go far enough? Apparently, Obama has already issued a waiver for Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn (Lynn was a registered lobbyist for the defense contractor Raytheon.) But putting that aside, the problematic “revolving door” in Washington refers not only to lobbyists for corporations, but to executives of the corporations too. And, even more importantly, for executives of financial institutions.

Obama should address these latter aspects more pointedly. The influence of private finance in Washington has grown to astounding and intolerable levels. One powerful example is Goldman Sachs. Time and again, Goldman seems to come up smelling rosy. In the recent financial turmoil Goldman was able mysteriously to convert into a bank holding company, unscathed, and seemed immune from the rumor mills that suffocated Bear Stearns and Lehman. Why? According to many, it’s not because Goldman made better financial decisions or had a sounder balance sheet. It’s because Goldman has the most influence in Washington. Its footprints are all over town.

Treasury Secretary Paulson–the man ultimately empowered to determine the fate of the investment banking industry–was a CEO at Goldman for a quarter century prior to his appointment in Washington. His replacement, Tim Geithner, counts as his chief advisors a few Goldman executives, including John Thain, Goldman’s former co-president. Neel Kashkari, who was tapped to oversee the $700 billion TARP, was vice president at Goldman. Of course, there’s also Robert Rubin, who spent 26 years at Goldman before serving as Clinton’s Treasury Secretary. After his governmental service Rubin jumped into bed with Citigroup and proceeded to steer the company into a period of illusory growth which ended recently with a devastating bang. Eventually, Rubin was fired.

On the foreign front, former Goldman executive Mario Draghi is leading the E.U.’s response to the economic crisis.

Goldman’s reach into the industry is also remarkably deep. Many executives at other major financial institutions have significant connections with Goldman. Robert Steel, Wachovia’s chief, used to be Goldman vice-chairman. So too was Ed Liddy, now CEO of AIG. Robert Zoellick, World Bank’s president, was a managing director at Goldman. John Thain, Merrill’s CEO who was recently fired (but he’ll be back), used to be Goldman’s co-President.

Over the last 20 years, Goldman has been among the top five U.S. political donors in the world, contributing a total of over $30 million to campaigns and politicians, by far the highest of any financial institution.

Goldman was also the second highest contributor to the Obama campaign.

Goldman’s network of industry and political connections shaped the way government has responded to the economic crisis. For example, Merrill CEO John Thain’s Goldman credibility caused Secretary Paulson and Geithner to help coordinate a quick sale of Merrill to Bank of America for a handsome premium, on the same weekend they let Lehman Brothers, which did not have Goldman’s strong connections in Washington, fail. Many say that Paulson and Geithner permitted Lehman to implode in order to eliminate one of Goldman’s significant competitors.

When it came to AIG, however, Paulson and Geithner were a little kinder. They extended AIG an $85 billion loan, which was later increased to $123 billion, to ensure that the insurance giant did not collapse. Interestingly, Loyd Blankfien, Goldman’s CEO, was the only investment banker at a crucial deal meeting. And top it all off with a tasty cherry, Paulson installed Goldman vice-chairman, Ed Liddy, as CEO of AIG.

Paulson and Geithner also helped their friend Robert Rubin, a 26-year veteran at Goldman Sachs who use to play golf with Paulson and mentor Geithner, out of a jam when Citigroup, whose disasterous financial situation was of Rubin’s own making, began to teeter. The Feds threw $45 billion in total at Citi, and agreed to insure the company’s losses in excess of $29 billion.

Goldman’s fate was uncertain as the crisis progressed. It took some profitable short positions in the Summer of 2007. But it had huge mortgage related holdings and, after Lehman’s first quarter 2008 PR turned out to be rubbish many suspected that Goldman would also eventually falter under pressure. Ultimately, however, Goldman was permitted, in the midst of the crisis and in very short order, to convert into a bank holding company so that it could take deposits insured by the FDIC; and avoid mark-to-market valuation which was squeezing firms, like Goldman, with toxic assets for which there was no colorable market. This, along with the fact that Goldman received $10 billion in the bailout (despite its relatively small paper write-downs), allowed Goldman to survive. Lehman, on the other hand, expressed interest in making this conversion, but ultimately did not apply for it having been discouraged by the Fed. Only after Lehman failed did Paulson okay the change for Goldman.

Finally, despite the fact that a rash of manipulative “naked” short-selling–selling shares without first actually borrowing them–substantially contributed to the demise of both Lehman and Bear Stearns, SEC commissioner Chris Cox did not do a thing. Until Goldman started to feel the pinch. After both Lehman and Bear had failed, and after Goldman’s stock took major losses over a three day period, the SEC finally enacted a short-selling ban.

As a former Lehman trader said, “They were a lot more connected in government than Fuld was. At the end of the day, that cost Lehman.”

UPDATE:

Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner has chosen Mark Patterson to be his chief of staff. Patternson is an ex-lobbyist from Goldman Sachs who while lobbying for the firm worked on matters that he will inevitably be called on to address as Geithner’s main squeeze. Goldman has benefited from $10 billion in government bailouts in the current recession. Many bloggers are criticizing the appointment, as they should.

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:5JDRhKgDo04J:postpartisannews.com/%3Fp%3D1028+How+many+Goldman+Executives+are+in+the+Obama+White+House%3F&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

[ChiciB1]

44. Forgot My "H" In Sachs! Ruined My Pun??? n/t

[radhika]

180. Arrogance of GS and the Administration

Digby has a nice post outlining the bold-faced arrogrance of GS. How they don't even have to pretend they give a sh*t about any part of the world, nation or economy. It is pure arrogrance for them to publicly strut their dominance - with huge bonuses and controlling the White House's economic team.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/too-big-to-think-about-by-digby-i-dont.html

Obama, for is part, is also arrogant. He knows who they are, how the American people feel about GS and the bailout, but he too doesn't give a sh*t. I can believe I passionately campaigned for him. He will likely one a one-term president, but the successor will likely come from the hard-Right, birther, C-Street, christo-fascist side.

[Divine Discontent]

175. the naivete in their post terrorfies me. B*sh cronyism w/all things dirty-business,

(the businesses that were in the news the most for pissing on the people), is something progressives DAMNED on this site for years, and yet, when this president does it, they make excuses - I've heard them all make excuses for his abysmal mistakes or questionable choices now, every damn week...

I'm sick of these choices, and I believe we have to keep calling & writing the white house. We could lose it if this madhouse of decisions keeps piling up. He's bringing in people we don't want - he either is one helluva chessmaster or he's under the thumb of the powers that be that run things...


That 'enough' thing sorta has a new meaning for me now....

[TheWatcher]

194. Now, Now KoKo. You know BETTER than that.

It's OK when OUR Football Team does it.

Fall back in line now.

Don't make me Tase you.

This is ALL part of the Grand Chess Game.

Don't mock what you don't understand. :)

Oh yes, and Pony, Unicorn, 7 Months, etc, etc, etc :evilgrin:

[QC]

206. You forgot the three-dimensional chess. n/t

[flyarm]

227. more like a Wall Street and Banking Coup! eom

[George II]

286. 99% of all qualified financial advisor candidates....

.....have "associations" with big financial organizations.

Should Obama recruit Walmart greeters for jobs like this?

And this is not "cronyism", it is common sense. It would be cryonyism if the person chosen was an old Obama pal with zero qualifications.

[fascisthunter]

27. you aren't that naive

[bread_and_roses]

76. "none so blind...

...as those who will not see." Naivete has nothing to do with it.

[Divine Discontent]

178. LOL... I read your post after mine saying something similar to another DUer

we know they cannot be that naive... they're just holding on to hope about him.... my hope is hanging by a thread. He's continually behaving like a moderate that's owned by the corporations.

[fascisthunter]

203. it's disheartening, but an acceptable truth

now I can move on and recalibrate my efforts politically. DC is more fucked up than I once thought.

[TheWatcher]

196. And neither are you.

Some people you CAN'T reach, FH.

You know this.

If an Asteroid hit the Earth, that one would still try to log onto DU and scream that it doesn't exist.

Best to leave that one alone. :)

[Divine Discontent]

257. if that aint the truth...

I've had my go rounds lately, too.

[SlowDownFast]

34. Wow.

You must not know ANYTHING about this economic crisis or the markets.

Seriously.

*Sigh*...

[JDPriestly]

66. Yet another Goldman Sachs ambassador. How about some real

diversity? How about hiring someone with an academic background or someone with a small business background, someone from a smaller bank for some jobs somewhere? Whether this guy is the best for this specific post or not, something stinks in the economic appointments of the Obama administration. Do they really think they are going to get by with this? Obama is splintering what was a very unified Democratic Party with his Goldman, Goldman, Goldman, Goldman friend, Goldman ally, Goldman, Goldman, Goldman appointments. It seems more and more that he sold himself to Goldman.

[Infinite Hope]

73. lol. No kidding. n/t

[scentopine]

78. career federal employee's are under strict conflict of intererst rules

You can't accept a box of donuts without risking a rules violation. Add a fancy coffee and there could be hell to pay.

This revolving door bullshit with Goldman execs and political cronies is f'n sickening.

[Name removed]

80. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lorien]

81. When Bush pulled the same crap we were pissed. nt

[QC]

91. Well, that was then but this is now.

Or something.

[Amos Moses]

98. This administration is a joke.

You could say most any lobbyist in Washington has "lots of federal experience". :crazy:

[Horse with no Name]

114. Cmon sister--can you even excuse this?

There are many *more* qualified federal employees who don't have the GS albatross hanging around their necks. Why saddle ourselves with that?

[No Elephants]

308. Not really seeing what is desirable about federal experience when it comes to economic advisors

anyway. Better that they really understand the national and global economy than they they have been in the government bureaucracy in the past.

[Skittles]

116. LOLOLOL

surely this MUST be starting to pain you - you must be twisted into the shape of a pretzel by now :rofl:

[choie]

161. Babylon Sister,

I'm afraid you are in a bad state of denial on this one.

[lexanman]

216. yep

No conflict of interest here. Clear as piss after a hangover on bad beer.:sarcasm:

[donheld]

223. Sis, this doesn't give you even a little bit of worry?

If not I'm very surprised.

[grahamhgreen]

274. Nice try, but remember the French revolution, that's where we may soon be headed....

LOL - get it!

[No Elephants]

314. LOL, yes, though I admit I had to think a bit.

[George II]

285. What was Obama thinking???? I guess "Brownie" wasn't available? These folks...

....around here would find any reason to fault Obama. Sad.

[Spouting Horn]

303. Goldman Sachs

owns this Government.

[No Elephants]

306. And probably a few others. But, we're no doubt "the jewel in the crown."

[Horse with no Name]

310. We still own it

But they pay our employees better than we do. The blame goes to the employees who promised they would faithfully work for the wages we paid...and then didn't.

[Hydra]

2. Heh

Nice choice, among all of the brilliant minds out there. I'll be waiting for the spinners to explain this.

[No Elephants]

304. Didn't you see Post #1? He has federal experience, which apparently is a

plus, if you are hiring for a federal job.


Best to keep Washington, D.C. safe for the insiders of Washington and and the insiders of big financial business, two things Democrats love best. And he is both. Obama could not have made a better pick, unless, of course, he had simply re-hired Paulson.

But, that would have been too obvious and we know Obama always makes moves so subtle mere mortals cannot possibly grasp what he is up to.

[bertman]

4. Nothing incestuous or obscene about that.

:eyes:

Dick Durbin was right. They do own the place.

My "love" for President Obama is rapidly deteriorating to fondness. This one-step-forward-two-steps-back b.s. is very frustrating.

[Deja Q]

19. I found a video presentation... a few years old, but I think it still applies...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eojwCmCeUac

?




:yoiks:

[bertman]

213. Chris Rock is so frickin' funny. Thanks for that.

:rofl: :rofl:

:yourock:

Chris too.

[PainPerdu]

224. Did you know George Carlin was psychic?

"The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they’re an irrelevancy.

The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything.

They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They’ve got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They’ve got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying – lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less for everybody else,”

“But I’ll tell you what they don’t want, they don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That’s against their interests. They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they’re getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago. You know what they want? Obedient workers – people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork but just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And, now, they’re coming for your Social Security.


They want your fucking retirement money. They want it back, so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all, sooner or later, because they own this fucking place. It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it. You and I are not in the big club.”

-George Carlin

[No Elephants]

309. He was not psychic. He was observant. Like Nader, whom I reviled for 8 years. I still can't

forgive him for Florida 2000, but I finally get that he was correct about the Republicrats.

[Kermitt Gribble]

5. Damn! I was hoping for another former Monsanto employee. n/t

[mbperrin]

16. United Fruit has also been slighted here! If we don't stick with

our roots, what are we?

Okay, don't answer that....

[amyrose2712]

85. No, they got Holder for that. Chiquita's lawyer.

Magbana posted an good article outlining his connections.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x19224

[mbperrin]

113. Thanks! Just goes to show you can even use satire for this admin.

They have literally taken out all the room for it.

[ProudDad]

343. And Tom Lehrer remains in retirement.

When asked why he quit touring with his satirical songs and music he replied, "When Henry Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize I knew satire was dead in this country."

It's still dead...

[lib2DaBone]

40. LOL.. Kick

[Frank Booth]

6. Maybe to make things a bit more transparent next time around, the ballots should list

D-Goldman-Sachs, instead of D-Obama-Biden.

[Hydra]

8. Here, I was thinking of this earlier:

Goldman/JP Morgan-D(LC)

That would be acceptable to most DUers, don't you think?

[avaistheone1]

13. A brilliant idea.

And it would be truly transparent as to who is really governing.

[defendandprotect]

33. Great idea . . . truth in voting -- !!!

[Mari333]

7. I am no longer shocked by this shit

which bothers me greatly. Its as tho I have accepted that the Obama admin is sold to the highest bidder.

[Hydra]

11. Just wait

As I think Daniel Schorr said after 9/11 when Falwell and Roberts were blaming it on Gays and Feminists, "It has renewed our capacity to be shocked."

Something will happen in the future that will be even more outrageous...and someone will be there to excuse it.

[No Elephants]

311. Even more outrageous than the bailout? Kill me now. I just can't screwn future generations

any more than we already have.

[QC]

92. What's fun is watching people here excuse this shit all the more desperately

as the ugliness of it all becomes more and more obvious.

[GreenTea]

101. You got it right-Fucking willingly keeping their heads in the sand wanting so desperately to believe

even though it keeps coming back in their face not once or even twice, but constantly - over & over again.....and it will continue....but we'll be tossed just enough bread crumbs to keep us fighting among ourselves.

In the end after all the bullshit & broken promises they'll then say....Well, at least Obama is better than any republican.

True.

But any slimy, filthy creature on earth is better than a republican....Are despicable republicans really how we want to judge & measure how fucked up the democrats we elected & put our trust into by?

[QC]

102. For some of us, it was obvious from the beginning,

and others are now having the illusions dashed.

[GreenTea]

109. No need to tell me this dude....

I've taken enough shit around here & elsewhere from pointing this out from "the beginning".

[QC]

112. Oh yes, a lot of good, loyal, longtime DUers got hounded off this site

for pointing out what was perfectly obvious then and absolutely undeniable now. It was ugly.

[theHandpuppet]

169. How could I forget

There are still some fine DUers I haven't seen since they were hounded off this site and I've yet to hear the slightest hint of an apology from the mobs who drove them away.

[QC]

184. You know what's funny (not funny, but you know what I mean) about that?

Many of the howling mob that wrecked this place, having done their damage, got bored and moved on. Haven't seen them in ages.

[AllentownJake]

231. I'll apologize

I was wrong about him.

[QC]

243. I don't remember you hounding people off the board.

I do remember the others who did it, though. Only a few are still here; most of them got bored with the site after wrecking it and moved on.

[Skittles]

123. I hear you, QC

I was with you

[QC]

125. Most who saw it from the beginning aren't here anymore.

Funny how that worked out, isn't it?

But now we have all these wonderful bathing beauty pinup photo threads, so I guess that makes up for it.

[Skittles]

127. I'll always stay and kick ignorant ass

always :hi:

[flyarm]

240. me too Skittles! Me too! eom

[Horse with no Name]

136. ....

:(

[Piewhacket]

294. Amen. OTOH: At least we can still agree Obama IS better than a republican (and Palin isn't). n/t

[Skittles]

120. it's called denial

may be time to stage an intervention

[QC]

121. It's more fun just to laught at how pathetic it all is.

"He's just filling up the entire government with crooks so that he can keep an eye on them!"

[Skittles]

122. see, that's the problem

I used to be able to laugh at repukes but after they brought down the country it really wasn't so funny. Now, watching so-called progressives on DU twisting themselves into pretzels trying to make shit smell like roses - well, it would have been funny, aw fuck, it's just not fun at all any more QC, it is downright depressing

[QC]

124. Yeah, it is depressing, but these aren't progressives--they are just fans,

I really miss that progressive discussion board where I hung out for years and learned so much.

Can someone remind me of the name of it?

[Skittles]

128. well, we lived through bush

I guess we will have to live through this too *sigh*

[QC]

131. I think so. And I think that people will someday get fed up

and then there will be some real change.

I haven't given up.

On the meantime, I will continue to laugh at the contortions of our fanboiz and fangurlz.

[Mari333]

134. +100

[PainPerdu]

152. I never promised you a rose garden...

No, you simply can't polish a turd anymore than you can make it rose scented.

[glitch]

182. Don't conflate "so-called progressives" with DLCers or "Centrists", please!

They were never any kind of progressive, in fact they make a point to sneer at Progressives at every opportunity. And very often on the very first post on any even mildly critical thread.

[QC]

185. Did you see that recent thread that declared Howard Zinn a dangerous radical?

I think that's probably when this site's transformation into Democratic (Leadership Council) Underground became well and truly complete.

Back in the early days of this site, I could not have imagined the day would come when Howard Zinn would play Piggy in some lunatic remake of Lord of the Flies here, but we have seen some interesting changes in these parts lately.

[glitch]

192. Good Gawdalmighty glad I missed it.

:scared: Hell, now I have to go look for it, damn my lurid curiosity.

edit: Crikey, if you are talking about this thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5989515 that's enough to convince me to take a break from DU.
I knew I shouldn't have looked.

[QC]

198. It was a real pile on!

Poor old Howard didn't stand a chance and was thus vanquished in short order.

[newspeak]

291. Howard Zinn was required reading in one of my history classes

the man is a Korean war vet--I've given my one copy of his book to my children to read. I'd gladly read his insites on our history-especially our struggles for labor rights over some of the "revisionist" history that some of our children have to read.

[QC]

307. Well, according to The New and Improved DU, he's a lying old commie.

Funny how things have changed so much in such a short time around here, isn't it?

[lib2DaBone]

174. My heart aches.. heavy heart.. however you can explain it...

Obama is a one-term president. The only thing we have gained( which is very little) is that we have slowed down the fascist Republican Patriot Act Violators for a short time.

[Individualist]

316. When Obama began surrounding himself with DLC appointees, I knew what was coming

Damn the DLC!

[avaistheone1]

10. The Bush White House was run by Enron, and the Obama White House is run by Goldman Sachs.

GW Bush's administration was filled with former Enron employee and associates, and Obama is doing the same thing. Obama's admin is filled with former Goldman Sachs employee and associates.

Is this the change we were looking for? Don't think so.

[GreenTea]

110. Indeed, we are now officially the.... * United States of Corporate America *

The only question we be our leader (President).

Will we be ruled by a Corporate Republican Fascist (Bush) - or a Corporate Democratic Appeaser (Obama)?

[geckosfeet]

12. Hmm. Well, O did work for an investment bank on Wall Street before law school.

He must harbor some sympathies for them.

[northernlights]

14. Great. Why not just name Goldman-Sachs

to every appointment to be made? One nice, clean announcement.

Seems it would save a lot of time, energy & print.

HUD? Goldman-Sachs
Treasury? Goldman-Sachs
Transportation? Goldman-Sachs
DOD? Goldman-Sachs
FBI? Goldman-Sachs
Justice? Goldman-Sachs
FDIC? Goldman-Sachs
Environment? Goldman-Sachs
God? Goldman-Sachs

:grr:

[truedelphi]

215. Can't do that. Back in '08,Obama had promised Monsanto all the positions relating

To Food and Agriculture.


No one, not even the President, would wanna have Monsanto mad at them.


Head at Dept of Agriculture: Velsick, Monsanto Tool
FDA: Michael Taylor, Monsanto Tool

And so it goes.

[chill_wind]

17. They were his second largest campaign financier. When will they all finally feel paid back?

[Deja Q]

21. I thought there wouldn't be special priviliges for lobbyists?

Like I ever pay attention, of course...

:silly:

[defendandprotect]

38. Obama got near a million . . . Democratic Party $4.5 million . .. hmmmmm....

If I picked those figures up correctly from the Rolling Stone article -- ???

How long might it take to pay that back -- multiplied a few hundred times, of course -- !!!

[chill_wind]

52. Lots of Dem money data compiled right here:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/chill_wind/132

I agree with someone upthread who quipped that the pubs were the party of Enron (and Halliburton, I'd throw in) and we've become the party of GS (and AIG)..

We need radical, radical campaign finance reform. Nothing truly big will get truly fixed in government until that day.

[Andy823]

111. I agree.

The only problem is how do we get reform when those who are taking the money are the same ones that would have to pass a law to make the changes? I think there are some good people in congress on both sides of isle who would do what is right, if they could, but they can't. The leadership on both sides are taking the money, and they don't want to stop. If you cross the leadership, speak out against what is happening, you don't get the support or money you need to run next elections come around!

I have supported Obama on most things since he was elected, but this thing with GS is getting carried away, and I only see more trouble down the road if it continues.

[defendandprotect]

236. Yes . . . we need to end campaign finance BRIBERY . . !!!

:)

[Zenlitened]

143. They were bought WAY too cheap, then.

"...In reporting its much better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Tuesday, Goldman also announced that it has set aside the tidy sum of $11.36 billion for employee compensation and benefits through the first half of 2009. That figure includes salaries as well as the firm’s annual bonuses, which are often the envy of Wall Street."

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/sizing-up-goldmans-bonus-pool/

[No Elephants]

313. "Bought way too cheap." As far as we know.

[northernlights]

61. when they own *everything* lock, stock & barrel

When our children, their children, their children, and so on, are their indentured serfs for all eternity. :(

They'll own all the food, all the water, all the air, the soil we stand on...and lease it to us a crumb at a time. :(

[JVS]

162. Wasn't the largest bidder the university of california? They're getting shit on by the CA crisis.

Where is their fucking pony?

[BobRossi]

20. The United Banks of America. nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. why? Why? WHY?

You know, they say that in prison, you learn a lot about correcting your mistakes so you don't get caught again. In politics, I guess, you can jump over that part.

[LaurenG]

23. This is extremely frustrating., but I'll withhold judging this for the time being

as with the others. Are these people all getting these jobs because of what they know that they aren't telling? I just don't see Obama trying to load the cabinet with "more of the same," so this makes no more sense to me right now than many of the other picks he's made.

The only thing I can think of is that these people are not really the big bad guys that I see then as.

[defendandprotect]

35. Nah . . . they're the good guys . . .

that's why we bailed them out!

[LaurenG]

37. Yeah...No.

but something is weird about all of his picks. I can't see him as a dumb ass George Bush cronie picking president. He's way too smart for that.

[defendandprotect]

41. Well . . .

You've got things a little confused . . .

it works this way . . . PRE-BRIBES set the stage -- this has nothing to do with anyone's

being a "dumb ass" --

It has to do with our system of capitalism which is corrupt in itself --

a ridiculous "King-of-the-Hill" system intended to move the wealth and resources of a

nation from the many to the few.

When Obama sells himself to these people -- and he certainly has -- they are running things,

as you can see.

OTOH, they say "You can't wake up a man pretending to be sleeping"--!!!

[LaurenG]

49. But I don't agree with your assessment...yet.

Since neither of us knows what is in Obama's head neither of us can do more than guess. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, though I am not filled with joy at the "new direction" we are going in.

[Lorien]

86. What's in his head? Oh, I've got a pretty good guess:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/chill_wind/132

[dana_b]

153. Well damn! then I want a job from him too!

Barack Obama (D)

Top Contributors 2008

University of California $1,385,675
Goldman Sachs $980,945

I work at UCSF. Where's my new job? ;)

[No Elephants]

319. I wonder what the Universite of California is getting. There's almost nothing left.

[defendandprotect]

234. We don't need to know what's in his head . . . his actions tell us that . . .

[avaistheone1]

51. Obama received twice as much $$$ from Goldman Sachs than other Democrat,

and Obama received four times as much $$$ from Goldman Sachs than did any Republican.

That is a fact.

But I am sure that is all just a coincidence.

Everyone back to sleep now.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/toprecips.php?id=d000000085

[chill_wind]

77. And the Dem Party received a record 75% in 2008, to the Pubs' 25%.

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=d000000085

Since 1990:
TOTAL Dems 64% Pubs 36%

Record lobbying year for GS, too:

http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=Goldman+Sachs

[defendandprotect]

235. Right . . . Democrats and OBAMA are PRE-BRIBED . . . and we're surpised at what's happenign???

Keep at it -- we need to know -- and yet many here will go to great lengths NOT

to know!!!

:)

[flyarm]

298. or attempt to marginalize anyone telling the truth!..it worked for Bush to do that ..won't now!

[ProudDad]

344. He's a freakin' capitalist!

That's as dumb as you can get in the age of Peak Oil and Climate Change...

[flyarm]

251. when do you stop witholding judgment? When we have no rights left?

and when we have no jobs and our kids join Obama's "national mandatory military" or whatever he is going to fucking call it, because they can get no jobs, and they can make no honest living other than military jobs???????

When do you stop witholding judgement..when our miranda rights are stripped and we are under a police state of having all our communication spied on? Or when you or your kids can get arrested with no rights to a trial..and are guilty until proven innocent..or never given even that right.......

when does anyone get their heads out from under the sand and say this is not what this country was predicated on????????..when do you start judgement?? 1 day ? 1 right? our constitution getting partially destroyed or all the damn way destroyed?????????

[DJ13]

25. Obama wont solve our economic crisis by sucking up to Goldman Sachs

I wish he had listened to the economists earlier this year when they were pushing him to break up any financial institution that was too big to fail.

[Turbineguy]

26. Set a thief

to catch a thief.

[PainPerdu]

137. Remember Sam Israel and Bayou Hedge Fund?

WOO HOO,folks, this link is a real DUzy!

Check out how Goldman had info that Isreal was gaming the system--LONG before he was charged,fled,faked his suicide- but then captured and arrested.

Incidentally, type Goldman Sachs fraud into your search engine-WOWZA!

Scamming, Death-Faking Hedge Funder Sam Israel's Latest Victim ...Scamming, Death-Faking Hedge Funder Sam Israel's Latest Victim: Goldman Sachs - The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../scamming-death-faking-hed_n_113516.html

[fascisthunter]

29. well... this country's economic issues will be blamed on both parties

there will be no way to spin this in the future... really sad.

[seabeckind]

42. Nope...this will be blamed on Obama

He is taking a path that is guaranteed to make him a one-term president. He has one shot, right now, to make history.

And he's blowing it. And that's just the way the money guys want it.

[fascisthunter]

45. not by me or those who know what's going on

both parties did this


Also.... let me make this clear. WHile I say parties as a whole, there are plenty of good dems, just not enough of them far enough to the left to make any real change happen. Most have sold out to big money interests long ago.

[Jim Sagle]

84. Obama could not care less. The USA will tank and Obama will become a bank advisor.

I feel sorry for anyone who ever thought he cared.

[ProudDad]

345. Blamed on both right-wings of the big business Party - as it should be (n/t)

[defendandprotect]

30. Holy crap-- !!! Tentacles around Obama are getting tighter and tighter . . .

[jwirr]

32. What I see as wrong with these appointees is that they hardly will

be capable of understanding those of us on the bottom. Our needs will be totally overlooked.

[onethatcares]

48. you have expressed my thoughts exactly.

why should anyone care about those at the bottom rungs of the ladder? It's not worth the time. This is only a continuation of "why should I trouble my mind with things like dead bodies?".

Face it, if you aren't in the club, you aren't ever gonna get in the club. :hi:

[ProudDad]

346. Ah...

but it will all trickle down, right? :sarcasm:

[Horse with no Name]

107. Let me rephrase a bit for you. Our needs will CONTINUE to be overlooked

new boss same as old boss--just different pockets needing picked. bushco was owned by oil and gas and defense...obama is owned by the banks and insurance industry.
No difference really because all it does is keep the average American broke and desperate.

[flyarm]

252. they already have been..it was a done deal to start with! eom

[jgraz]

46. I first read that as "Goldman Executive Names Obama as Adviser"

Then I realized: what Goldman exec would ever care what the President had to say?

[Gorobei]

47. This has got to stop N/T

[Vidar]

50. No thief goes unrewarded.

[OwnedByFerrets]

53. I guess when I cast my vote for Obama for President, I was

also casting my vote for GS as ruler of the Universe.

[quark219]

54. I guess this will go down in the history books as the Obama/Goldman Sachs Administration

I just wish it had been listed that way in the voting booth so that I would have known who I was pulling the lever for.

Since that's a mouthful, I guess I'll just have to shorten it to the "OGS Administration" in conversation.

[ProudDad]

347. Or Clinton II (n/t)

[PurityOfEssence]

55. News item: Goldman Sacks Rome

The Vandals had nothing on these barbarians.

[notesdev]

56. The Obama Treasury - a division of Goldman Sachs

Are we done giving Obama a chance to prove he's not a another pawn of corporate interests just like all his recent predecessors yet?

This situation has effectively created an institution of government whose purpose is to impoverish the people of this country in order to generate unearned gains for a select few. Goldman at Treasury, Goldman at State, Goldman on the board of the Fed, Goldman as the President's senior economic advisor... isn't it time that alternative points of view were considered?

[Lorien]

83. Well, they were one of his biggest campaign contributors

until we have real election reform we'll never be the ones who are being represented.

[notesdev]

95. Remember "campaign finance reform"?

What a load of horse hockey that turned out to be. Now they are even more open with the bribery and less responsive to the people.

The reform that has to be made is this - you can't accept a campaign donation from anyone who isn't legally allowed to vote for you. The outcome of an election is the exclusive business of those with the right to vote in it.

[mule_train]

57. Goldman gets the dollars, we get the 'Change'

our problems went deeper than Bush

way deeper

focussing on Bush was like a bull focussing on a cape, and getting the Matador's skewer

it was the Matador, not the cape that the bull had to worry about

[Lorien]

89. Well put. nt

[MannyGoldstein]

195. Did You Come Up "Goldman Gets ..."?

Very clever.

[grahamhgreen]

273. Brilliant!

[No Elephants]

317. Brilliant metaphors and play on words Kudos.

[2Design]

58. Fox guarding the hen house ????? n/t

[quark219]

59. Anyone who hasn't already seen Jon Stewart's piece on GS should do so post-haste

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=339182&mesg_id=339182

[RufusTFirefly]

60. Pony!

C'mon!!! It hasn't even been six months yet!!! Wait until tomorrow to complain!!

[BR_Parkway]

63. Damn, if GLBT rights or Single Payer health care was a GS priority

it would have been signed into US law on Jan 23rd.

I just can't believe that, out of the 100's of millions of people in this country, that the only best and brightest the admin can find are at Goldman Sachs.

One Nation, Under God Goldman, with Liberty Prosperity and Justice Tax Breaks for All the few at the Top.

[MannyGoldstein]

64. It's Interesting To Watch The Recs On This Thread

Number keeps going up and down as people rec and unrec. Surprising that many people would not want this information to be widely known at DU. But, it's good to see that more think it important.

[Skittles]

118. some people just cannot handle the truth, Manny

[flyarm]

253. I just gave it the 99th recommend..and i kick this as well!!!!!!!! eom

[Joanne98]

65. The great vampire squid wrapped around the face of the Whitehouse!

[shireen]

67. WHY???

:mad:

[MannyGoldstein]

71. Because He's The Most Qualified Person For The Job

No?

[bitchkitty]

218. no. n/t

[mn9driver]

69. Is there any more doubt about who owns and controls us?

.

[RandomThoughts]

70. I am hoping they will need some experienced peoples

to break up the big banks. Things like the reinstatement of regulations that keep hedge funds out of the banking business, and more smaller banks to create competition, and to remove the skimming of bonuses off of so many systems.

[Bette Noir]

72. Not another one...

[scentopine]

75. In six months, they'll say it hasn't even been a year

Don't worry be happy!

We truly are merging into single party rule. There are no checks and balances. Obama is eagerly snapping up republican voters who are turned off by the extremists. This is moving the democratic party to the right. There is no reasonable opposition party.

Just look at how we outsourced the treasury and our pension plans to Goldman Sachs. The "government as corporate proxy" style democrats are frighteningly similar to the neo-cons of the 1980s. Over time, as neo-con ideology hit failure after failure, they simply hardened their position, preferring to believe they simply weren't aggressive enough merging private corporations and public policy. Democrats are no different in this respect. Both parties start with the supposition that government is incompetent at best and only private industry with their authoritarian rules and lack of transparency can formulate sound fiscal and public policy. Bush ran as CEO president and Cheney conducted business the same way - without regard for the rule of public law.

And so, now, via deliberate or accidental extremism, republicans have created a vacuum that the democrats are happily to fill. Unfortunately, as democrats we are unable to attract voters via our traditional democratic principals (mostly because of corporate and religious influence). If the goal is to pick up voters, it is working. if the goal is to move forward with more public oriented policy, it is failing.

We are witnessing the rebirth of the democratic party. This is a rare moment to see the complete dissolution of a political party into yet another conservative movement. History repeats itself and political parties will occasionally swap ideologies. However, in this case we are still moving rightward - no longer accelerating as we did under Bush. Obama is simply moving right at a less neck-snapping pace.

Democratic leadership has failed to market the democratic party on a platform of core liberal values that are simply better for public policy than core conservative values. So, for now, we simply ride in the slip stream of the right wing extremists as they compete for the prize of being the most extreme nut job of the far right wing. We attract "moderate" republican voters by simply falling back on the core principals of the old-time conservative movement before it was hi-jacked by the "moral majority". Its a phenom sometimes called political relativism. For democrats it is good business - it brings in cash. And we are simply proving once again, that politics is first and foremost an industry that puts its own self-interest first. Good public policy is way down on the list after everyone else gets their share.

[scentopine]

133. Pockets are jingling with change.

Anything but Bush is lecturing black people on family values and rewarding GS for their sociopathic marketplace behavior. Telling us we need to get behind blue dog democrats and support corporate designed private health care plans. Single payer off the table. Prosecutions for torture off the table. Amnesty for every f'n rich SOB who walked off with our pensions. New super secret cyber security agency to spy on us (along with all the other agencies spying on us). Telling us we need better education, while corporate America outspends all combined public budgets training employees in China and India who have little or no education at all (um, they'll work for $5 an hour, suddenly a college degree isn't all that important).

Privately, this is the conservative president many were hoping McCain would be. Privately, many repubs are cheering. Dems, not so much.

Why does Obama seem to hate the grass roots reformers and progressives who helped elect him? It's because we are too weak to fight back. We won't march or protest. We also spent our money and energy getting him elected. We have expended our purpose. He's just following the money like any forked tongue politician. I'm getting tired of his tales about being first and civil rights. He is there on the backs of the people who worked our asses off for reform at the grass roots level. I'd rather have a great president, regardless of color, than one who now treats us like bastard step children.

[bvar22]

154. The really scary part?

These same people are now "reforming" Health Care.

Better reads ALL the fine print, not that it would do any good.
The cheerleaders will applaud anything our politicians call a Public Option.
According to the CBO, the latest version of Health Care Reform (HR 3200) will have ONLY 10 Million people in the "Public Plan" by 2019.

Less than 3% of the population????
That is NOT a "Public Plan".
That is an insult.

[scentopine]

190. Yes - watch health CEOs roll in cash, and we'll bail em out in 5 years

There is a time and place for righteous anger and protest - civil rights didn't happen with every one sitting on their asses. We need to mobilize protest and start reversing the take over of our government by corporations who are strip mining human capital like we are farm animals.

[Jim Sagle]

79. In yo face, America. GS ROOLZ, taxpayer DROOLZ

[FarCenter]

82. Hormats' testimony "THE COSTS OF THE IRAQ WAR"

From http://jec.senate.gov/archive/Hearings/02.28.08%20Costs%20of%20Iraq%20War/Testimony_Hormats.pdf

CONCLUSIONS

Several lessons can be drawn from the way this war has been paid for:

1) Avoid paying for wars by supplementals. The process circumvents the need to make
budgetary tradeoffs, set resource priorities or sufficiently scrutinize how the funds are being
used. Even during the very poorly and non-transparently financed Vietnam War, emergency
supplementals were used to finance only about a quarter of the costs. Democratic leaders in
the Senate insisted that President Johnson and Defense Secretary McNamara stop using this
technique as it was undermining support for their policies in the Congress.

2) Cut way back on earmarks, especially during war. During wars, such programs divert
budgetary funds from higher national priorities. Moreover, they create the notion that America
can pay for its national security with no sacrifices — and indeed new programs not on the
national priority list can be funded with no heed being paid to the need for even slight national
sacrifices.

3) Exercise more rigorous Congressional oversight over war spending. It is possible that even if
the party in control of the White House and the party in control of Congress are the same, there
can be rigorous oversight of spending to curb waste. The Truman Commission (formally known
as the Special Senate Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program) reportedly
saved the American taxpayer an estimated $15 billion during World War II. As historian David
McCullough wrote, “Unquestionably relentless watchdog role …greatly increased
public confidence in how the war was being run.” In the future the demands of the country for
greater attention to social programs at home will grow, so the military will need to demonstrate
that it is using its funds with maximum efficiency and on essential requirements.

4) Recognize the advantage of coalition diplomacy in paying for a war. The first Iraq War
demonstrated the military and the financial benefits of forging a strong international coalition.
That coalition provided additional fighting forces, greater legitimacy for the effort and foreign
funds that helped to relieve the burden on the American taxpayer.

5) Take a long-term look at national finances. If the US allows its finances to deteriorate in
coming years there will be serious consequences for the nation’s security and its ability to
address growing social needs such as education and health care — as well as to provide for the
requirements of what will soon become a rapidly retiring group of 76 million baby boomers. A
new administration and a new Congress will need to examine closely the future resource
requirements of this nation — including the obligations we are accruing to retirees through
Social Security and Medicare — and the likely budgetary resources that will be available to
meet them. Congress and the president will need to find ways to ensure that projected outlays
and resource availability converge as opposed to diverge — which will be the case absent
changes in anticipated spending and revenue trajectories. It is difficult to see how America’s
growing needs can be met without tax increases, and if they are required, they should be
structured in ways that boost growth and savings and are consistent with the longstanding
principle on which the income tax was based starting during the Civil War — fairness and
progressivity.

[PainPerdu]

129. Revisiting revisionist history

Hmmh,weren't we told,or rather sold, that the Iraqi OIL would pay the cost of war??

[No Elephants]

318. Yes. I think Rumsfeld may even have said once that the oil would "MORE than pay for the war." They

also said we'd be in and out quickly. And many other ridiculous things.

In fairness, I think only the challenged believed them.

If you tell a lie in the forest and no one believes it, is is still a lie?

[QC]

87. How very, very hopeful and changealicious! n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

93. Changealicious! Changey? n/t

[QC]

94. Changetastic!

Is it too soon to say that we've been had?

[MannyGoldstein]

96. Nah - I've Been Saying It Since February

As soon as Obama appointed an all-DLC Executive branch, I figured it was over. Not that Obama's a bad guy - but now he's been subsumed by the DLC.

My best friend told me that Obama was the Goldman Sachs candidate more than a year ago, he had connected the dots. I thought he was wrong, but, dammit, he's almost always right.

[QC]

105. Give credit where it's due: it was the most brilliant bait and switch operation in history.

At least some people had fun with the campaign.

[dixiegrrrrl]

115. Ask your best friend what role Breszinski had in picking Obama.

Rumors are popping up.

[mvd]

104. I really want to be positive, but things like this bother me

I mean, of all the possible candidates, this one? How can we be neutral in policy?

[QC]

106. Wall Street funded Obama's campaign, and now they are getting their payback.

It's the same ole same ole, but with better speeches.

[Politicub]

149. Goldman/Wall Street de facto owns the democratic party

And they are being rewarded for all of those campaign contributions. This appointment was bought and paid for. It's bullshit.

[dana_b]

155. too bad we thought that we funded his campaign as well

but at least he throws us some carrots. :eyes:

[QC]

166. But you got to see pictures of him eating ice cream! Isn't that enough for you people?

LOL!

[dana_b]

183. oh duh!

thanks for reminding me!!! maybe next month we'll find out what kind of pizza he likes.

[QC]

187. I want to see a picture of him, in a bathing suit, eating ice cream with Bo.

Then my life will be complete.

[dana_b]

191. throw in

Michele's arms, and my life too will be complete.

[QC]

193. How could I forget the most fabulous arms on earth? n/t

[FarCenter]

88. Hormats' testimony U.S. – CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONS REVISITED

From http://finance.senate.gov/hearings/testimony/2005test/032906RHtest.pdf


Mr. Chairman and members of the Senate Finance Committee,
It is a great pleasure for me to appear before this Committee once again. I welcome the
opportunity to discuss U.S.–China relations — particularly in advance of the important visit of
President Hu to this country in mid-April.

I can recall the first discussion I had with this committee on the subject of U.S.-PRC relations in
the early 1970s, when we were just beginning to normalize ties. At the time, I was a staff
member for economic policy on Henry Kissinger’s NSC Staff and was asked to come up to the
Committee to brief members on our nascent economic opening with China prior to President
Nixon’s trip. We used small economic steps to signal the Chinese that we were interested in
normalization of relations. The first signal we sent was to permit American citizens to bring in to
the U.S. $100 worth of Chinese products — so long as they were not purchased in China. That
was roughly 30 years ago — and at the time it was considered a major step and was very
controversial here.

How far our relationship has come since than — and how dramatically our trade and investment
flows have expanded! It is easy to forget how remarkable the changes in China have been —
and that hundreds of millions of people in that country are now far better off as the result of
China’s reforms. It is also easy to forget just how much China’s economy has opened since that
time and how beneficial to the U.S. and the rest of the world the surge in Chinese prosperity has
been! So as we focus on the problems that our two countries face in their economic relationship
today, it is also useful to put them in perspective — and recall the enormous progress that has
been made.

<SNIP>

---

Haven't read it all, but he basically seems like a "free trader".

Note his relationship with Kissinger. This type will sell out the economic interests of the American people for presumed military or political advantage any chance they get.

[KoKo]

108. I saw him on C-Span Booknotes about a year ago and he was touting

what he thought should be our policy on trade and our entitlement programs. At first he sounded really refreshing. Talking about having to pay for the costs for the Iraq war...but then the more he talked about "free trade" and the dangers of us pulling back from free trade no matter what our economic situation was and how SS, Medicade were in a crisis, I began to see that he was closer to Republican ideals than Democratic.

He sounded good starting off...just like in the snip of the article about "Iraq War Costs" you snipped above. But, then (as in your second clip) there's the Kissinger policy and as I remember he sounded more like a Milton Freidman type than a Keynesian.

It worries me that Tim Geitner worked for Kissinger and Associates and Hormats is so allied with Kissinger...plus he used to be on CNBC all the time when he worked for Wall St. and seemed very much in the prevailing group think of "Business First"... years ago.

[Name removed]

90. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sam kane]

210. hey, what about University of California, they gave you more?!! nt.

nt

[Amos Moses]

97. six months pony america hater!

:silly:

[Ed76638]

99. I'll be dead honest about this.

I want the Rethuglicans to embarrass Obama's ass over this shit. We can't even get Dawn Johnsen confirmed, and this motherfucker wants some Goldman Sachs employee to head a post in the State Department?

No no no no no no no no.

We absolutely have to bust Obama's ass over this bullshit.

[caseymoz]

260. I doubt that Repubs embarrass him about it. GS owns them too.

No, WE have to embarrass him about this.

This has gone far enough. The whole reason why these guys take campaign donations is so they can win office. If we show that he makes himself damn unpopular doing this, we could kill this nomination.

We also have to show how damn unpopular Goldman-Sachs is the whole party. Tell them to get out the regulators and the trust-busters against these "too big to fail" turds. The government rescued their ass when they should have sank, and now they are buying the government itself and pulling the same derivative shit they were before we rescued them. Now they're putting as many of their agents as they can in government. that's enough for a rebellion.

[Horse with no Name]

100. Still waiting on that change in Washington Obama

this isn't it.:(

[Skittles]

117. actually, this IS it

the CHANGE is a DEMOCRAT is fucking us all now

[nolabels]

135. Out of the fire and into the frying pan

So we are getting a Clinton redux and why should anybody be surprised ?

[Grinchie]

142. People are in Shock and Denial, even though it's been obvious for months now.

The Hillbilly hoedown has started, the the DLC is fully in control, facilitating more Corporate control over the country.

I don't think that bitching about it on DU is going to wake anybody up to the fact that as more of this shit comes to the surface, more people will realize how totally fucked we are.

FISA
No Accountability for Tortue
No Bush/Cheney Jail Time
No pressure on Blue dogs.
Federal Reserve ptoection racket
Clear cutting in Alaska
Monsanto Tool Michael Taylor to the USDA Food Safty division
Vilsack as Scretary of Agriculture
trillion dollars to the military
Pakistanis being killed by remote control almost daily.
Economy is "Recovering"

blah blah balh

And not to mention a whole shitload of DLC apparatchiks in key positions. Nice change.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

259. I FEAR YOU ARE CORRECT

[tomp]

279. that's NOT a change. nt

[Amos Moses]

130. He is tearing the party in two.

It started with Rick Warren and it's been one head shaker after another since then.

[bvar22]

156. You know, maybe thats a good thing.

I'm ready for a REAL Political Party that represents the other 97%...
Americans who Work for a Living.

[Amos Moses]

171. It's a wonderful idea but I'm afraid it's unlikely.

We're stuck with a choice of center-right conservaDems like Obama or right wing authoritarian nut jobs.

Everything is in place to ensure permanent war and the continued destruction of the working class. Exactly the way they planned it.

[chill_wind]

132. Yeah, because what we need is another Economics expert

"with federal experience" who somehow didn't notice an $8 trillion housing bubble in the midst of collapse.

Here's his economic schtick on July 2007 on Charlie Rose:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/8588

[Mari333]

139. Wall Street 1- US population 0 Game Set Match. Game Over.

[laylah]

140. I could not read the article...

my only reaction is to :puke: I had so much faith in "change"...this is NOT the change I had believed in. :cry:

[Jakes Progress]

141. Well. We were promised transparency.

What you guys don't get is when Obama does it it is good. When bush did it it was bad.

[QC]

173. Well, he is very transparent.... n/t

[Politicub]

145. Sigh... after a while this stuff stops being surprising

but it remains depressing.

I'm sure someone is going to tell me how this person is the most qualified guy in the universe - that's why he was tapped for this post.

[newtothegame]

146. This is crazy.

Who would have thought that the same guy we posted such awesome pictures of in his sunglasses during the campaign might now be making less than ideal cabinet picks. Crazy.

[Name removed]

147. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

150. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[glinda]

148. Obama needs to respond to US "publicly" for these choices he is making. Not just

this choice but also of SalaCZAR. We elected him and we can un-elect him.

[Solly Mack]

157. k/r

Coffee sounds good right about now

[Fiendish Thingy]

158. Surely Obama could find someone as qualified who isn't from GS

Color me disgusted.

[JVS]

160. Political capital for health care, ending wars, stopping discrimination, poor? Sorry don't have it

Political capital to blow on bailing out banks and letting things look like Goldman Sachs owns the government? Why sure, we have plenty of that.

[BlueJac]

163. The USA "signed, sealed and delivered"..........

Obama had everyone talkin bout change, chanting yes we can!!!

It was the joke of the fucking century!!!


I hope my house sells in this fucking great new world.............I will be moving to my wifes home town in Canada. Health care will become a reality at last!! Fuck the DLC too by the way!!

[PainPerdu]

170. $$mall change

CHUMP change!

[valerief]

164. Surprise, surprise. A Goldman RanSachs appointment. nt

[PainPerdu]

189. Goldman RahmSachs appointment?

[valerief]

204. Okay, yes, but I hate losing the 'ransacking' idea. nt

[Better Believe It]

168. Who said Wall Street runs Washington? This is a democratic peoples government!

Is you a people?

:) :)

[New Dawn]

176. DLC = GOP

[scentopine]

211. neo-dems/neo-cons - hard to tell them apart sometimes

Both support spying on citizens and the concept of a corporate super-citizen with extraordinary rights and amnesty from common justice. For example, you'll do 7 to 10 years for pot in your pocket, but rape and pillage the entire US treasury and private pensions, you'll get a cabinet or state department slot.

Neo-dem style government is nearly as completely fucked up as neo-con style government. Neither party can be trusted with health care policy. The two parties are so close as to be nearly indistinguishable. Torture? One party gives a high five, the other party gives a firm talking to. One party is aggressive-aggressive, the other is passive aggressive. The end result is exactly the same. An aggressive anti-public, pro corporate agenda with the current new conservative administration offering us insignificant tweaks rather than real change from the past.

The problem is many Americans have grown up and see the problem with a corporate style government and elected Obama to fix that. Instead, he's circling the wagons.

[Individualist]

315. You nailed it

"The Democratic Leadership Council's agenda is indistinguishable from the Republican Neoconservative agenda," - Dennis Kucinich

[autorank]

179. How totally pathetic

Worth all the effort, right? I'd say it was tin ear but that would negate the fact that this was in the
cards the entire time. Just look at the contributions from Wall Street investment bankers. It's not a
betrayal at all, it is the fulfillment of a promise.

[glitch]

188. It's a fundamental betrayal, regardless of the fully transparent purchase price. nt

[autorank]

200. I stand corrected!

:hi: Well said!

[glitch]

202. :) and

:hi:
OT Are you going to do a piece on "The Family"? I hope so, they are finally getting into the fringes of the corporate media and IMO their election system "interests" should be developed more thoroughly. I would LOVE to see you do an article on all the politicized xian fundamentalists and how they relate to each other.

[Alcibiades]

186. What's his job again?

"under secretary of state for economic, energy and agricultural affairs" Ooooh. Looks like he'll be the master of the universe. Everybody start freaking out! 'tis also rather laughable to see folks who supported Clinton back in the primary calling Obama out on this, as I'm sure she signed off on the appointment, assuming he wasn't her pick to begin with.

If nothing else, his name is anagramorific. Which is a better anagram: Sham Rob Retort, Bra Mother Rots, Retro Rob's Math, Smarter Rob Tho, Math Robots Err, or Rather Rob Most?

[No Elephants]

320. Ah, yes. Few things are less important today than economic affairs, energy affairs and agricultural

affairs.

Besides, what is he doing in the administration AT ALL? Are corporate insiders, and Goldman Sachs insiders in particular, well enough represented in this administration yet? How many is it going to take?

I do agree with you on Hillary, though.


The problem is not Obama, or Hillary or DiiFi. It's ALL the Republicrats.

[davidwparker]

197. the one that got bailed out?

[pjt7]

205. What WH correspondent has asked

Obama about his favoritism to the investment bank Goldman Sachs?

If it's not ALL of them, they have failed America.

[waiting for hope]

208. The new C (hange) ...

Cronyism and Compliance.

[scentopine]

219. Rahm Emanuel thinks he has what he needs for 2010 mid terms

So, the "change thing" is off the table. Grass roots, rank and file dems are so completely fucked.

Like a blushing bride left standing at the alter. "He's just running a little late, right...?"

Sure, you can keep hope alive. Meanwhile, the groom's out on Wall Street with that hot chick from Goldman Sachs. Remember her? She's rich. You're not.

Infidelity. Its not just about sex.

[vssmith]

209. The Goldman brotherhood of GREED

[George II]

214. What does the DLC have to do with this? It's not even mentioned in the source article!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beacool]

222. Because around here some seem to think that the DLC is all powerful

and brainwashed a defenseless Obama. Every time he does something that is not progressive they blame the DLC as if they controlled his thought processes.

:eyes:

[George II]

237. Thanks...an honest answer! Refreshing! My question was rhetorical.....

...expecting to elicit the reaction from others that you described so well.

[Beacool]

245. I aim to please............

:D

[No Elephants]

324. No, not as if the DLC controls his thought processes. As though he is one with the DLC, neither

controlling the other.

Party Unity at Last.

Too bad it has unified under the principles of the Republican Party, though.

[scentopine]

229. DLC believes corporations should have a primary role in public policy

The Clintons have active DLC roles. Since this is state dept. function, its both educated and reasonable to discuss the possibility of a connection. I notice the DLC neo-dem is not so far removed from the early neo-con. Both are blinded by faith in the free market (no matter how much it costs). Neo-dems are not quite as hard core on certain social policy issues. Neo-dems have much in common with "moderate" conservatives. At this time they are indistinguishable.

That's why Obama lectures black people on family values, while the sociopathic market behavior of Goldman and Wall Street gets rewarded with cabinet posts and state department honors. It's why torture gets amnesty (neo-dems are mostly hawkish). Its also why so many neo-dems supported Bush and blue dogs are fighting against single payer health care.

Americans have tried to move past the disabilities associated with blind ideological conformance of neo-dems and neo-cons. THis latest play with Goldman is just the neo-dems giving the finger to the grass-roots supporters (i.e. us hippies) who worked so hard for change. Based on poll numbers, they are certain they can ride it out, since the infuriated dems are just in the noise when it comes time for campaign donations (compared with more important corporate lobby).

[George II]

239. I know all that...DUers remind me just about every chance they get (as if it's really true...hmph!)

But what does the DLC have to do with the NY Times article? It's not even mentioned in the article (my original question...remember?)

Hmmm, now people who don't agree with the very narrow viewpoint of DUers but are true Democrats are called "neo-dems"? That's a new one.

Pssst...."hippies" died decades ago and their epitaph was written the day George Carlin died. Wake up, this is the 21st century, man!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[scentopine]

282. Hippies was tongue in cheek for...

anyone who actually dares to defend their convictions and/or ideals via direct action or lifestyle choices even when it goes against the government status quo. DLCers have been known as neo-dems for many years in an effort to distinguish themselves from FDR liberalism.

In either case, neo-dems and neo-cons love helping corps fk over the public with the calm cool disposition of a freshly minted MBA outsourcing 27,000 jobs to India - not because they are better educated- but because they work for $7/hr and without any benefits. Then, they'll tell you its a global economy and will help America (and DLC stock portfolio as well as career options, post office).

There are certainly no hippies to be found anywhere; and few liberals. Dem leadership handed GOP the knife, then stood around (shocked I tell you) and together they killed any serious political opposition.

[MannyGoldstein]

238. DLCer Larry Summers is the grand architect of Obama's banker bailout

He's the guy who caught the pass from Paulson and ran with it.

Obama's aides and cabinet are mainly holdovers from Clinton's DLC administration. That is why this all is happening.

[George II]

241. "Obama's aides and cabinet are mainly holdovers from Clinton's DLC administration."????

:wtf: ????? "MAINLY holdovers"???

Let's see. Obama's cabinet and top advisors are listed below. From what I can see, of the TWENTY SIX people listed, there are only THREE "holdovers" from Clinton's Administration - Hillary Clinton (NOT in Clinton's administration), Panetta, and Shinsecki. "Mainly holdovers"???? :rofl:

So my guess is that you misspoke above?

The names, and bad news for you:

Agriculture
Former Gov. Tom Vilsack, D-Iowa

Defense
Current Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Energy
Steven Chu

Homeland Security
Gov. Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz.

Interior
Sen. Ken Salazar

Labor
Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif.

Transportation
Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill.

Veterans Affairs
Retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki

Commerce
Former Gov. Gary Locke, D-Wash.

Education
Arne Duncan

Health & Human Services
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kan.

Housing & Urban Development
Shaun Donovan

Justice
Eric Holder

State
Sen. Hillary Clinton,

Treasury
Timothy Geithner

Director Of National Intelligence
Retired Admiral Denny Blair

CIA Director
Leon Panetta

EPA Administrator
Lisa Jackson

OMB Director
Peter Orszag

White House Senior Adviser
David Axelrod

White House Chief Of Staff
Rahm Emanuel

National Security Adviser
Retired Marine Gen. James Jones

U.N. Ambassador
Susan Rice

FEMA Administrator
Craig Fugate

White House Press Secretary
Robert Gibbs

White House Senior Adviser
Valerie Jarrett

[MannyGoldstein]

242. Rahm Emanuel Wasn't In The Clinton Administration?

I think you need to do some research on your cast of characters.

[George II]

244. OK - I'll give you that one. That's FOUR out of TWENTY SIX. Again, "MAINLY holdovers"????

[notesdev]

246. Holder was also from the Clinton admin I believe -nt

[MannyGoldstein]

250. Indeed - he's admitted to

Signing off on Clinton's outsourced torture program.

[George II]

283. Holder has worked for the Justice Department since 1976..so I guess that makes him....

....a Ford/Carter/Reagan/Bush/Clinton/bush holdover, huh????

But it suits the argument offered by DUers that he's a Clinton holdover. So be it. But that proves my point about many Faux Democrat DUers.

[notesdev]

300. He was appointed twice by Clinton

the second being as Deputy Attorney General (to Janet Reno) - that is a political position, not a career position. The Clintons were very good to Holder; trying to dismiss the connection is not consistent with the record.

[George II]

305. His first appointment was by Ronald Reagan....

[No Elephants]

325. So what? Sotomayor was first appointed by Bush 1. So what? Are you seriously

trying to imply that Holder is not a Clintonite?

[George II]

330. I never said that.....but...

...the premise put forth to which I was responding is that Obama's cabinet and advisors are "MAINLY Clinton holdovers"! My post proved without a doubt that that was not true. Obama has 26 Cabinet secretaries and senior advisors. Four or five (depending upon how they're looked at) are Clinton "holdovers". At least TWENTY of his Cabinet Secretaries and senior advisors are fresh new faces.

Of course, the tactic is to throw out a statistic or comment (i.e., "Mainly Clinton holdovers") knowing full well that many people will take that on its face and believe it.

In fact, the post that I originally responded to was blatantly incorrect (I won't characterize it as a "lie", however)

[No Elephants]

323. And your point is? A lot of people on that list worked for Clinton and/or supported

Clinton. Holder, Vilsack, Panetta, etc.

Maybe you don't recall the debates, when the moderator mentioned that most of Obama's advisors were Clinton re-treads--and Hillary kind of snickered in agreement with that comment. And obama replied to Hillary that he was looking forward to having her advise him, too. And the audience laughed, apparently under the impression that his statement was only a retaliatory zinger? (If only.)

We should have taken him a lot more seriously--and run the hell away from both of them.

[George II]

331. My point is that the comment....

...that Obama's Cabinet and advisors are "mainly Clinton holdovers" is patently false.

[No Elephants]

322. You're kidding, right?

[George II]

333. Not at all.

[ProudDad]

348. Because

Rahm Israel Emmanual - DLC
Hillary Rodham Clinton - DLC

ad nauseum :puke:

Scratch the Obama cabinet and you'll find the corporate capitalist friendly DLC...

That's why...

The Dem Party has become the near-right-wing of the Big Business Party...

On edit: http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ka.cfm?kaid=137
It's all about "trade" (resource theft) ...
and corporate capitalism (check your pocket, it's the "invisible hand" of the "market" that's picking it...)

[omega minimo]

217. Excuse me. Are we supposed to believe President Obama is making these decisions?

He may not need us to nudge him, he may need us to rescue him!! FREE OBAMA!!!

[No Elephants]

326. President Obama is making these decisions.

[omega minimo]

327. How do you know that?

These decisions are driven by those who want a corporate government. You think that's what he wants?

[dorkulon]

332. Yes.

"These decisions" are his to make; if he is not making them, he is not doing his job. He is not some hapless victim of circumstance here. No one can tell him who to appoint.

[omega minimo]

334. Yes, you think he wants a corporate government.

That was the question.

"No one can tell him who to appoint."

:eyes: Oh really.

[dorkulon]

335. Your defense of Obama is that he is a weak puppet? He can't make his own appointments?

What, he'll get shot if he defies Goldman Sachs?

[omega minimo]

337. No. Not sure where that insanity is coming from.

:thumbsdown:

[dorkulon]

338. You think the idea that he makes his own appointments is laughable.

Why?

[Name removed]

339. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProudDad]

349. So far the evidence would indicate that "yes, he want's a corporate govt.) (n/t)

[nonsequitur]

221. Disgusting. So much for change. Bush Obama they're all the same. I don't trust.....

any of them anymore. I really they're all just in it for themselves. I'm so disillusioned. I'm writing a letter and letting them know what i think of this fucked up move. I'm tired of this shit.

[Triana]

225. Well Monsanto runs the FDA and USDA, so why not?

All of corporat America runs the Fed gov't. Why should State Dept be any different?

:sarcasm:

[flyarm]

226. The Obama Deception..get it ..watch it! Know what is coming at you! eom

[Grinchie]

228. I watched, didn't want to believe it, but most coming true sadly.

The utter blatancy and the speed of the shift to Corporate toadie is shocking.

[Hawkowl]

230. Obama is a sellout

Period. This is what I was afraid of when I voted for him.

[maryf]

232. K&Rnt

[flyarm]

247. What we are seeing is a Financial Oligarchy ..run by a few with all the power over all of us.

Look who Obama has appointed to his Executive Branch...and their memberships to elite groups.



Timothy Geithner, Secretary of Treasury..former Pres of the Federal Reserve Bank
Bilderberg Group, Trilateral Commission, CFR

Ambassador to UN Susan Rice..Trilateral Commission

National Security Advisor, Gen James L. Jones: Bilderberg Group, Trilateral Comm, CFR

Deputy National Security Advisor, Thomas Donilon: CFR

Special State Dept Speical Envoy, Henry Kissinger: Bilderberg Group, Trilateral Commission, CFR

Chairman of Economic Recovery Committee, Paul Volcker: Bilderberg Group , Trilateral Comm., CFR

Larry Summers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Summers


There are powers at work invested in marginalizing the truth tellers, they try to divide us and sub- divide us to take us into a financial Oligarchy..don't let them!

snip:
As Treasury Secretary, Summers led the Clinton Administration's opposition to tax cuts proposed by the Republican Congress in 1999. <10> Also during his stint in the Clinton Administration, Summers was successful in pushing for capital gains tax cuts. During the California energy crisis of 2000, then-Treasury Secretary Summers teamed with Alan Greenspan and Enron executive Kenneth Lay to lecture California Governor Gray Davis on the causes of the crisis, explaining that the problem was excessive government regulation.<11> Under the advice of Kenneth Lay, Summers urged Davis to relax California's environmental standards in order to reassure the markets.<12>

Summers hailed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in 1999, which lifted more than six decades of restrictions against banks offering commercial banking, insurance, and investment services (by repealing key provisions in the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act): "Today Congress voted to update the rules that have governed financial services since the Great Depression and replace them with a system for the 21st century," Summers said.<13> "This historic legislation will better enable American companies to compete in the new economy."<13> Many critics, including President Barack Obama, have suggested the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis was caused by the partial repeal of the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act.<14>


snip:

National Economic Council
In 2009, he was tapped by President Obama to be the director of the White House National Economic Council<1><31>. He has emerged as a key economic decision-maker in the Obama administration, where he has attracted both praise and criticism. There has been friction between Summers and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, as Volcker has accused Summers of delaying the effort to organize a panel of outside economic advisers, and has cut Volcker out of White House meetings and has not shown interest in collaborating on policy solutions to the current economic crisis. <32> On the other hand, Obama himself was reportedly thrilled with the work Summers did in his first few weeks on the job. And Peter Orzag, andother top economic advisor, calls Summers "one of the world’s most brilliant economists." <33>

In January 2009, as the Obama Administration tried to pass an economic stimulus spending bill, Oregon Democratic Representative Peter DeFazio criticized Summers, saying that he thought that President Barack Obama is "ill-advised by Larry Summers. Larry Summers hates infrastructure." <34>. DeFazio, along with liberal economists including Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz, has argued that more of the stimulus should be spent on infrastructure,<35> while Summers has supported tax cuts.

Summers has recently come under fire for accepting perks from Citigroup, including free rides on its corporate jet last summer.<36> According to the Wall Street Journal, Larry Summers called Chris Dodd asking him to remove caps on executive pay at firms which have received stimulus money, including Citigroup. <37>

On April 3, 2009 Summers came under renewed criticism after it was disclosed that he was paid millions of dollars the previous year by companies which he now has influence over as a public servant. He earned $5 million from the hedge fund D. E. Shaw, and collected $2.7 million in speaking fees from Wall Street companies that received government bailout money.<38>

[Name removed]

255. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Norrin Radd]

258. FFS

[change_notfinetuning]

272. from change to fine tuning to business as usual - all in record time

Rahm is good

[nod factor]

278. Need some help.

If someone can find that report during the transition period that said Paulson had been "speaking with Obama every week since August" it would be greatly appreciated.

[Babyserendip]

281. SUPPORT HR 1207 and STOP THE FED & GOLDMAN COLD!

Everyone....complaining about the bitter reality of what Obama is turning into.....no end of war, comprised "health-care", and a complete and total sell out to the banks will get us no where.

This is my first post here....I am an independent...I have voted both parties and will continue to use my mind over my heart.

There is NO BILL more important than HR 1207. Simply put HR 1207 would force the US government to end its wars, and further wipe out all the power of the banks over the American people. There is a reason why Wall St. and the Fed are literally FREAKING OUT trying to stop this...telling people that it will be the end.....truth it will be their end - full stop. There is also reason why Obama is AFRAID TO EVEN COMMENT ON IT....because he made a deal with the banks to finance him....rather then let the American people finance him.

This single bill more than any other in the past 25 years would put us on the road to a broad market long-term domestic recovery the likes of which could only be compared with the 1880s. Understand.....investment will flow into all corners of the US after this bill's actions are complete....the boom for the average American would be unprecendant...it would only be Wall St. who suffers as they would not have control of the rise.

The bill is ***19*** Congress members shy of being VETO proof by Obama....which is EXACTLY what he will do if he can. The 19 remaining must come from the Democrats of whom MANY are on board including Marcy Kaptur (OH), longest serving women and die hard believer in working for workers first over capitalists.

Rest assured this bill will stop Goldman cold...and with it remind Obama that he best do what is in the interests of the American people, the reason he was sent there, if he plans to stick around past 2012.

Cheers,
Robert

[SIMPLYB1980]

284. Wow so much hyperventilating.

:boring:

[flyarm]

287. you just rest your little heart..the rest of us will get this crap stopped!!

just a little fyi..stay out of our way while we "hyperventilate" and stop the NWO and bank crooks that have taken over our government in every department...eom

[SIMPLYB1980]

290. OH NOES!!! The NWO!

Break out of the matrix, and the DLC is evil, and don't even get me started on the Bilderberg group. Have fun with that.

[flyarm]

295. enjoy yourself..you will make a wonderful comrad for Obama's new domestic army

of youth brigade!!

Seems to me I remember in history similar people to you!!

In the meantime..some of us adults will work hard to stop the constitution getting shit upon even more than it has been!!

And while you sit back and let it happen..I have prepared and will be long out of this country..and will not live under the shit coming!

[SIMPLYB1980]

297. LMAO!

:rofl:

[newspeak]

288. so, is the modus operandi revealed?

Elect or select one of the worst, pro-corporate deregulating corruptible Republican into office, let him and his friends steal as much as they can and do as much international harm as possible--then, allow a Democratic president to take over, sweep all of the dirt under the rug from the previous administration, but do almost the same as the previous administration but not as blatant. You still want the proles to think you're on their side. Wash, Rinse, Repeat--and on and on it goes. I'll hold judgement until the end of this year; however, I'm quite perturbed of his choices to economically turn this country around. And, I'm still waiting for an investigation of the previous administration into blatantly lying us into a very very costly war, torturing and illegally wiretapping American citizens. Also, I'd like to see an accounting of where all of our money has gone, especially the 2.3 trillion dollars that supposedly was unaccounted for at the Pentagon.

[Romulox]

289. Shameless. nt

[WyldRogue]

293. Well, looks like some people were correct...

... and they will not be throwing their vote Obama's way since he seems more interested in maintaining the Status Quo over We the People whose tax dollars are filling up the coffers of the shysters and snake oil salesmen.

My wife told me over and over that Obama would 'change' as soon as he got in...

As of now within my household and among family and friends, I am the lone Obama holdout while the rest have stated they will not vote for him in 2012.

And please don't come with the stupid 'McCain/vote for a Repug' mantra. It's idiotic and juvenile.

All I have to say is Obama better win the chess match because all I can see is that he's sacrificing us pawns like we are yesterday's news.

[stenciltactical]

292. Lets Nationalize Goldman...

Given how much they profited from the crisis, how their top executives end up running all the key government economic departments, it only makes sense that we nationalize them. at least then if these government officials on the goldman payroll pursue goldman friendly polices the money ends up back with the taxpayers...

[DebbieCDC]

321. Gee more change! I'm SO happy!

[NeoConsSuck]

329. Obama the one-termer

his ratings are already sliding, and rightfully so.

[ProudDad]

340. Thourougly disgusting!

Another Fox to guard the henhouse.

Total BULLSHIT... :puke: