Friday, April 3, 2009

Obama to Bankers: “My Administration Is The Only Thing Between You And The Pitchforks.”

When the big bank CEOs tried to convince Obama that they deserved big bonuses, he reminded them that the public wanted their heads on a platter:

“These are complicated companies,” one CEO said. Offered another: “We’re competing for talent on an international market.”

But President Barack Obama ... stopped the conversation and offered a blunt reminder of the public’s reaction to such explanations. “Be careful how you make those statements, gentlemen. The public isn’t buying that.”

“My administration,” the president added, “is the only thing between you and the pitchforks.”
Tough talk which accurately reflects the righteous fury of the American people. Too bad Obama is just throwing our money at the banks and allowing them to game the system, and isn't actually doing anything to ensure that the banks act in the interests of the American people.

7 comments:

  1. Obama is facing the pitchforks also so he better wise up fast.

    He chose the WRONG side and no it doesn't matter if they forced him to do it/put one to his head because we're all going to PAY for it and most importantly they're going to pay for it at the same time!!!

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  2. I, one of the 100s of millions with a pitchfork cordially invites President Obama to join us.

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  3. I want O to be harder on them. The Mandarin Class needs to be taken out and hung in a public square.

    Behind every great fortune there are crimes - not hard work.

    this is a lifetime entrepreneur speaking... nobody knows better than the self employed that the system is and has always been rigged.

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  4. “We’re competing for talent on an international market.”

    Oh, oh... as an ex-corporate PR flak I can say that views presented such as the one above are straight from the hothousing meetings of the PR consultants. It's precisely these "angles not considered that provide the exception" that PR teams are paid to come up with. Which means the Corporate heads are playing the game as usual treating the government like they do the public, namely; with spin and massage. Time to treat them like hostile witnesses and drop the kiddy gloves. They won't change unless their physical freedom is threatened.

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  5. Priscilla: "Behind every great fortune there are crimes." Honore de Balzac! Very good. I had my (perfectly legal) business shut down the the government (customs) so I agree wholeheartedly. The politicians who scream so much in favour of laissez faire/law of the jungle capitalism don't seem to object to trust fund kiddies inheriting Billions of dollars and being bequeathed corporate empires. Do we need to point out to them that lion cubs are not born in the jungle with a phalanx of security guards and a mountain of ready-supplied food? They have to fight for it from scratch like everyone else. What we have now is an Aristocracy like medieval times with 1% of the population simply born into untold wealth whose minions spend at least some of their time squashing and destroying all the up-and-coming opposition.

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  6. Till they actually know what is on the books at the 5 bigee's they are doing what has been done before them as a way to look like they are doing something. You see the reaction from the right on his firing of the GM boss, can you imagine what would have happened if he had leaped right out and Nationalized the banks (he'll end of doing it) but he has to find the firm ground on which to take his stand. There are all kinds of opinions on what we should do from do nothing to Nationalize all the dogs so a little north of do nothing might be all they have right now. This change to the Mark to Market rule will be interesting to see how it will wash out,

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  7. O-Banana is right to worry about pitchforks ... and nooses. That moron is a Marxist, one with the liars and pillagers. To top it off, he and those he has appointed to his posse have made it very clear that they do not like original Americans and will descriminate against them at every opportunity in favor of their homeboys.

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