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Sarah Palin - After the Press Conference, the Reality

Submitted by NextRightNando on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 08:38

A few days ago there was a blog on this site celebrating Sarah Palin. and her brave stance in rejecting stimulus funds.

Well, surprise, surprise - it was all just a show for the cameras - especially those from the lower 48. From today's Alaska Daily News:

Top Alaska legislators said Tuesday they're likely to accept at least most of the federal economic stimulus money that Gov. Sarah Palin did not. "I think at the end of the day we will end up taking most of the funds," said Anchorage Republican Rep. Mike Hawker, who is leading the House effort on the stimulus as co-chairman of the finance committee.

Palin announced last week she was not accepting $288 million of the $930.7 million that the state is due in the federal stimulus. Palin aides have said in the days since that the governor did not reject any money, leading some state legislators to charge the governor with backpedaling as a result of furor over the announcement.

Palin aides have said the past few days that the governor has been mischaracterized.

"The governor has not rejected any funds -- that I think was perhaps the interpretation and I know certainly in some of the coverage of the press event last week," Karen Rehfeld, the governor's budget director, told the House Finance Committee on Tuesday.

For the record: the statement issued by her own office said

Governor Palin Accepts Half of Stimulus Package Funds

and

Governor Palin is accepting just 55 percent of the available stimulus funds

so those who are now trying to argue that she didn't actually reject anything have an argument thinner than a tissue.

More brand damage for Republicans and conservatism.

 

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Theatrical rule of thumb

Submitted by johnson springs on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 09:50.

Could we perhaps define a rule a thumb?

Engaging in substanceless theatrics is indicative of a politician who has yet to understand that the GOP's way of doing politics is exhausted.

Such cheap theatrics are part of the problem not part of the solution.

Good point, well made

Submitted by NextRightNando on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 10:49.

Good point, well made - as always. It should be called "the johnson springs rule".

There needs to a process of stripping away the layers to get at the core - what are the conservative ideas that can be sold without the substanceless theatrics?

Is it possible that in this point in time - there are none? This is simply not the time for conserving?

Got it

Submitted by Lonestar Bill on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 09:59.

Like passing legislation to tax AIG bonus money at 90% knowing that the president has no intention of signing it? That kind of theatrics?

 

The bonus clawback is the opposite of substanceless theatrics

Submitted by NextRightNando on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 10:41.

If you want proof that the bonus clawback bill passed by the House is the opposite of substanceless theatrics, look no further than the following.

Many Top AIG Execs Agree to Return Bonuses

By SARA LEPRO, AP Business Writer Sara Lepro, Ap Business Writer – Tue Mar 24, 12:36 pm ET

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo hopes more AIG employees will return their bonuses, after 15 of the top 20 bonus recipients at the troubled insurer agreed to return their money.

In total, American International Group Inc. employees have agreed to return about $50 million of the $165 million in bonuses awarded earlier this month by the insurer, Cuomo's office said Monday.

At most, Cuomo said his office could hope to recoup $80 million of the bonuses — roughly the amount paid out to AIG employees in the U.S. The bonuses were paid out to employees of the financial products division, a global unit that issued derivatives called credit default swaps that helped sink AIG as a whole last year.

The agreement to return the money followed a firestorm of criticism and some arm-twisting from New York's attorney general. AIG has come under heavy criticism because the bonuses were given to employees after the company received $170 billion in government bailout money.

 

Incredible!

Submitted by Lonestar Bill on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:08.

So you are proud that the AG of New York has intimidated American citizens into paying back money they legally earned by threatening to publish their names (and by inference the violence that would undoubtedly be targeted toward them and their families)?

I thought AG's were supposed to uphold the law? Why didn't he sue them? Why did he call them and tell them he was going to publish their names?

Cuomo is a disgusting man. I have lost all respect for him.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?ref=opinion

 

I am pleased that leading Democrats in the House

Submitted by NextRightNando on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:19.

together with Cuomo have delivered a swift kick to the ass of the cowboys and pirates on Wall Street, yes.

As are the majority of Americans - I'll attach proof of that below.

However, lets not gloss over the point at hand - you say the bonus clawback bill was substanceless theatrics. The fact that the money is coming back proves that it was not. On the other hand, Sarah Palin held a press converence containing a hollow boast (and some very bad math) which was completely negated by her fellow Repbulicans and her own staff no sooner than the cable news TV cameras left town.

Anyway, here is what the American people think about the AIG bonuses:

Resentful over executive bonuses, most Americans reject American International Group’s explanations for their necessity according to the latest CBS News Poll.While President Obama does not receive good reviews for his handling of the A.I.G. issue, it has not affected the public evaluation of his overall job performance or his handling of the economy in general.Few of those surveyed accepted A.I.G.’s argument that they were contractually obligated to pay the bonuses. Only 13 percent agreed that A.I.G. had to pay their executives those bonuses, while 83 percent said they thought the company could have found a way not to pay them. And 71 percent disagreed that banks and other financial institutions need to pay large bonuses to hire and keep employees with essential skills.Half said they were angry about the bonuses that A.I.G. executives received, and 38 percent said that, while they were not angry, the bonuses “bothered” them. Only 12 percent said they were not bothered.A.I.G. paid $165 million in bonuses to 463 of its executives, after receiving over $170 billion in federal bailout funds. The White House has called on A.I.G. employees to return the bonus money and reimburse the federal government, while the company’s chief executive, Edward M. Liddy, has asked workers to give back at least half of their bonuses.The public has little faith that the A.I.G. employees who received the large bonuses will give back any of the money. Seventy percent said they expect few or none of the executives to give back any of their bonus money.Three-fourths of those surveyed said the government should try to recover the bonus money paid by A.I.G. But the support for recovering the bonus money drops when the method of recovery is taxation. The House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would impose a 90 percent tax on bonuses received this year by high income employees of companies receiving federal bailout money. Just over half of those surveyed, 51 percent, favor a 90 percent tax on bonuses, and 44 percent oppose such as tax. Most Democrats, 55 percent, approve of such a tax, while 51 percent of Republicans oppose. 

 

Enjoy your class warfare

Submitted by Lonestar Bill on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:29.

I won't be participating.

 The money is coming back because the Cuomo threatened private citizens.

Totally unrelated to Barney Frank's theatrics/grandstanding.

By not participating you are also engaging

Submitted by NextRightNando on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 11:58.

Nice use of yet more worn-out rhetoric. Has it not occured to you that by "not participating" you are also engaging in class warfare - on the side of the new generation of robber barons.

I don't see it as class warfare

Submitted by acinphx on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 12:08.

Class warfare would be voting to tax all bonuses, no matter the industry or the employer's status as a taxpayer bailout recipient, at 90%.  The House bill was limited to firms receiving taxpayer assistance.  Mind you, I don't like the bill either and don't agree that individual recipients should be identified for possible public retribution.  I can't say that would make me likely to vote for Cuomo either.

But I think much of the public frustration comes not only from seeing their money being used to pay the million-dollar bonuses, but also the fact that no heads have rolled -- no one sees the 'bad actors' getting their comeuppance in any other way.  So a proposal for punitive taxation is one way the public's thirst for 'justice' could be quenched.  Of course, people have obviously lost their jobs as a result of downsizing in the firms but no one has been indicted, convicted or otherwise 'brought to justice' as similar activities might have ended in the past. 

You will say that is because no one has done anything illegal -- that the activities, while reflective of a culture of utter greed and recklessness, and essentially looting firms to the point of bankruptcy -- and you would be right.  Over the past 20 years the financial industry has spent $5 billion on political influence, which bought them almost complete deregulation and nonexistent oversight.  I think that is where our rage is more rightfully directed, at a D.C. culture and the politicians so happy to take their money and look the other way while bad actors brought us to this point. 

Yet I expect considerable resistance to re-regulating and enforcement, not exclusively from the GOP, but most loudly voiced by the GOP.  I acknowledge it would be criticizing the GOP more harshly just because they're more vocal in their hypocrisy, but I think it will be very likely that most voter retribution will fall on the GOP if they're seen as obstructing any kind of regulation and enforcement.  I could be wrong -- maybe it will be an across-the-board "throw the bums out" mood in 2010 -- we'll probably get a sense soon enough.

I'm Shocked, Shocked to Learn that Palin is a Politician

Submitted by gs on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 12:31.

I haven't made up my mind about Palin, but I don't expect a frontier politician to be held to the standards of Mother Teresa.

Palin has upset Alaskan legislators by pointing to the strings on the 'free' money.  So what?   Alaska reelected Don Young and almost reelected Ted Stevens.  A lot of Alaskan voters want reform because they elected Palin, but a lot of them are obviously comfortable with the corruption.  Especially if, you know, the money comes from the government instead of the taxpayers...

Mother Teresa? More like a weather vane.

Submitted by NextRightNando on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 12:39.

On way day the official line is:

Governor Palin Accepts Half of Stimulus Package Funds

and

Governor Palin is accepting just 55 percent of the available stimulus funds

three days later the official line is:

 the governor has been mischaracterized

and

The governor has not rejected any funds

That is hardly the Mother Teresa standard. A more apt comparision is a weather vane.

 

I see where you are coming from acinphx.

Submitted by Lonestar Bill on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 12:42.

But, we have a situation here where an Attorney General has intimidated American citizens to returning money they earned leagally-at the behest of other citizens.No due process, just simple thug tactics.

I have a real problem with that. Its an abuse of power (money isn't the only thing that corrupts).

 

Agreed on the abuse of

Submitted by acinphx on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 13:15.

Agreed on the abuse of power.  I would rather be were in a position  to indict the bad actors for having broken the law.