Obama: AIG is like … a suicide bomber
posted at 10:19 am on March 19, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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I’m pretty sure this won’t go down in history as Barack Obama’s finest moment:
But today, President Obama took that rhetoric in a different direction. He actually upped the ante explaining that AIG is like a suicide bomber.
“We had to step in, it was the right thing to do, even though it is infuriating,” Obama said, explaining why the government needed to bail out the troubled banks.
“The same is true with AIG,” he said. “It was the right thing to do to step in. Here’s the problem. It’s almost like they’ve got — they’ve got a bomb strapped to them and they’ve got their hand on the trigger. You don’t want them to blow up. But you’ve got to kind of talk them, ease that finger off the trigger.”
Well, that’s simply not true. We sent $900 million to suicide bombers. We gave AIG over $150 billion.
Speaking of which, now that we’ve identified Chris Dodd as a liar on the bonus codicil in Porkulus, isn’t it time to do the same for Barack Obama and the White House? Let’s recall what Dodd said was his reason for rewriting his amendment to allow the AIG bonuses:
BLITZER: Well, so just to be precise, what we’re talking about, this mysterious loophole that was inserted at the last minute that allowed these bonuses in effect — now these bonuses, $165 million, to go forward. What I hear you saying is that, you personally, you did this in order — at the request of officials at the Treasury Department, Timothy Geithner, among others.
DODD: Well, I didn’t say who it was. But just say this, I wouldn’t have modified my own amendment at my own insistence. I mean, I spent a long time to having people try to be — change it. And obviously they came. And the alternative was losing the amendment. And I didn’t think we should do that at all.
BLITZER: Who asked you at the Treasury Department to do it?
DODD: Well, they were people, obviously, coming and negotiating with the staffs back and forth. And I don’t know their names specifically, it was at a staff level, people were talking about it.
Gee, would this be the same Treasury Department from the same administration that were “shaking with outrage” over these very bonuses? Dodd’s a liar, but he’s not the only one in this debacle. A conspiratorially-minded person might conclude that the administration deliberately enabled the bonuses so they could stoke populist outrage and push through more of their anti-business agenda.
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I think he’s right, just maybe not in the way he intended.
I mean, was Dagny Taggart not being asked to “blow herself up”?
Ortzinator on March 19, 2009 at 11:04 AM
OMG, how stupid can you get?
Did he just say the way to deal with a suicide bomber was to talk to them? Talk? He can’t be serious. Our child president is living up to the expectations of someone who has no executive experience, no business experience and no military experience.
I hope these aren’t our new ROE. I’ve got a son in Afghanistan, and I assure you, he isn’t talking to anyone with a bomb strapped their chest.
We have a very scary and dangerous president.
fogw on March 19, 2009 at 11:05 AM
The teleprompter must’ve been busy….
It's Vintage, Duh on March 19, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Not so fast, the admins at wiki have already targeted it for deletion.
The standard for speedy deletion is the thing must be “patent nonsense” — nice libspeak for “anything we disagree with”. But the standards quickly point out that the commissars of wiki would never delete a page for merely partisan reasons!
Get a screen cap. The intolerant hammer of liberalism is about to come down in it.
jeff_from_mpls on March 19, 2009 at 11:08 AM
The TOTUS on Wiki.
ebrawer on Mar 19,2009 at 10:56AM.
ebrawer: Kudo`s to Christien!
To all Hot Air Crew,there will be a small ceremony on the deck,
followed by a toast in the Capt`n`s quarters,at 21:00 hrs,
that is all,back to commenting!!haha.
canopfor on March 19, 2009 at 11:08 AM
It’s appropriate that the reverse of the Lincoln cent is being changed from the Greek columed memorial to the Lincoln log cabin. It will become known as the Obama Cent, change you can believe in. We’ll all be in log cabins before this man in through with us.
Limerick on March 19, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Does this mean that Obama and the liberal-socialist-democrats are proclaiming jihad on capitalism? Perhaps Jay Leno should wear a gas mask during the Presidents appearence.
Rovin on March 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Well, maybe if the federal government hadn’t built the bomb he was waving around, might be some credibility.
tarpon on March 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
That caption should really be saying “I can’t see my teleprompter!”
either orr on March 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Re: teleprompter
What’s next?
Obama is going to sing along like he’s doing karoke?
Baraoke will be the new rage.
Sir Napsalot on March 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Heh, exactly true.
Maxx on March 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Yes, he did say that. Now, as a suicide bomber, I now know that I can get what I want from the Appointed One simply by making a threat. We should expect many such “threats” in the coming months.
BTW, the proper way to deal with a suicide bomber is to place the cross-hairs just forward of the ear, or if a front aspect is presented, right between the eye-brows. Then excert a slow, steady pressure on the trigger.
BobMbx on March 19, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Who’s sixth, the homeless guy who holds up home made signs in front of the Capitol and yells at everyone?
Because 6 is looking pretty good right now.
Although “first Klansman President” would show how the country has grown over the past 50 years.
NoDonkey on March 19, 2009 at 11:15 AM
That TOTUS wiki article won’t last through the day.
Kai on March 19, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Hey, where’s my credit for writing the article?
And can you provide me evidence of Christien’s inventing of the term for the article or is it lost in blogland?
I heard it from Rush so I made the article about Rush’s use and invention of the term.
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:16 AM
What amendment was endangered by not putting in a sweetheart deal for the biggest recipient of AIG funds in the US Senate?
The only amendment that was endangered and in fact killed was the Snowe Wyden Amendment that taxed these bonuses, and which the mysterious Dodd (Obama?) provision replaced without a prior vote from either House approving same. Of course given that the House Dems on a near unanimous vote ratified the Dodd Amendment yesterday, by killing Rep. Cantor’s (Rep.) Amendment to give Treasury authority to recoup those bonuses, it is likely that such bonus approving provision of Dodd would have been accepted on the front burner too, but then we couldn’t have the preening of corruptocrat Barney Frank(furter) demagoging the lawlessness and arrogance of AIG.
eaglewingz08 on March 19, 2009 at 11:17 AM
I emailed it to Rush, so I hope he mentions it on air.
Can someone post it on the link viewer at LGF plz? I don’t have an account there.
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:17 AM
The tactic they are taking- to whip up a “public outcry” in order to push through more anti-business legislation is pretty transparent.
More interesting is what the republican leadership (whoever that is!) will do to turn it against them. Government intervention into salary, bonuses, and legal contracts is unconstitutional and against conservative principles. It will be a challenge to flip the mob outrage against anyone who makes “too much money” against the Obama administration without being hypocritical.
dinobalz on March 19, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Mention it on ACE’s.
Hell, if you sent it to RL, send it to Beck or Instapundit.
Accuracy is key here.
Kai on March 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
This guy is just dumb.
WisCon on March 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
They won’t get it without a fight. I contested the deletion notice immediately and gave an argument on the talk page. This should be somewhat drawn out (1-2 days?) if I did it well.
I tried to stay away from parody and actually use standard wiki protocols (neutral language, balance). This should keep it from being deleted too quickly.
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Have Teleprompter Will Travel reads the card of the man.
A knave without a thought of his own in what he’s turning into a bankrupt land.
His umm, ah, oh, mouth for hire heeds the calling Soros wind.
A man without a clue of his own is the man called Obamadin.
Obamadin, Obamadin, Where do you roam?
Obamadin, Obamadin, Just be sure to never leave your teleprompter at home.
He travels on to wherever he must
His yearning for power is his guiding lust
There are legends that themselves do spin
Of the Ventriloquist’s dummy
Of the man called Obamadin
Obamadin, Obamadin, Where do you roam?
Obamadin, Obamadin, Just be sure to never leave your teleprompter at home.
MB4 on March 19, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Rovin on March 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
I must believe what my eyes are seeing… Yes my friend, I believe the Democrat Party is out to destroy capitalism and free markets. I simply don’t see any indication to the otherwise. I’m heading out this evening to meet with dozens of other small business owners here in my area. The main subject of this meeting is how best to get the word out to fellow Montanans of this reality, and the part our (2) Democrat Senators representing Montana are playing in this attack. We can only do what we can do; I’m going very hard with others here in my home state, to expose the work of our Senators to destroy our businesses.
John Tester & Max Baucus are the enemy of all Montanans, as their voting record puts on display.
Keemo on March 19, 2009 at 11:22 AM
I love that pick, Ed. It’s classic…like BHO is about to buy a vowel..
bluelightbrigade on March 19, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Check out AIG’s CEO in his Che tshirt.
http://rsmccain.blogspot.com/2009/03/che-goofball.html
True_King on March 19, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Demand,that Teleprompter be set free!
Like Free Willy the Whale!!
SET THE TELEPROMPTER FREE!!!Hehe.
canopfor on March 19, 2009 at 11:23 AM
The teleprompter must’ve been busy….
It’s Vintage, Duh on March 19, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Brat4life on March 19, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I wonder if Obama was just using a poor analogy, or if he really doesn’t understand that the creation of our current financial timebomb was INADVERTENT. Everybody thought that the housing boom was just the “new normal”. One reason for that line of thinking? Government assurances. So when the housing market collapsed, the credit default swaps became worthless, and voila! bomb.
another really onerous part of his analogy is that the guys at AIG working to wind down this $2.6 Trillion signed a contract agreeing to do the work. Who pays a suicicde bomber? Oh, that’s right. Iran. And now us.
Part of me wishes the AIG guys would just walk out, and then see what Congress says THEN. But I don’t want more people suffering from that economic fallout. Who is John Galt?
hawksruleva on March 19, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Are you sure that this was before Rush’s first mention of TOTUS? The earliest Rush reference to TOTUS I can find is March 18th’s show, so unless any previous reference exists I’ll add in Christien. Just making sure.
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:25 AM
So where does the claim fit in that this was all done between Pelosi, Reid and Rham prior to the conference committee which would indicated that Reid was the one who carried the message back to Dodd from Rham to change his amendment and Rham was coordinating between Obama and Geither.
The little detail that it was the date inserted in the amendment that Dodd first claimed he knew nothing about seems to indicate that they all knew what they were doing and the little detail that there was another amendment that would have created a tax on the bonuses that was stripped from the bill by the same group is evidence that this was all done with complete knowledge of all parties.
This is a good example of the lack of executive management we can look forward to from the Obama administration. He is nothing more than a figure head that wooed the electorate .. as we all saw coming.. and the power behind the throne is Alexrod, Rham who is Pelosi’s sock puppet and go-along-Reid.
Texas Gal on March 19, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Link to TOTUS creation
katy on March 19, 2009 at 11:26 AM
While cannibalizing themselves, are we to believe “staff” writes policy and overrides a Senator?
Odie1941 on March 19, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Also could I have a link to the page with Christien’s post.
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:29 AM
The post was made early Wed morning at least 8 hours before Rush went on air.
katy on March 19, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Yes, she made that comment at 1:09 AM on the 18th.
Rush made the statement on his show about ten hours later.
carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM
ROFLMAO!!
So glad I didn’t have a mouth full of coffee!
Texas Gal on March 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Click on my 11:20 comment up thread. It is a link to the post.
carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Does this mean Rush trolls the comments here?
I wonder if he’s a regular poster. I bet he’s blatantblue.
Kai on March 19, 2009 at 11:31 AM
It’s actually an apt analogy because people of Obama’s ilk think that we create terrorists through our government actions, beliefs and principles.
myrenovations on March 19, 2009 at 11:31 AM
OK, just credited Christien:
The earliest known reference to the TOTUS is a post by the user Christien on the blog Hot Air on March 18th, 2009 at 1:09 AM.[5]
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Good job on the article.
carbon_footprint on March 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Of course Obama didn’t just “talk” to anyone; he repaid their threats with trillions of dollars.
This is the miraculous “brilliant diplomacy” he promised us would save the world: He gives our allies a K-Mart Special slap in the face, and he gives our enemies (foreign and domestic) the keys to the Treasury.
logis on March 19, 2009 at 11:28 AM
logis on March 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM
I saw him try to make that simile about fifteen minutes ago and had my first STFU moment (and laugh) of the day.
baldilocks on March 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM
If AIG is like a suicide bomber then does that make the stimulus like Fat Man or Little Boy?
Limerick on March 19, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Congratulations, Christien. Woo Hoo!
Right again, Ed. Just like someone on another thread said, Obama keeps on trying closed doors down a hallway to see which will open. I don’t think he and his advisors envisioned as much public resistance to his Socialization of America.
kingsjester on March 19, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Awesome.
myrenovations on March 19, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Thank you very much! Now we need to spread it around before they inevitably remove it to protect our Dear Leader.
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Ditto
katy on March 19, 2009 at 11:41 AM
You mean “man-included explosive device”
You’re welcome.
drjohn on March 19, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I believe he may be here somewhere in your own blog town
Dancing around these hallowed halls
After all, the Rushbo one is renown
For splendid balls
A gypsy mopping sweat upon his brow
Might it be this gypsy of yours stands before you now?
It could be blatantblue!
It could be you!
Odd’s fish, it could be me!
PercyB on March 19, 2009 at 11:47 AM
We need to amend the Constitution.
I’m pretty sure it’s the one running the country right now anyway…
29Victor on March 19, 2009 at 11:50 AM
VICTORY
My defense against the speedy deletion request prevailed!!!
It now has a standard deletion request, which means it must be debated for 5 days minimum.
I have now mounted a defense on the articles for deletion page:
Here’s the enemy:
And moi:
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Simple question to Dodd:
You state that ’staffs’ requested the change. In light of the fact that Geithner had no staff at the time this meeting took place you mean either YOUR staff/YOU made the change or Geithner HIMSELF requested it. Would you mind stating which of your staff made the request?
Dr. Dog on March 19, 2009 at 11:52 AM
So – Staff People Dodd didn’t even KNOW got him to change his ammendment? He wouldn’t have done it otherwise, but some nameless, faceless people made him include the language. Did Mario Puzo write this?
Dodd’s a horrible liar, and worse, he thinks everyone’s too stupid to know it, or he’s so easily led that anyone can make him change anything.
TinMan13 on March 19, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Nice.
TOTUS has legs. Figuratively and literally. ;)
katy on March 19, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Well, the teleprompter does remind me of Wall-E….you know…garbage in, garbage out.
Limerick on March 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Actually, capitalism is the ferocious Marine (or soldier, sailor, airman, pick your favorite branch) coming to take the Marxist state down.
BTW, I heard a great comment on the ‘our children being put in harm’s way’ thing. That’s just insulting to the military, they ARE HARM’S WAY.
bikermailman on March 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Staffs =
My guess… Geither > Rham > Reid > Dodd is how it went down and once Reid got the message from Rham, Reid’s chief aid called Dodd’s chief aid to tell him to make the change. Dodd approved the change and his aid called Reid’s aid back .. and so forth. That’s why Dodd says he didn’t know the name (Reid’s staff) and they were talking back and forth. Aid to Aid to get it done.
Texas Gal on March 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM
TOTUS LOL!
It’s like Richelieu, or O.J.’s lawyer.
29Victor on March 19, 2009 at 12:00 PM
The TOTUS thing has gone VIRAL!!! Goggle it. This is funny as hell.
katy on March 19, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Temple Pillars Teleprompter!
canopfor on March 19, 2009 at 12:08 PM
The most popoular word on this blog is teleprompter. Yawn.
It’s very obvious the bailed out Institutions are holding the economy hostage and government can’t do anything about it.
The bailouts will continue, the outrages will continue until government finishes paying them off.
The original Paulson proposal to Congress was the ramsom note.
getalife on March 19, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Good article…
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/03/023114.php
Keemo on March 19, 2009 at 12:13 PM
AIG is like . . . a Wall Street mafia money laundering operation.
Why did the taxpayer bail out AIG if the money was going directly to Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch with no haircut?
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTzTYtlNHSG8&refer=home
Angry Dumbo on March 19, 2009 at 12:14 PM
How about TOTUS?
Maybe if we can convince PETA that TOTUS is also a small furry animal, it can be put on the endangered species list?
Rovin on March 19, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Rush just mentioned http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/ on air. WHAT ABOUT THE WIKI!
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 12:23 PM
I heard that. I just sent some links to Ed to perhaps create a post with links to TOTUS gone wild!!!!
It was birthed right here. Very cool
katy on March 19, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Send Rush an email about wiki right now
katy on March 19, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I just emailed Rush about it.
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 12:29 PM
As far as I can tell from the ditto cam he isn’t paying much attention to his email. Drats!!!
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Well sure they could, if they cared less about their careers as politicians, and more for the pocketbooks of the constitutents who elected them and pay their salaries.
I find it hilarious, yet sickening, how the dopes in congress, who are all up in arms over the bonuses paid to AIG execs, gave themselves a big fat raise this week.
Sheesh, they even reward themselves for failure (18% approval rating).
fogw on March 19, 2009 at 12:33 PM
TOTUS would never say what the POTUS said.
Christien on March 19, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Your idea has gone viral girlfriend!!
Pretty great. Rush is talking about it right now!
katy on March 19, 2009 at 12:36 PM
POTUS is going rogue!
ebrawer on March 19, 2009 at 12:36 PM
This man scares the hell out of me. He is a dangerous person that is POTUS. We also have Pelosi that is telling “illegal” people it should be illegal to enforce the laws of our nation. These people are very scary and I am certain that our unfriendly nations that hate us are enjoying this circus.
workingforpigs on March 19, 2009 at 12:40 PM
“A conspiratorially-minded person ”
huh?
notagool on March 19, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Calling Robert Byrd.
Johan Klaus on March 19, 2009 at 12:49 PM
katy,
Thanks, again! We can all use some laughs, especially these days.
ebrawer,
Cool wiki! FWIW, I googled “Obama” and “TOTUS” a little while ago, curious to know if anyone used TOTUS previously. I found some site I hadn’t visited before that has a March 6, 2009, thread using “TOTUS.” Oddly, the only comment posted was from October 6, 2008. Go figure.
Christien on March 19, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Your man just keeps digging the hole deeper.
Johan Klaus on March 19, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Sure sounds like a nasty virus to me T-Gal.
Rovin on March 19, 2009 at 12:51 PM
I though that Timothy Geithner was, y’know, the only person at Treasury.
juanito on March 19, 2009 at 12:53 PM
For pete’s sake, you just called everyone in the Gaza Strip a suicide bomber. That’s quite stupid.
In case you were too busy being ‘clever’ to actually read the article you linked to, notice this quote:
“In an early sign of how the administration plans to deal with Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls Gaza, an official said that the aid would not go to Hamas but that it would be funneled through nongovernmental organizations.”
Now when you’re finished with that, perhaps check out this link to see how Republicans hated the idea of limiting compensation for failed bank executives.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/06/gop-opposes-pay-limits-on_n_164544.html
Chris Dodd, BTW, was practically the only one trying to impose strict limits on their pay.
orange on March 19, 2009 at 12:53 PM
fogw on March 19, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Yup, watching the debate on taxing the boneses in the House.
Talk about Hot Air.
getalife on March 19, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I think they inserted the bonus thing in the Pork = U Less because they believed they could/would get away with it. It’s only after the tea parties that someone started to worry a bit.
Call me naive but I never for a moment ever thought my government would turn on the people. These idiots don’t even get that it’s not the bonuses that make us angry. It’s that they didn’t read the damn bill, didn’t listen to their constituents and continue to rape the US taxpayer like money grows on trees.
Add insult to injury as the TOTUS now is going on prime time TV next Tuesday to quell the masses.
katablog.com on March 19, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Lets see, pay the ransom or the economy collapses.
They say they do not deal with terrorists.
Well, they are paying off the economic terrorists.
getalife on March 19, 2009 at 12:57 PM
LOL – that’s like saying a nongovernmental organization is going to handle the US Census (ACORN)
katablog.com on March 19, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Obama serves at the pleasure of the TOTUS.
Jim Treacher on March 19, 2009 at 1:01 PM
A dem caused problem.
Johan Klaus on March 19, 2009 at 1:01 PM
heh
katy on March 19, 2009 at 1:06 PM
TOTUS now has his own Facebook Flair.
finally something I can believe in.
29Victor on March 19, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Ah, the blame game. We have to go way back and a book will be needed to play the blame game.
Ultimately, Congress stripped their power to these bailed out Institutions that do not pay taxes by deregulation.
getalife on March 19, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Indeed. Viral and incestuous.
Makes me wonder what else is stuck deep down inside that stimulus that we don’t yet know about.
Texas Gal on March 19, 2009 at 1:09 PM
One blog has the laugher:
“What did Geithner not know and when did it not know it?”
We have absolute children in charge.
Chuck Schick on March 19, 2009 at 1:15 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hSnEMV58F8
On the Prompter, from like 5 months ago.
Romeo13 on March 19, 2009 at 1:16 PM
That’s a laugh. That’s a UN organization, and by doctrine they do not “vet” the people they employ to ensure they are not part of terrorist groups.
Please tell me that you don’t seriously believe that an organization such as Hamas would allow anyone to apply, much less hold those jobs if they weren’t associated with Hamas.
Or do you think totalitarian organizations stay that way by taking a “hands off” approach regarding what goes on in their little towns?
NoDonkey on March 19, 2009 at 1:17 PM
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