Video: Cavuto goes nuclear on Democrat for trying to regulate “excessive” pay
posted at 6:35 pm on April 1, 2009 by Allahpundit
Fear not, says Rep. Grayson, author of the “pay for performance” bill. He only wants to cap the pay of employees at companies that got TARP money. Left unmentioned: The fact that Barney Frank’s goals are a tad more ambitious than that. This is the camel’s nose inside the tent, in other words, and Cavuto knows it, which is why he can’t help turning apoplectic halfway through. Grayson defended the bill recently in a post at HuffPo but don’t look for any guidance there on what is and isn’t “excessive.” In fact, your time’s better spent reading George Will’s op-ed on whether TARP is unconstitutional insofar as it represents a grant of discretion from Congress to the President so sweeping and ill-defined as to violate separation of powers. Arguably, this bill does too:
The Supreme Court has said: “That Congress cannot delegate legislative power to the president is a principle universally recognized as vital to the integrity and maintenance of the system of government ordained by the Constitution.” And the court has said that properly delegated discretion must come with “an intelligible principle” and must “clearly delineate” a policy that limits the discretion. EESA flunks that test.
Does Grayson’s bill clearly delineate limits on Geithner’s discretion to decide what constitutes excessive pay? If it does, he forgot to mention it in eight minutes of badgering.
The interview was recorded last night, incidentally. The second clip comes from today’s “Your World,” in which Cavuto, in the clear light of day, had an unexpected change of heart.
Blowback
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MikeInOhio on April 1, 2009 at 8:00 PM
sethstorm on April 1, 2009 at 8:04 PM
The minimum wage does not apply to everyone and the point to it {supposedly} is to keep big companies from ripping off poor people. Or something.
But this is absurd. The Congress and the Treasury Secretary can not even do their own jobs, they are overpaid themselves as far as I am concerned and they have no business and no right to be setting pay for people.
Terrye on April 1, 2009 at 8:08 PM
If anyone thinks it’s a good idea to give the Treasury Secretary the authority to limit what is spent on ALL salaries by companies that receive federal assistance, I have a question:
Does the Government also have the right to limit the spending of ANYONE that receives government assistance?
Because if that’s the case, I want to be the Government official that gets to review/approve the spending patterns of every single person that receives welfare, any kind of debt relief paid for by the government, any home buyers that get $8,000 check for buying their first home, etc…
Oh, you got a Pell Grant for college? I had better not see any trips to the local bars if you’re using my taxpayer dollars.
You get my point. Let’s not be so quick to propose or pass these stupid laws….they sometimes have a way of coming back and biting you on the butt.
mctowler on April 1, 2009 at 8:10 PM
“We pay you congressman” and me thinks it is too much by a factor of 10, how about a retroactive pay cut?
RalphyBoy on April 1, 2009 at 8:12 PM
mctowler:
Considering the fact that there is practically no part of our economy that the government is not involved in, how would we draw the line?
Terrye on April 1, 2009 at 8:14 PM
cavuto is an idiot. The April’s fool. Will he still be joking when the ratbags use his words as confirmation of conservative support of Obama’s shitty policies.
davod on April 1, 2009 at 8:15 PM
I like how when Cavuto goes on O’Reilly, Billo makes a mockery out of the lightweight Cavuto. Cavuto, just another shill for Fox News.
athensboy on April 1, 2009 at 8:18 PM
Obviously you don’t watch either, trollboy. How can one be a shill when one already works for that network?
Knucklehead on April 1, 2009 at 8:24 PM
>>I like how when Cavuto goes on O’Reilly, Billo makes a mockery out of the lightweight Cavuto. Cavuto, just another shill for Fox News<<
I think it’s just the opposite. But it’s nuance, contrast to Bill’s bloviating. Bill’s too arrogant to know he’s been had.
CinnamongirlUF on April 1, 2009 at 8:24 PM
athensboy on April 1, 2009 at 8:18 PM
And what does that make you?
Keemo on April 1, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Yes, Neil has MS. He recently had surgery on his vocal cords because of the advance of the MS.
I have a very rare neuro-muscular disease that was controlled by immuno-suppressents (like small nuclear bombs for the liver), until they were doing too much damage. Then it was back to prednisone. A person gains weight from prednisone,it seems by doing nothing more than breathing air.
I challenge someone like TheJoker to even attempt to walk for one day in Neils’ shoes, or SeniorD’s shoes.
Knowning what is involved I stand in awe on Neil everytime I see his show.
Yoop on April 1, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Simple question for this Congressmen would’ve been: “Is there anything in this bill that guarantees an employee making $45,000 a year will *not* be impacted by this measure?”
If there’s no ranges, no figures in it, the answer is “no”, and it turns his lying ass upside down.
Midas on April 1, 2009 at 8:25 PM
I wonder if these brain dead mindless gutless pussified ignorant diaper baby trolls know that Cavuto is O’Reilly’s boss…
Keemo on April 1, 2009 at 8:27 PM
Awesome!!!! God I love when these guys go balls to the walls with these lying bastards!
katy on April 1, 2009 at 8:29 PM
Another Washington Crap-weasel, and a bit light in the sneakers. I though he/she/or whatever was going to cry..
Wade on April 1, 2009 at 8:33 PM
I like how your alleged heavyweight Obama is so friggin’ terrified of all these lightweights that he avoids Fox News like the plague.
ddrintn on April 1, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Good job Neil. It is about time someone put the fire to these sleezebag politions feet and make them cry.
lexa on April 1, 2009 at 8:36 PM
OK. So if the Honorable Mr. Grayson doesn’t want to set a number (..If we make it 10,000,000 then they’ll pay him 9,999,990…).
That seems… gee, I can’t even come up with a word…
Strange? Odd? Wrong? Misleading? Disingenuous?
If it’s set (by congress) to 10 mil, they’ll drop 10 bucks and evade the intent. But if the SECTREAS sets it at 10 mil, they’ll NEVER think of dropping it 10 bucks to evade the intent.
Ahh. Now I understand.
Dan.
Dan. on April 1, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Exactly, the dumbass doesn’t even realize he destroyed his own argument. You can indefinitely subtract $1 from any arbitrary amount and it becomes “not excessive”. This is the same with the imaginary “greed”. What amount is greedy? When they name it subtract $1 dollar and ask if that amount is not greedy. Economic illiterates always destroy themselves in arguments.
Cavuto Rocks.
Poptech on April 1, 2009 at 8:43 PM
GreekBoy?? I’m pretty sure this is directed at you.
Anything to add???
BigWyo on April 1, 2009 at 8:44 PM
Hmmm…no reply.
AthensDork must have something stuck in the DIRT ROAD behind his house just now.
BigWyo on April 1, 2009 at 8:52 PM
I might do that next week! If you have facebook, request that Bret make you a friend! He will remind you about the online show.
WOOT!!!
ladyingray on April 1, 2009 at 8:54 PM
Um, me for one… mostly because although this law is stupid, overbearing, excessive, and … did I say stupid? the obvious outcome (if you’re congress, read that as “unintended consequence”) is that companies will pay off whatever they can ASAP and all future companies will run away from Government assistance as though it were radioactive.
Given the same obvious outcome (again, for people dumb enough to be in Congress, another “unintended consequence”) is that anyone with half a brain or any other options would refuse and avoid government assistance… sure.
I’d agree with that; but you might have a rational goal or use rational restrictions. Irrational inexplicable and random restrictions would be better disincentive than a rational guideline. People will be less reliant upon something random.
Agreed, but the only butts being bit here are socialists trying to run government largess, and the recipients of that largess.
Since we can’t stop the largess with the current Congress; giving disincentive to receive it, although not optimum, seems better than any other alternative.
If I thought Congress could pass rational laws and reasonable restrictions on Government spending; I’d prefer that. But as I haven’t found enough drugs to make me believe Congress might get it right, even on accident, we need a different goal.
Congress accidentally screwing up badly enough to make any reasonable person or company consider Government aid as a worse proposition to asking for quarters at the highway offramp… I’ll take it.
gekkobear on April 1, 2009 at 8:57 PM
It can give one the “hungries” and cause facial “bloating” even if one successfully fights the “hungries” and does not gain weight. If you are on pred for very long you should get your bone density checked and if low, go on that drug they give “old ladies” for osteoporosis. Maybe you are doing that already.
MB4 on April 1, 2009 at 9:09 PM
I really liked your post. All of it I mean. The only problem I have is with the part quoted. The “Will pay off” part. They already have. The thing that gets me in a twist is that now you have the very same armpits that signed off on the damn thing pretending to raise hell about how the taxpayer is being ripped off…Especially the AIG thing…they knew about it from the get go…and god only knows how many others that haven’t been splattered all over the news…
The Congress Tard asks “Well Neil, what would you do to clean up this mess”?
First thing that popped into my head was…Would have never given them the money…or at least read the damn bill….
Our entire government sucks ass…
BigWyo on April 1, 2009 at 9:22 PM
This Dem regime has gone a lot nutty. They have let their(temporary)power go to their heads to the point where they have lost all regard for common sense, unforseen consequences and the rule of law. It will all come back to bite one of these days. Case in point: Note the utterly childish behavior regarding the visit to the Queen. More like teenagers getting to meet a rock star or children getting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas.
jeanie on April 1, 2009 at 9:25 PM
AIG wrote their own checks? Where do I sign up?
mike_NC9 on April 1, 2009 at 9:35 PM
The point is, the congressman claimed it was unreasonable for the law to set a precise figure, but they certainly insist on doing that when they set the minimum wage on the other end.
The entire purpose of this stunt is to play ‘gotcha’, to place people in violation of the law subjectively and retroactively. “Oh, that certainly won’t happen!” Sure, just ask the AIG folks what happened a month after their bonuses were authorized by Congress.
MikeInOhio on April 1, 2009 at 9:47 PM
lmao! ya right!
Like when O reilly claimed big oil controlled the price of gasoline, and then turned around and claimed the futurs market caused the spike in gasoline prices????? LOL mockery on Oreilly you mean!
allrsn on April 1, 2009 at 9:49 PM
I’m 68 next week so the “old ladies” drug will soon be the “old mans” drug. It has been brought up. ;-)
Sometimes it’s a bitch gettin’ old. But I really am impressed when I see the guts shown by younger people like Neil Cavuto and others who forge ahead in spite of their afflictions. No complaints. No explanations. No excuses.
People like TheJoker will NEVER understand, nor even recognize, that kind of courage.
Yoop on April 1, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Ooo being vewwy woood to me and I don’t wike it! Wahhh!
gregbert on April 1, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Roaches hate the light.
Well done, Cavuto.
Daddy-O on April 1, 2009 at 10:20 PM
Athensboy,
Based on your name and your posts, would I be incorrect in guessing you’re, like twelve?
Star20 on April 1, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Cavuto does have MS, and he’s also a cancer survivor. He’s forgotten more about economics than most people will ever know. He is a class act all the way.
doppelganglander on April 1, 2009 at 10:34 PM
I was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek with my post. Frankly, if taking any form of government aid came with really large disincentives, I would be all for it. The bank we use is a regional bank that did not take any TARP money & I’m very thankful for that.
Heck, if we took the approach of Ben Franklin
and applied that to everyone taking Government aid, I would be 100% behind that.
Sadly, that will never come to pass.
mctowler on April 1, 2009 at 10:35 PM
GRAYSON, Alan, a Representative from Florida; born in the Bronx, Bronx County, N.Y., March 13, 1958; graduated from Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, N.Y.; A.B., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 1978; M.P.P., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 1983; J.D, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 1983; assistant, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Washington, D.C.; lawyer, private practice; businessman; unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives in 2006; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Eleventh Congress (January 3, 2009-present)-
He’s not stupid (on paper anyway) so it must be an act.
diogenes on April 1, 2009 at 11:03 PM
They don’t have to answer to anyone.
So what if they do or don’t get re-elected? They’ll just get a job with a corporation, think tank or maybe even the government itself as a bureaucrat and still make the big bucks because of all the folks they’ve done the circle jerk with who owe favors for legislation and pork.
These guys may just as well wear togas and live on latifundia.
Dr. ZhivBlago on April 1, 2009 at 11:31 PM
Promoting SlimFast for Mr. Cavuto is not attacking MS. Fascists!
TheJoker on April 1, 2009 at 11:56 PM
The government, as always, will fail in the business sector because employees will take off and go where the competition will treat them better.
This is nothing short of a political coupe and unchecked abuse of power.
Anyone that could contemplate even rationalizing our government’s moves is an idiot of the highest order.
jeffersonschild on April 2, 2009 at 12:11 AM
While Niel was asking what the ‘top amount’ should be, it occurred to me why that congressman had no answer.
Since this TARP program will probably be in place for the next 20 years or so, he simply did not want to constrain the treasury god from adjusting the number in 2+ years when inflation hits 73%.
Freddy on April 2, 2009 at 1:17 AM
Why hasn’t some enterprising conservative lawyer sued to test this theory? We got lawsuits for Obama’s birth certificate, surely someone can take one for the team to fight Obama’s hostile takeover of our economy.
RightOFLeft on April 2, 2009 at 1:43 AM
Nice red shirt.
I see projection of intent is not lost here.
Black Adam on April 2, 2009 at 2:04 AM
I had the honor and privelege of voting against that fat turd. Too bad it didn’t work.
James on April 2, 2009 at 2:14 AM
I think it runs a little deeper than that. Evan Sayet argues that moral relativism prevents modern liberals from making judgements with regards to good and evil in his book “How Modern Liberals Think”—–watch—> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaE98w1KZ-c&feature=channel_page
Dollayo on April 2, 2009 at 5:21 AM
.
It would be easy to set the ‘top amount’ in the bill and have it subject to adjustments for inflation. Such as “The monetary equivalent of $1,000,000 in April 2009 dollars.”
darktood on April 2, 2009 at 5:48 AM
Many liberals define anything less than 100% taxation as being a subsidy.
Under this logic, all companies are receiving govt money.
MarkTheGreat on April 2, 2009 at 8:24 AM
I have to admit, Neil was very straight-faced with his April Fool’s joke – if I didn’t watch him nearly every day, I might have been hood-winked.
Good on him, shaking down that Dem. I don’t trust them in DC, there’s something very wrong going on in that town.
Anna on April 2, 2009 at 10:08 AM
This was a prime example of why we need to control our politicians not let them control us.
Let’s send them to D.C. with explicit instructions that they are not to offer any new legislation until a majority of their constituents have determined a possible problem exists and offer a solution to the problem.
Then consultation with other politicians to determine if our problem impacts U.S. as a whole. Then working with their constituents, confirm if legislation already exists but not enforced – update the law and enforce it.
If new legislation is needed, then they must determine if it is under their jurisdiction (as written in the Constitution). If legislation is required but is not the Constitutional responsibility of the U.S. government then it must be the responsibility of the State and convey that to their constituents so it can be presented to the proper level of government.
The bottom line, we must interact with our elected officials, monitor their activities (not the other way around), and set them straight when they stray making them accountable.
MSGTAS on April 2, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Hold on folks, this is going to be quite a ride. Welcome to the new Amerika.
Sic em Neal.
Ernest on April 2, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Cavuto was a riot on Imus yesterday.
ctmom on April 2, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Love Cavuto.
chunderroad on April 2, 2009 at 1:29 PM
No, Joker, it merely illustrates the shallowness of your IQ and self-image. Then, to prove my conclusion, your calling someone ‘Fascists!’ is yet another example of lazy intellect.
You clearly do not understand the nature of the disease(s) wit which Mr. Cavuto is afflicted. Even a graduate of today’s Public Education would know to ‘google’ MS or Multiple Sclerosis to get fundamental information. Such a situation suggests, but does not confirm, you did not graduate from Public High School.
SeniorD on April 2, 2009 at 2:02 PM
I love Grayson’s feigned offense of Cavuto’s use of damn. That this Harvard Graduate uses the Constitution as a defense for his bill, that wildly expands the power of the executive, makes me weep. I’ve asked this many times but how can someone so educated be so stupid?
Sorax on April 2, 2009 at 6:13 PM
The minimum wage controls the maximum amount of workers a business will hire: NOTHING MORE!!!
landlines on April 2, 2009 at 7:45 PM
And the obvious outcome once companies pay off the Government assistance and avoid more, is that Congress will extend the law to cover any company that ever took government assistance.
And if that doesn’t give them enough control, they’ll extend it to cover all companies that do business with the government, or that have above a certain percentage of customers who receive government assistance.
And eventually it will extend to all businesses, period.
ThereGoesTheNeighborhood on April 3, 2009 at 12:04 AM
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