Thanks to some on our side, the pugs now go after Geithner and through him, Obama

[masuki bance]

House Republicans To Force Geithner's Hand on AIG Negotiations
By Elana Schor - March 17, 2009, 5:08PM

Have you been wondering whether Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is leaving some key details out in the chronology of his negotiations with AIG CEO Edward Liddy?

Since Geithner knew about Liddy's plans to pay out the company's now-infamous bonuses before they became public on Saturday -- and since the bonuses have been common knowledge in the media for months -- it's worth asking how directly Treasury was involved in okaying the payouts.

But it's too bad for Democrats that Republicans are the ones seeking the information. Reps. Steven LaTourette (R-OH) and Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) introduced a resolution of inquiry today that would force Geithner to reveal the full extent of his department's communications with AIG.

The resolution would affect not just talks over bonuses but about the very structure of the Federal Reserve's investment in the company -- which appears to have included built-in limitations on the government's influence over management.

This is the real deal, folks: resolutions of inquiry (ROIs) are a crucial procedural tool for the minority party to seek information from the executive branch. Democrats did this during the Valerie Plame/Spygate scandal and the debate over the Bush administration's extraordinary rendition. The Congressional Research Service found in a November study that ROIs oftentimes succeed in prying out information even if they fail on the House floor.

But could Democrats conceivably vote against LaTourette and McCotter's move?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/house-republicans-to-force-geithners-hand-on-aig-negotiations.php

Great job guys.

[FrenchieCat]

1. That's what we do best!

Elect Republicans!

Media is gonna have a field day!

[WeDidIt]

15. You've got it, Frenchie!

The bitter assholes on our side are just doing it more quickly with Obama than they did with Clinton.

[natrat]

2. democrats republicans whatever -all sleazy crooks bent on wrecking a nation

[FrenchieCat]

3. Right! No difference between Bush and Gore!

Pfffft.... :eyes:

[billyoc]

10. Not a lot of daylight between Bush and Geithner, though, is there?

[WeDidIt]

8. If you feel that way, you're in the wrong place

we SUPPORT Democrats here.

[TexasObserver]

4. That's a load of malarkey. Stop trying to blame "our" side.

Why are you making things up?

Why are you trying to blame some on our side?

Which is YOUR side? MY side isn't the one doing this, it's the GOP side. That's what the story says. So how did you infer this is the result of "our" side? Do you know which side we are?

[depakid]

5. Take some responsibility and quit whinging

Obama hired this guy and had he done the skightest bit of homework knew what he was getting.

Now the chickens are coming home to roost.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Take responsibility for what?

exactly?

The chickens are still brand new chicks.
And to date, still haven't been allowed to fly.

[depakid]

7. The economic team is full of center right ideologues and failures

and Republicans are just doing what ANY political party would do- coopt the issues.

Obama hired these folks- knowing their background and knowing their record. What did he expect? That they'd just up and change their stripes?

For example, rather than hire a competent professional who foresaw the meltdown- and tried to prevent it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooksley_E._Born">Brooksley Born) he hires one of the architect of the disaster, Larry Summers- and he hires a demonstrable regulatory failure, Mary Shapiro to head the SEC.

And of course, Gaithner- who has a long history of making bad policy calls (or simply looking the other way).

He may have inherited a foul economy from Bush and the Republicans- but he didn't inherit the members of his economic team, who are now becoming a problem.

[WeDidIt]

9. WTF is a whing?

or are you whining?

[Life Long Dem]

12. Coming home to roost so some can do some roasting?

Is that how it works?

[billyoc]

11. Lie down with dogs...

and all that.

[Onlooker]

13. Our side is supposed to be anti-corporate greed

For a generation, Republicans have said that the problem with America is government, when in fact the problem is corrupt and greedy corporations. That Obama has chosen to appoint people like Summers and Geithner may have been sound in many ways, but they are acting as patsies to Wall Street. If the Obama administration doesn't keep the pressure on Wall Street, then Republicans and their cohorts are sure to spin the argument around to blaming government. Those who blindly back Geithner because they believe attacking him would hurt Obama are not advancing a progressive agenda. Those liberals who criticize the Obama administration will give it the courage and the backbone to stand up to the very powerful forces of greed and corruption.

[Elidor]

14. Let me see if I've got this right

Your takeaway from that article is that some suspicious, unnamed people on "our side" are responsible for republicans attacking Geithner, though neither you nor the article you cite provides anything to back up this claim.

In fact, the article asks an interesting question regarding Geithner's job performance, but you're having none of it. So enlighten us: who are these "some on our side" and what have they done exactly?

[masuki bance]

16. Idiots, supposedly on our side, have at the drop of a hat, started to attack

Geithner and Summers. By doing this, they have opened the doors for the neocon cabal to aim it's sights at Obama with cover by "our" self righteous tools.