Leader of the Republican Party defends AIG from "Lynch Mob...Ginned Up By Obama"

[SemiCharmedQuark]

From Huff Po:

"Anger at American International Group knows no party lines. But one top Republican isn't joining in. On Monday and Tuesday, Rush Limbaugh defended the insurance giant and their bonus payouts:

"A lynch mob is expanding: the peasants with their pitchforks surrounding the corporate headquarters of AIG, demanding heads. Death threats are pouring in. All of this being ginned up by the Obama administration."

"When one of his own callers said he agreed with President Obama on this one, Limbaugh replied: "Let me ask you a question. ... You have a company -- let's take AIG out of this 'cause they're so emotionally charged. Let's say that the company being bailed out is the XYZ Widget Company. ... We need them to manufacture widgets and sell widgets and so forth. So why in the world -- or how do you get to the point where you're going to bail out the company, but you don't want the employees to get paid?""

The caller protested that the AIG employees were already getting paid plenty, and Limbaugh responded that the only thing stopping him from making just as much was himself."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/18/limbaugh-defends-aig-from_n_176296.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. Keep it coming! He is so clueless. nt

[EFerrari]

3. I wonder. I was just wondering this morning how the GOP was going to

figure out how to jump all over Wall Street without pissing off their cronies, Wall Street.

Maybe this is how.

[BOSSHOG]

2. If I owned a business I would not reward failure with bonuses

but I'm not a republican and I do not have conservative values. limbaugh's lemmings reward him everytime they tune in.

[WeDidIt]

4. Welfare for the rich

Lumpbutt is all for that shit.

[babylonsister]

5. Can his 'followers' be that clueless that they actually think AIG

deserves these bonuses, coming out of their/our pockets? :crazy:

Oh, my bad, that's right, they don't seem to actually think for themselves much.

[damonm]

6. The caller shoulda said...

"Not the ones who blew up the assembly line, no."

[GTO_fan]

7. So where was Rush...

When the UAW and other unions were being attacked for basically something less severe than this?

[alsame]

8. And of course he had to use the L word, n/t

[LSparkle]

9. Still clinging to that "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" crap, eh Rushbo?

I am SOOOOOO sick of people who continue to peddle the
Reagan-era "it's your own fault if you're poor" B.S.
People like Lush Bimbo aren't successful just because
of their own efforts -- there was probably plenty of
luck involved with someone with such limited talent
becoming the phenom that he somehow became. (Although
with his "talent on loan from God," I'm sure he believes
he built each radio station he's on brick-by-brick and
personally lobbied every single program director to
put him on the air.) It's the same philosophy that brought
us the imaginary "welfare queens" ... I look forward to the
day that all of these fucking "rugged individualists" die
off and we can once again accept that poverty is not a
crime and is often not of one's own making.

Oh, and contrary to what the fundies may think, poverty
is NOT THE COURSE OF GOD, either!

[leftynyc]

10. Way to be on the wrong end

of an issue rush!! That'll do wonders for the perception that the pukes only care about the fat cats. Comparing getting paid to the multi million dollar bonuses is stupid beyond belief. Keep talking rush, you're the best thing that ever happened to the Democrats.

[Political Heretic]

11. Who are his listeners then? Wouldn't even Rush listeners be pissed at AIG?

I mean.... what exactly is his audience base?

Because if it's anyone other than financial sector professionals.... I think he's in for a RUDE shock.

[BeyondGeography]

12. Making the world safe for Bailout Welfare Queens

:thumbsup:

[and-justice-for-all]

13. "Death threats"? Sorry, but that's not our style limpballs...

His Analogy is so fucking wrong..this has nothing to do with the services provided by AIG. It has to do with bonuses being handed out to people who are partially responsible for the mess, the primary responsible party is the GOP and Bush for their deregulation policies.

"how do you get to the point where you're going to bail out the company, but you don't want the employees to get paid?" Again, a clear example of Jabba not knowing what the fuck he is talking about and just stirring the pot. High level CEOs and Board members/Share Holders are not general employees, they already make about 300x that of the general staff and AIG paying them those bonuses is a slap in eveyone's face, the right thing for those people to do, is to not accept the bonuses. But they will not do so, because they are greedy fat repukes who do not give a shit about anything other than making their wallets fatter.

Those funds given to AIG were not for paying bonuses. PERIOD.

[Danger Mouse]

14. I just have to wonder how many of Rush's listeners are angry with AIG...

and had major cognitive dissonance when they head Rush Limbaugh cram his head straight up AIG's ass?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

15. I wish someone would ask McConnell what he thinks of Limbaugh's statement.

[ProSense]

16. Big Fat Red Herring

Big Fat Red Herring

AIG CEO Edward Liddy has made quite the show of fearing for his employees safety at today's hearing, and congressmen have played right along, tut-tutting over how horrible hate mail is. The exception is Barney Frank, who sees it for the red herring it is:

Let's be clear: AIG is not the victim here. Any suggestion that Congress or the media have incited the usual whackos who send hate mail is offensive, but more to the point, is intended to distract from the real issue here: AIG's own reckless and probably criminal conduct.

Late Update: Another example of how "protecting" the employees of AIG really means not cooperating with investigators:

Did Cassano And AIG Commit Fraud?