AIG director named to Obama tax task force

[liberalsince1968]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One of the people named this week to President Obama's new Task Force on Tax Reform is a member of the AIG board of directors.

Martin Feldstein, a professor of economics at Harvard University, has been on the board of American International Group since 1988. He also was a prominent economic adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

Asked about the AIG connection, a senior administration official said Friday that the White House declined to comment on the story.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/27/aig.taskforce/index.html

Be real interesting to see how THIS one will be spun...

[DJ13]

1. The more things change, the more they stay the same

:cry:

[fascisthunter]

2. fascism... having corporate folks taking positions of government

is the same thing as merging corporate america with the american government. And all the while, people in this country were worried about commies... how ironic.

[create.peace]

38. and people are turning deaf ears still.....n/t

[Political Tiger]

3. Less inflammatory headline:

Professor of economics at Harvard University named to Obama tax task force.

[NightWatcher]

4. Correct Headline: Member of AIG Board of Directors named to Obama Task Force

why all the spin spin spin?

It is what it is. Geithner came from Goldman Sachs and this guy from AIG's Board.

[FrenchieCat]

5. And Obama sat on a board with William Ayers.

[DrToast]

18. Thank you!

Gah...much pithier way to counter this nonsense.

By the way, Feldstein was already on Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. And was pushing from the right to get a bigger stimulus plan enacted. Unlike those boneheads in Congress, he seems to be willing to put politics aside during a crisis.

[katandmoon]

20. Apples and oranges -- Obama was not president then, and Ayres had a conscience

[Political Tiger]

23. No, it's the GUILT by ASSOCIATION game

According to the right, Obama was guilty of "palling around with terrorists" because he sat on the Woods Fund of Chicago, on which William Ayers also sat.

Now, this Martin Feldstein is guilty (of what we don't know what yet as no one has explained it yet), but he is GUILTY by ASSOCIATION because he sat on the AIG board with a bunch of other people who apparently are ALL guilty of something until proved innocent.

[katandmoon]

31. Ayres WAS guilty of terrorism. He blew up buildings. He just gave people advance notice. Obama had

no reason to know of Ayres' history when they sat on a board together, and Obama didn't PICK Ayres for the board. And Ayres' history was not only irrelevant to the board's business, it was a long, long time ago. Palin tried to her best to pin the pallin' around with terrorists label on Obama but it didn't stick because there was nothing there to stick.

The AIG situation is different in every particular.

[Political Tiger]

33. "Ayres WAS guilty of terrorism?" In what court was he found guilty of this?

And what is Martin Feldstein guilty of besides sitting on AIG's board? To the best of my knowledge, that is not a crime. And to the best of my knowledge, Martin Feldstein is not the one responsible for the AIG mess. He didn't run the company. He wasn't the president of the company or the CEO. He was just one person on the board of directors. Are all the other members of the board of directors guilty too ... and what are they all guilty of?

[AZ Criminal JD]

46. U.S. District Court 1980

Ayers plead guilty to possession of explosives with intent to destroy property.

[Political Tiger]

53. BULLSH!T!!!! Ayers was NEVER convicted of any crime!

"There has been a sudden spate of blog items and newspaper articles, mainly in the British press, linking Barack Obama to a former member of the radical Weather Underground Organization that claimed responsibility for a dozen bombings between 1970 and 1974. The former Weatherman, William Ayers, now holds the position of distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Although never convicted of any crime, he told the New York Times in September 2001, "I don't regret setting bombs...I feel we didn't do enough.""
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/02/obamas_weatherman_connection.html

Ayers was not facing criminal charges at the time, but the federal government later filed charges against him...While underground, he and fellow member Bernardine Dohrn married, and the two remained fugitives together, changing identities, jobs and locations....In 1973, the federal government requested the dismissal of the charges against the couple in the interest of national security following accusations of government misconduct,<17> but state charges against Dohrn remained.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ayers

Dohrn and Ayers finally turned themselves in, in Chicago. Federal bombing conspiracy charges had been dropped because of improper FBI surveillance.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/radicals_8-22.html

After 11 years in hiding, Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn surrendered to federal authorities in 1980. Charges of crossing state lines to destroy property and to create a civil disturbance were dropped due to improper surveillance by the authorities.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article909980.ece?comments=legacy

[AZ Criminal JD]

54. Double your meds. Yes he was convicted.

From the site: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-weather-und.html "In 1980, Ayres and Dohrn surrendered and pleaded guilty to possession of explosives. Ayres didn't serve any time; Dohrn did seven months in prison for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury investigation into the Brinks robbery. They married during a prison furlough."

The internet is filled with information on this. Have someone explain to you how to use it.

[Political Tiger]

57. What Tapper doesn't tell you is charges was dropped

Although I already gave you four references to that fact, here's two more:

"Federal charges against them were dropped due to FBI misconduct in gathering evidence against them, and they resurfaced in 1980. Both Ayers and Dohrn ultimately became university professors in Chicago, with Ayers, 63, now an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/05/fact-check-is-obama-palling-around-with-terrorists/

"Today, Ayers and his wife -- fellow former Weather Underground fugitive Bernardine Dohrn -- live in Hyde Park, where they moved after surrendering in 1980. Federal charges against the two were dropped because of improper surveillance, so they avoided prison."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/902213,CST-NWS-ayers18.article

Now, if you'd rather get your facts solely from Jake Tapper while ignoring everyone else, that's your business. If you are unable to say the words "I was wrong" that's your problem. If you are unable to understand that when charges as dropped that any guilty plea is thus rendered void, there's nothing I can do to help you to understand that.

But you are right about one thing: "The internet is filled with information on this." Even WorldNetDaily gets it right:

"Ayers and Dohrn surfaced in 1980 and turned themselves in to face the riot charges. The federal charges were dropped because the FBI used illegal wiretaps to learn of their crimes. Only a local charge of aggravated assault stuck to Dohrn. She pleaded guilty to two counts, receiving a $1,500 fine and no jail time."
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=62481

Busted by WorldNetDaily! How embarrassing for you!

[AZ Criminal JD]

64. Trying to use World Net to prove something. LOL

It is you who should be embarrassed. I am willing to wage a fair amount on this. PM me if you are willing to put your money where your mouth is.

[Sebastian Doyle]

58. AIG and Goldman Sachs have damaged this country far more than the "Weather Underground" ever did.

And hell yes they are terrorists. What else would you call "we're too big to die and if you let us go bankrupt, we'll bring down the whole country"??

Not even Tim McVeigh ever made that kind of threat, let alone a minor league radical like Ayers.

[northernlights]

26. But Obama didn't invite him onto that board

Ayers was already there, wasn't he? Obama's choice was to join or decline himself, not whether or not to bring Ayers on board.

[Political Tiger]

34. Obama didn't appoint Feldstein to AIG's board either.

So what's the point?

[KittyWampus]

36. Ayers and Obama were on the same board of A CHARITY. Not AIG.

[Political Tiger]

12. You act as if the man did nothing else in his entire life

but sit on the AIG board, and as if he is solely responsible for the AIG mess and simply because they sat on a board with a bunch of other people at AIG he is automatically guilty of all of AIG's crimes simply by association. Furthermore, it seems anyone who ever had any association with AIG whatsoever is not eligible to do anything else for the rest of thier life and that any and everybody who ever worked for AIG should be crucified and scorned for the rest of thier life.

Maybe we should require them all to have the letters "AIG" craved in thier forehead. Would that make you feel better?

[firedupdem]

14. This is all that matters and all they are doing...

The task force's job description is to propose ways to simplify the tax code, reduce tax evasion, close loopholes and make changes in corporate tax breaks. It is to provide recommendations to the president by December 4.

No revenue target is being set, but the administration said it is placing two constraints on the group's efforts: Members may not propose tax increases for 2009 and 2010; and beyond 2010, they may not propose tax increases on families making less than $250,000.

[Political Tiger]

19. That's right. He and the others on this task force

won't be making policy decisions, but making recommendations to the president. It's not a task force of one, but other others as well, as explained here: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/white-house-announces-tax-reform-task-force-2009-03-25.html

President Obama has always said he'll listen to everybody, even people who might differ with him on his political ideology, and we should applaud him for that because that's exactly opposite of what Bush did!

For once we have a president smart enough to listen to all sides ... why that scares people I don't understand!

[Luminous Animal]

51. He is proponent of tax cuts for the rich...

does that have any impact?

Here is arguing that tax cuts for the poor = not good. Tax cuts for the rich = oooh, good!

Of course, cutting the 15 percent rate to 13 1/2 percent has a much smaller proportional effect on the net-of-tax share than doing it at higher rates. So if this were not a change across the board but a change in the top rate of the sort that we had in '86, that would be an even bigger behavioral impact.
http://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications_papers/pub_display.cfm?id=3201


He also sits on the board of Eli Lilly (big drugs) and Hospital Corporation of America (big medicine). Both companies working over time to screw us out of our money over and over again.

[Luminous Animal]

52. Oops - wrong place (n/t)

[uponit7771]

6. *************FREEPER "like" HEADLINE ALERT************

[lynne]

10. Call CNN Because that's THEIR headline -

- had the OP altered the headline, no doubt he would have received complaints for that, too.

[Political Tiger]

13. Exactly! It's designed not to inform but to inflame. n/t

[chill_wind]

55. :snort:

[liberalsince1968]

63. I didn't make up the headline you asshole.

[firedupdem]

7. People may want to check the OP's posting history....those

that haven't been deleted, before you jump on the bandwagon.

[katandmoon]

21. S/he doesn't have a glowing photo of the Obama family in her sig line, no

I see nothing wrong with posting critically about Obama when he deserves it.
And IMO, just like his Democratic predecessor in office, Bill Clinton, Obama has done plenty to deserve criticism.

[firedupdem]

22. Too bad my sig line bothers you. I happen to like that family.

Pointing out the posters history of saying "fuck obama" and other crap that has since been deleted will continue to be pointed out by me. I never stated he doesn't deserve criticism so where you're getting that I don't know or care. This poster has been nothing but nasty on this board so anything she posts won't get me to sign on positive (which will never happen) or negative.

[katandmoon]

28. Where did I say your photo bothered me? ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE.

[Captain Hilts]

44. But Obama did nominate Feldstein and CNN did report it, regardless of the OP. nt

[liberalsince1968]

62. Yup, I don't blindly worship Obama and think his shit smells like roses.

And I didn't make up this story or the headline, either.

You fucking asshole.

[Deja Q]

8. "Keep your enemies closer"

Or so the saying goes.

There must be a lot of secret service agents in the room when the President conducts a meeting.

[lynne]

9. More info on him - including a few articles and OpEd pieces he's written - can be found

here >> http://www.nber.org/feldstein/

[firedupdem]

11. LOL! Sounds like he was a McCain supporter.

However,

The task force's job description is to propose ways to simplify the tax code, reduce tax evasion, close loopholes and make changes in corporate tax breaks. It is to provide recommendations to the president by December 4.

No revenue target is being set, but the administration said it is placing two constraints on the group's efforts: Members may not propose tax increases for 2009 and 2010; and beyond 2010, they may not propose tax increases on families making less than $250,000.

[DrToast]

15. Martin Feldstein is one of the most respected economists on the planet

It's ridiculous for this article to highlight that say he's on the board of AIG, oh and by the way he did a bunch of other stuff.

[brentspeak]

29. Feldstein is one of the most respected 'trickle-down' economists on the planet

He's very respected among the country-club set.

[DrToast]

40. Country Club set?

Somehow I don't think that describes Obama.

[Captain Hilts]

43. He's very concerned about the wealth gap in this country. nt

[Sebastian Doyle]

59. What? He thinks it's still too small?

:shrug:

[rug]

16. This guy is straight out of the DaVinci code.

http://www.nber.org/feldstein/shortbio.html

"Dr. Feldstein is a member of the American Philosophical Society, a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy, a Fellow of the Econometric Society and a Fellow of the National Association of Business Economics. He is also a member of the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Group of 30, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Council of Academic Advisors of the American Enterprise Institute."

The Group of 30 is a regular elephants' graveyard of the ruling class.

http://www.group30.org/members.htm

[chill_wind]

47. Hahhha! AIG Board. Bush PFIAB. American Enterprise Institute.

Stop noticing that stuff!

[jefferson_dem]

17. Old news. Recyled for the purpose of stirring up controversy.

Which the OP is likely not unhappy about.

Feldstein's role with Obama was public knowledge in early February ---> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/business/07web-econ.html?_r=1&ref=business

[Marie26]

24. Hahahahaha!

*giggles madly*

[Odin2005]

25. Correct headline "Obama appoints Harvard Econ Professor"

[slinkerwink]

27. oh my fucking god.

[BlooInBloo]

30. Wow - you guys have really come out of the woodwork over the last few days!

Welcome, and enjoy your visit!

[acmavm]

32. Not surprised. In fact, it's to be expected.

[lonestarnot]

35. What in the fuck!

What in the fuck is he thinking!

[masuki bance]

37. Feldstein is an avid advocate of Social Security reform

[Luminous Animal]

50. Privatization, actually.

Reform sounds so benign. He wrote an entire book on it.

http://www.amazon.com/Privatizing-Security-National-Economic-Research/dp/0226241025

"Privatizing Social Security"
by Martin Feldstein

[Sebastian Doyle]

60. Oh HELL to the fucking NO!

If assholes like this would have got their way with Chimpy in the White House, Social Security would be in the hands of AIG or Goldman Sachs right now. Or in other words, non existent.

[chill_wind]

39. Sat on Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.

Reagan's Chief Economic Advisor.

THAT Martin Feldstein?

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Martin_Feldstein

[Sebastian Doyle]

61. Holy Christ! He's tied to Eli Lily and Frist's HCA corporation???

Is there any evil piece of shit corporation or right wing global corporatist front that this fuck is NOT tied to? :wtf:

[SpartanDem]

41. Shouldn't we

be looking a the task force as whole instead in focusing on one person? What are other opinons about the rest of these people?

Joining Feldstein on the task force are Laura Tyson of the University of California at Berkeley and a former chairman of President Bill Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers; Roger Ferguson, CEO of TIAA-CREF; and Bill Donaldson, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

[chill_wind]

45. Morgan Stanley's Laura Tyson

has been in the picture all along.

Bailout pusher and fixer for "the street"..

Though House Democrats spent yesterday claiming that the original Paulson plan was amended to include stronger protections for taxpayers (CEO pay limits, aid for homeowners, equity stakes in financial houses for taxpayers, etc.), the Treasury Department was simultaneously holding a secret conference call with Wall Street analysts explaining how those new provisions were specifically written to be unenforceable (you can listen to the conference call here).

The conflicts and corruption surrounding the bailout have even impacted internal Democratic Party deliberations. At an afternoon press conference (video here or at right), Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) recounted how when progressives and Blue Dog Democrats proposed a financial industry tax to pay for the bailout, Democratic leaders sent in Laura Tyson to kill it by saying "the street wouldn't like it." According to DeFazio, Tyson was brought in "under the guise of being a former Clinton economic adviser, forgetting to tell us she's on Morgan Stanley's board of directors." Despite her corporate ties (or perhaps because of them), Tyson is also simultaneously an adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/turning-a-wall-street-giv_b_130831.html


And not too transparent while trying to push the goods. Gets outted on Maddow.

"Yet, Tyson didn't tell viewers that she sits on the board of directors of Morgan Stanley, a bank that has received $10 billion in bailout money. That's right - according to Morgan Stanley's SEC filings, Tyson makes about $350,000 a year from Morgan Stanley in total compensation from that position, and she now owns about 79,000 shares of the company. In other words, she has a direct financial interest in defending the bailout, absolving bailout recipients of wrongdoing, and justifying the use of bailout money for shareholder dividends."

Sorry I can't dress her up nicer.

[Captain Hilts]

42. Feldstein is concerned about the wealth gap in this country. I give him dap for that. nt

[Luminous Animal]

49. Hahaha! That was pretty funny.

http://www.nber.org/feldstein/pi99.html

Yes, totally worried about the wealth gap. Hahahahaha!

[chill_wind]

48. Defense Spending Would Be Great Stimulus (WSJ)

Originally published in The Wall Street Journal

December 24, 2008

http://www.nber.org/feldstein/wsj12242008.html

Every neocon's wet dream.

[chill_wind]

56. But not a surprise. Just pragmatic payback.

AIG gave big money to Pres Obama and twice as much $$ to Democrats since 2006. Obama and Dodd getting the top dollars. This is AIG's little sliver of the Pie. Laura Tyson's the real peach.