March 17, 2009
Hey Grassley: You First
Fox News reports the following idiotic outburst by Iowa Senator Charles Grassley:
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley suggested on Monday that AIG executives should take a Japanese approach toward accepting responsibility for the collapse of the insurance giant by resigning or killing themselves.The Republican lawmaker's harsh comments came during an interview with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, radio station WMT. They echo remarks he has made in the past about corporate executives and public apologies, but went further in suggesting suicide.
"I suggest, you know, obviously, maybe they ought to be removed," Grassley said. "But I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward them if they'd follow the Japanese example and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say, I'm sorry, and then either do one of two things: resign or go commit suicide.
"And in the case of the Japanese, they usually commit suicide before they make any apology."
I've got an idea for you, Chuck.
As you took $26,250 from AIG in 2007-2008 alone, why don't you lead by example?
Grassley is another boil on the hill. He is a GINORMOUS typical stereotype of a nasty politician. What an awful thing to say...Where is the outrage of the congrssional pay raise...and since Congress got one, does this mean they need to give it back?
Yeah, I didn't think so...this is what happens when government butts into to private business...should never have happened, but since it did doesn't mean we need to keep giving them money NOR do we have a say in contractually obligated payments...
I am more concerned that Obama's staff pay their taxes...
Posted by: Maria at March 17, 2009 08:55 AMWe're so frustrated with Grassley in Iowa. He's known as another worthless fat-cat Republican who's in office solely to return pork to his friends, such as the infamous Grassley Porkforest (a $50 million earmark for a rainforest in Iowa).
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=8A1C23BE-BF26-4A3B-860E0D4D78E252D7
As a registered Republican in Iowa, I've asked for his resignation. Of course, the party in our state keeps putting forward losers like him, so it does little good. We won't vote for him.
I get a kick out of the congtress critters crying foul over this. Congress is the ones that wrote this bill!! While AIG may have been tonedeaf in its payment of bonuses, it did not do anything that it was not permitted to do by the Congress.
So, when are we going to see congress critters hauled before congress and get berated for drafting a poor bill (and wasting our money in the process)?
...cue crickets...
Posted by: Michael Smith at March 17, 2009 11:09 AMGee, Chuck, I'd feel better if the heads of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd were displayed on pikes outside the Treasury building. What is the Senator's take on that, I wonder?
Posted by: zhombre at March 17, 2009 03:15 PMExcellent idea. Grassley is a pompous jack***, and, like most politicians, plays by a different set of rules.
Their game is always the same. Create a mess, blame someone else, then offer a solution, which creates a new mess, and then come the offer of a new solution, etc, etc. You'd think folks would eventually catch on.
Posted by: Richard Williams at March 17, 2009 05:36 PMPeople need to take a deep breath and look closer into what caused this problem to begin with. Namely that accounting rules were changed after Enron and this is the first true test of those rules. The major one is mark to market accounting which is markedly amplifying the results of the mortgage write downs. The other issue is the abolition of the uptick rule for shorting stocks thus robbing the banks of needed capital. All of these rules were put in place by Congress. Thus that with the fact that they emphasized the giving away of homes to dead beats in the name of being kind to your fellow man has absurd the disaster that we now have.
This to me is the reason that Congress and the President are blasting business over any transgression. We need to constantly remind them that they brought on a depression and are doing nothing to solve the problem, such as elimination of mark to market and restoration of the uptick rule.
Just curious. How does one apologize after one commits suicide?
Posted by: Nettie at March 18, 2009 06:42 PMI hope Grassley is proud...I was just seeing clips (On Greta's show) of some of the people marching in anger about the whole AIG thing. Some of the people had horrible poster boards - like one man carrying one that said "JUMP"....really, If we survive the transformation that 44 seems bent on accomplishing and congress seems happy to assist in, we will look back in shame at this period. What must those families feel like right now? I'm not angry at the people getting bonuses. I am angry at Barney, Nancy, Harry & Tim! And ALL the rest of the gang.
Posted by: Maria/Minorcan Maven at March 19, 2009 09:37 PM
