Search






Jeff's Amazon.com Wish List

Archive Calendar

November 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  

Archives

Show trials yield showy results?

Well! You don’t say! “Blankfein supports financial reform bill,” The Hill:

A financial regulatory reform bill has at least one supporter outside of Congressional Democrats, Lloyd Blankfein, the head of investment bank Goldman Sachs.

“I’m generally supportive,” Blankfein told the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Wall Street will benefit from the bill because it will make the market safer, Blankfein said.

“The biggest beneficiary of reform is Wall Street itself,” he said. “The biggest risk is risk financial institutions have with each other.”

American consumers also would benefit from better regulations, he said.

Quelle surprise!

I mean, who would have thought, at the end of the day, that a publicly excoriated Goldman Sachs would emerge from a Senate subcommittee on investigations having been duly chastened as to the error of its ways, ready to do everything necessary to get behind Obamaco in their efforts to nationalize Wall Street?

Large corporations favoring corporatism and increased insider access over the rough and tumble world of competition? The hell you say!

Large corporations with a host of ties to this very administration? Why, it’s tough love, is what it is. Nothing more. And anyone who argues otherwise is probably a racist.

77 Replies to “Show trials yield showy results?”

  1. Blake says:

    Seems kinda 1984ish to me.

    15 minutes of hate and all that with the hatey admitting the error of his ways.

  2. maggie katzen says:

    please don’t throw me in that briar patch.

  3. JD says:

    Gee, amazing that Goldman Sachs would support something produced by their buddies in the Barcky admin. SHOCKA. Even more shocking is that this “reform” does little to address that which it is purported to reform, and is weighted heavily towards the big banks, at the expense of community and regional banks.

  4. JD says:

    Maggie – Why not just yell tar baby and get it over with ? ;-)

  5. happyfeet says:

    I’m trying to think of something gayer than Goldman Sachs.

    maybe if you booked Princess Lindsey on Dancing with the Stars?

  6. happyfeet says:

    Princess Lindsey on Dancing with the Stars partnered with Lady Gaga?

  7. happyfeet says:

    oh. Got it.

    Princess Lindsey on Dancing with the Stars partnered with Lady Gaga with a penis in his mouf.

  8. JD says:

    Lady Gaga’s penis?

  9. maggie katzen says:

    and dancing to a show tune.

  10. sdferr says:

    “Princess Lindsey on Dancing with the Stars partnered with Lady Gaga with a penis in his mouf.”

    And George Voinovich plays where? Crying at the very sight of it?

  11. dicentra says:

    Ewww.

    Goldman Sachs is also heavily invested in the upcoming Chicago Carbon Exchange (CCX), as is Obama and Al Gore and a whole host of caballistas. Including all those folks from GS working at the White House.

    The fish stinks from the head down. They think they can profit off the peons in the private sector forever and we’ll just keep producing.

    Galt’s Gulch will be forced on us, is what I’m thinking.

  12. JD says:

    George Voinovich weeping, while Nathan Lane attempts to console him.

  13. If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. I’m sure some K Street lobbying firm has that lettered on their company softball jerseys by now.

  14. geoffb says:

    Theatrical it is. A scripted play from day one.

  15. JD says:

    Political theatre is one of Barcky’s strengths, and the MSM laps it up, geoffb.

  16. sdferr says:

    “..MSM laps it up…”

    Sucks it off, same diff.

  17. JD says:

    sdferr – One precedes the other, no?

    Go Caps?

  18. McGehee says:

    A financial regulatory reform bill has at least one supporter outside of Congressional Democrats, Lloyd Blankfein, the head of investment bank Goldman Sachs.

    Regulations always benefit the regulated more than anyone else, even if that isn’t the intent of the regulation.

    In this case though, it is.

  19. sdferr says:

    “Go Caps?”

    Murph, so the indigestion starts early today. I ain’t seeing it myself. They’re gonna have to show me.

  20. 11B40 says:

    Greetings:

    Welcome to the 21st Century, where what were once Titans of Industry are now Metrosexuals of Industry.

  21. McGehee says:

    From titans to tidee-didees.

  22. JD says:

    I want them to win, simply because I like watching Backstrom and Ovechkin skate.

  23. sdferr says:

    Root hard then JD, cause it might take some otherworldly intervention. Poti took a puck to the eye the other night and won’t be around.

  24. Spiny Norman says:

    Regulations always benefit the regulated more than anyone else, even if that isn’t the intent of the regulation.

    In this case though, it is.

    Really big businesses generally favor increased regulation, because it protects them and stifles competition. In this day and age, they don’t get any bigger than Goldman Sachs. Or any more influential; the incestuous relationship between GS and the White House ought to be embarrassing to a lot of people, but it isn’t. But then, this is the Age of Obama…

  25. This is insane. After 18 months of searching through 20 million Goldman Sachs emails, the best the SEC has been able to come up with is a (weak) civil fraud charge. There’s a link. Actually closer to 80 million emails, but who’s counting?

    The first Congress shithead who goes to jail based on ESI will have the new FRCP named after him, and it will put more protection on email than there is on phone calls. Mark my words, the Henry Waxman electronic messaging privacy act will be one for the history books.

  26. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    well……..this is what I mean about the Crazy Eddie point.
    The longer financial reform is hogging the spotlight, the worse the republicans look.
    On HCR stalling was good for GOP…possibly….but it gave them time to demagogue and fearmonger their low information constituents.
    Financial reform, not so much.
    the GOP can’t control the narrative on this so they need to get it OVER and move on to something where they can….like gw and cap and trade.

    But senior White House officials tell the Briefing that they are “surprised” — pleasantly so — at the GOP decision to block consideration of the legislation.
    Ahead of the first vote on Monday evening, the assumption inside the White House was that Republicans would back down and allow the debate to begin, said one top Obama adviser, who asked for anonymity to discuss White House strategy. The fact that they didn’t plays “right into their narrative,” the adviser said.
    He called it a “proof point” for the American people as they try to assess which party wants to stick it to Wall Street and which party is trying to protect the banks and institutions from new and onerous regulations if the legislation passes.
    Republicans have sought to explain their opposition as a principled effort to provide negotiators from both sides more time to complete the complex work of reaching agreement. GOP leaders insist that they, too, want tough, new rules for Wall Street. But inside the White House, Obama aides believe those explanations will fall flat.

    Populism plays for Obama this round….your base is too “low-information” to understand your “principled” arguments.
    ;)

  27. So the longer financial reform is in the spotlight the more Republicans look like rapacious thieving Jews?

  28. Mike LaRoche says:

    your base is too “low-information”

    Considering the source, that comment is rich with irony.
    Your teleprompter Jesus is finished, failbot.
    lawls.
    ;)

  29. arthur dent says:

    This is like the Black Knight, in the Holy Grail, he keeps getting limbs torn off, but insist he’s winning. The bill is written by the biggest crook in the world, Chris Dodd, the man who AIG’s Cassani
    personally earmarked money to get him is chairmanship

  30. JD says:

    The idea that this reforms anything is a joke, but nishit it too dense to get it. If they included Freddie, Frannie and their corrupt ties to Rahm, Gorelick, etal then maybe, just maybe, we could take them seriously. But they fooled no-info nishit.

  31. Mr. W says:

    The way obama is driving the world economy into oblivion, the Goldman Sachs execs are going to need Snake Pliskin to get them out of new York in a couple of years.

    Obama’s done in less than one.

  32. mojo says:

    Classic rent-seeking behavior, large companies eager for lots of regulation that acts as a bar to entry for new or small companies.

    You want fries with that scam?

  33. Spiny Norman says:

    The idea that this reforms anything is a joke, but nishit it too dense to get it. If they included Freddie, Frannie and their corrupt ties to Rahm, Gorelick, etal then maybe, just maybe, we could take them seriously.

    Too many well-connected Dems involved. Ain’t never gonna happen.

  34. Benedick says:

    Obama’s “high-information base” is still clamoring for their “Obama Money” outside his Chicago campaign office.

  35. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    oh man on man o’ war……
    it just doesn’t get better than this.
    via Atrios.

    Word is that the Democrats might make the Republicans actually filibuster FinReg tonight. That is to say, stand on the floor and talk and talk and talk. And if the Democrats are serious about forcing the Republicans to really filibuster the bill, this is the right week for it: The Kentucky Derby starts Friday, and Kentucky’s senior senator, Mitch McConnell, would surely prefer to attend. Given that his members are already talking about breaking ranks, McConnell may find himself eager to get this kabuki dance over with a little bit early.

    amg the photo-ops in this!!!!!!
    please, sweet tea party jesus, let them filibuster!!!!!

  36. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    sry, typo…..that should have been “man oh man oh man o’ war.”
    derby reference combined with Jeff’s war talk.

  37. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    AND…..everyone will be reminded of the LAST 57 day filibuster…against civil rights!
    haha, just like Reid said, the wrong side of history.

    oh plzplzplzplz make it so!

  38. JD says:

    So nishi is a fucking liar again, as she knows that the Dems, her party, filibustered the civil rights legislation.

  39. JD says:

    Remember, the lying cunt that quotes Atrios, Sully, Kos, etal claims to have been a conservative. It is to laugh.

  40. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    ummm…nope…..that was a JFK/LBJ bill…they were democrats, right?
    but darn….so sad.

    chickens!!!!!! buk buk buk buk!
    you teatards get out there and make them stick to their guns!
    Just say no!
    OUTLAW!

  41. happyfeet says:

    that is really cowardly I think

    Team R sells out our little country again.

  42. happyfeet says:

    Chicago guy says this news makes him feel profoundly disenfranchised and he voted for Obama.

    What the takeaway is there I don’t know but I’m sure it’s not unmeaningful.

  43. bh says:

    A CFPA approval requirement to extend credit is fucking insane.

  44. Spiny Norman says:

    ummm…nope…..that was a JFK/LBJ bill…they were democrats, right?

    My God, you really are an idiot. It was Senate Democrats who filibustered, unless you are going to tell us that Al Gore Sr. was a Republican.

    Unfuckingbelievable.

  45. bh says:

    If one accepted these causes, one would then reasonably judge this legislation against its ability to counteract said causes.

    Introduction of permanent bailout fund reducing rational risk assessment? Yep. Greater bureaucracy creating myriad new rent-seeking opportunities? Yep. Increase of heads I win/tails you lose agency issues? Yep.

    It’s piss poor legislation. That’s the Dem way.

  46. Spiny Norman says:

    It’s piss poor legislation. That’s the Dem way.

    Or political crony protectionism, also the Dem way. The Country voted Chicago politics into Washington, so why should we expect anything less?

  47. bh says:

    Or political crony protectionism, also the Dem way.

    Yep. There’s nothing quite so revealing as seeing the targets of potential regulation practically begging for it.

    The people against it? Just the other 99% of non-trillion dollar entities who will now need CFPA approval to even offer basic consumer credit.

    Bravo, Dems.

  48. happyfeet says:

    this is evil why is Team R letting this go to the floor I do not understand

  49. sdferr says:

    Defections hf, simple as that I’d guess. Voinovich was said to be planning just that this morning.

  50. sdferr says:

    Fools are easy to come by.

  51. Swen says:

    For what it’s worth, then-Democrat Sen. Strom Thurmond logged in the longest filibuster in US history – 24 hours and 18 minutes – as he argued against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

  52. JD says:

    Let me guess … Nothing about Fannie. Nothing about Freddie. Nothing about the rating agencies. Nothing about the Fannie Freddie mega-bonuses to Rahm, Gorelick, Raines. Rectal ramrod to the local, community, and regional banks. Does that about cover it?

  53. Spiny Norman says:

    Yep. That about covers it, JD. Except for more kickbacks and favors to Friends of Barry…

  54. happyfeet says:

    Could Voinovich actually possibly believe he has the capabilities of making a decision on a complex issue like this and understanding the consequences of that decision?

    unbelievable.

  55. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    “this is evil why is Team R letting this go to the floor I do not understand”

    oh ‘feets.
    so obviouso.
    The repubs couldn’t stand 24/7 newscoverage of them filibustering FinReg and defending the bankstahs.
    they folded like a paper napkin when they got threatened with having to stand there and drone on endlessly in “principled” protest.
    Because…that would remind everyone of the Great Civil Rights Filibusters.
    And of course….this could happen too.
    those who ignore history……
    Congress is often seen as a place that resists change. But the campaign finance reform fight of 1988 may be one of the most violent and strangest in Senate history. The Senate, then controlled by the Democrats, was considering a campaign finance reform bill authored by Senator David Boren (D-OK).
    “[The bill] would give voluntary spending limits . . . so that we can stop this upward spiral of spending in elections. The second thing it would do is reduce the proportion of contibutions that could come from special interest groups,” Senator Boren said on the February 25, 1988 MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. “Not only is too much money going into campaigns but it is also coming from the wrong places.”

    Although the bill had the support of at least 52 Senators, several Republicans, including Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Robert Dole (R-KS), began to filibuster the legislation. McConnell defended the action on the NewsHour by saying that the reform would not improve the system.

  56. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    cont.
    “This is a struggle for partisan advantage,” McConnell said. “The Democrats want to put a limit on how many individual contributors you can have in a campaign and thereby snuff out that form of participation because they don’t do as well with small cash contributors as we do. So they want to put a cap on how many people can contribute their dollars to campaigns and leave relatively uncontrolled the so-called soft money, that is the in-kind contributions on behalf of labor unions and others principally given to Democrats.”

    Democrats, angered by the continued filibuster, forced Republicans to stay on the floor around the clock. As time continued, Senate Majority leader Robert Byrd (D-WV) used a little known provision to order the Senators to the floor at 12:30 in the morning. When Republicans refused to heed the order, Byrd used another provision to compel the hold-outs.

    “Madame President, I move that the Seargent-at-Arms be instructed to arrest absent senators and bring them to floor,” Byrd said.

    Many Republicans fled from the Sergeant-at-Arms and at one point Senator Bob Packwood (R-OR) was bodily carried onto the floor of the Senate.

    A report on the ensuing search was published in The Washington Post on February 25, 1988:

    Shortly before midnight, [Sergeant-at-Arms Henry K.] Giugni and five armed Capitol Police plainsclothesmen began scouring senators’ hideaways in the Capitol and their suites in nearby office buildings. They spotted Senator Steven Symms (R-ID), but he fled before they could apprehend him.
    Giugni found Senator Lowell P. Weicker Jr (R-CT) in his hideaway. Weicker, a man of formidable size and temper, refused to submit. Giugni, who was later praised by all sides for his poise under fire, decided to look elsewhere.

    This brought his to Packwood, who — having heard that the Giugni posse was on the prowl — had locked the doors of his Russell Building office, barricading one of them with a chair. But Giugni had a passkey and entered the outer office. Packwood, hearing the intruders, jammed his shoulder against his door just as Giugni was coming through, reinjuring a finger that he had broken two weeks ago in Oregon.

    Republicans denounced Senator Byrd’s actions and expressed outrage at the arrest order and at Sen. Packwood’s injury in particular.

    “Senator’s Packwood fingers will heal, but I don’t know if the United States Senate will heal,” said Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) on the floor the next day. “The scar tissue is going very deep at this time in the life of the Senate as a result of what happened yesterday.”

    But Republicans were not alone in their anger at the night’s events.

    “Senators went off at a dead sprint. They should have been in Calgary in one of the Olympic events up there,” Senator Dale Bumpers angrily declared. “The spectacle of United States Senators running from the Sergeant-at-Arms in order to keep from being compelled to attend the United States Senate is an outrage.”

    Democrats abandoned the reform bill after the Senate failed to invoke cloture, or end the filibuster, eight times.

  57. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    Now, given that CSPAN would cover the senators round the clock in tvland, i think some truly hilarious footage could have been obtained.
    Like I said, the repubs dont control the narrative on this….the longer FinReg is in the light of day, the worse it is for them.

  58. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    I betcha McConnell started having flashbacks.
    lawl.

  59. Rusty says:

    #56&57
    I think it’s cute when you try to be relevent.

  60. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    /flexes dimples at rusty
    :P

  61. happyfeet says:

    Team R is cowards.

    Simple as that.

    Meghan’s daddy should win in a landslide.

  62. newrouter says:

    Team R is cowards.

    says the pw vegetarian philosopher

  63. happyfeet says:

    timorous quivering cowards

  64. JD says:

    How many times has nishimonster, the lying twatwaffle, lied about who filibustered the civil rights act?

  65. bh says:

    It’d be kinda cool if the so-called Party of No was more… the Party of No.

  66. Slartibartfast says:

    Unfuckingbelievable.

    …and it’s on to a new topic. No fuckup is too embarrassing, it appears. It just never happened.

  67. JD says:

    No conscience, no pain.

  68. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    newrouter reads Redstate???
    that was fuckin’ hilarious.
    erik should do stand up…no, really.
    i hafta go tell Cole that happyfeets is a vegetarian philosopher…we were wondering what in gods green hell that meant.

  69. Nishi the Kingslayer says:

    lied about who filibustered the civil rights act?

    i know who!
    Strom Thurmond

    In its immediate goal, Thurmond’s stand proved unnecessary. Stripped of its teeth, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 proved an ineffective safeguard of black voting rights. It would take a much stronger measure, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, to get the job done. It’s hard to say who won in the long run. In 1964 Thurmond, a Democrat, switched political affiliation again, this time for good, leading a massive exodus of white Southerners to the Republican party.

  70. happyfeet says:

    I see that there is evil and I know that there is good and the inbetweens I never understood I think.

  71. newrouter says:

    a massive exodus of white Southerners to the Republican party

    yea how’d did the ’64 civil rights act pass. not with algore’s daddy. racist

  72. Slartibartfast says:

    You know who else filibustered the Civil Rights Act? Robert Byrd. Say, didn’t Robert Byrd also vote against the Voting Rights Act? Why yes! Yes, he did!

    And the guy was penalized for it, too. Say, hasn’t he been in office as a Democrat for half a century? Wasn’t he President Pro Tem four different times? Man, they really held his feet to the fire, didn’t they?

  73. JD says:

    Slarti – facts never get in the way of Teh Narrative. Never. She just makes shit up as she goes along.

  74. B Moe says:

    And after the Democrats finally got their Campaign Finance Reform Obama shit on it and wiped his ass with and the press totally fucking ignored it.

    It doesn’t matter what the fuck “Team R” does the press is going to paint them as the bad guys and nishfong is going to proclaim it a masterpiece, sell it to happyfeet, then give a lecture on the predestiny and evolution.

    Fuck it.

  75. Matt says:

    I take solace in the fact that Obama is a “good man”

  76. arthur dent says:

    So, David Frum says Rubio, is the one now;http://www.frumforum.com/time-for-the-right-to-rally-behind-rubio

Comments are closed.