The Democrats Might Just End Up Killing Someone Before We’re Done

The rhetoric swirling around the AIG bonuses has gotten completely out of control and it may well get someone killed. Instead of trying to moderate themselves and bring the conservation back down to reasonable levels, however, Democrats have stomped on the Angry Accelerator.

Here is Congressman Gary Ackerman interviewed by Neal Cavuto: yesterday:

ACKERMAN: The point of the matter is, is they cannot be allowed to get away with this. That is taxpayer money. The taxpayers are outraged. And we are going to get it back one way or the other.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: OK.

But you also want to get the names of those who were getting these bonuses. This came up with Mr. Liddy today and — in an exchange with Barney Frank. I just want you to listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. BARNEY FRANK (D-MA), FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I do ask that you submit those names without restriction. And if you feel unable to do that, then I will ask the committee to subpoena them.

EDWARD LIDDY, CEO, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP: I’m just really concerned about the safety of our people, so let — let me just read two things to you.”All the executives and their families should be executed with piano wire around their necks.” “My greatest hope: If the government can’t do this properly, we, the people, will take it in our own hands and see that justice is done. I’m looking for all the CEOs’ names, kids, where they live, et cetera.”

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAVUTO: What do you think of that?

ACKERMAN: I think it’s disgusting sentiments that people express when they are very, very angry or drunk. And we can’t be intimidated by that.

But, certainly, the point of finding out who has taken this money – - listen, we own 80 percent of that company right now. From my — as far as I am concerned, they are almost public employees. Public employees, we have — we can have certain requirements on them.

If they return the money, then I don’t think anybody has to know who they are or what their names are.
[Emphasis Mine]

I’m flabbergasted that a member of Congress would say something that amazingly dangerous. He threatened to expose the AIG employees to violence unless they give him exactly what he wants. If that’s not extortion, then it’s the thinnest of hairs away from it.

Ackerman either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that the bonuses as we’ve seen them thus far are entirely legal, that President Obama’s administration and his own party specifically exempted them from any penalties, and that no matter how mad he gets, he does not have the right to violate a legal private contract.

If Ackerman doesn’t know, then he’s an enormous and dangerous fool who is manfestly unfit to be a member of Congress. If he knows and still threatened to out the identities of the employees and their families to a mob that has already threatened them with death, then he’s not just a fool but a thug. Instead of siccing the Attorney General of New York on innocent citizens, perhaps Tim Geithner can sic the law on Gary Ackerman. At least there is some reason to believe that he committed a crime.

Here’s the Congressman’s contact information. Let fly, people.

Meanwhile, our President is out spreading the Hopenchange by likening AIG to a crazed suicide bomber. The comparison is risible. No one at AIG intended to do damage to our economy. No one there set up a mechanism of destruction then held our country hostage while the calm minds of our Treasury Department talked them away from the detonator.

If anyone is responsible for crazed actions that damaged our economy, it is the Treasury Department in the past six months. This entire crisis was pushed into panic farther and faster than it had to be because the people who should have been calm and capable were busy running around like their heads were on fire. I am convinced that had Hank Paulsen and Ben Bernanke not pushed the panic button in October, we wouldn’t be where we are now. The stock market would be higher, fewer companies would be in dire straits, and significantly less money would be sitting on the sidelines. This President bears the blame for some of that, too. He has done little but talk down our economy for an entire year, at least. Even after he was sworn in, all he could do was predict nothing but doom and propose nothing but pre-failed totalitarian government.

The President needs to get the heck away from a camera for a while and let the country catch its breath free from his wild mood swings. Congressman Ackerman needs to step in front of a camera and beg for forgiveness for threatening the lives of the AIG employees in question.

Then we all needs to think long and hard about the people we’ve elected and whether we’ll let image win over competence the next time we hit the ballot box.

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Category: Moonbat Nonsense, Our New Democratic Overlords, President Barack Obama, The Economy and Your Money