Speaking at a town hall meeting in California today, President Obama explained that AIG was like a suicide bomber. "You don’t want them to blow up. But you’ve got to kind of talk them, ease that finger off the trigger," he said.
(AFP/NEWSCOM)Photos (1 of 1)
Obama: It’s like AIG has a bomb strapped to them
By Jimmy Orr | 03.18.09
Maybe Iowa Senator Charles Grassley and President Obama have more in common than they think.
At least there are similarities when they discuss AIG.
Just two days ago Grassley told an Iowa radio station that AIG executives should consider suicide as an option. He later clarified that his remarks were just rhetorical and they should live.
Good enough.
But today, President Obama took that rhetoric in a different direction. He actually upped the ante explaining that AIG is like a suicide bomber.
“We had to step in, it was the right thing to do, even though it is infuriating,” Obama said, explaining why the government needed to bail out the troubled banks.
“The same is true with AIG,” he said. “It was the right thing to do to step in. Here’s the problem. It’s almost like they’ve got — they’ve got a bomb strapped to them and they’ve got their hand on the trigger. You don’t want them to blow up. But you’ve got to kind of talk them, ease that finger off the trigger.”
Yikes. Is Joe Biden writing Obama’s talking points now?
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2. TimPundit | 03.19.09
I take it “Shaun” above, was living as a blindman for the past 8 years. Congrats on getting your vision back 2 months into Obama’s term.
3. Donna Hughes | 03.19.09
You forgot to mention that Iowa Senator Grassley is a Republican. I haven’t voted for him for some time, but he may have redeeemed himself a bit with the suicide comment. Obviously these AIG executives, along with others, are absolutely clueless about what has happened, a perhaps even unaware that they were among the architects of the disaster.
If Joe Biden is now doing some speechwriting for Obama that would be fine with me. Joe has been known to be candid, which is one of the things I like about him.
4. RHarrisonScott | 03.19.09
Having listening to the testimony of the government appointed CEO of AIG before Congress yesterday, I must say my attitude toward those bonuses was put into a broader perspective. If nothing is done to retain those knowledgeable enough about derivative trading and, more importantly, credit swaps, AIG is toast and so is America’s credibility in the international economic community. If, after Congress passes its proposed dictate to the IRS to collect 90% of those bonuses, I wonder who in Congress is going to fill the shoes of those at AIG who will undoubtedly take a hike leaving the experts in Washington to sort out AIG’s payback to the American taxpayer. Barney Frank?
5. M. Roberts | 03.19.09
Maybe we should add taxing and recovery of money from campaign donations and lobbyist funds by the benefitted bailout companies as they sped toward economic failure
6. clay | 03.19.09
he has been in office less than 3 months. how can you even honestly judge what he has done. too involved? should he go on vacation till some buildings fall down then? stop trying to force the failure of your own country and work together.
7. Nick Worthington | 03.21.09
Congress! Your scaring us! Stop!
a) Get off Obama’s back. He’s our president take your lead from him. Get a grip, your party and ideas were out voted last November. It’s about time you took the US citizens hint! Let Obama get on with the real work
b) Get some lessons on ‘RETENTION’ bonues. If those had not been given out, you’d be eating dirt from your citizens today as AIG and the financial system would have collapsed long time ago. Now your cheating the people who stuck around enough to stabalize AIG!
c) STOP the circus act and loud noise, we know you have the power - stop using it for stupid stuff and getting CEOs to come and sit in the chairs in front of your drama committee meetings. We the people, are getting really tired of your antics …
d) Congress member don’t know the first thing about running a business - stop critizing others
e) Start making positive tones and changes - otherwise the people will remember … and give you the boot next time your up for elections
f) You guys are instigating people by mushrooming every issue publically - stop it!
8. Larry Douglas | 03.21.09
Obama talking about American “suicide bombers” and “bombs being strapped to the people he is gifting hundreds of billions of dollars to. He is crazy, literally stupid crazy. Even considering Obama spent TWENTY FIVE YEARS as alter boy for Jeremiah Wright, Obama is DUMB, DUMB DUMB. After 4 years, your children will owe their lives to the debt he creates.
9. Jim Dunn | 03.21.09
We have really stepped in it by electing this guy. Who knew he was an idiot? He doesn’t make sense at all . . . My, God, with Pelosi, Reid and those idiots plus Obama printing and spending, taxing and borrowing . . . What have we done . . .
10. Daniel Marks | 03.21.09
This Shane Powers character has to be the most idiotic and ignorant commentator I have heard. Talk about deranged logic.
11. Chris | 03.22.09
“Get a grip, your party and ideas were out voted last November. It’s about time you took the US citizens hint! Let Obama get on with the real work.”
Most of the current dealings with AIG are coming down from either a Democrat-controlled Congress or the Obama administration itself (witness Chris Dodd’s statement recently that shows Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner at least told him to leave AIG executive bonuses alone).
The Democrats have inherited a real mess from the Bush administration, but seem to be doing very little to make the situation any better. Most of Congress is next to useless in this regard.
12. Ron | 03.22.09
People are vastly overreacting to this. I think its a completely legitimate simile. If AIG dies, supposedly huge sections of the economy will crumble. Yet, they continue to make horrible decisions such as these bonuses that seem to kill the company even worse. So we have to stop the execs from committing suicide, so to speak, so that they don’t take everyone down with them. TADA, suicide bomber. I’m really not sure why there is an uproar here.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Shane Powers | 03.19.09
Wow,
I still can not believe Obama is president. He is the worst I have ever seen. His reckless off cuff remarks about AIG will only make the situation worse for a company that is trying to survive and pay back the debt to the country. I wonder if Obama will agree to return the campaign contributions that he received from AIG employees. I should not wonder because I know the answear…NO he would not because like all politicians it is all about money and thier greed.
It is scary that our congress can within 48 hours create a bill to tax a group of Americans on thier legal wages 70%-100% but they can not even discuss doing something about illegal aliens in the country and protecting our boards. Again I believe it is about money and votes. I am sure labor unions and special interest groups are getting thier money’s worth with this Dem controlled congress. Just ask Nancy Pelosi- I just saw a video of her talking to a room full of both legal and illegals and said that she disagrees with us enforcing our laws. Well that makes sense-Nancy and crew do not mind breaking contracts and making up the rules as they go along. Again shameful!
If I could talk to this bunch I would remind them that they are not kings and Queens but servants of the citizens of the United States. Last I looked people sneaking over the boarder in the middle of the night coming to our country illegally are not citizens so do not put thier interest above ours!!!
Obama was right…we need change but not this kind.