Maureen Dowd criticizes Obama's soft treatment of greedy CEO's

[RedEmpress]

Noting the difference between the tone of Obama the candidate and Obama the President regarding big-bonus CEO's, the New York Times columnist observed today:

Mr. Obama was less bracing than during the campaign, when A.I.G. executives were caught going to posh retreats after taking an $85 billion bailout. He called for them to be fired and to reimburse the federal Treasury. Now that he has the power to act, Mr. Obama spoke, as his spokesman Robert Gibbs put it, “like that disappointed parent that doesn’t embarrass you in the mall, but you feel like you’ve let somebody down.”

Dowd liked the words by Claire McCaskill: "“These people are idiots,” but disliked those of an Obama official, to the effect that these restrictions wouldn't work because "because no one would come to Treasury to participate, and that means our economy would continue to stumble downward.”

I usually do not agree with Dowd, but she hit the nail on the head on this one. What do you think guys/girls? Fire them or slap their wrists?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/opinion/01dowd.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. You joined just to tell us what MoDo said?

(facepalm)

[RedEmpress]

2. Yes

Your opinion please.

[Hello_Kitty]

3. The user name is telling, isn't it? eom

[RedEmpress]

4. How is "Maureen" telling?

Oh, you mean the person who didn't write her article?

[Sultana]

5. .

:eyes:

[Beacool]

6. Oh my goodness, someone pinch me!!!

MoDo managed to write an entire column without referencing the Clintons and blaming them for some nefarious deed. That in itself should make headlines.

On the other hand, I guess that it's now Obama's turn.

Please, who cares what that nasty woman writes?

:eyes:

[MadBadger]

7. At least you still have her streak of mentioning the Clinton's still going.

[Beacool]

11. Snark One........

:eyes:

[RC]

8. Did someone expose some tarnish on your object of worship?

And it's been only two weeks also. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

[Beacool]

12. Snark Ttwo.......

:eyes:

Tsk, tsk, tsk........

[DevonRex]

16. Thank you. I really appreciate your consistency about MoDo.

She's just a snarker who never has much to back up her nonsense, so she's little better than a rumor monger.

[Beacool]

18. Thank you.

I find the woman to be mean spirited and cruel. Her clever remarks are always coated with venom, regardless of who her "victim" of choice is at the moment. But, she has obsessed over the Clintons for years, Hillary in particular and interjects them into many of her columns. Please see below a link to her 1/24/09 column. She got 379 responses, most of them chiding her for her perpetual Clinton bashing and suggesting she seek help.

So, it's not just me noticing this woman's nastiness and ad hominem attacks. I guess she'll start on Obama now......

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/opinion/25dowd.html

:-(

[Mudoria]

9. I'm not exactly sure what Dowd thinks he CAN do....

there are no laws I'm aware of that limit bonuses or executive pay in this country. And with the brilliance of the Bush administration and both parties in Congress they let the first half of TARP out the door with no strings attached. This was a monumental boondoggle just waiting to happen. Now that the second half of TARP has been approved I'm hoping the government is a little more intelligent about how this money is used and keep everything transparent.

[camera obscura]

10. wow, somebody criticizing the column instead of the writer? Pinch me, I'm dreaming.

[Frank Booth]

13. I've never understood why Dowd is verboten here.

People act like she's Bill Kristol or something.

This is a good piece. The way I see it, the more anger directed at Wall Street the better. Hopefully, it'll push the government to clamp down on the shysters that mutilated the economy.

[Uzybone]

14. She was worse than Kristol

at sliming both Gore and Kerry. She has relentlessly savaged the Clintons and calls Obama "Obambi". She is an idiot.

[Frank Booth]

17. Yeah, but she also humiliated Bush, Cheney, Palin, McCain, etc.

She's an equal-opportunity shit-slinger. I think she's funny and can be pretty insightful.

As for the tenor of this piece, she does a very good job of capturing the anger people are feeling toward Wall Street. She criticizes Obama a little for being too light-handed (a criticism that may be deserved), but most of her vitriol is directed at fat cats/Giuliani.

[Uzybone]

15. The President can fire CEOs?

Wow. I didn't know that.