Fun With Dick & Jane

Today was mostly about the takeover of General Motors by the President, and the firing of the CEO Rick Wagoner. Dick was all for the firing because “in 8 years Wagoner has not turned the company around”.

My concerns have to do with the constitutionality of the firing and the ongoing encroachment of the Executive branch of the government on private industry.

We also talked about the UAW and their role in the GM debacle including the legacy costs of health care and the salaries paid.

Dick was outraged at Wagoner’s retirement package and I reminding him that if Wagoner had been demoted rather than fired or the company was allowed to go into bankruptcy instead of being taken over by the president, the retirement package could have been renegotiated.

Once again Chris Dodd crept into the discussion. This time it was in connection with the $160k ponied up by AIG executives when they learned that he would be the chairman of the banking committee.

We talked about the NY Times spiking a story adverse to candidate Obama because they felt it might be a “game changer”. Dick thinks all media is biased, and I maintain some biases are worse than others.

We talked about the boon of lobbyists accompanying the administration’s increased federal spending as well as the MA MBTA costs to the Commonwealth. I was able to avert a retelling of Dick’s favorite MBTA story about the men driving the train on the tracks for too much money.

Enjoy!

AIG was all over the broadcast today. Dick is mad at the bonuses – I’m mad at the smokescreen, and the power grab. Dick no longer hides his disdain for the current President, and even backed off on his adoration for Andy Cuomo particularly when I pointed out Cuomo’s role as President Clinton’s HUD secretary where he forced risky loans on banks the same loans that led to the current economic crisis.

The usual suspects – Barney Frank and Chris Dodd made an appearance, as did Governor Patrick and others in the cast of characters robbing us blind.

Enjoy! And don’t forget to plan for the April 15th tea party at a location near you!