Obama 'Stunned' by Millions in AIG Bonuses (Tonight Show Interview)

Obama 'Stunned' by Millions in AIG Bonuses (Tonight Show Interview)

www.msnbc.msn.com

Barack Obama said Thursday evening that he was “stunned” to hear about the $165 million in bonuses that were paid to employees of troubled insurer AIG over the weekend, saying the payments raised serious moral and ethical problems.

Obama’s comments came in an interview on NBC’s “Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” NBC said Obama was the first sitting president to guest on a late-night talk show.

Obama said the AIG payments raised moral end ethical problems and promised that the administration would do everything it could to get them back. But he stressed that the bigger problem was the culture that allowed traders to claim them.

Obama used the visit as an opportunity to defend Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who has been sharply criticized for his handling of the AIG controversy. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., called for Geithner to resign Thursday afternoon.

But Obama said Geithner was doing an “outstanding job,” handling a full plate with grace and good humor.

Listing the recession, the banking crisis and the need to coordinate with other countries, Obama acknowledged that Geithner was “on the hot seat.” But he said too many in Washington were trying to figure out whom to blame when they should be focused on fixing the problems.

(visit the link for the full news article)

:shk:

Shocked?? Stunned??

They knew all about it.....for months!!!!!! And, after all that has come out in the past couple of days, Obama still has the gall to say that he was "stunned" to hear about the bonuses??

I just don't know what else to say about this. The article sums it up pretty nicely. All I can do is shake my head in wonder and disgust.



www.msnbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This just makes me sick.
I have come to the conclusion that Obama has given up trying to keep those of us that are actually paying attention, convinced of his dogma of change, and instead, is simply pandering to the "sheeples"

How can they be stunned about millions of dollars they can account for and unfazed about the billions that are unaccounted for in the regular government budget?

AIG isn't the only ones mismanaging taxpayer's money.

Kinda makes me wonder how the appearance will go.

If he brings up the subject, and continues the charade..., it will reflect poorly on him forever.

If he comes clean, it will likely reveal more than the party is willing to contend with.

I think the MSM will hide this thing tonight. Leno will keep the topics light and fast.

Or who knows? I suppose we'll soon see.

reply to post by Maxmars


The article gives quotes from the interview and the outline of what happened. It was taped earlier today.

He sat there, when asked, and basically said this blind-sided him. He flat-out lied.

It is outrageous.

But, of course, he had to get some "celebrity" stuff into the interview, too.

From the article cited in the OP:

And Leno asked Obama whether it was cool to fly on Air Force One. The president relied that he thought it was but that his daughters were not so easily impressed.

And Obama finally put to rest a raging controversy.

Asked about the dog he promised his daughters if won the election, Obama said the puppy would be at its post at the White House by the time he returns from a NATO summit in early April.

Yep, that's some important stuff.

HE will never come clean about this, there are two many fools out there.

"And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence."

Originally posted by skeptic1
reply to post by Maxmars

 

The article gives quotes from the interview and the outline of what happened. It was taped earlier today.

He sat there, when asked, and basically said this blind-sided him. He flat-out lied.

It is outrageous.

Doesn't surprise me at all everything about him is a lie, he is a compulsive liar,

Originally posted by skeptic1
But, of course, he had to get some "celebrity" stuff into the interview, too.

…

Yep, that's some important stuff.

It was a Leno interview, not a State of the Union address!

reply to post by americandingbat


I know that.

We were discussing in another thread earlier in the day what exactly the interview would entail. It is rather odd for a sitting President to show up on a late night comedy show. In fact, this is the first time it's happened.

Some people were wondering why he would do this when the country is spiraling into a seeming economic collapse.

Why is nobody talking about the money he himself recieved from AIG of over $100,000? Him Dodd, Mccain, all of them bastards? do they not want the public to freak out or something? This is a federal offense, taking taxpayers dollars and putting them in his own pocket. Sorry, but this is ridiculous.

He's really full of it. He knew it for months.

He was really elected because he's slick and a good propagandist, nothing else.

He's a way better puppet than Bush.

People did nothing against Bush because they thought he was just incompetent, now they LOVE Obama lying to them at every turn.

Seriously, this guy is crooked and he's good lying, he's a Hitler/Stalin/Mao.

[edit on 19-3-2009 by Vitchilo]

reply to post by Common Good


People are talking about it. A small group of people. The majority will just watch the Tonight Show interview and believe every word he says.

Sad, but true. The majority of people in this country have no clue as to what is going on because they are either too complacent, too lazy, or too busy to actually look, listen, and learn.

Originally posted by skeptic1
reply to post by americandingbat

 

I know that.

We were discussing in another thread earlier in the day what exactly the interview would entail. It is rather odd for a sitting President to show up on a late night comedy show. In fact, this is the first time it's happened.

Some people were wondering why he would do this when the country is spiraling into a seeming economic collapse.

Wish Leno would have asked him if he read what he was signing.

He is going on Leno, because his ego is bruised by his falling approval rating.

Originally posted by skeptic1
Some people were wondering why he would do this when the country is spiraling into a seeming economic collapse.

My guess is that he's going to be sorely regretting that decision by Monday. If these quotes reflect how this interview went, compared to what we know is the truth now, he's going to come across as a liar to the American public. This story is blowing up too big for the media to sweep it under the rug anymore.

I'm guessing that his approval rating is under 50% by early April.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


I don't think it has anything to do with his falling numbers.....they are still pretty high.

I think he is still in campaign mode. He needs to realize he needs to stop campaigning and start leading. Plus, he's a media and attention whore.....he seems to turn everything into a photo op.

He is not campaigning any longer. He is traveling all over the country, looking for support of the stimulus package. Why?? He's already signed it into law. What's he going to do? Retract it if people don't like it?? Hell, people are screaming they don't like it, and here he goes, off on the "campaign" trail some more, looking for support.

He needs to stop and realize the campaign is over. It is time to do the job he was elected to do. That job does not include campaign stops when he hasn't been in office for 2 months yet. That job does not include stops on the Tonight Show when the country is up in arms and close to an economic collapse.

That job does apparently include bold faced lies and a different story every other day..... :shk:

The campaign is over. He needs to realize that and get to work.

Originally posted by skeptic1
reply to post by americandingbat

 

We were discussing in another thread earlier in the day what exactly the interview would entail. It is rather odd for a sitting President to show up on a late night comedy show. In fact, this is the first time it's happened.

That seems like a reasonable thing to question, it just got me that you wanted him to be talking to Leno on the Tonight Show only about serious political matters. Seemed sort of counterproductive.

Did Clinton never show up on a late night show? I thought I remembered a big fuss about him doing one once, but maybe not.

I think he's doing it for the "feel-good". And that that's partly to benefit him and partly to try to keep the country's morale up in hopes that we can float through a depression on charm alone. Or at least that keeping our spirits up will keep us spending.

edit to add in response to skeppy's last post:

It is also the job of the president to provide a good front for the country -- he is a leader as much symbolically as literally. Conservatives should know that: look at Reagan.

Originally posted by Common Good
Why is nobody talking about the money he himself recieved from AIG of over $100,000? Him Dodd, Mccain, all of them bastards? do they not want the public to freak out or something? This is a federal offense, taking taxpayers dollars and putting them in his own pocket. Sorry, but this is ridiculous.

How can you possibly say no one's talking about this when you've been very active on at least two threads on the matter over the last two days

[edit on 3/19/2009 by americandingbat]

Clinton was on Arsenio Hall as a candidate. He played saxophone with Arsenio's band.

[edit on 19-3-2009 by CuriousSkeptic]

reply to post by americandingbat


Candidate Clinton showed up on the Arsenio Hall Show and literally tooted his own horn.

But, he was just a candidate, not the sitting President.