Recall the story posted here the other day about Wynn Resorts CEO's epic rant that stemmed from his dissatisfaction with Obama's failed economic policies?  Did it seem like something out of the ordinary to you?  I mean, generally business leaders tend towards being apolitical; especially since the modern political left in America are devotees of the notion that, "the political is personal", and will call for a boycott of any company which they decide isn't doing business or comporting themselves in the "correct" manner in a proverbial New York second.

That's what makes the statements of some major US CEOs recounted in this article from IBD all that more interesting.  While not as long and complete as Wynn's rant, they definitely don't beat around the bush:

-3M's George Buckley, who blasted Obama last February as anti-business. "We know what his instincts are," Buckley said. "We've got a real choice between manufacturing in Canada or Mexico — which tends to be more pro-business — and America," he told the Financial Times.

-Boeing's Jim McNerney, who in the Wall Street Journal last May called Obama's handpicked National Labor Relations Board's suit against his company a "fundamental assault on the capitalist principles that have sustained America's competitiveness since it became the world's largest economy nearly 140 years ago."

-Intel's Paul Otellini, who told CNET last August that the U.S. legal environment has become so hostile to business that there is likely to be "an inevitable erosion and shift of wealth, much like we're seeing today in Europe — this is the bitter truth."

-Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who observed to radio host Hugh Hewitt last month that Obama "never had to make payroll," that "nobody has ever created a job in this administration" and that the president is "surrounded by college professors."

There's more.  As we often say, read the whole thing...

It's interesting to me how executives are just now starting to speak out against Obama's failed economic policies.  And they're not all "Knucke-Dragging, Reich-Wingahz" by any stretch; Wynn, for instance, is a Democrat who supported Harry Reid's re-election.  Part of it may be the usual and customary reluctance to alienate potential customers, as I mentioned earlier.  But it may be that the weight of these past few years, coupled with the uncertainty about what lies ahead, has finally convinced them that Obama is not the one they were waiting for.  Of course, they might have realized this before now if they'd chosen to listen to the opinions of former GE CEO Jack Welch, who hasn't minced words about the disastrous nature of Obamanomics and the O!ministration's hostility to business.

Not to be an I told you so, or anything, but many of these same individuals backed Obama with both the weight of their opinions as well as their cash donations in 2008.  My advice to them this time around would simply be not to...

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me...

[Cross posted at The Conservatory]

Rocketman

On Fox News Sunday during a discussion of the compromise to extend the current tax rates.  In a nutshell, Van Hollen contends that the Republican are holding out on the estate tax, dare I say holding the middle class hostage,  in order to "give 25 billion dollars to 6,600 families".  In addition to repudiating that bit of misinformation (the CBO scores the cost difference between the Democrat's preferred estate tax rate and the one in the bill to be 7 billion dollars), he explains the inherent immorality and economic penalties to small businesses and family farmers of the death tax.

He also calls out the Democrats on their belief in class warfare, and calls for tax reform that involves lower rates and a broader base in order to get the economy going; very much like his Roadmap proposal.  Which, as an aside, would not only benefit the economy, but address the moral dilemma of the non-tax-paying 47% of the electorate's incentive to perpetually vote for politicians that call for higher taxes and ever increasing redistributive schemes.

Quote Mr. Ryan: "Class warfare might make for good politics, but it makes for rotten economics."

Take a few minutes and watch it here if you didn't see it in real time, also take a moment to read his MJS op-ed.

Oh, and as always, enjoy your Sunday :)

Rocketman

Well, now that legislation has become "the law of the land", and there is no longer any need for such misdirection; at least as far as the Chairman of the Senate Finanace committee Max Baucus is concerned.  Darleen at Protein Wisdom has the text of his breathtaking, but not surprising, remarks:

In an unusual speech on the Senate floor moments ago, Max Baucus declares that the “healthcare bill” to be “an income shift, it is a shift, a leveling to help lower income middle income Americans.” Baucus continued, “[t]oo often, much of late, the last couple three years the mal-distribution of income in America is gone up way too much, the wealthy are getting way, way too wealthy, and the middle income class is left behind. Wages have not kept up with increased income of the highest income in America. This legislation will have the effect of addressing that mal-distribution of income in America.”

[emphasis Darleen at PW]

So in Baucus' own words, the bill was about addressing the "maldistribution" of wealth in our society; gee, and here all of us rubes thought it was about healthcare.  But I guess that's what we get for listening to Palin and the RETHUGS!  Thanks for clearing that up Max!  But while you're clearing things up, maybe you and Boss Obama will be so kind as to tell us just how many people are allowed to be wealthy in our society, and are non Obamites allowed to be rich?  Or, is it only the Democrat Apparatchicks like yourself...

This is no real surprise though, at least for anyone who actually listened to the blather of the candidates during the primaries, and general, campaign.  In addition to Obama's slip while speaking to Wurzelbacher, there was the very public allusion to penalizing the successful during the debate with Hillary in Philadelphia.  Asked pointedly by ABC's Charles Gibson why then Candidate Obama so strongly supported raising capital gains taxes, when there is a large body of evidence correlating increasing rates with falling treasury revenues, the Presidential contender esentially answered, "because of the fairness!".  And went on to elucidate, if that's the proper word to describe his characteristic "Wizard of Uhhhhhs" performances when he is sans teleprompter, that regardless of the effects on treasury revenues that it was time for the wealthier Americans to pay more of their income in taxes.  Indeed this has been a strong meme among the Democrats since Al Gore lost in 2000; because as we all know, America is always socially fair and enjoying booming economic prosperity when Democrats are in the White House; and especially so when they control 1600 Pennsylvania avenue as well as both houses of Congress.

The Obamacare vote in the House last Sunday night was a shameful perversion of the very nature of "the people's house".  Instead of acting as conduits for the exercise of the people's will, the Democrats overwhelmingly voted against it; indeed "our betters" were deciding what was good for us RAAAAAAAACIST!, hicktard plebes who had been duped into opposing the measure.  And for those who blanched at both the arrogation of power by the House Democrats as well as the rising spectre of socialism that this bill really represents?  Well good ol' Reverend Al was happy to remind us that, if this is indeed socialism, the majority of Americans voted for this last year anyway when they elected the wO!n.

But nothing could be further from the truth, Reverand Al.  Obama went out of his way to masqerade as a centrist during the 2008 campaign, but has revealed himself to be the most socialistic leader this country has ever had-bar none.  And while some of you may posit FDR as a strong contender for that crown, I'll remind you that despite taking advantage of the Great Depression, you know, not letting that good crisis go to waste and all, in order to place dramatic wage and price controls, hamstring business, and institute social security, he didn't go as far as the Obamacrats have.  Obama is a compulsive liar who is bent on enacting his agenda by any means necessary-regardless of the effects on the American people.  He and the other Marxist Democrats are willing to pull out all the stops in order to institute an agenda that they are convinced will bribe enough of the electorate to cement socialist Democrat majorities in perpetuity.

See more details at Hot Air and Ace's

(H/T AllahP at Hot Air)

Rocketman

If pickup trucks are some sort of badge of honor - code - for group identification promoting racism against Blacks on behalf of Whites, then is it fair to consider the word "bankers" and what Obama really means when he says that they are the cause of our current economic woes? And what does he mean by sanctioning them? Punishing them?

If I am given to understand it right, it would appear that Obama is embarking on the darkest, most maleficent of all ruses... pinning our current failures on one group of people. A group of people who have seen this sort of thing before. Again and again.

I am not comfortable with this code-speak that encourages ultimately - and can only lead to - out and out hostility toward "bankers."

How far will Obama push his new populist PR campaign?

But this is a tired and worn (though effective) approach - despicable - when it comes time to rally, vilify - and the vilification of Bush is played out - so, the truly disgusting create another enemy to "place blame upon." I am not at all comfortable with this sort of hatred.

Enoch_Root

AKA. Bobby Donn Brubaker (the most popular man in Mesa, AZ), the Umbrella of Terror, Jack Ketch.

Website - More Posts

Left: U-6 unemployment, Right: Comparison of predicted to actual unemployment

[Click on image to enlarge]

10.2%... That's the highest level in 26 years !  Lately, the number has been hanging around the high 9's, due mostly to people dropping out of the job market altogether.  There's a more asccurate measure of unemployemet, one that the legacy media doesn't like to talk about, U-6 unemployment-the metric that includes those discouraged folks, which comes in at a whopping 17.5%, up from 17% in September.  But, you know, GDP is up!, Happy Days are Here Again!,  Obama has stopped the sea levels from rising and the economy from falling, all because of his awesomeness.  From geoff at Innocent bystanders:

The President and his economic team have claimed that the plan is working as intended, that they’re on track to save the original goal of 3.6 million jobs, but somehow, despite practically drowning in success, we’re going to have to live with high unemployment for years to come. Oh, and that everything is still Bush’s fault.

Remember that last part.  It's Boooooosh!'s fault...Even though the residual unemployment from the dot com bubble bursting was never Clinton's fault.  So if happy days are here again, and the streets lined with silver and sidewalks paved with gold, and the stock market is going to carry us all to a new level of bull market prosperity we could never dream of, is it at least safe to say that this is a jobless recovery ?  You know, the chant we heard throughout 2003 and 2004, when unemployment maxxed out an 7.2 % and was actually falling instead of, um, rising..?

I guess that Funemployment! is part of that Change! we heard so much about during the last campaign, courtesy of Obamanomics.

(Graphs courtesy of Innocent bystanders and Zero Hedge)

Rocketman

There are a couple of indices I have been using to gauge the disposition of the economy that are far removed from anything coming out of DC or Wall Street - observational in nature - geographically-local - anecdotal & non-scientific in nature. Nonetheless, I live in a local economy. I work here, pay taxes here, buy things (or not) here. Make rational spending/saving decisions here. I mean here, where my home and family are. So, for me, "here" may as well be the only economy that matters - the local economy.

I share these with you, my POWIP brethren - so you too can tell the weather from your doorstep!

THE LAWN TOY INDEX - observations are made while driving to a fro work, the grocery store, running errands, whatever. Take a moment to pay attention to what people are selling in their front yards. Draw your own conclusions as to the disposition of the seller's financial situation. What would motivate someone to sell such-and-such off? What does it say about how leveraged they likely are? What does it say about their liquidity?

THE NEWSPAPER DELIVERY VEHICLE INDEX - observe the make, model, and year of the vehicle being used to deliver your local newspaper. Again, what does it say about the driver, their financial situation? What is the likely story behind their decision to perform this type of service?

Let It Snow : Lyrics

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn't show signs of Pausing,
And I've bought some corn for popping,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight,
All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bying,
But as long as you love me so,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Enoch_Root

AKA. Bobby Donn Brubaker (the most popular man in Mesa, AZ), the Umbrella of Terror, Jack Ketch.

Website - More Posts