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@ Dianne
I completely agree with you. Everything was covered up and Bush tried to cover it all up... but like a leaky faucet... it started leaking out before he could get out of office.
I don't think Obama realized how bad it actually is!
As a Canadian maybe I don't understand. Many of the actions by G.B. were unConstitutional, what does Rush have to say 'bout that.
RLG
Yes bailout the taxpayers ! They are the ones suffering millions of homes foreclosed on it's bleeding everyone dry whose going to help ?-the people in thier time of need ? When will people care again ?
AIG >Americans Injecting Gaggles of money for what? What is the worst case scenario if AIG goes under? It saddens me to see that the very companies that we are bailing out are the same companies that overcharged us, based their product and/or premiums on our credit ratings, charged us higher premiums if we didn't fit their financially sound profile and took us to the cleaners. What next?
If you mute Rush Limbaugh, and just watch him, you can add classical music to it. I prefer, The Planets by Holst. Really funnny. Or to an Opera, like Nessun Dorma, that's the only way i can look at that man's face....:)
Jacqueline, NY: WoW! Mike, you surprise me.
Why? He's just another Howard Stern, a shock jock. He says true things mixed in with extreme things to get ratings. Every MSM bit of covergae boosts his ratings. He's laughing all the way to the bank.
Why was AIG ever allowed to get "to big to fail?" Other big companies weren't, were they?
Did you notice that the dollar had the best day in three years on the foreign exchange markets? Commodity and energy prices are down 20-25% for the year so far...that means lower prices for the consumer, your dollar gets you more. The stock market is reflecting the overall market, and we will survive this correction with an even stronger dollar. Only the politicians can screw it up by 'helping' too much! I wonder what they will do???
yea, i agree. republicans have been left out to dry, with no one to look to for leadership, anderson. they seem to be grasping at straws. rush seems to give a very needed rush right now.
I wish CNN would allow AC360 to be streamed live. Due to the economy I had to give up my DirecTV. I get all of my news and entertainment now from high speed internet. I know I can get the AC360 podcasts, but I'm always a day late getting the scoop.
Why am I not surprised? lol...
Hello everyone!
Has everyone forgotten that this disaster has had eight years in the making? I hope the president,s policies and efforts are totally successful. Rush L. name is appropriate for him. He "Rush" in where wise men dare to crawl. lol
Candy Crowley sounds like she's in love with Rush. We don't.
Madoff may have committed the most obvious form of crime in his ponzi scheme, but many of the CEO's that are responsible for the financial crisis are not that much different. They engaged in colossal risk at our expense. Will they be held accountable? Probably not.
Michael Steele – WUSS
During the Great Depression, FDR used an agency called Holco to keep people in their homes and avoiding foreclosure. Why not do the same here? If we spent what we're spending on AIG and all the other banks, insurance co.s etc. on a new Holco – wouldn't that help loosen credit and help everyone?
@ Sean in Iraq-First and foremost, thank you for your service, and second, welcome back to the blog!
aig really need to get things right. i can't afford to pay for someone always getting into debt. i would like to retire someday from my own job. aig loves this attention. negative media attention
@Jo Ann…”We are now experiencing the effect of Obama’s inexperience.”
Honestly, Jo Ann, we’re experiencing the fallout from our government (all reps except maybe independents) thinking they know what business and finance is about. This isn’t about Obama. This stuff doesn’t happen overnight.
Hey Anderson! My goodness! The Bernie Madoff story just makes my blood boil! He should be locked up and not in some nice penthouse. He does not deserve ANYTHING when the people he scammed are committing suicide or stressed to the point of depression because of the move he pulled on them. It is so horrible and it's so hard to believe that someone can be that cruel.
A reason that health care reform needs to be a priority now is that health concerns are at the heart of the fear that so many people are facing with the job losses. For those wondering how they're going to take care of something as basic as visiting their family doctor, the administration only addressing "the economy" would not speak where the rubber meets the road for many Americans. If alleviating fear is what will help perk up the economy, there needs to be a blend of Wall Street and Main Street i.e. health care, being firmly addressed at the same time.
Where is all the bailout money going exactly? Are these companies being audited? Is some of the money going to hiring auditing firms? It doesn't seem to be and that bothers me, considering the government needs to get to the bottom of the issue.
Break up AIG it is to large to be managed.Let smaller insurannce companies take on some of the work.The phone compaines were taken apart and hundreds if not thousand of jobs were started .The same would hppen in AIG was broken up.
Let AIG fall....why not? Give those billons of dollars to the people. We will get the economy going again by paying our mortgages, paying our credit cards and buying a carand more. Imagine if millons of peopole could do this, our economy would buzz again.
Oh yeah...let's put those banker thieves in JAIL!
The behavior of the GOP since PO took office tells me that the GOP is the voice of the GOP party.
A little civics lesson folks. Congress must approve of budgets that the president proposes. Given that the democrats have controlled congress for 2 years then a democratic congress MUST have approved of the last 2 years of deficits. Keep in mind that Obama was a member of congress then. In a way, he "inherited" his own deficit!
Whatever happened to regulations? Why have we allowed companies like AIG to get so big that if they fail we the American people need to bail them out with our tax money? Maybe David can answer this.
Anderson.
Of Mr. Limbaugh consider the source he spoke vehemently against drugs and yet was using them and if memory serves correct was busted about being a hypocrite.
I believe people will see this for what it is the Republican party still refusing to work with the Democrats for the betterment of her people.
This gives President Obama the upper hand as Mr. Gergen pointed out the ability to take the high road and let the Rebuplicans bite the dust on this one.
Miranda
I had a typo. That should have been "Democrats, like so many other Americans and people around the world, became increasingly despairing and horrified with the damage Bush was doing to the COUNTRY." Not just the country, in fact, but the world.
Who cares who the leader of the GOP is at this time.
The Obama administration should focus on getting us out of this mess now. What is the white house chief of staff doing talking about Rush Limbaugh. Obama said, "you will be judged by the things you build, not the things you destroy", granted, that was in a different context, but it applies here too, they should quit their obssession with the previous administration and GOP and just get working.
If AIG insures the loans. What bank does not want the loan to fail? Why work it out when you can get the full pop up front.
What seems to be missed in conversations from Mr. Limbaugh is in the fact that the Constitution of the United States says that the government is desined to protect the people. How better to protect the people, not from war or by war, but from poverty, hunger and homelessness.
Limbaugh should be ashamed. I am a steadfast democrat and I never wished Bush would fail, even though I knew some of what he had done was wrong.
Giving crums to the poor and inept is something the rich need to make themselves feel better about being rich. That's why they don't help the hardworking, honest middle class so much. The middle class might actually move up. The poor and inept are much less of a threat.
Shaun, let's presume there's at least 100 million taxpayers in the US (out of the 300 million or so in its population). 100 million taxpayers times $100,000 each comes up to $10 _trillion_ dollars. People are complaining that Obama wants to spend $1 trillion dollars. This total would be ten times Obama's proposed amount.
Anderson Cooper,
I read a interview your, where you said that "Brazil is the coolest place on the planet" referring to "The album from the coolest place on earth: Mémorias, Crônicas e Declarações de Amor de Marisa Monte".
Marisa Monte isn't new that you like, but I did not know you were so intimate the city of Rio de Janeiro. Marisa Monte is simply the best!
Be my guest... I live next to Ipanema ... lol
Rush Limbaugh is a millionaire and the President earns 400K a year with a lot of perks....Both are very different from the average american facing foreclosures, job losses or getting hammered in the stock market....
I am a democrat hoping the president bring real change....but to be honest i am tired of the politics so far.....
Can we really fix this country ??
The recession is has a chain reactionn i guess that's why they bailed out A.iG but they already used our taxpaying dollars is this some kind of psyschological mind games they are playing?
Steve I dont want government but because the government did not step wall street went crazy with mortgages and thus here we are. I dont want government either but you dont see wal street stepping up to fix the problem and has they were cashing checks from 2003 to 2007 they did fill any guilt.
Anderson,
Let us face it. If all Republicans are conservative and Rush speaks for the Conservatives, then Rush speaks for the Republicans; period.
Otherwise, why would the GOP head appologise to him. This speaks volumes.
I think its so funny anyone else who did what Madoff did or even lesser crimes are treated like the criminal they are but for some odd reason Madoff not only is still out on bail living in his penthouse but he has tried to relocate money and jewelry as has his wife?
So I guess we can assume that if you are rich no matter how you got that way you are treated far better than any average American?
It is laughable that Rush Limbaugh, a known prescription drug abuser, feels the need to undermine the President of the United States before he has even been in the White House.
If Rush is the leader of the Republican Party, our country is done. That fat man has sang.
"Can you spare a dime?" said AIG.
@Lori...I disagree Lori. Religion does hurt. That's been proven over and over throughout history. And the related hatred and killing will never end.
@ Bob
another option is to Federalize AIG!
"Rush Limbaugh has an understanding of policy".Thats a bit far fetched isn't it?
Helloooo Sean IRAQ!!!!
My thoughts and prayer with you
Erica, let me offer my thanks for that wonderful set up with Bobby Flay! Everyone credits you with this really fun moment at the end of a totally brilliant week of AC360.
Frankly, Rush Limbaugh gives me a headache.
Hi AC, AC360 and bloggers,
I promise my mother to wire transfer money to pay for my insurance policy ( AIA I think, in Bangkok )..now that AIG just posted losses in business operations which eventually affected its global subsidiaries. Anyone has a suggest what i do?
Sean at Irag, I will definitely reflect your prayer next time I do mine.
When did people on trial allowed to make demands? I am truly intrested in this story. And the people that went missing inFl. That is sad.