We all know Barack Obama has no inhibitions when it comes to expressing his political point of view.
This is especially apparent regarding his outrage toward the greed of Wall Street.
Since his election, he has been a rabid critic of CEOs and board members alike. None have escaped his wrath. Be they from banks, brokerages, financial consultants, or private industry, he has shown his disgust for all.
He has summoned many of these unsavory characters to the White House to let them know of his distaste for their practices, displaying a “new-sheriff-in-town” attitude. He has described their actions as “irresponsible”, their methods “outrageous”, their indifference toward the financial status of others as “shameful”, and their paychecks “offensive.”
“Golden parachutes” and “from Main Street to Wall Street” have become part of the rhetorical lexicon since his ascendancy in office, describing most any top level member of whatever entity he has chosen to demonize.
He really does care about the middle class.
Which is why I find his support of incumbent New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine to be just so darned strange.
Mr. Corzine, prior to his involvement in Jersey politics, was chairman and co-CEO of Goldman-Sachs, the investment banking powerhouse.
There, he amassed a purported fortune of roughly $400 million after the firm’s IPO was posted.
Between both of his elections for Senate and Governor, he has spent nearly $130 million of his private fortune, sparing no expense to win the office. (His senate campaign was the most expensive in history.)
The President’s simple disgust for Wall-Streeters like Mr. Corzine should be enough for him to condemn the Governor (you know, cause he’s for the middle class). Astonishingly, there are other Corzine outrages. If the President were aware of these, he most assuredly would be repulsed.
Mr. Corzine has used his wealth to contribute close to $1 million toward several New Jersey African-American ministries, which oddly gave him their election year political endorsements.
He’s canoodled with the union head of New Jersey’s Communications Workers Of America, Carla Katz, dating her during pivotal contract negotiations with the state. At the end of their relationship, he paid her almost $6 million for a personal “settlement.”
His first state AG appointment was accused of using her political influence to help her boyfriend wiggle out of two motor vehicle infractions. She was subsequently forced to resign.
He has hiked highway tolls across the state and leased many roadways to outside corporations, essentially allowing for unregulated, obscene rate increases.
He has been caught using ethnic and religious slurs, afterward offering the sincere apology of ”I shouldn’t have said what I am reported to have said, and if I did, I apologize.”
He presided over a state government shut-down in 2006, and had a recall drive started against him in 2008.
The list goes on…
I don’t know. Obama must be getting faulty information about the Governor.
There is no way that an innocent politician from Chicago, a man filled with the sincerest intentions for the “little guy,” would support a rich, greedy, Wall Street executive from the political snake-pit of New Jersey.
Is there?
