Sunday, May 3, 2009

All hail our historical first black(mailing) president

Frank Beckman of WJR radio talks with Tom Lauria, bankruptcy attorney at White & Case, who represents a group of lenders that object to the Chrysler sale. When one of his clients did not go along with our presidents demands, the white house threatened to destroy his reputation through the white house press corps.

http://wjrpodcasts.com/podcasts/frankbeckmann/Lauria-050109.mp3

8 comments:

Doug said...

Destroy his reputation through the White House Press Corps? Wow. I mean I knew the current President was charismatic but I had no idea he had such sway over a pack of partisan and agenda driven jackals like the Press Corps.
Lighten up, you make it sound like he did something deviously criminal. You know, like outing a deep cover CIA agent in an act of political retribution.

Ric Larson said...

The White House seems to be good at making threats in the last 100 days.

mat said...

OK lets focus Doug. Bush isn't in office any more and hasn't been for a while. Two wrongs don't make a right. Remember that you voted for Obama for change. To even make a small hint that the prior administration did something underhanded so the present administration should get a pass is ludicrous. The White House press corps is widely respected and quoted in mainstream media as factual.All newspapers have their editorials but a quote from the press corps still carries some weight. Don't treat us "righties" like morons because we figured that out on our own.

Doug said...

Matt,
just for funsies let's clarify a few things. At no time am I relating to you as I would a moron. If I think you a moron than I will relate to you by choosing not to relate to you at all.
Anyways it's my opinion that previous administrations are fair game because they provide a historical perspective as a standard of executive conduct.
I certainly did not mean to imply that Obama had done anything wrong. I didn't even listen to the link provided. I was going to then but I just kind of decided to get on with my life.
I did not vote for Obama for change. I know better. I voted for him because he wasn't the other guy.
So the White House Press Corps is widely respected? Do you get your news from that bastion of journalistic ideals The Huffington Post? How about the paragon of impartiality Fox News Network? CNN, CBS, NBC all serve a vital purpose but they are hardly widely respected. Widely reviled is more like it.
I did not hint that the previous administration did something underhanded. I implied that they did something deviously criminal. Something so criminal that if you or I did it we would clapped in irons for treason.
If Obama or any of the others can be shown to stoop to such nefarious levels then I will stand with you calling for his ass.
In the interim I will do by best to focus.

And as a side note Ric I keep seeing these posts from you about the current White House making constant threats and ruling through fear etc.
Now I know Matt's not going to like this because I said I was going to try and focus but are you serious?
After the last eight years in which this republic was subjected to nothing BUT fear, threats, intimidation and the portrayal of dissent as unpatriotic behavior are you kidding me?
You guys seriously need to come up with a new schtick. I mean it's like all you've got is he's a socialist, or he's a fascist, or he's a communist bent on world domination. All of which translates to he's not our guy and we no likey.
A CBS poll (widely respected right?) last week showed that a historic low 21% of Americans now identify themselves with the Republican party.
The irony in all of this is that until the Republicans can somehow find it within themselves to quit stepping on their own dicks they virtually assure that the new guy that is not their guy will continue to be the guy for a while.

DRL said...

Let us keep things in perspective.
First, Mat, yes he campaigned on "change". That promise was broken along time ago.

Second, throughout political history, the threat and fulfilled promise of destroying oppositions life's and reputations has been a norm and historical fact.

Great republicans and democrats as well as wigs, emperors, kings and the so on have been guilty of it. That does not make it right in this case, but it wont stop with the next administration. Don't upset those in power.

DRL said...

I guess one of the things that do ring true with this is, as stated, President Obama ran on "change". He lied. As also previously mentioned, all politicians do, have and will. One lie, I like, is President Obama has not pulled our military out. No cut and run.

mat said...

Like rac Doug you skirt around the question. You voted for Obama not because he was for change but because he wasn't the other guy. News flash, the other guy wasn't even running or eligible to run. Unless you're saying that McCain was the same as Bush. In which case you're as guilty as the "Righties" as generalizing about our core beliefs.And we're not opposed to taxes we just want them to go where they should like upkeep of the infrastructure and common defense and everyone should pay the same. A flat tax would be great.X percent of ten thousand dollars a year is the same as X percent of ten million dollars a year in relation to the taxpayers lifestyle.If the person making ten grand a year had to do without something that was considered a luxury like maybe cable or a second playstation in the family room, would that not be the same as a millionaire doing without a summer cabin? And as far as mainstream print and TV media is concerned yes the whitehouse press corps is still pretty well respected. I guess you never read the newspaper or watch TV news.Or you think we "righties" don't. You know better than that Doug.

DRL said...

Remember too Mat, that the "other guy" was more democrat that republican, with the exception of the military. He passed almost every democrat bill that was sent his way, many with extreme spending and tax hikes. Bush was not the conservative the liberal Medea made his sound, so, with that, what was the complaint by the left about a left leaning president? His support for the military.