Jane Hamsher: Why I Reached Out to Grover Norquist on Fannie/Freddie

[FLAprogressive]

....You collect signatures on letters like these to get media traction, to build pressure so someone has to take action. Kevin apparently didn’t read our letter — it’s about a bailout of Fannie/Freddie that they’re trying to jam through before the end of the year, nothing to do with health care. He also apparently slept through the past nine years when people on the right like Bob Barr, Grover Norquist and Bruce Fein were cosigning letters with ACLU civil libertarians all the time when it came to FISA, domestic spying and transparency. It was hard for them to do, because Bush sycophants dismissed them as “traitors” to the president.

*snip*

So, it’s not an issue of “personalities.” It never should be. It’s about principles. And principles aren’t pliant — you either have them or you don’t. You can’t just use them as a yardstick to measure the inadequacy of people you don’t like, and then throw them away when it comes to your “friends.”

Rahm Emanuel is destroying not only the Democratic majority but the Democratic Party. There isn’t enough pork in the world to hold his “Blue Dogs” in office with the legacy of bailouts that he has engineered while in office, and that’s why his “big tent” is now collapsing in his wake. Parker Griffin, and now (possibly) Chris Carney, may blame Nancy Pelosi for their defections to the GOP, but that’s pure demagogurery. The mess they are fleeing — the corrupt back-room deals, the endless bailouts — belong to Rahm.

The ground is shifting. You can feel it. And the Rahm dead-enders have become no different than the Bush dead-enders, completely unaware that the President whose malfeasance they are defending on the basis that one must not “consort with Republicans” is the one who ran on — consorting with Republicans. It is knee-jerk authoritarianism in the extreme. Rick Warren is okay because Obama says so. Principles? Who needs them.

If Obama/Rahm want to triangulate against progressives (and they do), they’re not the only ones who can make cause with people on the other side of the aisle. If that’s what it takes to shake up the corporate domination of our political system, we’ve done it before and we can do it again. Because working within the traditional political order to support “progressives” whose conviction lasts only as long as it doesn’t matter just doesn’t seem to be working.

Dear Kevin: this is about a $400 billion bank bailout. It’s not about your BFF.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/12/23/why-i-reached-out-to-grover-norquist-on-fanniefreddie/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[WeDidIt]

1. Fuck Grover Norquist

and to hell with Jane Hamsher.

[tonysam]

4. +1,000

Nobody should have anything to do with that asshole.

[brentspeak]

6. Hard to figure out who's more repellent and harmful to America: Norquist or Emmanuel

At least Norquist doesn't call himself a "Democrat".

[FLAprogressive]

8. and Norquist has no power. Rahm Emanuel does.

[dave29]

17. Norquist has no power? Are you completely out of your mind?

My. gods.

[ProSense]

2. Now we have so-called progressives defending Grover Norquist.

OMG


:rofl:

[WeDidIt]

7. It's just so fucking ridiculous

Any allegedly "progressive" blogger I see making short shrift with Grover "Abramoff and Reed" Norquist over corruption has definitely flown off the charts.

[saltpoint]

3. Wow. In our neighborhood the ground isn't shifting at all.

The trees are still up. The houses remain.

Even the Tire Kingdom outlet is still standing.

As for dead-enders, Rahm holds a pretty high-ranking job these days. He's fairly well-connected to some pretty influential folks. Seriously.

Jane. For the love of god, woman, make a film. I'll buy a ticket. You're wildly talented.

But your politics suck doorknobs.

[Patsy Stone]

5. Whatever gets you through the night, Jane.

:eyes:

[depakid]

9. Rahm was the architect of 1994- even moreso than Gingrich

and his legacy of cynicism, sell out and failure now threatens to unravel the Democratic majority in 2010 as well.

Could be a silver lining though- perhaps he, like Reid, will be gone in 2011.

[FLAprogressive]

11. +1

[defendandprotect]

56. Hi -- Can you expand on that . . . never heard that before ... thank you!!!

And, IMO, Rahm is also a factor in keeping these wars going --

and encouraging Israel --

?????

[depakid]

60. Quite a few sources (that also match my recollection from the times)

The Democrats were in the midst of the House Post Office Scandal, which ultimately took Dan Rostenkowski from the Speaker’sHouse Ways and Means chair to a jail cell . (Ironically, he was busted for doing things that not only were penny-ante offenses, but had been perfectly legal up until recently; even Republican congressman Bill Frenzel of Minnesota said as much. Nevertheless, the media made a bigger deal out of this than they did out of Iran-Contra.)

– The Democratic base was further demoralized by the determination of the Clinton Administration to act in accordance with pro-corporate DLC, Blue Dog, Third Way principles that required them to screw their base and even Democratic legislators over issues such as "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" and most especially with the infamous "North American Free Trade Agreement", aka NAFTA — which screwed and screws both American and Mexican workers by playing them against each other to keep their wages low while American corporations make money from both groups.

And guess who was the architect and chief cheerleader for NAFTA? Just guess. (Hint: It’s the same guy who’s been allowing the Blue Dogs — many of whom he personally helped elect and who he protects above all else — to screw us on health care reform and other issues.)

That’s right: Rahm Emanuel.

The bottom line: Rahm helped cause 1994, but with the TradMed’s and Villagers’ aid successfully pinned the blame on the Democratic base for pushing Clinton to be too "liberal". Now he’s trying it again — but this time, there’s a loud and active faction in the new media that’s working to correct the record, and to keep him from screwing us yet again to make his corporate buddies happy.

Ironically enough, http://www.sldn.org/news/archives/lesson-of-dont-ask-dont-tell/">Rahm himself says that 1994 happened in part because Bill Clinton didn’t do what he was elected to do. In 2008, we elected Barack Obama on his campaign promises to reform health care, get us out of Iraq, and shut down Gitmo, among other things — and Rahm has been one of the key forces, if not the key force, telling Obama to "go slow" on all of these promises.

More: http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/8372

[defendandprotect]

73. Thank you, depakid . . .

I'll check the links, but your recollections would have been sufficient -- :)

Yes, I recall the fake PO scandal -- and agree, it was nonsense -- though currently

can't remember the details.

Was it the same -- or was there another one -- where members of Congress had checking/

accounts and the purpose was to protect them from overdrafts and allowed borrowing?

And public was told only enough of the story to create scandal?

Agree re Mexico -- and how it has for so long been exploited including in American/corporate interest!


The trade agreements were horrific, but didn't know that it was Rahm behind NAFTA...

Also hear that Rahm has continued to breed new "blue dog" puppies to run against moderate and

liberal Dems?

Rep. John Conyers recently has been very blunt about Rahm's influence in the White House and

"Obama only listening to Emmanuel" --- !!!

The DLC has been poison in the Democratic Party -- a purposeful co-option to destroy it.

And they've largely succeeded, IMO, with Obama and getting into the White House... ????

Hillary, of course, is also part of DLC leadeship -- and then there are the rest of the

corporates appointed by Obama.

I'd really like to see more discussion here of liberals/progressives coming together as a voting

bloc -- and discussions of Plan B.

Thanks for the info --


PS: The Conventional Wisdom, eagerly promoted by a conventional media that keeps pushing the frames of discussion inexorably toward fascism and right-wingery,

Love Jane Hamsher -- !!

[laughingliberal]

58. and isn't it interesting the defecting to the Repigs Blue Dogs were his recruits

I'm seriously disturbed at a thought I can't shake that Rahm and Obama will find it safer to have more Republicans in the House and Senate to provide that cover they need to get more conservative legislation passed. I think it irritated them when we reached 60 Dems in the Senate cause no longer could they use the Republicans for the excuse for passing more corporate friendly legislation. Those were some mighty hoops they had to jump through to keep us believing they wanted a PO and finding a hitman who could provide them with deniability to kill it at the last minute.

Again, how interesting that it is one of Rahm's spiritual children who is defecting to the Republicans. Much easier with a decreased majority to keep shoving these conservative policies at us.

[kayla9170]

10. The Hamster....Why I Feel The Need to Explain All of my Teabagging Actions on FDL

Because none else will listen to me anymore, except my Crew and the only show I can manage to get on is Fox and Friends!! Plus, the elevator stop running lately after the fifth floor..........:banghead:

[Don Caballero]

12. Hamsher is no longer welcome around these parts

She sold her soul to attack our President and siding with the Republicunts. She is vile and putrid.

[brentspeak]

13. She's no longer welcome in your house?

Or are you actually suggesting that you speak for your local community?

[Don Caballero]

18. She lost the support of a majority of DUers

when she decided she would lash out at our President and spew half truths and out and out lies. I have already unbookmarked firedoglake. She will never be respected by the Progressive community ever again for her disrespect towards our President and total misunderstanding of how the gears of government work.

[brentspeak]

21. Try reading Daily Kos

There's some people who don't like her there, but the majority apparently support of her. And the few paid DLC stooges who post on DU aren't exactly representative of of the progressive community.

[Junkdrawer]

24. 158 posts and you now speak for the majority of DUers...

Really...

[FLAprogressive]

27. I have a feeling some of these "newbies" aren't really new at all if you catch my drift.

[brentspeak]

29. Probably on their 3rd or 4th registration

Check out the freak who keeps calling Jane "the hamster" below, for example.

[FLAprogressive]

31. at least Miss Kayla is not calling her a "cow" like some people are.

But yeah I have a feeling this is someone's "other personality".

[kayla9170]

48. Thank you for agreeing to disagree.....

I appreciate that!

[kayla9170]

47. I would suggest that you watch your keyboard......

You are taking this crap way out of line.....The Freak.....do it again and I will alert your reply.

[Don Caballero]

33. I have been visiting DU for years

Only recently have I become a member. If you are implying that I am some sort of troll I suggest you look elsewhere. I have been involved in the Democratic Party of Allen County since I was eighteen years old. I helped get President Obama into office and I refuse to watch his party destroy his legacy.

[FLAprogressive]

36. Obama's legacy will be how he destroyed the party....or how he made it a shell of its former self.

[ProSense]

43. "Obama's legacy

here.

Jane Hamsher is delusional.

[defendandprotect]

59. "I never campaigned on public option" = "I am not a crook!" . . .

[FLAprogressive]

67. don't you just love the revisionist history.....it's just like Bush's revisionist history

change we can believe in

[defendandprotect]

75. Yes . . . and I'm still ROFL . ..

at the idea that anyone at this point is out there protecting "Obama's legacy" . . .!!!

I don't know . . . the statement the other day reminds me so much of Nixon's feeling

compelled to announce . . . "I am not a crook!" . . .

It's all so sad, really --

but every once in a while, there is a laugh or two!!

Happy New Year!!

[defendandprotect]

57. You're talking about "Obama's legacy" after less than a year in office . . .???

How about the wars being refunded for three years -- and escalated?

How about America's homeless and impoverished?

How abut DOMA?

How about wiretapping?

How about torture?

How about the Justice Dept AG's?

How about real health care reform?

How about truly protecting a woman's reproductive freedom?

How about re-regulating capitalism?

How about overturning trade agreements?

How about expansion of war in Pakistan?'

How about reigning in Israel?

[EFerrari]

63. Really? Did you take a poll? Got a link?

[kayla9170]

26. Cannot speak for DU, but I can speak for My Town in MI

The Hamster can take a long walk off a short pier. She is not welcome in my town!!

[brentspeak]

28. Are you the sheriff?

[kayla9170]

38. Nope but she would not be welcomed......

My town is over 50% African-American. It would be advised for her to stay away after what she posted. You cannot do certain things and then try to make nicely-nicely with my community. We do not forget. Just saying.........

[Don Caballero]

40. She is an admitted racist

Her doing a mea culpa did nothing to reverse the hatred she showed to African-Americans.

[EFerrari]

66. That's not true, is it? You're calling her a racist because of one

action she took. If you lied, for example, would I be justified in calling you a liar?

[Don Caballero]

30. Here in Indiana she is certainly not welcome

Before her current meltdown I felt that she was a true Progressive voice. In the last few days she has shown herself to be classic COINTELPRO. We must resist her and her website.

[Donnachaidh]

37. oh fer criminey sake -- go write a bad soap opera script, will ya?

All these *newbies* with their over the top shrieking and gnashing of pointy teeth at a voice of dissent. It makes one wonder -- if they work for Rahm, or the insurance corporations who will have 30 million more victims when this POS is pushed through.

Say hi to Rahm for me :eyes:

[FLAprogressive]

44. Don't you love the histrionics though?

[FLAprogressive]

15. No sweetheart the President sold his soul to the corporations and you're just the pawn.

[HuckleB]

16. What a bunch of snarky BS.

[Donnachaidh]

39. truth isn't snark dear. n/t

[HuckleB]

41. Snark is snark.

And that's all you've posted.

[Donnachaidh]

49. and you would know. n/t

[Don Caballero]

20. Sold his soul?

Puhlease. That sounds like Freeper nonsense. Our President will fix whatever problems may arise from the proposed legislation.

[FLAprogressive]

23. I'm glad you like the Insurance Company Profit Protection Act.

[HuckleB]

46. Snark is all you got, I see.

:rofl:

[HuckleB]

42. It isn't far from it.

[dflprincess]

52. Sure he will, just like he fought so hard for meaningful reform through this whole process

:sarcasm:

[ipaint]

45. That's right...smoke 'em out!

Axis of evil, if your not with us your with the terro...uhh... lefties! Go get 'em cowboy.

[TwilightGardener]

14. Another day, another explanation for getting into bed with the right wing.

Tomorrow it'll be "Why I teamed up with Rush Limbaugh to kill the Job Stimulus bill".

[HuckleB]

19. Destruction is easy.

And it sells, sells, sells, which all Hamsher gives a crap about.

[TwilightGardener]

22. Yep--she's turning into a bomb-thrower, for site hits.

[WeDidIt]

25. Usually when a site owner does the bomb throwing shit

there is an immediate effect of a lot more hits followed closely by a complete sinking of the site.

She's on the way out as a blogger with anything approaching credibility.

[TwilightGardener]

51. I think she got so full of herself that she thought her readership

would follow her wherever she went. And some will (witness this thread). But most progressives are still Democrats--and it's distasteful to see her enter the enemy camp (and they ARE enemies) to toss grenades at Democrats, deserved or not. She could easily have had her say about Rahm without having anything to do with Norquist--but then she wouldn't quite get the attention.

[saltpoint]

69. That would be an excellent outcome. Then maybe she would go

back to making films.

[kayla9170]

32. She must have need some funds for the.....

Bleach Blondie hair dye. Maybe some bills were pass due and needed more ad space revenue. Who knows....... :dilemma:

[EFerrari]

68. Seriously, why can people just follow Obama's good example?

[TwilightGardener]

70. Yep, he made a mistake with Ricky, that's for sure.

I won't defend him on that. Neither should anyone defend Hamsher on her recent alliances.

[EFerrari]

71. Jane is mirroring behavior back at the White House.

It's hilarious.

[TwilightGardener]

72. Nope, not hilarious--she's just being an attention-whore ass. Sad, really,

[EFerrari]

74. Why don't you take a poll? :-)

[TwilightGardener]

77. No, thanks.

[saltpoint]

34. Grover is a 'merdeocephalic.'

Hamsher's stunt is disgusting.

[ellie]

35. Has she lost her mind?

Grover Norquist? For fuck's sake. Mr. Club for Growth? She has no credibility whatsoever by aligning herself with the likes of Grover Norquist. Does she honestly think that Mr. drown the government in a bathtub is going to support a public option or universal health care? Good lord.

[ipaint]

50. No but apparently the 800 billion being funneled to freddie and fannie bothers him.

I can't stand norquist but I don't have a problem with Jane using him to get at rahm and his dirty dealings. And yes another 800 billion transfer of wealth to the top bothers me, too.

[FLAprogressive]

53. BUT BUT BUT! JANE HAMPSHIRE IS A RACIST!!!one!11!!one

This is just a clearly calculated game played by the DLC shills here to distract from the message at hand.

[ProSense]

55. She's definitely an idiot. n/t

[defendandprotect]

61. Agree -- and this Fannie Mae bail out I hadn't heard about -- $800 billion!!!!

But America can't afford real health care reform -- !!!

[ellie]

76. And exactly when did this happen?

And where is the proof? Grover Norquist is a scum sucking asshole. Anyone who "teams" up with him on anything, is suspect.

[laughingliberal]

54. As distasteful as Grover Norquist is, I would like to know if the information

is accurate. Cause I'm not OK with another secret bailout. And I can't help but mention if this were Glenn Beck calling for the ouster of one of the progressives in the administration over some unrelated issue in their life 20 years ago, that person would already be here under the bus with us chickens. There is time to kill the messenger later.

[ipaint]

78. Some info.

Rahm Emanuel's profitable stint at mortgage giant

"On Emanuel's watch, the board was told by executives of a plan to use accounting tricks to mislead shareholders about outsize profits the government-chartered firm was then reaping from risky investments. The goal was to push earnings onto the books in future years, ensuring that Freddie Mac would appear profitable on paper for years to come and helping maximize annual bonuses for company brass.

The accounting scandal wasn't the only one that brewed during Emanuel's tenure.

During his brief time on the board, the company hatched a plan to enhance its political muscle. That scheme, also reviewed by the board, led to a record $3.8 million fine from the Federal Election Commission for illegally using corporate resources to host fundraisers for politicians. Emanuel was the beneficiary of one of those parties after he left the board and ran in 2002 for a seat in Congress from the North Side of Chicago.

The board was throttled for its acquiescence to the accounting manipulation in a 2003 report by Armando Falcon Jr., head of a federal oversight agency for Freddie Mac. The scandal forced Freddie Mac to restate $5 billion in earnings and pay $585 million in fines and legal settlements. It also foreshadowed even harder times at the firm."

...In his investigation, Falcon concluded that the board of directors on which Emanuel sat was so pliant that Freddie Mac's managers easily were able to massage company ledgers. They manipulated bookkeeping to smooth out volatility, perpetuating Freddie Mac's industry reputation as "Steady Freddie," a reliable producer of earnings growth. Wall Street liked what it saw, Freddie Mac's stock value soared and top executives collected their bonuses.

Another focus of Freddie during Emanuel's day—and one that played to his skill set—was a stepped-up effort to combat congressional demands for more regulation."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-rahm-emanuel-profit-26-mar26,0,5682373.story?page=1


Freddie Mac scandals began during Emanuel's watch
By Bob Secter and Andrew Zajac Tribune reporters

March 26, 2009


Before its portfolio of bad loans helped trigger the current housing crisis, mortgage giant Freddie Mac was the focus of a major accounting scandal that led to a management shake-up, huge fines and scalding condemnation of passive directors by a top federal regulator.

One of those allegedly asleep-at-the-switch board members was Chicago's Rahm Emanuel—now chief of staff to President Barack Obama—who made at least $320,000 for a 14-month stint at Freddie Mac that required little effort.

As gatekeeper to Obama, Emanuel now plays a critical role in addressing the nation's mortgage woes and fulfilling the administration's pledge to impose responsibility on the financial world.

Emanuel's Freddie Mac involvement has been a prominent point on his political résumé, and his healthy payday from the firm has been no secret either. What is less known, however, is how little he apparently did for his money and how he benefited from the kind of cozy ties between Washington and Wall Street that have fueled the nation's current economic

...The Obama administration rejected a Tribune request under the Freedom of Information Act to review Freddie Mac board minutes and correspondence during Emanuel's time as a director. The documents, obtained by Falcon for his investigation, were "commercial information" exempt from disclosure, according to a lawyer for the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rahm-emanuelmar26,0,1946702.story?page=2


800 billion is about to disappear. As Hamsher says:

"In this instance, the fact is that most “liberals” who work at institutions can’t step out and take a shot at Rahm, because Rahm would take it out on their organizations. That leaves the people on the right — those out of Rahm’s reach — who can be called upon to get the media “heft” you need to call attention to an issue. The year-end deadline for doubling the Fannie/Freddie commitment to $800 billion was fast approaching, and it’s hard as hell to get media traction on something over the holidays."

http://firedoglake.com/2009/12/23/why-i-reached-out-to-grover-norquist-on-fanniefreddie/#comments

[defendandprotect]

62. Let's see . . . Jane Hamsher or Corporate Rahm Emmanuel???? hmmm....

Love Jane Hamsher --

and we should evict Rahm Emmanuel from the White House!!!

Thanks, Obama -- really wonderful corporate lineup for "change" . . . !!!!

[Laelth]

65. +1

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Batgirl]

64. There is nothing anyone can say to convince me to form an alliance with those wingnuts.

Obama deserves criticism, but this demonization of someone who turned out to be a (gasp) politician is ridiculous.

For most of Bushco, the majority of the citizenry never objected to the crimes, including Abu Grahib, torture, Plame, nonexistent WMDs, which were known well before '04, known even to the "sheeple," yet they elected him again. They are capable of electing monsters, and under the right circumstances, would allow Sarah Palin in the WH, all the SNL skits in the world notwithstanding.

The rightwing never rest, they never give up, and every single thing they do is geared toward grabbing and retaining power. A huge part of their efforts involves manipulating that segment of the populace, large enough to sway elections, who make emotion-based decisions and are, in fact, easily manipulated. The Teabagger movement being their most recent group of precious hatchlings.

I absolutely will not be persuaded to join them in their efforts to destroy this Democratic president. As soon as they succeed, they'll throw their "allies" away like used toilet paper and happily snuggle in for more of that good old fashioned rightwing theocracy.

I believe anger and criticism can be a healthy, appropriate and necessary part of the process of hopefully maximizing what we can realistically get from this administration. But to me, this crosses a line I won't cross.

[Odin2005]

79. Rahm has his propaganda brigade out, I see.

[seeinfweggos]

80. who is jane hamshire and why should i care?