by Mark Silva
After the Big Three automakers' executives caught flak for flying private jets to Washington for meetings with the overseers of the auto-industry bailout, the bailed out bankers weren't likely to be taking private jets to Monday's summit at the White House.
And, after President Barack Obama made his feelings known about those "fat cats'' on Wall Street in an interview on CBS News' 60 Minutes Sunday night, one might understand how little motivation the New York set might have to find an alternate mode of transportation to Washington on a heavily fogbound Monday morning.
"Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack and Citigroup Chairman Richard Parsons were all no-shows at a big White House meeting after their commercial flights were grounded in New York because of fog in the nation's capital,'' the N.Y. Daily News notes.
"Apparently, checking the weather never occurred to this foggy trio. Nor did riding Amtrak, even though the railroad could have gotten them to the White House on time, fog or no fog.
"Well, I appreciate you guys calling in," Obama told the logistically challenged execs forced to take part by speakerphone. "I'm sorry that the flight got held up."
On "60 Minutes" the president had said: "I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat-cat bankers."
Monday, the News notes, "a more genteel Obama urged the gathering of a dozen or so banking CEOs to get off the sidelines and start lending money to small businesses and homebuyers.
"The way I see it, having recovered with the help of the American government and the American taxpayers, our banks now have a greater obligation to the goal of a wider recovery," Obama said after the meeting.
Comments
Jeez, they missed another Obama gab-fest and photo op! How terrible!
Posted by: Amused | December 15, 2009 10:04 AM
Obama does not sound very Presidetial utilizing the
term "fat cats'' .
Maybe he was talking about Oprah...
Posted by: wingnut master | December 15, 2009 10:22 AM
SILVA, I'LL TRY THIS ONE AGAIN . .
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HERE''S THE "GREAT, OBJECTIVE" AP AT WORK.
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http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/12/aps-seth-borenstein-is-just-too-damn-cozy-with-the-people-he-covers-time-for-ap-to-do-somethig-about-it/
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | December 15, 2009 10:28 AM
OOOOPS AL BORE = AL LORE (JUST MAKE IT UP AS YOU GO)
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Gore gets caught in a factual fabrication at Copenhagen
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http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/14/gore-gets-caught-in-a-factual-fabrication-at-copenhagen/
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | December 15, 2009 10:30 AM
These " Fat Cats " are such mannikins, aren't they !? They make their living, in what could be called, parasitic ways, including latching on to our bailout and yet, they have the stupidity, not only to flood Washington D.C. with their lackeys and minions, their lobbyists, to try and prevent our Congress from reigning in the greed of the Weasels of Wall Street. Then, they try to insult our President, President Obama, when he calls them to Washington, as our leader, to discuss their policies, that are preventing a recovery from getting under way. Our Congress must repel this assault, by their lobbyists, turn away from the cash being thrown at them, even if Senator Lieberman is gathering it in by the shovels full !! He has proven to be an opportunist, for far to long. Old dogs have difficulties, learning new tricks !! His good buddies in the Healthcare Corps will reward him generously for his saving them so much money, by shooting down the " cost saving plan ", aka the " public option plan ", and in effect, helping many of the Healthcare Corps clients/patients, who have no insurance, or hollowed-out policies, to an early grave. Thanks to all of those Congressmen that have forsaken us, the people, in favor of the dollars of the Corporations and their lobbyists. America will not forget.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | December 15, 2009 10:31 AM
DOE GETTING INVOLVED WITH CRU'S INVOLVEMENT WITH CLIMATEGATE. THE TOOTHPASTE ***WILL NOT*** GO BACK IN THE TUBE
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DOE sends a “litigation hold notice” regarding CRU to employees – asking to “preserve documents”
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http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/14/doe-sends-a-litigation-hold-notice-regarding-cru-to-employees-asking-to-preserve-documents/
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | December 15, 2009 10:32 AM
Yeah, I'm sure these banking executives are in a huge rush to get to Washington so that they can be lectured by an incompetent president (who has never run so much as a lemonade stand) tell them how to run their businesses.
Note to Obumbles: there are two parts to the equation as to why/how banks lend money.
1) You have the bankers who have the capital to loan. They base their decisions on risk analysis and return on investment.
2) You must have businesses who are seeking the capital in order to fund/expand their business. These people are relucant to seek loans when every policy the White House and Congress promote are anti-capitalism. Things like higher taxes, healthcare legislation, and knee-cap and trade legislation do not make for a stable business environment.
Of course to the Obamabots "profits" and "capitalism" have become curse words.
Posted by: Chris | December 15, 2009 10:46 AM
If I was a bank CEO, I would told the dufus to go stick it up his arse and not attended the joke of a meeting, fog or no fog.
For a little enlightening, Mark, you might want to read your paper's lead editorial today. It does a good job of pointing out the sham of a message this absolute embarrassment of a president and human being was touting yesterday.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | December 15, 2009 11:02 AM
I think one Bunko CEO was heard saying, " I'm going to stick it, right up John D" and the listener said, " right, as usual " !! Come on, you Republican-Libertarian midget, get a functioning brain. You can even try using your healthcare insurance for the procedure ! You better hurry, though, I hear they are running out of your limited capacity!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | December 15, 2009 12:05 PM
Don's on the pipe again today?
You're so far gone Don, that nobody feels sorry for you anymore. Your sickness has consumed you, turned your brain into mush and your mouth into a toilet.
Lather, rinse, repeat and put down the pipe!
Posted by: springfield | December 15, 2009 2:29 PM
A year ago the banks were lectured by the gov't about making too many and too risky loans (loans made at the "encouragement" of the gov't).
Now the banks are being lectured by the gov't about not making too many and too risky loans. The banks are taking their time and making prudent loans and now they are lectured that money is not getting back into the economy fast enough.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't
Posted by: Terry | December 15, 2009 6:43 PM
The Obama dog and pony show continues...here's the plan: Make it look like I am not the bankers friend, meanwhile the VERY FIRST THING I DID AS PRESIDENT WAS BAIL OUT CITI. I'll keep reading the telepromter and telling the zombie liberals that I am not for "Fat Cats." Meanwhile, we can let Citi off the hook for taxes, another nice fat break for those cats.
So, let's see how we can fool um tomorrow...we'll have some bruhaha about regulation, all the while giving preferential treatment to Goldman Sachs. You know all my guys worked there doing a great job of destroying the economy. I picked the best cheat I could find to run the Treasury, and if he makes any trouble I can throw him under the bus with Grandma and Rev. Wright, blame it all on him and give the job to my buddy Larry Summer. You know Larry, he's had a BIG role in destroying the economy and that's the kind of people I want.
OK, media guys keep up the screen for me and maybe I'll bail you out too. Gotta go, time to make another speech.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | December 16, 2009 4:49 AM
Some more lies from the Republican-Libertarians, hoping to scare some in America to death, so the Healthcare Corps can save even more money, on the deaths of their clients/patients. What a great gang of Americans, they deserve each other, the Republican-Libertarian liars and the Healthcare Corporation's claims-clerk assassins !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | December 16, 2009 1:23 PM