It’s becoming a witch hunt. John Stewart even said as much the other day, and put the blame on Chris Dodd. I just have a feeling that the vast majority of Americans will never be executives of a major corporation, and have the idea of being an executive of a business be explained to them through movies or dramatized news coverage. My father is an exec for a major communications corporation (I won’t say which,) but he works 9 and 10 hour days nearly every weekday and during hurricane season is basically sleeping 8 hours and working the rest of it.

My guess would be many of these AIG execs are in similar situations. They’re not the people who led AIG down the drain. I assume a lot of them are VPs of human resources and what not. The entire business isn’t built around MBS. I would guess many of them are highly educated and very hard working individuals.

The whole “bonus” thing is a cover. It’s meant to distract people from the fact that we’re giving trillions of dollars out that we don’t have. Obama is pushing through huge spending bills, and for the American people to ignore it, the Dems have picked these “AIG execs” as scapegoats. Why in quotations? Because people are going about as broad brush as you can get, and the death threats/threats of prosecution/threats of ending their professional lives is a serious problem, and we’re making them sacrificial lambs as Obama pushes through his spending bills. I guess throwing Dodd under the bus is just a risk they’re willing to take as well before the American public wakes up to the fact that these bonuses make up less than 1% of what has been given to AIG.

Further, it’s not even like it’s going to just three people. They’re probably spreading the bonuses around because that’s expected of a company that size. The mid level accountants aren’t working there for charity. They could probably find a job somewhere else without too much trouble.

It’s just a giant mess, and there’s blame to go around.

And rightly so.

I’m sure that the morale of those remaining at AIG-FP, and at all other companies participating in TARP, for that matter, has been similarly impacted by the foolish goings-on in DC and elsewhere. The ACORN, community-activist, type bus tours resemble nothing so much as an incitement to black-shirt, goon-squad violence and intimidation.

Hearing it really adds to the powerful, but disheartening message. Although, on second thought, it is heartening that this distinguished ex-employee of AIG took a stand. He stood up for his principles and had to walk away.

I know that our elected oficials are covered by law on the floor of the House and Senate for what they say but when they leave the floor and start making statemnts in other public formums while using their office they should be charged with the following:

Section 872. Extortion by officers or employees of the United States

Whoever, being an officer, or employee of the United States or any department or agency thereof, or representing himself to be or assuming to act as such, under color or pretense of office or employment commits or attempts an act of extortion, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; but if the amount so extorted or demanded does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Most states define extortion as the gaining of property or money by almost any kind of force, or threat of 1) violence, 2) property damage, 3) harm to reputation, or 4) unfavorable government action. While usually viewed as a form of theft/larceny, extortion differs from robbery in that the threat in question does not pose an imminent physical danger to the victim.

Someone needs to tell Barack that he can’t put his class enemies on the rack and wring all their money out of them.

Obama is used to dealing with stupid supporters who will vote for him in Illinois even when he lies to them and gives their tax money to his political supporters like Rezko - so he can build unihabitable slums for them… but these guys are way, way smarter than him.

The executives he targets know how the world works, unlike Barack as he employs his long ago disproven zero-sum class warfare strategies to an economy who’s only real advantage in the world has been freedom and low taxes. Without a healthy, free market… America is doomed.

All he is doing is scaring away talent with repressive measures that will not work. When I got sick of quotas in the corporate world promoting unqualified types ahead of me, I quit and went into commissioned sales… where no one could tell me who I am or what I can do. The only loser here will be the compainies, and of course the USA- Obama can’t control these people in defiance of market forces… they’ll just do something else.

http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/

the left is getting what they wanted a clear field to put in scab players at pro salaries.

He’s not a rat jumping ship,to me he’s another American who’s had ENOUGH.

It confirmed everything I suspected about the fake outrage over AIG “bonuses.”

I’ve never heard of a bonus that was contractually obligated and was actually a bonus. Where I come from, contractual obligations are called getting paid for the work you do. Apparently, this guy was only making a dollar out of salary, which means this bonus was probably the only thing keeping him there. Hmm. Maybe that’s why I keep hearing them referred to as “retention” bonuses.

And now we know why Congress shouldn’t run a business like AIG. It lacks the ability to consider anything beyond the immediate public reaction to the businesses activities; Worse, it gives individual Congressmen another bogeyman to attack with false outrage as wasting government resources.

That is why I have decided to donate 100 percent of the effective after-tax proceeds of my retention payment directly to organizations that are helping people who are suffering from the global downturn. This is not a tax-deduction gimmick; I simply believe that I at least deserve to dictate how my earnings are spent, and do not want to see them disappear back into the obscurity of A.I.G.’s or the federal government’s budget. Our earnings have caused such a distraction for so many from the more pressing issues our country faces, and I would like to see my share of it benefit those truly in need.

(Empahsis mine.) Amen!!!!!! Therein lies a key philosophical difference among conservatives and liberals.

Mr DeSantis, if you happen to stumble upon this page…thank you. You are part of an undercurrent of people needed in this country who hold fast to the core values…values which are not selfish…but which are engrained in our traditions. I interpret you as a man of hard work, of honor, of committment, of self-reliance…wonderful traits that should be praised more often and more publicly. So, again, thank you. May you continue to be blessed on your future journeys. My prayers are with you and your family.

I knew that when the facts came out, the AIG “bonuses” would look a lot more sensible and reasonable. But publicity hounds like Barney Frank and Andrew Cuomo are never reticent to build their own stock as champions of the masses by launching a witch hunt for the “greedy rich” without getting the facts first.

The only way this would have been better were if Ed Liddy had the balls to say the same thing to their faces during the Congressional hearing. Alas, courage is the rarest of virtues.

Sadly, it seems to be lacking among our Republican leaders too. Not a single GOP politician stood up and said “you guys are making fools of yourselves, get the facts first!” Why not? Is it that politically unacceptable to stand up for anything associated with business and commerce?

I think I have a new motto: Politics is the antonym of courage.

The one good thing about eating the rich is that they tend to move off the plate. Hopefully more of them will realize its not in their interest (which is also Americas interest) to work 16 hour days for no salary and no hope of a bonus only to be used as Franks pinata.

I hope some small boutique hires the dude and he makes them oodles of money through his greed (or as we used to call it in the bad old days, his desire to give him and his family a good life). I hope he gets a bonus so big that it makes Frank choke on his jealousy.

I don’t usually disagree with Mark Steyn, but with regard to The Big 0 having “no instinct for economic issues” I must. The Big 0 has a fine instinct for economic issues, he just has a different objective than most of us expect from a president. His intention is to destroy the capitalist system to replace it with a new and improved socialist paradise. If he were merely incompetent, he would occasionally get something in place that works. Instead he unerringly does the one thing which will cause the most damage in the long term to the capitalist system of our country.

If Mr. DeSantis speaks as well as he writes, he needs to run for office. And if he doesn’t live in the state where Barney Frank does, I think he should get a homestead there before running for office.

As Mr. DeSantis donates his money to help those who have lost the most, he should probably eschew some of the more common choices and instead donate to places like The Heritage Foundation, The Ronald Reagan Ranch, and The Cato Institute. Any of these three are far more likely to help more families regain what has been lost than the usual suspects. I’d make an exception for the Salvation Army, which usually seems to be more interested in helping real people as opposed to political causes.

And finally, can I get a ‘Hip! Hip! Hooray!’ for Mr. DeSantis? It’s about time somebody started speaking truth to power, even if it was indirectly. Because while I’m sure there was some anger directed at Edward M Liddy, it is quite clear to me that better than 90% of it was directed at the current legislative leaders and The Big 0 himself.

…almost like prophecy.

I actually felt sorry for Liddy, during the hearings, because we knew of his agreement for the $1 salary; but why, in the name of heaven, couldn’t he have stood up and told that bunch of Obama toadies the truth of the agreement among AIG and those execs who were being pilloried? The entire news cycle would have been different if he had only had a backbone…

Then, of course, there’s the MSM! Where were they at ferreting out the truth on this as well as on the ACORN buses–what a bunch of disgusting losers. If it wasn’t for FOX, Drudge and a handful of others, we’d still be going down the Obama Primrose Path.

and I hope you make BOAT LOADS of money for your next company (and yourself).

If I were at AIG right now and wondering how or what I would do in that same division as Mr. DeSantis, I would simply clip his editorial and attach it to a cover letter of my own with a resignation letter and then contact Mr. DeSantis and ask to follow his lead on work as well as contributing my bonus (assuming I didn’t need it to live on).

Bravo, sir.

I feel deeply ashamed that our country has participated in this witch hunt of private citizens in the name of poltics and support for the Obama class warfare agenda.

I’ve never heard who actually leaked when the bonuses where paid, and I guess you’d have to decide who benefitted from this turmoil. It would seem Obama did. First he did nothing to stop the bonuses, then remained silent after they were paid, then was outraged at the money being paid to ‘those that caused the problem’, now is ‘against’ the legislation passed by the fools in the House, and supported by Senators like Schumer, indicating it’s probably not Constitutional. Win - win for him. Not his fault…..

The crooks at ACORN are hiring buses to drive by these people’s homes. Cuomo in NY is grandstanding that he will prosecute (what a guy) and politics as usual is the standard in DC.

I would personally like to apologize to Mr. DiSantis and wish him and his family well. IIt was clear from the beginning that this was a McCarthy like witchhunt and mob rule and that none of these people deserved such treatment. I was disappointed that Mr. Liddy did not stand up for them at the hearing …. instead acquiescing to the likes of Barney Frank. .

Mr. DiSantis and his colleagues have been treated very bady by this country and it’s politicians. …. We owe them an apology.

I include the NYT for printing his op-ed. I’m amazed it saw the light of day.

I thought the money was to make it possible for AIG to meet its contractual obligations. These employees meet their contractual requirements, making the payments a contractual obligations of AIG. It’s a shame that AIG has lost the services of this hardworking individual because of the big mouths of those who likely brought on the crisis because of their big mouths about having to save the deadbeats from losing their houses. But that’s another rant, for another time.

I thought the money was to make it possible for AIG to meet its contractual obligations. These employees meet their contractual requirements, making the payments a contractual obligations of AIG. It’s a shame that AIG has lost the services of this hardworking individual because of the big mouths of those who likely brought on the crisis because of their big mouths about having to save the deadbeats from losing their houses. But that’s another rant, for another time.

levied on those bonuses?…So, bonus is paid, employee accepts bonus, and the IRS takes it’s cut on this “income”. Is Congress going to recind that tax, subject to the GICDA Amendment (Gotcha, I can Do Anything Amendment). Um, no. Once the money is paid, the employee is subject to the tax. So, if the employee willingly gives back the bonus, is that a “charitable donation” subject to the full deduction, or the “new” deduction, subject to the new OTL (Obama Tax Law), or does the IRS just look the other way, subject to the NGTEL (New Geithner Tax Evasion Law)?