All the Rage-Republican heads explode over AIG bonuses.

[babylonsister]

http://www.slate.com/id/2214244/

All the Rage
Republican heads explode over AIG bonuses.
By Christopher Beam
Posted Thursday, March 19, 2009, at 8:42 PM ET


Congressional Republicans, like their Democratic colleagues, are livid, just livid, about the $165 million in bonuses handed out to AIG employees. They just aren't sure what to do about it.

As the House prepared to vote Thursday on a bill that would tax the bonuses of employees at bailed-out firms like AIG at 90 percent, Minority Leader John Boehner said he opposed it but told other Republicans to "vote their conscience." That afternoon, 85 Republicans joined 243 Democrats in voting for it.

The AIG bonus scandal, if we can call it that now, presents something of an existential crisis for the GOP. On the one hand, Republicans can read the same polls as everyone else and may even share the public's outrage at the injustice of rewarding the same corporate goons who got us into this mess. On the other, they bridle at the notion of interfering with the business of business. Defend the little guy or attack big government? It's a tough one. Even worse, the solution proposed by Democrats—taxing the bonuses—insults the very essence of conservatism.

The dilemma was clear even before Thursday's vote, which explains the GOP's muddled response. On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the bonuses "appalling" and asked the administration to "pursue any and all lawful means of recovering these payments." He has still not suggested how. In the House, Minority Whip Eric Cantor declared the bonuses "nothing short of an outrage" but refused, even when pressed, to propose a means of recovering them. Other lawmakers were equally wishy-washy. Sen. Jim DeMint criticized the bonuses, but his spokesman declined to specify a method of recoupment. Sen. James Inhofe promised on the Senate floor Monday that "we will do all we can to right this wrong and get these bonuses back." As of Thursday, the Republicans had not proposed an alternative.

snip//

All this fretting feels not only strained but unnecessary. In voting on the bonus bill, lawmakers are choosing between the wrath of the American people and the wrath of, well, no one.

Practically the only person in America who could conceivably oppose this tax, and who could punish Republicans for supporting the bonus legislation, is anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist. And even he is giving them permission. Norquist fired off a press release Thursday saying he is "strongly opposed" to the bill. But he gave Republicans an out: His no-taxes pledge "did not apply" to the bonus bill, he wrote, because the legislation is "unconstitutional," a "police action" concocted by Congress, and an "illegal political coverup" designed to distract from Obama's and Geithner's mistakes. "This legislation is not what the Pledge ever envisioned," he wrote. Thus, he freed up anti-taxers to vote however they like.

With that, Republicans lost their last, best excuse for opposing the bonus recoupment. On the bright side, they have another week, until the Senate votes, to think of another one.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Is it true that Nancy Pelosi ...kinda trapped them Pubs into this passing??

If so, this was brilliant

K&R

[babylonsister]

2. I heard that last night, too. She might be playing a bit of chess herself. nt

[opihimoimoi]

8. It kinda looks that way...them Pubs are flummoxed and confused no end...

and in another thread...Joe the Plumber sez he is Horny to a Conservative crowd who immediately became silent.....and he sat down...

What a dufus....this is typ of them Pubs...he is a personification of Peterism....Most of them Pubs are Peters too...

Nancy did well.....She got a ROOK in the exchange for a pawn

[acmavm]

3. Whoa! First off, Boener telling repubics to vote their conscience

is like telling Madonna she is like a virgin.

And coming from Boener, it's amazing a lightening bolt didn't come through the roof.

[Possumpoint]

4. Whoa

I've opposed all the bailouts and still do. However, Congress, in reaction to the outrage expressed by the American public, has passed an after the fact tax on them. That is a violation of Article 1, Section 9 of the US Constitution. They are only trying to CYA after the fact.

They being dumb shits doesn't justify unconstitutional laws.

[mbperrin]

7. Nah. Tax laws are changed all the time during the current year.

Can't go back and change 2008 tax laws, for instance. That year is done. But 2009? Current year, current income, it's all up for grabs!

[sallyseven]

10. The tax will happen and then the

guys who got the bonuses will have to sue. Could take years. The bonus baby's might want to protect themselves from the pitch forks. Bonus baby's might fine it hard to get a new job. All kinds of good things might happen. Can you imagine a jury acquitting them?

[LiberalEsto]

5. If, instead of wage cuts, auto workers got bonuses

after the auto industry bailout, the Repukes would have screamed bloody murder and launched a drive for impeachment and who knows what else.

Just imagine the republican rage and fury if the auto workers had gotten "retention bonuses" of a couple hundred bucks to prevent them from taking their special, valuable skills and going elsewhere.

The republicans are bitching not because they oppose making the rich richer, but because they know the public will turn on them in wrath if they DON'T oppose the AIG bonuses. Also, they're hoping to twist the situation around to make Obama and his administration look bad for permitting these bonuses (even though they were okayed by the bush misadministration.)

[DCKit]

6. As usual, the Republics want it both ways, but refuse any responsibility.

I do agree that the tax is, likely, an illegal gambit.

My suggestion would have been to recruit an army of auditors to crawl right up AIG's ass, then apply the rule of law, as necessary. And none of those wimpy, 18 month, white-collar prison sentences either - RICO the bastards.

[tomreedtoon]

9. I thought you were talking about "Rage Republicans."

That describes their behavior, their lifestyle, their philosophy. They are about rage. And as far as their heads exploding, they do that regularly. It's all that makes their lives worthwhile.