Now this here is a bunch of Bull. My Dad’s a Union man, But, I think even any Democrat, that even has an ounce of a brain. Would think something is wrong with this.
The relevant part is around the1:30 mark: (H/T to Island Turtle)
[podcast]http://wjrpodcasts.com/podcasts/frankbeckmann/Lauria-050109.mp3[/podcast]
Lauria: Let me tell you it’s no fun standing on this side of the fence opposing the President of the United States. In fact, let me just say, people have asked me who I represent. That’s a moving target. I can tell you for sure that I represent one less investor today than I represented yesterday. One of my clients was directly threatened by the White House and in essence compelled to withdraw its opposition to the deal under the threat that the full force of the White House Press Corps would destroy its reputation if it continued to fight. That’s how hard it is to stand on this side of the fence.
Beckman: Was that Perella Weinberg?
Lauria: That was Perella Weinberg.
Now, let me be clear here; I am all for saving of jobs. But communist-style strong arm tactics, is just damned wrong. Of course, you’ve got your liberals who arm dismissing this. But folks, this is serious. What if you had a contract or an investment and it was ripped away from you? I suspect many of you would be ticked! I know I would be. Of course, our feckless Liberal media is not touching this, at all. Not that I am surprised.
If this is what the next four years is going to be like, I fear for this country. 🙁
Update: Via Jack Tapper: The White House is now denying the charges:
A leading bankruptcy attorney representing hedge funds and money managers told ABC News Saturday that Steve Rattner, the leader of the Obama administration’s Auto Industry Task Force, threatened one of the firms, an investment bank, that if it continued to oppose the administration’s Chrysler bankruptcy plan, the White House would use the White House press corps to destroy its reputation.
The White House said the story was false.
“The charge is completely untrue,” said White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton, “and there’s obviously no evidence to suggest that this happened in any way.”
I do not buy that at all, sorry. Neither does Ed Morrisey over at HotAir.com:
No evidence? What about Lauria’s personal testimony?
Meanwhile, Tommy Christopher — who actually reports from the White House — dismisses the charge:
As far as the “threat” Lauria alleges, it sounds an awful lot like someone told his client that public opinion would not likely be favorable to people who would obstruct a fair deal to save Chrysler. That’s not a threat, it is a reality. It’s no more a “threat” than John McCain’s campaign promise to make earmarkers “famous.”
Apples and oranges. McCain threatened to make public officials “famous” for wasting taxpayer money. The Obama administration allegedly threatened to use the WHPC to destroy the reputations of private citizens as a punishment for not relinquishing their contractual rights for having helped float Chrysler. There’s a huge difference between the two.
Indeed, the White House just got caught with it’s proverbial “Britches” down and now they’re spinning and denying. Kind of like the stuff that President George W. Bush used to do, but now it is on the other side. The difference is this. Had this been Bush’s White House and the person being threatened was a Environmental company? It would have been front page news. But because it is a big old mean “Rich” investor, it is a Conservative story. Oh, the irony and hypocrisy of it all.
Others:Politics Daily, Hot Air, Political Punch, , Pajamas Media, Gateway Pundit, Reason, Clayton Cramer’s BLOG, NewsBusters.org, Instapundit, Nice Deb, Founding Bloggers and BizzyBlog
Great post- thanks
The White House says there’s “no evidence”- note that Hitler was careful to only give verbal orders, too… and Obama’s not new to this sort of thing.
It’s plenty clear what really happened- Obama KNOWS he owns the press corps… and he now treats them with arrogant contempt, ie- hectoring reporters to “not waste their question”, telling them when they’ve “got enough pictures”, and even to “get back on the bus” in Chicago- ouch.
This pathological narcissist wouldn’t call on Fox News after the TEA parties, and skipped the NYT at his presser a couple days after their reporter asked Obama if he was a “socialist”. Since when is a refusal to answer legitimate questions and explain your actions to the American people acceptable in a US president?
Obama has no use for The Contstitution, law, religion, ethics, or anything else that gets in his way- The idea that he’d sick his MSM sycophants on some bank that isn’t willing to do as he says doesn’t surprise me one iota.
This guy thinks he’s Tony Soprano now- Obama’s completely out-of-control.