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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEnough of the self-righteous equalizing from Cory Booker
Just who is Cory Booker defending when he describes the Obama campaign's attacks on Bain's job-destroying capitalism as 'politics as usual?'
And, why the hell is he equating personal attacks by the right-wing money men supporting Romney on President Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright with the proper criticism of Romney's financial career that the republican candidate for president is trumpeting as proof of his economic ability?
During a roundtable discussion on NBC's "Meet the Press," Booker described as "nauseating" the ad released last week about Bain's involvement with a Kansas City steel company that later went bankrupt.
from TPM: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/cory-booker-im-very-uncomfortable-with-attacks-on-private-equity.php
Cory Booker: Im Very Uncomfortable With Attacks On Bain
As far as that stuff, I have to just say from a very personal level Im not about to sit here and indict private equity.
To me its just were getting to a ridiculous point in America, especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people are investing in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capitals record theyve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses. And this to me, Im very uncomfortable with.
But the last point Ill make is this kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides, Booker said. Its nauseating to the American public. Enough is enough.
Stop attacking private equity, Booker continued. Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright. This stuff has got to stop, because what it does is it undermines, to me, what this country should be focused on. Its a distraction from the real issues. Its either going to be a small campaign about this crap or its going to be a big campaign, in my opinion, about the issues that the American public cares about.
I don't particularly have any other axe to grind with Booker, but he's not impressing me with this wash-over argument of his. If anything, his equalizing complaint is the 'politics as usual' that he decries.
How in the world is criticism of Barack Obama's relationship with his pastor the same as a focus on Romney's secretive financial past? Worker after worker is coming forward to denounce the policies of Bain which led to their firing, and to highlight the bankrupting and destruction of their company by the Romney-led private equity company.
If Cory Booker is really 'nauseated' by the Obama campaign's focus on the truth about Romney's money-making schemes and the communities and workers left jobless in his wake, perhaps he needs to sit this one out. To be fair, Booker has since tried to reiterate his support for the Obama reelection campaign with friendly tweets and such, but he completely misses the point.
Romney's money-making, job-destroying past is anything but "a distraction from the real issues," as Booker described the Obama campaign's focus. If elected president, Romney would do for American what he's done in the past with Bain. He's promised explicitly to favor big business bail-outs over human capital in his economic plan. What could be more relevant to our campaign?
For the time being, Mr. Booker? Just STF . . .
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)He's full speed ahead with education privatization posing as reform.
He has a good PR machine that paints him all warm and fuzzy and gets him time on TV shows and that's about it.
bigtree
(85,998 posts). . . seems like a good guy; a Democrat. Not a good impression of him today, though. Where has he been for the past decade, to be so blithe about the big money politics of the Romney campaign?
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)"He seems like a good guy...." = the PR machine in action.
Look at what they DO, not at what they SAY. Or in Booker's case, their reality shows.
bigtree
(85,998 posts). . . hope there's more to him than this MPT nonsense (and the 'privatizing' racket). I won't try and judge from where I am, but I will take a closer look.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Moreover, if he's on someone's short list, he's there because of his record.
which is neoliberal all the way.
butterfly77
(17,609 posts)uses Booker and Fenty as well as Harold Ford against the Democrats,they pretend they are the spokespersons for the Democratic party when they are really bluedogs/republiCONS its all about the money..
And since the President is black this really is suppose to mean something.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)take the blame, and the party will have given the pubs the rope with which to hang everyone.
another phony poseur, neoliberal. I've had my eye on him since I lived in NJ.
Another guy who sold his soul to Wall St.
marlakay
(11,473 posts)I always thought he was on track for higher stuff.
dkf
(37,305 posts)Capitalism for their retirement.
That makes the states and municipalities also dependent as if there is a shortage of pension funds, these obligations will either need to be cut or funded through taxes, thus crowding out all other spending.
Private capital gets most of its funding from institutions, not individuals.
bigtree
(85,998 posts). . . of private equity firms, are they?
Most of Romney's income does appear to be derived from the tax-advantage afforded to his particular private-equity scheme. Of course, we pay for those tax-advantages.
dkf
(37,305 posts)Read this:
http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/15/bain-fortune-1987/
Bain is known for their insistence on control. Just think of these tactics and the power of the executive branch.
UnrepentantLiberal
(11,700 posts)Yep, politics as usual.
chowder66
(9,073 posts)and what happens? He bags on the President. When will this crap stop? No effing wonder we have to fight so friggin' hard every damn election.
Not only do we have to combat the right but also the middle, the left, the extreme and the media!
butterfly77
(17,609 posts)the type that we have throughout the party who make deals the majority of us don't want...
abolugi
(417 posts)eating plenty of crow on twitter right now! Glad to see it!
With friends like this the President doesn't need any enemies!
butterfly77
(17,609 posts)to him on twitter?
vanlassie
(5,675 posts)Booker is selling Newark kids wellness to Nestlé for pennies. Creep.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)which he turned down Mitten's VP spot and Christie said something like I'm available.
I'm not upset with him. One thing about the Democratic Party is that it itself is diversed, which looks more like a democracy than whatever the GOP party is spouting out as well as acting out.
Of course the corporation media is all on it, but not so much of the Cramer comment but what can you expect? Cramer is defintely a RW tool and I bet he will be back tracking that asap.
These super pacs, which have already started will be attacking Pres O something terrible and of course I'll bet Rev Wright will be in some of those attacks. I think the GOP will get soooo desperate that they will attack Pres O's family, ie his children.
Back to Bain. I read a comment from a blogger which simply stated, no jobs were lost because of Rev Wright, and that my friends is the simplistic way of shutting down an argument. Mittens and his fellow partners made a lot of money off the backs of workers, and America needs to know that. Americans also need to know that many of the American jobs were outsourced for profit. If he can bankrupt corporations and businesses, well - America is f**ked.