Pirate's Cove

You know things are going badly when Democrats have lost the New York Times (even if the story was only on page A20)

The question was direct and prescient. Representative Joseph Crowley, Democrat of New York, asked the Treasury secretary in an open hearing what could be done to stop American International Group from paying $165 million in bonuses to hundreds of employees in the very unit that had nearly destroyed the company.

Timothy F. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, responded by saying that executive pay in the financial industry had gotten “out of whack” in recent years, and pledged to crack down on exorbitant pay at companies like A.I.G. that were being bailed out with billons of taxpayer dollars.

The exchange took place before the House Ways and Means Committee on March 3 — one week before Mr. Geithner claims he first learned that the failed insurance company was about to pay a round of bonuses that have since caused a political uproar.

So, let’s see: the massive outrage by Democrats starting last week, whipping Americans up into a frenzy similar to the way Hitler whipped people up against Jews, was something that was known well before the bonuses started coming through. And, double let’s see, which Party wrote the stimulus bill that allowed the bonuses? Which Party forced a vote on the stimulus bill on a fast track so that no one could read it? That’s right, not the Republicans, and not that Bush guy.

You want to aim anger? Aim it at the Democrats, and a few Republicans, who supported the stimulus bill, mortgaging the futures of our grand kids, putting us deeper into deficit (remember how Dems were dismayed and outraged over Bush’s deficits and spending? Now, not so much.) Aim it at the Party which is wasting so much money on un-necessary projects which will do little to nothing to stimulate the economy.

Ed Morrissey writes (and has video of the March 3rd exchange): This whole episode has been a farce perpetrated by Congress and the administration to stoke artificial outrage over contractual compensation obligations. It’s a freak show put on by Democrats. They’re giving us populist circuses in order to build a mob mentality — but for what purpose?

Michelle Malkin: Geithner can’t get taxes and dates correct.

Dan Collins has a poem to Timmay Geithner (it may not be fair comparing Timmay to Geither. Fair to Timmay, I mean.

Still, it is probably Bush’s fault, somehow, probably involving peyote, spiked kool aid, and lack of a shower.

Charles Krauthammer weighs in: Bonfire of the Trivialities