(A capitalist pig badly in need of re-education)
Here we see the current head of AIG Financial Products and former vice chairman of Morgan Stanley, Gerry Pasciucco, at an event called "Fiesta Cuba," wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt.
The photo comes from this page at Fairfield County Look, where we learn more about the fun-filled evening:
Family Centers took a trip back in time where the sound of salsa music filled the air, La Tropicana was the place to be and relaxation was a way of life.The sights, sounds and tastes of 1940s-era Havana filled the air on the evening of Friday, June 6 for Family Centers' 2008 benefit - Fiesta Cuba. The event was held at the Belle Haven home Laurie and Peter Grauer.
Known to attract the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner and Gary Cooper, Cuba was dubbed "America's Playground" during the years following World War II. Laurie Grauer, along with her fellow co-chairs Patti Fast, Julie Graham and Nonie Sullivan, combined a touch of that glitz and glamour with the laid-back feel the Caribbean is known for to create a true paradise under the stars.
Before sitting down to an authentic Cuban feast, guests were treated to mojitos, other tropical drinks and hand-rolled cigars. Meanwhile, roulette, poker and other games of chance were played in the world-famous Riviera Casino. But the party really heated up once the sun went down, as a 13-piece orchestra played a mix of Latin and party tunes sure to keep the dance floor filled all night.The funds raised will benefit Family Centers' 30 education and human service programs.
#4
He specialized in shooting men in the head, once those men had been suitably trussed and gagged.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/17/2009 17:23 Comments ||
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#5
Gerry is looking a little schizoid. Pre-1940s Havana and 1950s Communist thug Che are about 180 degrees apart. Havana is now one big auto museum with its 1950s era cars.
#6
Information compartmentalization. It was a Cuba Night, he's wearing some cool Cuban guy's head on his chest... what more need anyone know, after all. But I'm sure Mr. Pasciucco can explain ad nauseum why investing in and/or with AIG would be a very wise decision, indeed. Back in the day such people were known as bores.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, worried about the fate of The Chronicle and other financially struggling newspapers, urged the Justice Department Monday to consider giving Bay Area papers more leeway to merge or consolidate business operations to stay afloat.
In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, released by Pelosi's office late Monday, the San Francisco Democrat asked the department to weigh the public benefit of saving The Chronicle and other papers from closure against the agency's antitrust mission to guard against anti-competitive behavior.
Remind me, wasn't it progressives in the early part of the last century that pushed for anti-trust laws?
"We must ensure that our policies enable our news organizations to survive and to engage in the news gathering and analysis that the American people expect," Pelosi wrote.
The speaker said the issue of newspapers' survival and antitrust law will be the subject of a hearing soon before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy, chaired by Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga.
Pelosi's spokesman, Brendan Daly, said the speaker was moved by the recent announcement by the Hearst Corp., the parent company of The Chronicle, that it would be forced to sell or close the paper if it could not achieve major cost-savings quickly. Hearst has said the paper lost $50 million last year and that this year's losses will probably be worse.
The Chronicle's largest union, representing nearly 500 employees, ratified a contract Saturday that will clear the way for at least 150 job cuts while also eliminating certain rights and benefits. Another Hearst paper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, will cease publication today and become a Web-only news outlet, Hearst said Monday.
"She's been a big fan of newspapers her whole life," Daly said. "She wants to ensure their survival, but is also very concerned about antitrust laws. We have to make sure we follow the well-established guidelines of the Justice Department."
Pelosi released the two-page letter after meeting in her Capitol office last week with Chronicle at-large editor Phil Bronstein and Hearst general counsel Eve Burton, where they discussed the future of the paper and federal media shield legislation. In the carefully worded letter, Pelosi urged the Justice Department to take a broader view of media competition in the Bay Area. Rather than seeing The Chronicle's main competitors as other newspapers, she urged the department to consider television and Internet media sources and online advertising outlets as competitors as part of any future antitrust review.
A more expansive view of competition could smooth the way for future discussions of a merger or a consolidation of advertising, distribution and other business operations between The Chronicle and the Bay Area News Group, which owns the San Jose Mercury News, the Contra Costa Times and the Oakland Tribune. Hearst has a nearly one-third stake in the non-Bay Area papers of MediaNews, the Denver chain that owns the Bay Area News Group.
"I am confident that the Antitrust Division, in assessing any concerns that any proposed mergers or other arrangements in the San Francisco area might reduce competition, will take into appropriate account, as relevant, not only the number of daily and weekly newspapers in the Bay Area, but also the other sources of news and advertising outlets available in the electronic and digital age, so that the conclusions reached reflect current market realities," Pelosi wrote. "This is consistent with antitrust enforcement in recent years under both Republican and Democratic administrations. And the result will be to allow free market forces to preserve as many news sources, as many viewpoints, and as many jobs as possible."
Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona said Monday night that the department had received the letter, but would not comment further. "We will respond as appropriate," she said.
Hearst spokesman Paul Luthringer could not be reached for comment Monday night.
#2
In the carefully worded letter, Pelosi urged the Justice Department to take a broader view of media competition in the Bay Area.
In other words, avoid enforcing the law. Just for me. Okay?
Here's an idea. Why doesn't she make the Bay Area secede? Then she can resign from Congress and become the first president of Freakadonia...
#3
A quick question for Pelosi; why are the "endangered" newspapers always left/liberal? Does it have something to do with a definite left wing liberal leaning? Lack of business ability? Being in thrall to the democrats? Just askin', ya' know.
#4
One of my recurring nightmares is Madame Pepsi will bail out all the major newspapers thereby making them official government propandga organs instead of their current unofficial status.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
03/17/2009 16:15 Comments ||
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#5
And just how will we know the difference, Richard?
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/17/2009 17:25 Comments ||
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#6
When the MSM strayed from honest reporting, stopped providing a service, went in the tank for left-wing politicians and followed a leftish agenda, readership went down. People went to the internet. I guess Nancy is worried about losing the Goebbels effect in elections.
Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) on Monday night floated the idea of taxing American International Group bonus recipients so the government could recoup some or all of the $450 million the company is paying to employees in its financial products unit. Within hours, the idea spread to both houses of Congress, with lawmakers proposing an AIG bonus tax.
The move represents somewhat of an about-face for the Senator. While the Senate was constructing the $787 billion stimulus last month, Dodd added an executive-compensation restriction to the bill. That amendment provides an "exception for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009" -- which exempts the very AIG bonuses Dodd and others are now seeking to tax.
The amendment made it into the final version of the bill, and is law.
Separately, Sen. Dodd was AIG's largest single recipient of campaign donations during the 2008 election cycle with $103,100, according to opensecrets.org.
Dodd's office did not immediately return a request for comment.
One of AIG Financial Products' largest offices is based in Connecticut.
Dodd Amendment Rules
*Crack down on bonuses, retention awards and incentive compensation: Bonuses can only be paid in the form of long-term restricted stock, equal to no greater than 1/3 of total annual compensation, and will vest only when taxpayer funds are repaid. There is an exception for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009.
*For institutions that received assistance totaling less than $25 million, the bonus restriction applies to the highest compensated employee; $25 million to $250 million, applies to the top five employees; $250 million to $500 million, applies to the senior executive officers and the next top 10 employees; and more than $500 million applies to the senior executive officers and the next top 20 employees (or such higher number as the Secretary determines is in the public interest).
#1
So, Chris, was it worth it being a "Friend of Angelo" and saving a coupla points on your mortgage? Time to protect your phoney baloney job maybe...
HARTFORD, Conn. - Failed presidential candidate Christopher Dodd faces a tough re-election bid for his sixth term in the U.S. Senate, according to a new poll released Tuesday.
A Quinnipiac University poll shows Dodd in a virtual tie with former Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons of Stonington in a hypothetical 2010 matchup. The poll shows Simmons with 43 percent of the vote and Dodd with 42 percent.
Simmons has expressed interest in the race but has not announced his candidacy. He narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Courtney in 2006 in a race to represent the 2nd Congressional District.
Dodd's fifth term ends next year, and he plans to run for a sixth. Slipping below a 50 percent approval rating is often considered a red flag for incumbents.
AIG's move to use taxpayer bailout money to pay lavish bonuses may ignite a public anger that could spread to Congress and the White House.
President Barack Obama's economic team is now concerned that a public backlash against the sensitive issue looming at the American International Group could hamper their economic agenda. "We've got enormous problems that need to be addressed," David Axelrod, Obama's senior adviser, said in an interview, according to the New York Times. "And it's hard to address because there's a lot of anger about the irresponsibility that led us to this point."
"This has been welling up for a long time," he said.
Obama's aides have warned against possible populist anger that could offset the President's efforts in providing more bailout money for the US banking system.
"Never underestimate the capacity of angry populism in times of economic stress," said Robert Reich, a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and labor secretary under President Bill Clinton. "A big challenge for President Obama will be to maintain a rational and tactical public discussion in the midst of this severe downturn. The desire for culprits at times like this is strong."
We could always serve up Chris Dodd ...
AIG which has received more than USD 170 billion in taxpayer bailout money from the US government is intended to pay about USD 165 million in bonuses to its senior executives. The Group claims that if it withdraws bonuses it will face "serious legal, as well as business consequences."
The public response regarding the large bonuses made to auto executives who flew on corporate jets to Washington for Congressional bailout hearings, was very severe.
"There's unquestionably a strong populist surge out there," said Joel Benenson, Obama's pollster, citing his own polls and focus groups. "It's been brewing for close to four years. For the last two years, Americans were clearly indicating that they believe that one of the biggest obstacles to progress on America's toughest challenges - notably health care and energy independence - was the influence of special interests and corporate interests on the agenda in Washington."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/17/2009 00:00 ||
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#2
"Conceive"?? I think they mean "spawn". "Generate" or "bring" would probably be an even better choice. Who teaches these Iranian mooks English, anyway? Sigh.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder, of the Grammar Police ||
03/17/2009 5:56 Comments ||
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#3
Add 10 degrees deflection, drop 9 degrees expectation....fire for effect.
#4
"Obama's aides have warned against possible are hoping for populist anger that could offset the President's efforts in providing more bailout money for the US banking system to hide the fact from the public that nearly half of the US taxpayers bailout money to AIG, nearly $100bl, has gone to foreign banks and companies. "If there're rioting in the streets, they'll never notice that we are giving away the store," said Rahm Emmanuel.
There Fred, fixed that for ya.
Posted by: Scott R ||
03/17/2009 7:20 Comments ||
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#5
MAY ignite public anger? Even dignified and stoic Senator Grassley is urging them to take the Japanese kamikaze way out!
#7
a) the money has already been disbursed
b) to executives who in many cases are not US citizens and do not reside here, so couldn't care less about Congress and
c) who threatened major lawsuits if their contracts were abrogated.
They probably would win those lawsuits, by the way, and if they did the cost would be over double the total of the bonuses.
#8
Se. Chris Dodd - D- Shitsammich, inserted language that guaranteed those bonuses. Sen "Dirtbag" Schumer's proposal is a bill of attainder and unconstitutional. Lying MFers all of em. Don't listen to the words, watch the hands. Vote them DOWN
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/17/2009 21:01 Comments ||
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#9
Honestly, this is chump change compared to what we've given over to foreign banks via AIG (Deutsche Bank got what, 8 billion, and Societe Generale got maybe around 11 billion.....that's not counting what was paid out to British and Swiss banks). That's your tax money, too.
But of course, this is what the press publicizes, because their masters don't want any attention paid to the really huge money. We're being had, boys and girls.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The photo comes from this page at 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, worried about the fate of The Chronicle and other financially struggling newspapers, urged the Justice Department Monday to consider giving Bay Area papers more leeway to merge or consolidate business operations to stay afloat.
