Mr. T Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 Is Obama's BP Shakedown an Impeachable Offense? As former counsel and trainer in political tactics for ACORN, President Obama used a well-known ACORN tactic, the shakedown, in getting BP to create the $20-billion escrow (slush!) fund without any law, legal controls, or binding rules to guide it on how and how much those injured materially by the oil spill (and whom among them) will be paid. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, well-respected and well-known for heading the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, was appointed by the president to administer the escrow fund. BP will pay $5 billion into the fund for four years, starting in 2010. BP announced early after the spill that it would pay all justifiable claims resulting from the disastrous oil spill. It opened 25 claims offices. As of June 15, BP approved initial payments that amounted to $63 million, expected to rise to $85 million by the end of the week, to businesses claiming $5,000 or more in damages. Why did the president insist that his own personal organization take over the job of paying claims? After all, supervising reparations is a judicial function, not an executive function. BP created its own fund, appointed its administrator, and determined how it will be staffed with a view to ensuring only qualified persons, businesses, and governments would be reimbursed for its losses. Now those decisions will be made politically. It is obvious that BP's CEO agreed to create this fund and allow the president to administer it to prevent President Obama from bankrupting their company. After all, the president was on record saying that he would "kick BP's ass," and a cabinet members declared he would "put his boot on BP's neck." The president, when announcing the creation of the fund, stated that the terms of the fund would keep BP viable. He cannot know this. BP's liability is not affected by the fund except to the extent claims are voluntarily settled. Those refusing to settle and their lawyers are not bound by it, nor are juries that will hear their lawsuits. The president has no legal authority to create the escrow fund and no authority to compel BP to contribute to the fund. Forcing BP to agree to the terms of the escrow is ultra vires (i.e., illegal), beyond the powers of his office. Rep. Barton (R-TX) accurately described the slush fund as a "shakedown" (i.e., blackmail), a felony. If so, Pres. Obama has committed an impeachable offense. Congress itself does not have the authority to create the escrow fund retroactively. Congress will have no voice at all except to vilify any Republican who raises questions about it. All the ACORN employees who lost their jobs when the banks stopped paying "blackmail" to ACORN may be getting better-paying new jobs processing claims. No doubt the media, which show pictures of the spill and pelicans covered with oil 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will hail the president's tough dealing with BP. But BP's oil spill deserves the strongest action under the law, not above the law. A few miles away, there are pelicans flying "free as a bird" with no oil on them. Not a single photo of them. And more than 10,000 barrels of the spilled oil are being recovered by BP daily with no photos at all; vessels are skimming oil near the spill, and no photos. And the federal government has yet to grant exception to the Jones Act that is preventing foreign vessels ready to skim oil from getting closer to shore to prevent more serious damage which would, incidentally, help save a lot of pelicans. No wonder BP believed it had to surrender to the president. You don't have to be paranoid to suspect the president (and many in the media) of ulterior motives, a hidden agenda. If you can get enough people to hate the oil companies, you might get the cap-and-trade bill passed. By the time they regret such hasty action, it will be too late to undo the damage. Cap-and-trade was given no chance for passage before the spill. The president pacified the environmental extremists by banning drilling in the Gulf for six months, adding to the rolls of the unemployed and increasing our dependence on foreign oil. To make the hidden agenda more believable, the president overreached by getting BP to agree to pay the lost wages incurred by workers who lost their jobs as the result of the president's six-month moratorium on drilling in the Gulf. The hidden agenda obviously includes getting cap-and-trade passed. It looks like "cap-and-trade, cap-and-trade, cap-and-trade" has displaced "jobs, jobs, jobs." The president employed a similar tactic when he nationalized GM, violating the bankruptcy laws by denying bondholders their rightful control of the future of those enterprises, and he gave the bondholders' interest in GM to the unions instead, literally. He gave Chrysler to Fiat. The bondholders of both gave their consent, being afraid of having their asses kicked or having a boot on their necks. When an executive uses threats to secure the "cooperation" of private businesses, we have a name for it: fascism. It is the kind of act we expect from Venezuela's Chávez, not from a president who swore to uphold the U.S. Constitution and its separation of powers. I believe the President's behavior is ultra vires and that he has committed an impeachable offense. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 The all Marxists, like Obamao and co... money is the great intimidator, controller/manipulator, and power tool. It's an addiction, they can never let go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich4eagle Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 The all Marxists, like Obamao and co... money is the great intimidator, controller/manipulator, and power tool. It's an addiction, they can never let go. Markets are up 20% under Obama in a year and a half and sank 25% in eight years under Bush...........I guess Marxism works better that contorted capitalism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 It's those temporary gov contracts paid for by negative funds from our national budget, Rich. Meanwhile, the mortagage crisis is ready to explode into disaster. One major failure by Obamao. Meanwhile, the world now things Obamao is a very, very poor pres of the U.S. Another major failure by Obamao. Meanwhile, our fed deficit is skyrocketing past the point of no common sense. Another major failure by your chosen phoney president. Meanwhile, our effort in Afghanistan is plummeting towards failure because of the Obamao rules of engagement that undermine the self defense and mission of our troops. Another HUGE failure by the incompetent you voted for. Meanwhile, the Gulf Crisis has escalated and Obamao hasn't EVEN YET waived the Jones Act to get help. Matter of fact, the Obamao regime is forcing states to STOP making temp beaches to protect their shores. No reason why, but that is ANOTHER gigantic FAILURE by your Obamao Regime. Meanwhile, Obamao dirty marxist politics is rapidly working to race baiting, class envy and hatred, and putting the blame all over the place, except for where it belongs... with his own incompetent self. Meanwhile, the Obamao dirty corrupt regime is declaring war on the soveriegnty of southern states trying desperately to stop ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION and this, like the Gulf crisis, he is using these things for political benefit. Meanwhile, nearly all of the bark has fallen off the ugly, corrupt Obamao tree, because his approval rating has plummeted all the way down to 42%. 42% is very, very bad Rich. And, alienating the vast majority of the American people is his most devastating FAILURE of all. Rich, you should try milk and cookies, and stop watching the Communist News Network. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich4eagle Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 It's those temporary gov contracts paid for by negative funds from our national budget, Rich. Oh really, how the temporary eight prop of the market during bush by spending more than you earn and pumping an unfunded trillion into two wars? Meanwhile, the mortagage crisis is ready to explode into disaster. One major failure by Obamao. It was under Bush when he declared "everyone should be able to buy a home, figure a way to get it done" and folks with no income qualified and banks had loan reserves lowered from 10% to 1% Meanwhile, the world now things Obamao is a very, very poor pres of the U.S. Another major failure by Obamao. What world you in the right wing world...........Obama is like around the world except the USA the opposite of Bush Meanwhile, our fed deficit is skyrocketing past the point of no common sense. Another major failure by your chosen phoney president. Sorry, my friend but Bush caused three trillion of new debt and many many million loss of jobs and a damn near economic depression after Clinton produced surpluses and massive good job gains.........Bernanke a conservative to not make the same mistake Hoover and Coolidge made recognizes that spending now is needed to stop the nation from crumbling. The additional debt from Obama is miniscule in comparsion to the carnage of the Bush years. And BTW, this year is the first budget year for Obama.......nice to know the last year Bush budget years do not count Meanwhile, our effort in Afghanistan is plummeting towards failure because of the Obamao rules of engagement that undermine the self defense and mission of our troops. Another HUGE failure by the incompetent you voted for. We spend 7 1/2 years in Afghan (the enemy had no tanks, no planes, no ships, no flag, no army, no missiles)..........and we won squat. We are not losing we already lost fiscally morally and strategically. Obama got bsed by the MIC into another failed surge to nowhere strategy. I fault him for listening instead of pulling the plug on this useless war. Meanwhile, the Gulf Crisis has escalated and Obamao hasn't EVEN YET waived the Jones Act to get help. Matter of fact, the Obamao regime is forcing states to STOP making temp beaches to protect their shores. No reason why, but that is ANOTHER gigantic FAILURE by your Obamao Regime. OH Ok, are you sure he did not plug his head into the pipe to make the hole bigger so more oil would flow...........drill baby drill Meanwhile, Obamao dirty marxist politics is rapidly working to race baiting, class envy and hatred, and putting the blame all over the place, except for where it belongs... with his own incompetent self. NO comment, other that biased in denial sad statement Meanwhile, the Obamao dirty corrupt regime is declaring war on the soveriegnty of southern states trying desperately to stop ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION and this, like the Gulf crisis, he is using these things for political benefit. The whole immigration argument is a joke. Please send back the Statue of Liberty to France the right's enemy as well. The problem in the US is not immigration. The incompetent right that controls the media has bsed America into this another folly. The real problem in America is brain drain and emigration. Smart folks are leaving for nations that are growing and prosperous instead watching our nation skrink and need wars as our national strategy. I for one will pull the trigger and it may be in the not too distant future Meanwhile, nearly all of the bark has fallen off the ugly, corrupt Obamao tree, because his approval rating has plummeted all the way down to 42%. what the hell do you expect when every radio station is right wing owned. What the hell do you expect when the major networks are brainwashing you daily. What do you expect when the stock market channel pisses on Obama daily. What the hell do you expect from Fascist Fox News..........the media all of it and the newspapers all of em are controlled by Right Wing Nut Case America..........except MSNBC the token progressive rational outlet........from after 4 pm daily. If this was not the case discussion and footage of war carnage would appear somewhere in free america and discussion about the massive spending on our war machine and why would be discussed somewhere when it exceeds all others by an order of magnitude and discussion with taliban and hamas and iran and syria ................would happen.....Yep good job Obama's approval rating is sinking and hopefully he will fail so we can RACE BACKWARD and the history books we xxxxed ourselves without help into oblivion way faster than the Romans 42% is very, very bad Rich. And, alienating the vast majority of the American people is his most devastating FAILURE of all. he didn't alienate anyone.....the racists(maybe you) hated him from the beginning........the right wing nut cases (hated him from the beginning)...........the rest of America gets the right wing controlled media message daily about to make sure Obama is bad so we can continue the race down the slide to Oblivia............ and that my friend I am totally sure more than Quinn sucked and Couch sucked and Willie Dupa Green sucked Rich, you should try milk and cookies, and stop watching the Communist News Network. LOL And you my friend should try .............using facts and what if's..........in all decisions..........and forget the networks, the newspapers, and for sure radio.............the NAZI's would be envious of our fascists who have you all duped how bout dat..............swill a bourbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. T Posted June 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 It must suck to get your man love Obammy balloon busted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxton Posted June 24, 2010 Report Share Posted June 24, 2010 I get the procedural concern: it's kind of strange to have the President arranging an escrow fund while the AG is investigating BP. But I wouldn't want to let that get in the way of helping the people living in the Gulf, who are suffering serious financial hardship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted June 24, 2010 Report Share Posted June 24, 2010 It's not impeachable and it sounds a little goofy to suggest it. It is, hoiwever, most certainly a shakedown and the hearings were an embarrassment. WSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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