Palin 'disappointed' by AIG bailout

Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:05 PM by Carrie Dann
Filed Under: Sarah Palin

From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger
CLEVELAND -- Palin said Wednesday that she is "disappointed that taxpayers are called upon to bail out another one" in response to the AIG loan by the Federal Reserve.

Before sipping coffee at Karl's Inn at the Bannister's, she said the decision by the Federal Reserve was "understandable but very, very disappointing that taxpayers are called upon for another one.”

Palin and husband Todd joined 10 diners who were drinking coffee and eating breakfast. She introduced herself to diners as "Sarah" and apologized for interrupting their meal.

It was her first impromptu campaign stop since campaigning independently. She asked if the pool reporters were getting lonely in the back of the plane, and invited them to "come on up" to the front. No word yet on whether the campaign will turn that invitation into a reality.

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Comments

Sarah's disappointed about the bailout of AIG and many of us are disappointed at Sarah's blatant lies regarding the bridge to nowhere.

Enrique, Chicago (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:40 PM)

Dont tell us your disappointed. Tell us what your plan on doing about it? Oh, sorry...forgot you and McCain dont really have a plan, just generic rhetoric. Perhaps you can steal the one Obama has. He seems to be a fountain of idea for you, lately.

While you are at it, why not express your dissappoint ment to Mr Gramm, since he is on the archetects of the current mess. Why dont you ask McCain why he keeps him and the other lobbyists around? C'mon, Sarah, you are the great reformer from outside Washington. Let's see you 'take on your party', as McCain likes to say.

No? I didnt think so. Toe that line, sunshine. Enjoy your 15 minutes.

DV, CA (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:42 PM)

Remember pool reporters, treat her nicely and you can set in the front seat all the time. Isn't that special?

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:42 PM)

Does she really mean that she is disappointed! if she is disappointed; what then will happen to an ordinary American? Bad choice McCain. As Clinton said Obama will win, and win big.

Lewis - Colorado (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:42 PM)

Canned line. What does she propose as an alternative?

More tax breaks for the most irresponsible of companies?

http://www.rodneyhopper.com

Rodney Hopper, Waxahachie, TX (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:44 PM)

I guess the best way to mask you lack of knowledge is to keep things very general. Any regular person off the street could have made this comment. And I do not subscribe to the "she's one os us" camp. Look our Presidents and VPs should be exceptional, intelligent, and highly informed people. They should care about, understand, and vigorously represent us. But if the past 8 years hasn't taught these Americans this lesson, I don't know what will. I continue to be thoroughly unimpressed with the abilities of both Palin and McCain.

Kelly (from Pittsburgh) (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:45 PM)

Palin is clueless about the economy.

Her comments only reflect a lack of understanding of the intricate role of AIG in the global economy.

PALIN DOES NOT GET IT....MCCAIN DOES NOT GET IT, EITHER. They are trying to pull the wool over the voters.

Vote knowledge.....OBAMA/BIDEN '08

Obama Is Best For America (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:45 PM)

What the heck does Caribou Barbie and Snowmobile Ken know about the Economy??! I'm sure she asked her puppeteers 'what's an AIG?'

matthew (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:45 PM)

I'm sure she thought AIG stood for Alaskans Invented Guns.

Norma De Plume, Minneapolis, MN (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:46 PM)

It's time for change. If Mitt Romney was running and running away from George Bush's economics AND would end this stupid war in Iraq I'd probably vote for him. I WILL NOT VOTE FOR JOHN MCCAIN AND PALIN. Man oh man this country is in trouble because we failed to check deregualating, a lot of greed as the rich have just gotten richer and this damn war in Iraq...which was not necessary. 40 years in the Republican party and I will vote for Senator Obama who has been getting a deaf ear from many and crap for treatment from others. I won't deny Clinton did a pretty good job and Obama seems as smart or more so. I do not want to see social security privatized.

Reno Will (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:46 PM)

She asked if the pool reporters were getting lonely in the back of the plane, and invited them to "come on up" to the front. No word yet on whether the campaign will turn that invitation into a reality.

------------------------------------------

I doubt it will happen. The pool reporters might be sexist and do something like...*gasp*...ask questions!

Pete - Albany, NY (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:46 PM)

Well, you have two choices:

1)Deregulate and ignore Wall Street and believe the myth that they will self-regulate, then use taxpayer dollars to bail them out when they fail in order to save the pensions, 401(k)s, and insurance contracts that protect so many Americans; or

2)Enforce common-sense regulations in order to protect Americans' money and avoid the whole mess.

Either way, the taxpayers pay for it. In case you can't tell, Option 1 is Bush/McCain; Option 2 is Obama/Biden.

The choice is obvious.

Obama/Biden '08

KJ, CR, IA (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:46 PM)

I don't want the VP to be disappointed. I want her to talk about what she is going to do to keep this from happening again and how she'll assuage the impact on current taxpayers.

I don't know who will win this election, but I know those running should be working overtime to reassure us all with specific plans.

another mama for obama (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:47 PM)

Maybe she will be against it, before she's for it. Or, something like that, you know, bridge deal. I wonder if she knows anything about it, and what the consequences would be if the bail out were not to happen? I don't like the idea of the bail out either, but also don't like what the consequences might be without it. But then again, all I can see from MY house is the road out front, so what would I konw?

Buzz (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:48 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
By all means the Fed should have got Sarah-Cudda and the Snow Mobile Racer on the line before they did anything! What was Ben thinking?

twocanpete (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:48 PM)

Answer: You decide.

Hint - Taxpayer Bailout, Savings & Loan Scandal, Chuck Keating, McCain.

Question: Do we ever learn from the past?

RDS, Grants Pass, OR (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:48 PM)

This particular bailout might be the first one that does make sense, Sarah. This company insures ordinary people's cars, homes, little retirement plans, small buinesses as well as backing many of the mortgages on their homes and businesses. AIG's failure would massively impact our economy badly.

So Sarah, why don't you offer a good plan instead of criticizing? I know, too Democratic sounding. Try this. Cut the salaries of the guys at the top to minimum wage, cut stock options, and the bail-out probably could be easier.

Jacqueline (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:49 PM)

Who cares what she thinks -

The - Democrat Soldier (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:51 PM)

Who is disappointed??? Who cares what that nobody thinks... Like she could even buy a clue about what she is talking about... ((sigh))

BamaBoy (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:52 PM)

If "taxpayers" don't bail this one, or the next one, we're all screwed. Palin has little understanding of the markets and what is going on- she better keep talking in those general terms or she'll put her foot right in her mouth.

Kate, Bellingham, Washington (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:52 PM)

This is only an attempt to show, by bluff, that she understands the "fundamentals of the economy". She is the same person who thought Fannie Mae and its sister Mc were taxpayer funded.
She should voice her opposition to Bush and his Republican cons, not to the media with her bluff.

Smith, AZ (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:53 PM)

Absolutely asinine. A clear signal that she, and most likely her running mate, do not understand the gravity of this financial crisis. More to come with Couric I suppose. I'll get ready for that...

Josh, Los Angeles CA. (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:53 PM)

The senate and congress need to stop sitting on their hands and do the job they were sent to DC to do.

Palin is right....the AIG matter is troubling. It should never have happened. McCain in 2005 warned of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac situation but congress didn't listen. Dodd, Kerry & Obama are the biggest winners in support from FM & FM.

The energy bill that passed the house is a joke. Drill where oil isn't...now that is a real solution. Pelosi is a joke.

I trust McCain and Palin to get things back on the right track and I know they will.

Now is not the time to send a novice, a greenhorn to the white house.

Vote McCain/Palin

dk in tn (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:53 PM)

Disappointing that us taxpayers are having to bail out the failed Republican policies of Bush and McCain?

Blade (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:54 PM)

Palin is right it is stupid to spend $85 billion to bail out AIG when the money can be better spent building bridges in Alaska.

bob Kokomo IN (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:54 PM)

Like she even has a clue what's going on. Tell'em what they want to hear--that's ch-change we can b-believe in.

mags, OKC, OK (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:54 PM)

My understanding from economic experts that if AIG had not been bailed out then it would have turned into a pay me now or pay me later issue. Not having bailed out AIG wouldhave sent a huge rippple effect throw wall street and would have impacted thousands of large and small businesses who are insured by AIG. The experts say this was not like bailing out a Bank as some have been turned down on their request but more like a failure to bail out Fannie and Freddie where thousands of U.S. citizens would have been destroyed economically.

So if Palin is against the bail out of AIG is she not therefore against the small business person and those indviduals who would have been seriously impacted by AIG going under?

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:54 PM)

It's a good thing Sarah's handlers gave her something to say about AIG, since she's never had a single finance or economics class and is totally unprepared to deal with a single economic issue. That must be why she can say she "supports" funding for special needs children while decreasing the Alaskan budget for special needs programs by 69%, including cutting funding for the Special Olympics in half. If that's what she considers "support" I guess it's easy to see why she can still say she has family values while she and Todd leave their own 5 month old special needs infant with babysitters. Yep, that's great parenting all right!

Sue Dubya (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:56 PM)

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Someone wake me up with this lady says something that actually has meaning. I'm back to my siesta time.

Cross in Margate, FL (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:57 PM)

All of this would be funny if we didn't have so much at stake for our country. It's going to be a hoot to see how all of this turns out in November. What it is going to boil down to is credibility/integrity vs. corruption/lies/disruption/lies/manipulation/lies/
abuse of power/lies, and LIES. Oh, yeah, did I mention... LIES.

OBAMA/BIDEN, 2008!

KJ, Dallas, TX (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:57 PM)

Sarah, if you are so worried about taxpayers being gypped why don't you give us back those millions you kept for the Bridge to Nowhere? Or maybe you could explain to the residents of Wasilla why they have a $20 million dollar debt for an ice hockey rink that had legal troubles because of you, or perhaps you could give back the money you took to shuttle your family from Wasilla to Juneau and back, or perhaps you could return the $17,000 you took as a per diem for living at home while the taxpayers shelled out $365,000 a year to maintain the Governor's mansion? In other words, walk the walk lady.

LB, Virginia (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:58 PM)

Was she also dissapointed in the Old Savings & Loan Scandal? After all, her leading man, McCain, was knee deep in the mud, shovelling favors to his buddy, Chuck Keating. That brought about a taxpayer bailout, too.

FR - How about a little retrospective on the issue. It seems pretty relevant to today's issues. What was it that Santayana said?

RDS, Grants Pass, OR (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:58 PM)

Of course she is disappointed with the bailout of AIG. I'm disappointed with the bailout. As far as I know we are both taxpayers. Or I should say, I know I'm a taxpayer. If we didn't bail out the company who employs 130,000+ workers, what would she do then? Unemployment only lasts so long. If she and her running mate only understood the implications of the republican deregulations we would never have had to bail out AIG or Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac or Bear Stearns. Lehman Brothers would still be a solid investment bank and Merrill Lynch would not have been bought out by Bank of America. Does she not realize that with the unemployment number rising, that has a "trickle down" effect to more of a meltdown for our economy? Republicans messed up (again) and Democrats (again) must come to our rescue.

Deni, GA (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:59 PM)

From what I understand---and, admittedly, economics is not MY strong point, either---bailing out AIG had to be done because it carried so much of the country's economy with it. If it went down, I've been told, we'd be in deep moose-doo. Having said that, it seems Gov. Palin is as clueless about economics as she is about the Bush Doctrine.

Class Warrior, D.C. (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:00 PM)

Doesn't she know that AIG is an insurance company and Freddy and Fannie are lending institutions. "Another one" implies they are one and the same.
More is coming out on Sarah: She spent $50,000 of taxpayers money to redecorate her mayoral office. I gues that's OK but she is disappointed that an insurance company which has underwritten billions of dollars of home mortagages should be bailed out. She does not have a clue what would happen if AIG were allowed to fail. Personally, I don't like it either that they are getting taxpayers money. But at least the government will have 80% ownership to manage their practices.

MSNBC: A number of Sentors are asking McOld to disclose his medical records. This is a reasonable request, given McCain's history of cancer and his age. One third of our Presidents have not completed their term in office. One third of the men aged 72, live an additional 4 years. These facts must be considered when voters pick the next POTUS. I would not want to risk Palin being able to push the nuclear button. She lies and is not the best choice for VP. John put his campaign before the country.

Ron Indiana (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:01 PM)

Great. It took her two weeks to actually meet a couple of voters. Now, let's see if she might be willing to actually take a couple of spontaneous questions from voters and/or the press. Let's see what she thinks about Sarbanes/Oxley and the job that Christopher Cox is doing at the SEC. Let's see what she thinks about SCHIP and how we can provide more health care to uninsured children? What does she think about Guantanamo, the regime in Pakistan and the state of affairs in Iraq and the Middle East.

FOLKS, THERE IS A REASON WHY THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN IS HIDING HER!!

jbentley,Chicago,IL (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:01 PM)

she's disappointed?!? "In what regard Charlie?" I AM glad that she does have some of her own thoughts and opinions!

Thed Weller, B'ham, AL (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:01 PM)

Who is not disappointed that taxpayers have to bail out another company and why does Palin's disappointement, not unlike all Americans, need special comment when she is not saying anything beyond what all Americans feel and can say. Or does her comment somehow qualify her to be VP.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:03 PM)

she is right; we should not pay for it

david nguyen (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:03 PM)

Sarah Palin is really great at telling us what she is agin'...she don't like bailouts, liberals or veggies.

Wanda, Chicago IL (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:04 PM)

There's a difference between a loan and a bailout, and while I'm sure the majority of Americans are understandably upset about this turn of events, in the near-term, there wasn't much of a choice.

Reform to fix the underlying problems caused in large part by deregulation is absolutely necessary. I'm sorry, but how does McCain have a single leg to stand on as regards this issue?

Will deregulation and the 'Keating 5' scandal come up in the debates, or will the MSM bite its lip?

Chris, MI (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:04 PM)

The Palin Charm Offensive will now go into 2nd gear! Go Sarah!

by the way, since broke people like me don't have any investments in the bailed out companies, this doesn't affect me in the immediate term.

Wait! Housing rates have dropped! I can now re-fi out of my "exotic" mortgage to a low fixed rate! My house is saved. Should I be thanking George Bush for this?

Don't tell Obama the good news.

Kyd70SC (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:06 PM)

oh, ok, so when it comes to bailing out AIG it's "dissapointing" but i guess it's okay to continue to fund the war and bail out other countries that hate us??? Gimme a friggin break!!!

sick and tired of being sick and tired (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:06 PM)

Go ahead and complain about your tax increases!!! Now, instead of us being taxed to keep these companies strong, we have to pay to keep them in business!!!

Vote Obama (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:06 PM)

This is how this "disappointing" deal works.

Under the deal, the Federal Reserve will provide a two-year $85 billion emergency loan at an interest rate of about 11.5 percent to AIG...the government has the authorization to remove top management (whech they have and named a former AllState head to manage.) and will be paid back in full with the sale of various AIG assets over time.

This Ms. Palin is a Fire Sale investment in the largest issurer anywhere.

It's about time we Invested in American companies rather than borrowed from foriegn countries, isn't it?

GP Chicago (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:07 PM)

"Very disappointed that the taxpayers are called on for another one"! I'm sorry...there's much to admire about Gov Palin but she doesn't strike me as a deep thinker, a real liability in such a complex environment. Perhaps, I'm wrong...when we she give more real national news interviews (Hannity doesn't count) so we can get deeper insight into her.

Vanessa Jackson Chicago IL (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:08 PM)

Was she reading from script???? I wonder if she also said the "fundamentals of our economy are strong"?
Which of McCains people had his/her hand up her back pulling the mouth strings and being the ventriloquist?

Skip, NH (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:08 PM)

The Iraq War projected costs are approaching 1.5 Trillion and she is sorry the taxpayers are 'called on to bail out another' company for 85 Billion.

And has anyone reminded her that one of the key reasons for the economic issues we are having is the rescinding of regulations that have been in place since the depression. Deregulation that was championed by Phil Gramm. She knows who he is right? If not, I am sure that John McCain can introduce her to him.

LC, Greenville, NC (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:08 PM)

Disappointed???But she understands???Th at sounds like I was FOR the bridge to nowwhere before I opposed it ( after Congress), I was for and enjoyed earmarks until I learnt that Mc Cain was against them, I was willing to cooperate with the Trooper Inquirey until Mc Cain hired high power lawyers to stop it!! And Mc Cain,he opposed regulation, now he is for it!!Is that what politics is all about??!!Lies??

Anthony (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:09 PM)

..... but she can see her bank from her house....

Jim, Santa Cruz (Sent Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:10 PM)

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