if we tax them at 75% are we punishing their success or their FAILURE ????

This just in, 83% of second graders say they love pizza, with another 13% saying they like pizza.  A whopping 97% say they like cartoons.  Only 13% say they like broccoli.  

Just giving you a hard time, FR.  I know you have to report what the polls say, no matter how obvious they are.  Honestly, though, I bet those 17% are either laissez-faire libertarians or know someone who works for AIG.

Just 17% say the government shouldn't intervene.
==========
Let me guess..............Republicans. The base of the GOP.

Do they want Rep. Connie Mack to resign ?

I'd be EMBARRASSED to have him a my Representative

(but, I've grown used the the EXCELLENCE of Speaker Nancy Pelosi)

Somethng about all of this does NOT feel right.

This AIG bonus situation reminds me of those 1% earmarks in the budget bill and the 2% special projects in the stimulus bill.

These bankers are not understanding the situation we are in now—after all they are masters of the universe!!!!!!!!

But all of this spinning seems out of control.

This is so media driven.

And as usual the RePubs are pointing fingers and whining AGAIN!!!!

I guess there is not enough news that you have to make a stink about these bonuses that have known about for months.

STRANGE!!!!!!!

I want my 80% payout now damn it!

Count me in the majority.  Sometimes it takes something like this to be a catalyst for bipartisanship or for Wall Street to get the message that the American people are serious about change. As our President said, "It will not be business as usual." Some of these big institutions will be dismantled with a different corporate climate.  That is change you can beieve in and Conservatives will rant about.

Are Americans outraged at the legislation that allowed AIG to pay the bonuses? Like Barney Frank says, "Lets name names.". We'll start with you Barney. How did you vote again?

Yeah, I think we all know that Americans are outraged.

The problem is that Americans never get outraged enough. They constantly let and even want government to intervene in various aspects of their lives. You can't pick and choose. AIG should have not been bailed out in the first place. No bailouts.

FR: In addition, a whopping 76% believe the government should try to block/recover the bonuses.

Isn't fascism fun?

t is a rather curious spectacle to see congressional Republicans express outrage at the exorbitant bonuses being handed out by bailed-out companies and blame the Obama administration for failing to curb the practice with AIG. Because when the first installment of the Troubled Asset Relief Program was passed it was the Bush administration and GOPers in Congress who were insisting that caps on executive compensation not be part of the legislation.

As the New York Times reported at the time that TARP was being crafted, "Congress and the administration remained at odds over the demands of some lawmakers, including limits on the pay of top executives whose firms seek help."

Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson said that while he was upset with the levels of salary afforded to top executives, any cap on such would dissuade companies from participating in the TARP.

"If we design it so it's punitive and so institutions aren't going to participate, this won't work the way we need it to work," he told Fox News Sunday on September 21.

Senator Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, told CBS news that: "It should be up to the board of directors of a private corporation to set the compensation of an executive; it shouldn't be Congress's role."

Senator Mel Martinez told CNBC that: "While it is very appealing to think about executive compensation as being a part of this, one of the drawbacks to that is perhaps that we would have fewer entities participate in what is essentially a voluntary act."

And House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, "outraged" over AIG's issuance of $165 million in bonuses, said he was not in favor of "the federal government be[ing] able to set salaries across the board," when the issue of executive compensation arose in September 2008.

The issue extended to when the Obama administration was tasked with writing its own version of the TARP. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, likewise dismayed over AIG's bonuses this past week, said back in early February that while he was "appalled" at some of the perks executives had received, he did want "the government to take over these businesses and start telling them everything about what they can do."

That said, the Obama administration too was pushing back against overly-strict caps on executive earning albeit still favoring some form of limitation.

Of course, a distinction could be made between executive compensation and issuance of bonuses. One being salary, the other being rewards. But in this and other cases, money is fungible. And back when the Troubled Asset Relief Program was being debated, it was the leadership of the GOP and the past administration that asked that the issue not be touched for fear that it would derail the legislation.

It was, after all, President Bush who warned lawmakers not to "insist on provisions that would undermine the effectiveness of the plan" while Barney Frank, chairman of the House banking committee, declared that there would be "no golden parachutes while we are the owners" of the bad assets of Wall Street firms.

I love OBAMA but Geithner has to GOOOOOOOOOO
He is a Mess

The tax code should be used as a weapon against people we don't like.

I'll never understand why Bush would allow those bonuses during his term, without conditions. I guess Barack will have to fix this too.

Investigate everyone in the division for fraud culpability and audit their income taxes for the last 8 years that should take care of the problem.  Also a review of job aplications and resume submissions can usually find some misrepresentation; this is a common trick used by companies to break employment agreements.  Frankly I don't see why congress just doesn't pass a bill to break the contracts.  Congress can do whatever it wants and it wouldn't be the first time congress has broken contracts.  Throw in some consideration for squealing and naming names and it can even be used as a tool for bringing justice.  There probaly isn't a union and the employment contract probably calls for binding arbitration to settle disputes which nearly always favors management. It is hard to understand how any employee can prevail against management in this country.

I'll never understand why Bush would allow those bonuses during his term, without conditions. I guess Barack will have to fix this too.

This poll should warm the heart (if he had one) of Chuckie Schumer. Why does the thought of him wearing a wwii german uniform seem to make sense?

And that 17% is probably composed of other Wall St. thieves who are now afraid of losing there illegitimate bonuses.

They should be outraged at their governemnt whioh owns 80% of AIG and agreed to the bill that granted these bozos their bonuses.  The bill that the Obamanation signed into law.  The same law with with the Obamanation is engraged with...  

Oh, I could go on all day.

Does Franklin Raines still work for Obama? How much in bonus money did he get for running Fannie Mae into the ground?

I agree, none of these clowns are worth a bonus.
Where I come from, a bonus is a reward for a job well done and no contract would be in the mix, the term bonus is wrong.  

No matter what it may be called, in the real world no one is worth a $6.5 mil reward for doing a lousy job or even for doing a good job. Who sets these standards?  I hope some changes can be made to this awful system.

How do Americans feel about Obama getting $101,000 in contributions from AIG in 2008, and Senator Dodd getting $103,000, also from AIG in 2008. You know, one guy put the AIG bonuses into legislation, the other guy signed it into law.

Imagine Americans with brains and a conscience it can't be repulicants.

Too much Outrage. Obama and Frank need to go to an Anger Management course.

Good idea Barney, lets make the names of the AIG workers public. I guess Barney won't be happy until someone gsts killed.

if AIG failed, we would need wheel barrels of dollars to buy a loaf of bread!  Get over it already people!  We had to bail AIG out, good or bad, and they had contracts in place to pay out these bonuses!  

GOP is crazy. They are outraged about the bonus like all Americans, but do not want to recoup it.  I think they need to rethink that one.  Oh my fault they do not think, they just say no and omplain with no solutions.

I'm mad about the economy.
I'm mad that my 401K has tanked!
I'm mad that the oil companies are gouging us.
I'm mad that our elected officials are not paying close attention unless we're watching them, and then they pay attention to the wrong things.
I'm mad that my team is a 16 seed.
I'm mad..... What's that..... Oh yeah, it's those AIG bonuses. THAT's what's making me mad!

How many Americans are outraged over the manufactured outrage over this outrageous issue????

Not that I think it's a good idea for AIG Execs to get multi-million-dollar bonuses financed by bailout money -- I don't think anyone should be getting bonus money from this weed-smoker's package.  However, our friends at Barney & Dodd made the stupid error of writing the bonuses (via strict contract-adherence) into the bailout package -- and then screaming "FOUL" when the money went where it did.  So I ask, whose really to blame for this?  Shouldn't Dodd and Frank spend a little time being roasted and grilled (with garlic and onions to kill their stench) for their stupidity rather than ruthlessly beating the AIG Execs for doing what the law (signed by our "Outraged" president) told them to do (whether they were going to do it anyway is moot when the law says "you will")?  Yes, they should -- so let's have it Congress -- pull the porkers out of their offices in DC and let's hear their explanations.  

I'm sure the folks at AIG must have seen this firestorm coming -- they can't be that out of touch with current events or the ability of the American public to demand accountability for something so obviously wrong (or can they--maybe?).  I just wonder why they didn't present the dilemma to the public and the media before they passed the money along -- that way the morons in DC would have appropriately had public egg on their faces instead.  That is, of course, assuming the public and media have finally taken down the "do-nothing-wrong" Obama and D-Congressional Leadership blinders.

See, this is why we have a constitution, and why we're a nation of laws. You get mob action started by hypocritical politicians like Obama and Frank, and pretty soon there's a hang'in. Thank goodness the country lives by it's laws and not what ever so called popular thing comes down the road that has some poll that supports it. Next you'll have some Senator talking about 100% taxation on specific people. Oh, wait, sorry Senator Schumer, you already beat us to the punch on that one.

Headline: Obama on fixing AIG mess: 'The buck stops with me'.


Apparently that's true. Over $100,000 bucks stop with Obama. That's how much AIG gave to the Obama campaign last year.

there is a lot of outrage - but little discussion that I have seen about the size and scope of AIG.  I think knowing there are 100 million American workers for AIG, might have an impact on the public as to how important it actually is to American finances. At least according to an article I read today - that is the count. That certainly would have an impact if all these people lost their jobs at the same time - also that the GOP & Bush fought against limiting the bonuses last Sept/Oct. Might be worthy of mentioning.

As much a fan of FR as I am, and MSNBC in general, it is getting a bit much for all this trolling for dissent and creating news by harping on minor details. I'll even put up with 2-3 postings a day and 0 on weekends [right nothing happens on weekends, right?] I haven't totally lost my allegience from FR to Huffington Post - but at least they are showing a variety of opinions.  Something FR used to be known for - now it is like a dog looking for a fight - or creating one. You're too good of reporters to keep doing that.

Who was CEO when these bogus contracts were written?  Martin Sullivan - yupper - one of 'W's' advisors.

Everyone wants to play the blame game, but you're barkin up the wrong tree...  This goes back a few years...

Geithner is taking a bad rap for his predecessor - good ole Hank Paulson - who just got his 'bail out' from AIG through the Goldman Sachs cash.

Just follow the money...

Nj - good blog. logical. thanks.

Nuanced above has an interesing thought about breaking the contracts but I see a larger issue here.

There was a provision in the Stimulus bill to limit the bonuses (Sponsored by Sen. McCaskel D-MO) but "it was removed" at the last minute.

Now noone will admit to removing the provision. This is a classic example of the 11:30PM move so common in congress. Items are removed or inserted (earmarks) at the last minute and noone will take responsibility.

Democracy is a sloppy process, but that does not mean that final legislation must be tweaked in the middle of the night. Dodd (D-CN) is on the top of the list of AIG contribution recipients (over 110K as reported by CNN today).

So, the real question is about transparency VS back room deals and changing the tone FOR REAL, not for show. This comments applies to both parties in congress as they both play the game.

A simple rule, final bills MUST be read and made avail to the public online BEFORE the final vote.

If AIG had been allowed to fail, the contracts of those who have received bonuses at the federal trough would have been abrogated. Contracts can be renogiated as has been the case with the auto workers. So what is so sacrosanct about AIG contracts?

See Jack Cafferty from CNN's take on the DC side of the AIG fiasco.

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/how-much-is-washington-to-blame-for-the-aig-bonus-scandal/

those 17% are probably AIG employees or their family members.

I didn't need a poll to tell me that people are outraged with AIG. I am bombarded by it ad nauseum in the media and even without the media people talke and that seems high on the list of things to talk about.

I realize that everyone is upset because AIG paid bonuses to some of the folks who got us into this mess, but what I don't understand is why the Congress (our diligent Congress?) didn't insert language in the Economic Stimulus Plan or whatever the appropriate vehicle was to prevent this payout.  According to what I've read on the Internet, I understand that the senior Senator from Connecticut inserted language so that payouts/bonuses could be made.  What's up with that?
Since we (the American people are being "gouged" by big financial services industry companies, why not have all members of Congress (regardless of party, pay back all the monies contributed to their campaigns by AIG over the past several elections within the next six months.  After it's all collected, then perhaps we won't need as much $$$ to bail us out of our current economic mess, or will we?
Thanks for your time and have a great day!

Steve

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