Oft-Repeated GOP Lie Exposed by ex-Lehman CEO


Nick D - Posted on 08 October 2008

Today on Capitol Hill, former Lehamn Brothers' CEO Richard Fuld was experiencing a grilling similar to that experienced by the salmon fillet I had for dinner. In his testimory however, he exposed a frequently used GOP lie for what it is.

Hoping for some fresh video clips to use in support of their lie, GOPer Rep. John Mica of Florida asked Fuld what role Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac played in the death of Lehman Brothers, and the need for the $700 Billion Wall Street Bailout. Fuld immediately poured dry ice on the GOPer fire by answering "de minimis." That's a latin phrase, meaning none, or very little.

So there you have it folks. The former CEO of Lehman Brothers telling you under oath, that Fannie and Freddie had absolutely ZERO to do with the Wall Street meltdown. Indeed, as a column in today's Newsweek points out, the Community Reinvestment Act, which GOPers from John McCain to Ron Paul have fingered as root cause of the meltdown, only applies to depository banks. In case you haven't noticed, it is depository banks like Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase that are still standing, and purchasing up failed investment banks like Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch.

In other words, this whole nonsense is misdirection intended to distract attention from the root cause of the meltdown, the deregulation of the financial markets by the GOP buddies of the Wall Street fat cats.

See this excellent column by Newsweek's Daniel Gross for more details.

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I was looking at the pre-foreclosures on http://www.buymyhousebeforethebanktakesit.com and tried to tie our current events into historic events. I came across these famous old quotes; This (Federal Reserve) Act establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the president signs this bill, the invisible government by the monetary power will be legalized. The people may not know it immediately but the day of reckoning is only a few years removed, the worst legislative crime of the ages perpetrated by this banking bill." - Charles A. Lindbergh, R-MN "We have in this country one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks. Some people think the Federal Reserve Banks are U.S. government institutions. They are private credit monopolies; domestic swindlers, rich and predatory money lenders which prey upon the people of the United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers. The Federal Reserve banks are the agents of the foreign central banks. The truth is the Federal Reserve Board has usurped the Government of the United States by the arrogant credit monopoly which operates the Federal Reserve Board.” - Congressman Louis T. McFadden, Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee, addressed the House on June 10, 1932. 75 Congressional Record 12595-12603 “Capital must protect itself in every possible way, both by combination and legislation. Debts must be collected, mortgages foreclosed as rapidly as possible. When through the process of law the common people lose their homes, they will become more docile and more easily governed through the strong arm of government applied by a central power of wealth under leading financiers. These truths are well known among our principal men who are now engaged in forming an imperialism to govern the world. By dividing the voter through the political party system we can get them to expend their energies in fighting for questions of no importance. It is thus by discreet action we can secure for ourselves that which has been so well planned and so successfully accomplished." - 1924 US Banker’s Association Magazine

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