Really, Mr. President?!?

[polichick]

"Asked to name a business executive he admires, the president cited Frederick Smith of FedEx, although Smith is a union-busting Republican. Smith, who was a member of Yale's secret Skull and Bones Society along with George W. Bush and John Kerry, served as Senator John McCain's finance chair during McCain's failed run for the presidency. Smith founded FedEx in 1971, and the company had more than $35 billion in revenue in the fiscal year that ended in May 2009. Smith is rich and powerful, but there is no ethical system, religious or secular, that would hold him up as a man worthy of emulation. Such men build fortunes and little monuments to themselves off the pain and suffering of people like Henderson. (Injured and abandoned FedEx employee)

"'He's an example of somebody who is thinking long-term,' the president said of Smith in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, adding that he 'really enjoyed talking' with him at a February 4, 2009, White House luncheon.

"Smith does think in the long term. His company lavished money on many members of Congress in 1996 so they would vote for an ad hoc change in the law banning the Teamsters Union from organizing workers at FedEx. A few stalwarts in the Senate, including Edward Kennedy (in a speech reprinted in the Congressional Record on October 1, 1996) and his then-colleague Paul Simon, denounced the obvious political bribery. The company had bought its legislative exemption. Most members of Congress, then as now, had become corporate employees.

<snip>

"FedEx has lavished $17 million on Congress - double its 2008 total - to fight off an effort by UPS and the Teamsters to revoke Smith's tailor-made ban on unions. Smith, again thinking 'long-term,' plans to continue to hire thousands of full-time employees and list them as independent contractors. If his workers are listed as independent contractors, he does not have to pay Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance taxes. And when they get sick or injured or old, he can push them onto the street."


From DEATH OF THE LIBERAL CLASS by Chris Hedges
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Liberal-Class-Chris-Hedges/...

More info:

Teamsters: http://tdu.org/node/4338
Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2/13/101722/337


Is this really what Democrats find "admirable" these days?

[joeybee12]

1. It's what a certain Democrat does, apparently....

Lots of us are saying Obama is weak...I'm starting to think more that he really does believe the crap we hear from him.

[polichick]

3. As some of my recent posts show, I've also come to that conclusion...

Strangely enough, I actually feel better having accepted it. Better than confusion, I guess - and the end of wasting time.

[whathehell]

10. Same here, polichick. -- in both the conclusion and reaction to the conclusion..

My sister is still in confusion mode and I offered her that same conclusion (of 'collusion')telling her she might feel better if she just accepted it and "went on from there" so to speak.

[polichick]

15. At least it frees up the energy! :)

[whathehell]

22. Exactly. n/t

[AndrewP]

16. Yeah, I understand what you mean

It actually feels better knowing than wondering what the hell is happening. It's not a good result, but at least it's getting clearer.

[polichick]

19. And hopefully clarity will help point the way for true liberals. nt

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[polichick]

27. Yeah, that's why I worked hundreds of hours for him. nt

[dgibby]

13. I've come to the sad conclusion that he's not weak at all.

IMO, he's doing exactly what he wants to do. The PTB must be very pleased with his performance.

[polichick]

17. Yeah, they must be thrilled by the "death of the liberal class." nt

[mix]

34. He does believe it, deeply. nt

[xchrom]

2. it's another clue in a trail of them. nt

[ProSense]

4. "Skull and Bones "? Now that's pathetic. These

are progress(ive):

Elizabeth Warren Recruits Dodd-Frank Enforcers From 50 States

U.S. publicizes names of federal subcontractors

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Pale Blue Dot]

7. Yeah, but do you agree with Obama's admiration of Smith?

Can you answer that without deflection?

[ProSense]

9. Did you agree with

his admiration for Coburn prior to the election?

People like to spin nonsense into grand conspiracies such as the whole Skull and Bones thing to prove Kerry was no different from Bush.

It's asinine.

[Pale Blue Dot]

12. So I guess the answer to my 2nd question is "no".

Thank you!

[karynnj]

32. I can first off, Obama did not say he was a saint - he said he admires him

There is something to admire about the fact that he conceived the idea of Fedex while at Yale - and got a "D" on the project. He then was able to start from scratch and create a company that has thrived. That is impressive and creative - and, as you can see by the Yale grade, it was not at all obvious that going up against the post office was at all a reasonable idea. So, as a businessman, he does get credit for being innovative, creating a successful business plan and implementing it.

Other parts of how he runs his business are obviously less admirable. The union busting is an example.

He also has, at times done things that have been generous and good. Back in 2004, Senator Hollings told a story of how before a committee meeting, he was speaking of a problem in South Carolina, where the weather had destroyed a large part of the croup used to feed livestock. He spoke of being told by another Senator of surplus in another state, but he had been turned down by several government organizations in getting them to cheaply move it. Senator Kerry privately asked more details and returned saying that Smith was willing to help out. In addition, Smith was a huge help when he spoke before a small business committee on more energy efficient trucks - parts of what he testified to helped Kerry and Snowe convince enough Senators to get a compromise leading to the first increase in CAFE standards in more than a decade. He also was one of the first business people to support climate change legislation. (That my examples all involved Kerry is more because I have paid attention to what Kerry does - so, it is likely that he has been involved on other issues with others.)

Now, even though he knew Kerry well - he was a pilot and Kerry took up flying in their senior year - he has said that he did not support or contribute to Kerry in 2004, though he likes him and respects him as a person, because they were on opposite ends of the political spectrum.

That said, I wish Obama had thought of a Democratic businessman - and there are some prominent ones.

[Mass]

38. Who you choose when answering these types of questions is very reveling.

Yes, he did not say he was a saint, but his union busting techniques were not enough to make him choose somebody else. I think this is significant.

Now, there would have been things to disagree with in every single name, no doubt about that, but FedEx is not exactly the name I would choose, if anything because of USPS which is less expensive and generally as reliable. Other names come to mind. Unfortunately, Democrats tend to be unimaginative on these issues and my guess is Smith was an easy name to choose.

[karynnj]

43. The question is whether Obama knew of his union busting

I think it might indicate just what the question was designed to say - that Obama has not been close to the business community and could not name a list of business executives who have values he admires. I would bet that the majority of Senators and Congresspeople could name CEOs who had better social consciences.

On the right, for the last several months, there have been comments that Obama needed "CEO"s, but had no contact with them. His staff should have been aware that a question like this was possible - or even likely. Obama should have had a list to fall back on - to avoid having to on the spot come up with a name. A list, casually said in response to the question would have been better.

[politicasista]

25. +1 n/t

[politicasista]

48. delete dupe n/t

[okieinpain]

49. exactly...... n/t.

[Milo_Bloom]

5. And people wonder why so many have lost faith in him??

[jaxx]

18. No, most of them didn't have any faith in him to start with.

What we see now is just follow the leader and bash away. Meanwhile, it's become boring.

[Milo_Bloom]

23. Just an excuse many tell themselves.

Most of us worked for, donated to and endlessly defend Obama during the campaign and been continuously shocked by his failure of leadership.

[COLGATE4]

26. K&R X 1000!

[Hello_Kitty]

36. I want the fucking money I donated to his campaign back then

Along with the hours I spent trying to get him elected. Since I apparently did none of that.

[VMI Dem]

8. Shocking.

[dgibby]

11. If this is the type of scum he admires,

we are truly screwn. George Carlin was right.

[young but wise]

14. He also admires MLK and Gandhi.

President Obama looks at the positives not just the negatives in people.

[polichick]

20. The question was specific, "Name a business executive..."

What Dem doesn't admire MLK and Gandhi - or the hippie version of Jesus?

Surely the prez could have come up with a business executive who embraces Democratic principles.

[atreides1]

21. But you should look at both

Everyone has good and bad points, even some of the most vilest individuals in human history, had their good points.

Does that mean we disregard the bad and only consider the good?

You have to look at the whole person and how they present themselves, and what they do.

Failure to consider both the positive and the negative means you only see what you want to see.

[displacedvermoter]

28. Tom Delay does a pretty good 2-step!

[JoePhilly]

29. Which CEO would have been exceptable on DU??

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

None.

Next question.

[displacedvermoter]

30. Jim Sinegal of Costco

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Business/story?id=1362779

Sorry it took me so long to respond.

I guess you are implying that we are all a bunch of anti-capitalist far-left types, right?

[JoePhilly]

46. No implication needed.

And also sorry it took me time to respond again.

I pushed the point intentionally.

How many CEOs were named in response to my post? 5 maybe?

[displacedvermoter]

47. How many CEOs readily come to mind as putting the

needs of their customers and employees somewhere even close to the importance of the bottom line?

[displacedvermoter]

31. What's your next question?

[suffragette]

39. Agree with Sinegal and add Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill

http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/201...

Scores of employees gathered to help Bob Moore celebrate his 81st birthday this week at the company that bears his name, Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods.

Moore, whose mutual loves of healthy eating and old-world technologies spawned an internationally distributed line of products, responded with a gift of his own -- the whole company. The Employee Stock Ownership Plan Moore unveiled means that his 209 employees now own the place and its 400 offerings of stone-ground flours, cereals and bread mixes.

"This is Bob taking care of us," said Lori Sobelson, who helps run the business' retail operation. "He expects a lot out of us, but really gives us the world in return." Moore declined to say how much he thinks the company is worth. In 2004, however, one business publication estimated that year's revenues at more than $24 million. A company news release issued this week stated that Bob's Red Mill has chalked up an annual growth rate of between 20 percent to 30 percent every year since.

[Hello_Kitty]

40. Ben and Jerry, Paul Newman, Andy Grove. eom

[polichick]

41. Yvon Chouinard, founder and Casey Sheahan,CEO of Patagonia

http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2010/...

http://www.surfersvillage.com/surfing/47974/news.htm

[mix]

33. University of Chicago changed him, teaching in the law school.

That's where he caught the free market bug (its ideological forerunner the Econ Department is right across the Midway) and began to turn away from his earlier progressive activism.

He has a very neoliberal world view.

[polichick]

35. That's what I've come to accept, but didn't realize it began at U of Chicago. nt

[mix]

37. Just a hunch. nt

[OwnedByFerrets]

42. NO, its what corporatist find admirable.

[craigmatic]

44. Fedex uses the post office to send some of its packages because it's cheaper and

doesn't damage their equiptment on bad roads. It's a metaphore of the myth of corporations being more efficient than a public company.

[polichick]

45. Wow! Guess that's their idea of "long-term" planning. nt