FROM RAWSTORY: Billionaire Icahn: Obama "Would Be A Terrible President"

May 22 (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said Barack Obama would be a ``terrible'' U.S. president whose election would bring higher interest rates and a loss of international confidence in the dollar.

``I don't normally get involved in politics, but this time I am,'' Icahn told an investors conference in New York last night. ``I don't think Obama really understands economics.''

``I personally think he would be a terrible president,'' Icahn, 72, said. Obama would probably go on a ``huge spending spree'' that ``the country can't afford right now.''

Coupled with the higher tax rates that the Illinois senator has already endorsed, ``you would have a loss of confidence in the dollar,'' leading to accelerating inflation and ``much higher interest rates,'' Icahn said. His comments, and remarks by other presenters at the conference, were embargoed by the organizers until this morning.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aElyzzHkNwCY&refer=home

.. bad for the current billionaire welfare
recipients.

just so important.

Obama doesn't have a firm grasp of economics and that's a fact.

facts

is something the pukes have been pushing for years now. And it really, really isn't true.

And frankly, anyone who thinks government should be run like a business is not fit to run the country. Businesses are kingdoms for all intent and purposes, yes the corporations have shareholder meetings but those are not truly democratic. Every time I get a proxy TPTB "suggest" which way they would prefer I vote. (I vote the opposite. Especially on things like the CEO and the Chairman of the board not being the same person.) The CEO is king and everyone else is a minion and if you should try to get an opposing opinion expressed at the shareholder meeting you will be escorted out the door.

Our government is supposed to represent the people. That simply is not compatible with a business like structure.

So corporate raiders who think the government should be run like their rapacious corporations need to STFU.

Regards

While his attack was a surprising non sequitur, it isn't the first time he's discussed politics at an investor conference. While speaking at RiskMetrics Group Inc.'s 2008 Governance Conference in February, he made similar quips about Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and tacitly announced his support for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

I thought he was an effete, arugula eating, latte-sucking elitist who snobs it up with rich "San Francisco" (wink wink) liberal rich folks...

Now he's not friendly enough to Corporate America and Billionaires?

Geezus. Really, you folks should pick a narrative and stick with it.

this administration ran the country as if it were a business. That doesn't work. the President is not our "Boss" ...
remember:
..."and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ????

We are the government and they represent US.
I want a transparent government that works for us, not business deals behind closed doors.

How did that work out?

If you are the Billionaire CEO of a Global Corporation it worked out OK.

For all the rest of us.....not so good.

I'll take a chance on Obama over a Corporate DLC Democrat.




"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

and give specifics. And be very specific here, DemVet. How is it a "fact" that Obama doesn't have a firm grasp on economics?

Blows my mind sometimes.

who was backing Guiliani before his ego dropped out.

and what confidence in the dollar is her referring to. Have had any of that in some time.

and tell me who spends beyond their means.

From your link:

"Earlier this year, Icahn donated the maximum $2,300 to the presidential campaign of Republican Rudy Giuliani, according to the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics. Giuliani dropped out of the race. Icahn has also given to Democrats, including New Hampshire Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen."

Don't you guys read these stories before posting? What do I care what a guy who was backing Guiliani thinks?

that's really good economics.

so, in 80 years, Rudy will have it locked up!

Fuck Mr. Icahn, says I. :)

I love the part about how the world markets will "lose confidence in the American dollar". Yeah right.

For some billionaires.

My heart bleeds for them. :nopity:

"huge spending spree"? As opposed to the 7+ years of what....austerity the Federal Government has exhibited?

Looks like ol's Carl is trying to protect his sweetheart tax rate.

and unlike this asshole Buffet is giving the majority of his money to charity when he leaves this earth.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett says Obama will bring 'outstanding ideas' to White House

The Associated PressPublished: August 16, 2007



OMAHA, Nebraska: Billionaire investor Warren Buffett says it can get a little lonely being a Democrat in the conservative Midwestern state of Nebraska.

The last Democrat to carry the state in a presidential election was Lyndon Johnson, in 1964.

But Buffett had plenty of company Wednesday night at a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama — and local organizers say Obama made a valuable investment.

"I think his stock in Nebraska goes up from here," said Omaha businessman Harley Schrager, who co-hosted the event with Buffet and others.

-snip
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/16/america/NA-POL-US-Obama-Buffett.php

Maybe because he's going to raise taxes on the RICH and CORPORATIONS.

No thanks. Billionaires opinions don't hold much sway with me.

I'll bet he has more than a few shares of stock in the defense industry.

Preemptive finger-pointing, if you ask me. He already knows it's coming (has already started), all because of the dumbass in office now.

Fuck him.

One of the more loathsome forms of tax avoidance highlighted in Forbes magazine during the Clinton years was the move by certain US or formerly US-based multi-millionaires or billionaires to renounce their US citizenship and technically become citizens of some island republic or other. I wouldn't put it past some of the Buccaneers who have profited from the Boosh years to take that route.

On the other hand, US ICE has gotten a lot more STASI-like in detaining foreigners trying to enter and exit Festung Amerika. Would it be too much to hope that some redneck customs & immigration agent gives one of the deep-pocketed turncoats the same treatment meted out to much lesser folk who have minor visa problems or have the same surnames as folks on Boosh's comprehensive "no-fly" terra-rist list?

"Vere are your papers! And your tax returrns!" Sadly, it probably won't ever happen. :(

No worries; I know you'll keep trying.

We're already there.

And as always, the rich R's first concern is how an administration will affect his/her bottom line. It's always the money.

Most people have been conned into thinking its the other way around. The market under Republicans ends up going sideways in the long run and tends to be more erratic.

The richest man in the world seems to like Obama.

I'll take Buffet's opinion over this asshole. Buffet lives in a very small house for a billionaire (a big house for us but no giant mansion) and he's donating the vast majority of his fortune to charity when he goes to meet his maker.

Buffet could by and sell this guy 30 times.

n/t

Oh, and he was a Rudy Giuliani supporter to boot. :rofl:

This is just the type of person we don't want liking our candidate - or president.

:hi: I'm proud that he's terrified of Obama.

and fret about an Obama Administration. :hi:

He made his money off junk bonds in the 80s. Then: "Icahn developed a reputation as a ruthless corporate raider after his hostile takeover of TWA in 1985.<1> The result of that takeover was Icahn systematically stripping TWA of its assets and selling them off.<2>" Go read wikipedia for 10 seconds

Get the Fuck out!

You clinton supporters want to use this asshole to support Hillary?

What an asshole

"Terrible" for Icahn, maybe. Good for the rest of us.

spending. Tax rates have no baring on this. In fact, higher taxes = smaller deficit = lower interest rates = stronger dollar. That and getting out of Iraq will be huge for our currency and interest rates in the US.

The billionaire might lose some of his billions to taxes.

What that bastard icahn does is buy companies, dessimate them, then sell them off

he can go f*ck himself

Some of Mr. Icahn's Business ties:

As of 2007, Icahn and his affiliates currently own majority positions include ACF Industries, American Railcar Industries, XO Communications, Philip Services, and NYSE-listed Icahn Enterprises, formerly known as American Real Estate Partners.

Icahn is a director of Blockbuster Inc., and the Chairman of Imclone, Icahn Enterprises LP, XO Communications Inc, WestPoint Home Inc., Cadus, and American Railcar Industries. Also he is a beneficial owner of Adventrx Pharmaceuticals Inc, Vector Group Ltd and has had significant holdings in Time Warner Inc. He has casino interests in Las Vegas, Nevada (pending sale), including the Stratosphere, Arizona Charlie's Boulder and Arizona Charlie's Decatur, which are operated through American Entertainment Properties, a subsidiary of Icahn's major company American Real Estate Partners. Icahn has also tried to take over Marvel Comics, coming into conflict with Avi Arad, Ron Perelman, and Ike Perlmutter.<3>

In 2004, Icahn purchased a large block of stock in a pharmaceutical concern, Mylan Laboratories, after Mylan had announced a deal to acquire another company in that market, King Pharmaceuticals, of Bristol, Tennessee. Icahn threatened a proxy fight over the acquisition, saying that the contract required Mylan to over-pay. He also contended that Mylan's chief executive, Robert J. Coury was significantly overcompensated and that Mylan's corporate governance was otherwise badly flawed.

In early 2005, Mylan gave up its efforts to acquire King, but management said this was a result of its ongoing monitoring of relevant facts, not due to pressure from Mr. Icahn.
In 2006 Icahn sold his stake in KT&G (Korea Tobacco & Ginseng) for a significant quick one year profit.

Icahn made an attempted run as a major shareholder of Time Warner owning about 3.3% of the company valued at billions of dollars. He has been actively attempting to influence the direction of Time Warner, often in conflict with its former Chief Executive, Richard Parsons. Although Time Warner recently sold 5% of its AOL division, Icahn has been pressing for additional action to increase shareholder value. On February 7, 2006, a group led by Icahn and Lazard Frères CEO Bruce Wasserstein unveiled a 343-page proposal calling for the breakup of Time Warner into four companies and stock buybacks totaling approximately $20 billion. On February 17, 2006, the Icahn-led group agreed with Time Warner to not contest the re-election of TW's slate of board members at the 2006 shareholders meeting. In exchange for the Icahn group's cooperation, Time Warner will buy back up $20 billion of stock, nominate more independent members to the board of directors, cut $1 billion of costs by 2007, and continue discussions with the Icahn group over their proposal, particularly on the future of Time Warner Cable.


Sounds to me like Mr. Icahn doesn't want to lose those tax breaks for the top 10%...

AND HE TRIED TO TAKE OVER MARVEL COMICS? THAT'S UNAMERICAN!!

I'm proud that he's terrified of an Obama Administration. :hi:

Its like saying Hitler thinks Roosevelt will be a bad president.

They get it.

:D His "criticism" of Obama is an actual endorsement for those of us who are paying $4 at the pump and $5 for a gallon of milk. The old men and their piles of money clique should have paid for union workers, who would have told them not to build their palaces on sand. :hi:

and yeah, I think it's a good sign...
I would imagine he'll back McCain.

funny that his criticism was that Obama isn't knowledgeable about the economy, and he'd probably go on a spending spree....
has he been paying attention to THIS administration? funny stuff....

You just clutch onto that money, Jacob Marley. :rofl:

would say that Hillary would make a TERRIFIC president!

:D Headline: Cheney fears Obama Administration bad for Economy/War effort. :rofl:

On edit: I even rec'd this thread because it's so funny.

But I'm sure as hell gonna have fun with this thread!!!!!

They're all gonna laugh at you... BWAHAHAHAHAHA :rofl:

20% to 50% of its value against the Euro
and the $CDN since the Bush and his band
of thieves took over.

International confidence in the dollar is
long gone. The only question is can the
Democrats restore the $US to its status
as the world's de facto reserve currency.

But poor Hillary can't even manage her own campaign.
Multiply her debt by the whole nation... now that's something the country can't afford.

It's still funny, but approaching sad on it's way to pitiful.

Same old tired RW talking points from the last few decades..

One of the reasons the dollar is tanking.

'While speaking at RiskMetrics Group Inc.'s 2008 Governance Conference in February, he made similar quips about Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and tacitly announced his support for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.'

http://www.thedeal.com/dealscape/2008/05/icahn_blasts_obama_at_investor.php

over the last eight years?

A couple of Icahn quotes:

Obama would probably go on a ``huge spending spree'' that ``the country can't afford right now.''

"Coupled with the higher tax rates that the Illinois senator has already endorsed, ``you would have a loss of confidence in the dollar,'' leading to accelerating inflation and ``much higher interest rates,'' Icahn said. His comments, and remarks by other presenters at the conference, were embargoed by the organizers until this morning."

Boy George already went on a HUGE spending spree that the country can't afford. The value of the dollar has plunged since the fiscal restraint of the Clinton years, and stagflation is likely to make a comeback IF IT ISN'T ALREADY. Sorry, Carl, but I think don't think you're thinking about anything much past the short term and your personal profits. ANY Democrat who succeeds GWB or (The Almighty delivering us from our folly) John McCain is going to have to deal with the right-wing Republican/economic royalist poison-pill legacies left behind by Republican government since January 2001.

to put in a board that will support a merger with Microsoft. That right there makes him no my best friend.

After all the current president's policy has been SOOOOO good for the dollar.

in the dollar." Been there, done that, Carl - and his name was Bush. Your guy, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, Obama would be a "Terrible President" - when viewed through the eyes of a greedy billionaire corporate raider who believes that he shouldn't have to pay more taxes and who fears federal regulation of his activities. The "huge spending spree" is another BTDT, Carl. Endless war for private profiteers is indeed expensive. For taxpayers, that is. Thanks for playing. Asshole (but I'm talkin' 'bout Icahn, Carl Icahn.)

Won't somebody please think of the billionaires?

You know, the reg'lar folks?

REALLY?

The Carlyle Group!!!! yeah........ and Billionaires for Bush!!!! yeah!!!!

:silly:

Icahn's Son is one to watch
He's taking daddy's money to LA for media control

Carl Icahn f*cked up my life. I once worked for an airline called TWA(look it up). If I ever had the chance to punch him in the nose...let's just say I'm willing to spend the night in jail. I'm amazed nobody's killed that asshole yet.

Leave No Billionaire Behind is a fucking awful policy that has bleed our soldiers and this country dry.

``huge spending spree'' that ``the country can't afford right now.''

Who was a corporate raider that destroyed US manufacturing jobs
and outsourced them to the third world.......

"I support Hillary"......... YEAH!!!!!

Warren makes more money sleeping than you make in a year.

There you have it.

Most of Buffet's work requires strong companies and strong business environments. Icahn's income requires further loosening of regulations and removing what little taxation there is left on his type of financial transactions.

but more to the point: fuck Ichan and the rest of the reknucklian corporate crooks.

Eh?

So I'll see your Icahn and raise you a Warren Buffett.

any day now i expect you people to run out pieces by malkin or coulter to support your trainwreck of a candidate. :eyes:

Sorry. Didn't mean to make an Astor of myself.

Buffett - net worth 62$ billion

Icahn - net worth 14$ billion

OWN3D

Icahn is actually little more than a thug in the business world.

We're supposed to nominate Billary because this rich asshole doesn't like Obama? Uh, no thanks.

Icahn can kiss my white irish female working class non-college-graduatin' ass.

And so can anyone who thinks that this guy's opinion is worth shit.

Sounds like he is the enemy, what with all the donating to Ghouliani and such.

IF YOU ELECT GORE, WE'LL SEE $100 A BARREL OIL !!!!

BE AFRAID !!!

In a cave?

Is he joking? Obama would bring about "a loss of international confidence in the dollar"? Really? Has he seen what the dollar has become under Bush?

Has he been awake over the past year or so? His worry is that his billionaire ass might have to pay a few bucks more in taxes, that's all this is. Obama - taking the country back from the corporations.

A billionaire who is worried that his capital gains taxes will be going up soon. It's so quaint.

Really, why would someone who's spent his entire life accumulating obscene amounts of wealth, while billions of people starve, steer me wrong?

the market tanks.

When Clinton scores... it's rages.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTZiZmI5YjQzODljYWVkYTE2MWM4M2M2MDBkZDk0ZTY=

I honestly hate the fact that the markets mean anything to our selection of president but... let's face it: they do. The deep pocketed money men are gonna do what they can to keep Mr. Obama out of the White House.

Sigh.

Under Bush. If he didn't speak up before Bush was elected then he has ZERO CREDIBILITY.

OH SHIT, BETTER CHANGE MAH VOTE NAO!

ought to rethink my support of him in light of this. :eyes:

Welcome to my ignore list!

Warren Buffett because he still has a clue about the real world and gives a damn.

Sounds like a stand-up guy speaking to a trustworthy crowd.
:sarcasm:

The thought of an Obama Presidency is smoking them out of their caves...ah...hhmmmm...smoked filled rooms. "I don't normally get into politics, but I'm afraid of what might happen to rich people if this guy gets the presidency. I mean I can't even make a coherent statement on the economy or taxes right now. DRRRR taxes bad Mongo...urrrrr Spending Spree....DRRRR Democrats....AHHHHHH BIG GOVERNMENT Everybody run for your lives...ah hmmm...trust funds."