Hmmmmm. . .I'm not so sure about the whole Obama change thing. Sen Obama appears to be in bed with many of those that helped create the economic issues we are seeing in the news everyday. All of the issues with Jim Johnson occurred long before Obama hired him to vet his VP. Why did he still hire him? How can we trust someone to fix this problem when many of those that created it either work for Obama or are major donors? His campaign is stuffed with former employees or lobbist for Lehman , Freddie and Fannie, yet I am to believe he is going to "reform" them. Obama wants to blame President Bush and Sen. McCain for these problems. If he wishes to find those that should be
blamed he should start at one of his fund raising dinners or on his campaign airplane.
Obama Ranks Second Among Donations From Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Among All Members Of Congress Since 1989:
In Just Four Years, Obama Has Received More Money From Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Than Any Other Member Of Congress In The Past Two Decades (Since 1989) Except Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sen. Chris Dodd.
OpenSecrets.org: Money in Politics -- See Who's Giving & Who's Getting Obama Ranks Second Among Donations From Lehman Brothers Among All Members Of Congress Since 1989:
In Just Four Years, Obama Has Received More Money From Lehman Brothers Than Any Other Member Of Congress In The Past Two Decades (Since 1989) Except Sen. Hillary Clinton.
OpenSecrets.org: Money in Politics -- See Who's Giving & Who's Getting Top Executives At Lehman Brothers Are Obama Bundlers:
Ted Janulis, Head Of Mortgage Capital At Lehman Brothers Until His Retirement In September 2008, Is A Bundler For Obama's Presidential Campaign Committed To Raising $50,000 To $100,000.
Welcome to Obama for America
John Rhea, A Managing Director And Co-Head Of Global Consumer And Retail Investment Banking For Lehman Brothers, Is A Bundler For Obama's Presidential Campaign Committed To Raising $50,000 To $100,000.
Welcome to Obama for America
"Nadja Fidelia, Who Is Also A Managing Director At Lehman Brothers, Has Raised At Least $50,000 For Mr. Obama..." (Timothy Williams, "Obama Takes His Campaign to Harlem," New York Times, 11/30/07)
OBAMA ADVISOR JIM JOHNSON FORMER FANNIE MAE AND LEHMAN BROTHERS EXECUTIVES EXPANDED LOBBYING ACTIVITIES AND RECEIVED MILLIONS IN COMPENSATION
Former CEO Of Fannie Mae And Former Obama Advisor Jim Johnson Resigned Under Criticism:
Jim Johnson Is The Former CEO Of Fannie Mae. (David A. Vise, "Fannie Mae Lobbies Hard To Protect Its Tax Break," The Washington Post, 1/16/95)
"Jim Johnson, The Former Chairman Of Fannie Mae Who Was One Of Three Advisors Tapped By Democrat Barack Obama To Vet Vice Presidential Candidates, Resigned Today After Questions Were Raised About Favoritism He May Have Received From Countrywide Financial Corp." (Johanna Neuman, "Barack Obama Advisor Jim Johnson Quits Under Fire," Los Angeles Times, 6/12/08)
Johnson Remains A Bundler For Obama's Presidential Campaign And Has Committed To Raising $100,000 To $200,000.
Welcome to Obama for America
Johnson Earned Large Bonuses At Fannie Mae Due To An Accounting Manipulation:
In 1998, Fannie Mae's Earnings Were Manipulated, Which Resulted In "Maximum Payouts" To Executives Including CEO Jim Johnson. "As CEO of Fannie Mae, Johnson, a former chief of staff to Vice President Walter F. Mondale and chairman of the board of the Kennedy Center, was the beneficiary of accounting in which Fannie Mae's earnings were manipulated so that executives could earn larger bonuses. The accounting manipulation for 1998 resulted in the maximum payouts to Fannie Mae's senior executives -- $1.9 million in Johnson's case -- when the company's performance that year would have otherwise resulted in no bonuses at all, according to reports in 2004 and 2006 by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight." (Jonathan Weisman and David S. Hilzenrath, "Obama 's Choice Of Insider Draws Fire," The Washington Post, 6/11/08)
* The Manipulation Resulted In Johnson Receiving A Bonus Of Over $1.9 Million When He Otherwise Would Not Have Earned A Bonus. "An Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight report in September accused the company of improperly deferring $200 million of estimated expenses in 1998, which allowed management to receive full annual bonuses. Had the expenses been recorded that year, no bonuses would have been paid, the report said. Fannie Mae reported paying bonuses in 1998 to Johnson, who received $1.932 million; Raines, who then was chairman-designate, $1.11 million; Chief Operating Officer Lawrence M. Small, $1.108 million; Vice Chairman Jamie S. Gorelick, a former deputy attorney general, $779,625; Chief Financial Officer J. Timothy Howard, $493,750; and Robert J. Levin, who was executive vice president for housing and community development, $493,750." (Albert B. Crenshaw, "High Pay At Fannie Mae For The Well-Connected," The Washington Post, 12/23/04)
Johnson Also Received Fees And Compensation From Fannie Mae Worth $3.3 Million Between 2001 And 2006. "Johnson left the company before it was swept up in an accounting scandal that tarred its reputation, but even during the years of scandal, Johnson was reaping hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees and other compensation, $3.3 million in all between 2001 and 2006." (Jonathan Weisman and David S. Hilzenrath, "Obama's Choice Of Insider Draws Fire," The Washington Post, 6/11/08)
Johnson Recruited Current Obama Economic Policy Advisor Former Commerce Secretary William Daley As A Lobbyist For Fannie Mae:
Former Commerce Secretary William Daley Serves As An Obama Advisor For Economic Policy. "At his stop in New Mexico, Obama sought to keep the focus almost exclusively on the economy, appearing with a panel of experts that included William Daley, brother of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and a former U.S. commerce secretary." (John McCormick and Jill Zuckman, "Rivals Spend Day As Frequent Fliers," Chicago Tribune, 2/2/08)
Former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson Recruited Former Sec. Daley As A Lobbyist For Fannie Mae. "Fannie's government relations operations dramatically expanded in the mid-1990s, when then-CEO Johnson recruited Washington A-listers Robert Zoellick, who served in the Reagan and Bush administrations; Lawrence M. Small, former secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; and William M. Daley, commerce secretary in the Clinton administration." (Lisa Lerer, "Fannie, Freddie Spent $200M To Buy Influence," The Politico, 7/16/08)
From 2002 Through 2005, Daley Was A Registered Lobbyist For Fannie Mae. (U.S. Senate Office Of Public Records Website, soprweb.senate.gov
Before Heading Fannie Mae, Johnson Was A Registered Foreign Agent For Lehman Brothers:
In The 1980s, Johnson Worked For Shearson Lehman Brothers. "In the early 1980s Johnson had already started his own Washington consulting company, Public Strategies, with his Carter administration colleague Richard Holbrooke. And now he followed Holbrooke to Wall Street as an investment banker at Shearson Lehman Brothers." (Lloyd Grove, "The Big Chair," The Washington Post, 3/27/98)
OBAMA DEMOCRATS BLOCKED REFORM OF FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC
John McCain Urged Action More Than 2 Years Ago, Co-Sponsoring Legislation To Reform Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Warning: "If Congress Does Not Act, American Taxpayers Will Continue To Be Exposed To The Enormous Risk That Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Pose To The Housing Market, The Overall Financial System, And The Economy As A Whole." McCain: "I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole." (Office Of U.S. Senator John McCain, "McCain Statement On Co-Sponsorship Of The Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act Of 2005," Press Release, 5/26/06)
Sorry if the above seems chopped together. I took bits and pieces of it from different places I have seen this come up.