• February 15, 2012

Geithner hard at workOh hey here is a novel idea: in order to save our tragically beleaguered financial system, we must 1) replace the management at failing banks and 2) liquidate the banks that are completely hosed beyond repair. This makes sense to pretty much everyone, and our new boyfriend Simon Johnson said something like that a while ago on NPR so it must be true.

Now the congressional oversight panel appointed to monitor the bailout said pretty much the same thing, which is of course (presumably?) not what Tim Geithner wants to hear, as he has not, to date, done either 1 or 2. Instead his solution has been to keep all the bad executives and CEOs in place, pour more liquid cash into the leaking sieve known as America’s large banks, and propose a public-private buyout of “legacy assets” that might allow their owners to keep alive, at least temporarily, the fantasy that their worthless piles of crap hold some actual value.

Naturally, the two members of the five-person panel who disagreed with its findings were Republicans.

The panel also recommended “more transparency,” blah blah blah. Given that the news cycle alternates between the floating of actual economic plans and proposals with the release of scandalous bonus information, any guesses about which failed bank will be in the news tomorrow for giving their top executives hundreds of billions of dollars in exchange for sucking?

Congressional Panel Suggests Firing Managers, Liquidating Banks [Bloomberg]

{ 40 comments }

ManchuCandidate April 8, 2009 at 12:26 pm

Explains the ACME Trademark for TARP II.

queeraselvis v 2.0 April 8, 2009 at 12:28 pm

O/T, but speaking of top executives who are given hundreds of billions of dollars in exchange for sucking

binarian April 8, 2009 at 12:29 pm

This sounds a bit like an article about Zombie Banks on NPR in February. They wander around the financial landscape consuming everything edible in their path and are of no benefit to anyone….and we end up shooting them in the head anyway.

donner_froh April 8, 2009 at 12:29 pm

We shouldn’t worry about banks and car companies while ACME Products, distributors of deadly rockets, anvils and birdseed, are still in business.

Zadig April 8, 2009 at 12:29 pm

So the moral here is that Wile E. Coyote needed to fire Bob Bobson, CEO of Acme, or let it fail in favor of its competitor, Ridiculous Gadgetry Co, LLC.?

Who is the Roadrunner in this metaphor?

Canmon (the Inadequate) April 8, 2009 at 12:30 pm

I think that it is exactly what Tim Geithner wants to hear. He wants to replace the management at the failing banks but realizes that it isn’t politically tenable. This gives him cover.

Also, TruckNutz.

Crab1 April 8, 2009 at 12:30 pm

Paying billions of dollars for a good sucking is a waste of money. However, I once spent $350 for a Hot Karl from a ladyboy in Bangkok.

Come here a minute April 8, 2009 at 12:30 pm

Everything will be okay if we can just pump that bubble back up. Keep pumping!

Mista Eko April 8, 2009 at 12:31 pm

[re=283783]Zadig[/re]: Who is the Roadrunner in this metaphor?

China. Definintely China.

chascates April 8, 2009 at 12:33 pm

[re=283779]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]: “This is a very important vehicle for us. It’s one of the primary legs of the Chrysler stool,”

20mpg? Stool is right.

Zadig April 8, 2009 at 12:38 pm

[re=283788]Mista Eko[/re]: I dunno, China doesn’t seem like it’d be all that agile, unless Jackie Chan is your average China dude.

[re=283784]Canmon (the Inadequate)[/re]: Agreed. I’m pretty sure the outrage over paying these fuckers for being shitty at their jobs would be nothing compared to Geithner riding down the length of Wall Street on a giant boar, bearing Ken Lewis’ head on a pike, a feral warcry exploding from his lungs. It’s the right thing to do, and I’m pretty sure everyone knows it, but just imagine what the wingnutz would say, on their Twitters, and in the middle of freshman congresspersons’ speeches.

Lionel Hutz Esq. April 8, 2009 at 12:40 pm

Let’s face it, outside of a good child molestation, their is nothing that a Republican cannot make worse.

Zadig April 8, 2009 at 12:41 pm

[re=283779]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]: The Jeep Grand Cherokee is truly a piece of shit, but I’ll be fair to Chrysler here. They really would be missing out on a lot of moneys if they dropped the Grand Cherokee. I work on a wholesale lot, and that’s one of the models that never stays here for more than a day. There will still be buyers for that rolling trash heap after the nuclear winter, and my own brother will be one of them.

Roger the Shrubber April 8, 2009 at 12:41 pm

Saw the CEO of Chrysler on the teevees this morning. He was rolling out the new Grand Cherokee, not as boxy, based on the Mercedes ML form factor or some shit, good old American engineering, a luxury vehicle. Not, however, as stunning as Chrysler’s razor-keen insight into how to turn themselves around.

ManchuCandidate April 8, 2009 at 12:42 pm

[re=283783]Zadig[/re]:
Road Runner = Wall St

LeastExcellent April 8, 2009 at 12:49 pm

[re=283800]Roger the Shrubber[/re]: but itsa gunna hab a hybreed vertion that gos zoom-zoom at 12 mpg highway! 0w0

SayItWithWookies April 8, 2009 at 12:58 pm

[re=283784]Canmon (the Inadequate)[/re]: Geithner et. al. are worried that nationalizing sucky banks will have an adverse effect on the stock market. What they’re missing is that if stocks are already being propped up by groundless faith in financial institutions then they’re bound to take another tumble anyway — but at least with nationalizing they won’t take out a bunch of healthy banks with them.

They should take action on crappy banks now — the first months of a four-year term is just the worst time to try to kick this down the road.

AngryBlakGuy April 8, 2009 at 1:02 pm

…fire the bankers? Nah, those fukkers should be burned at the stake for their “economic witchcraft”. Its amazing how it takes a panel of 5 politicians/experts to tell you what literally anyone with high school diploma would have known.

Scandinavian Fetus April 8, 2009 at 1:03 pm

Is that North Korea’s other Taepodong-2 missile?

WIDTAP April 8, 2009 at 1:05 pm

[re=283783]Zadig[/re]: That would be China.

WIDTAP April 8, 2009 at 1:06 pm

[re=283788]Mista Eko[/re]: Ahh! Too slow me!

Zadig April 8, 2009 at 1:07 pm

[re=283825]Scandinavian Fetus[/re]: Japan didn’t bother intercepting this launch, because their spy satellite spotted “ACME” written on the fuselage.

katrina April 8, 2009 at 1:08 pm

Alt text FTW!
Still, I can’t believe that rocket doesn’t have truk nutz.
What’s with that coyote?

Scandinavian Fetus April 8, 2009 at 1:11 pm

[re=283834]Zadig[/re]: Plus, there was a coyote hanging on to it.

TeddyS April 8, 2009 at 1:12 pm

I’m a Republican and I vote ‘No!’ What was the topic again?

Scandinavian Fetus April 8, 2009 at 1:17 pm

It took a bit of research, but, I finally found out that “Geithner” is slang in German for “sphincter.”

Strangely, it can be classified as a both a noun and a verb.

Min April 8, 2009 at 1:21 pm

[re=283783]Zadig[/re]: I’m don’t know who the Roadrunner is, but I’m pretty sure the ACME Corporation is comprised entirely of overpaid bank executives.

lawrenceofthedesert April 8, 2009 at 1:46 pm

The individual in the graphic is not W. Coyote, but Bob Livingston, the self-described “ultra conservative” who writes http://www.personalliberty.com, now advertising on Wonkette. Bob is about to launch himself into deep space, where he gets his supply of mysterious dietary supplements and privacy paranoia. Sort of a wingnut Weil, I guess.

Links April 8, 2009 at 1:46 pm

Wonkette, you’re a total slut! How many boyfriends do you have?

Hooray For Anything April 8, 2009 at 1:57 pm

[re=283795]Zadig[/re]: Seriously, if the Nutters are screaming socialism and facism now, imagine the reaction if the banks DO get nationalized. The tea party people will step up and start sending things like Oolong tea or Jamine tea, Glenn Beck will light himself on fire in protest, Sean Hannity will divorce his wife and run off with Michelle Bachmann, John Boner will go up to smoking three packs a day– it’ll be frightening.

queeraselvis v 2.0 April 8, 2009 at 2:06 pm

[re=283798]Zadig[/re]: Your brother is Mark Goodfellow?

Bruno April 8, 2009 at 2:07 pm

[re=283779]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]: That Chryseler Jeep article is sickening. But, now that oil is down, people can continue to drive their SUVs! Screw you ecodriving!

Rary Guppert April 8, 2009 at 2:14 pm

elizabeth warren is awesome. i welcome her as my new overlord.

BlueMonkey April 8, 2009 at 2:28 pm

[re=283906]Hooray For Anything[/re]: I would pay good money (or Stash teabags) to see Glenn Beck light himself on fire for any reason.

populucious April 8, 2009 at 2:49 pm

You know “they” keep insisting on more transparency but I don’t think forcing all those bankers to wear saran wrap instead of 3 piece suits is going to make me feel any better about this.

Uncle Glenny April 8, 2009 at 3:41 pm

[re=283779]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]: ‘”This is a very important vehicle for us. It’s one of the primary legs of the Chrysler stool,” Chrysler spokesman Rick Deneau said.’

Ewwww. I wouldn’t want stool with legs… Does it chase him around after he craps it out?

Uncle Glenny April 8, 2009 at 3:44 pm

[re=283825]Scandinavian Fetus[/re]: It may be the No-dong.

Zadig April 8, 2009 at 4:09 pm

[re=283924]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]: No, but that fucker does come around here every once in a while in his sweatpants, like the srs businessman he is. I’m over at Bruce Motor Co, Covington Pike and Elmore. Come buy our goddamned cars.

hobospacejunkie April 8, 2009 at 7:19 pm

[re=283784]Canmon (the Inadequate)[/re]: I think that it is exactly what Tim Geithner wants to hear. He wants to replace the management at the failing banks but realizes that it isn’t politically tenable. This gives him cover.

I’d really really like to believe this but nothing Timmeh has done so far suggests he has any intention of doing anything of the sort. Last I checked he was sleeping soundly in the back pocket of Vikram Pandit.

hobospacejunkie April 8, 2009 at 7:21 pm

[re=284232]Zadig[/re]: Come buy our goddamned cars.

Now THAT’S a salesman I can buy a car from!!

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