Ulsterman: And how did the meeting end?
Wall Street: That was very interesting. When it was clear the meeting was concluded, the president came back to life. It was like somebody plugged him back in. I am not…there is no exaggeration in what I’m telling you here. Possibly just the opposite. All at once he looked tall and strong, working the room again, smiling, clapping backs, and then he was gone. The word – I used it already, but the word I keep coming back to is surreal. The president was two entirely different people in the span of an hour. One was the President of the United States and the other was…the other was just an empty shell…
Ulsterman: Do you believe the president is dumb?
Wall Street: Absolutely not. Incompetent, yes. In over his head, yes. I would never stoop to calling President Obama dumb. Far from it. He has a proven academic track record of success. Incompetence and stupidity are two very different things.
Ulsterman: A track record of academic success? You seen his records? His grades?
Wall Street: Pardon?
Ulsterman: President Obama’s academic records – you’ve seen them?
Wall Street: No, but—
Ulsterman: (interrupts) —Then how can you make any statement about the president’s “record of academic success”? What proof does the country have of that success?
Wall Street: Where are you going with this? President Obama is a graduate of one of the finest universities in the world. He—
Ulsterman: (interrupts) —So was George W Bush, and yet many of his detractors considered him stupid.
Wall Street: I was not among those who did so.
Ulsterman: But you were a detractor of George W Bush, correct?
Wall Street: On some issues, yes – but always respectfully.
Ulsterman: So who would you consider more dangerous to the country – President George W Bush or President Barack Obama?
Wall Street: I don’t understand the context – one is no longer the president.
Ulsterman: Ah – how about I put it this way…which do you feel has done the least favorable job as president?
Wall Street: Least favorable? (pause) That…this discussion is about the present. Or at least that was what I intended.
Ulsterman: Fine – but I’m trying to establish a base point if you will. Where you stand relative to current and former political figures and your own politics. You’re keeping things very…close to the vest. I was told you would do that – which is understandable.
Wall Street: I already told you – I consider myself educated more than I do political. I value individual ability, not political affiliation.
Ulsterman: So by calling President Obama incompetent – you must not hold his individual abilities in very high regard. Correct?
Wall Street: I respectfully disagree with…(pause) I believe President Obama lacks an understanding of economic fundamentals. As other previous presidents have as well, mind you. The critical difference is that those other presidents surrounded themselves with staff who did understand those fundamentals. President Obama has…he has not done so.
Ulsterman: Is that why you believe Obama – President Obama, is that why you believe he tuned out during that roundtable meeting? He was unable to understand the subject matter? Or perhaps it’s something else? Perhaps the president is purposely acting against those economic fundamentals you’re speaking of? Could that be a possibility?
Wall Street: Purposely – what do you mean purposely? Are you implying a belief that President Obama is deliberately attempting to cripple the American economy?
Ulsterman: I’m putting that out there, yes. As a potential scenario we can discuss.
Wall Street: No. That is, that is…poppycock. That’s silly conspiracy nonsense. How would a president who hopes to be re-elected expect to succeed if they were purposely harming the economy? One and one do not make three.
Ulsterman: Ok then – get back to reasons why the president tuned out during that meeting. Why he had Valerie Jarrett speak for him. Incompetence alone doesn’t explain that.
Wall Street: Oh, I think it does. President Obama doesn’t appear to really care…he doesn’t want to learn about the subject at hand. Our mutual acquaintance has said much the same, correct? That if it doesn’t directly involve him, the president’s attention span…suffers greatly.
Ulsterman: So at that meeting, President Obama was bored? That’s your explanation?
Wall Street: Sure-sure. But in his defense, a room full of business and economic wonks is hardly the most entertaining group of individuals. I’ve nodded off at a few such meetings in my time. More than a few in fact.
Ulsterman: You’re not the President of the United States. You’re not sending troops to fight and die in foreign lands. You’re not sending guns into other foreign lands that are later used to kill American law enforcement. You’re not actively and repeatedly attacking the very businesses that ultimately have the power to pull this economy out of a recession and put millions of increasingly desperate people back to work. You want to fall asleep at a meeting? Fine. Don’t you think the President of the United States should have a higher level of expectation? Of competence? Of even the most basic degree of intellectual curiosity?
Wall Street: Don’t lecture me please. I am not one of your students.
Ulsterman: No – you’re not. But could you answer the question?
Wall Street: There was a question in that? I believe you were making a statement, not asking a question there.
Ulsterman: -Expletive deleted- right that was a statement. What I’m trying to get at here is an explanation…your insight into why President Obama has not interest in even appearing to grasp the information being discussed at that meeting. Doesn’t that alarm you?
Wall Street: It most certainly does alarm me – a great deal. I apologize if anything I’ve said here would contradict that fact. I have made it very clear I will not, in any way, help this president to be re-elected. How much more direct can I be?
Ulsterman: Would you say most of Wall Street is going to do the same – not help President Obama get re-elected?
Wall Street: As I already told you – I don’t speak for anyone else here.
Ulsterman: Did you receive any bailout money from the administration?
Wall Street: Pardon?
Ulsterman: Bailout money – did you or your firm receive any bailout money from the administration in 2009?
Wall Street: No – the administration does not have the authority to allocate such monies.
Ulsterman: What?
Wall Street: Only Congress can do that. Only Congress can allocate such funds. So no – there were no bailout funds received from the administration.
Ulsterman: (long pause) …From Congress then. Did you receive bailout funds from Congress?
Wall Street: No, I did not. I did not receive any such funds.
Ulsterman: Your firm. Did your firm receive any bailout money?
Wall Street: We should either move on at this point or end the interview.
Ulsterman: You don’t wish to answer that question?
Wall Street: This was to be an interview – not an interrogation.
Ulsterman: Billions and billions of taxpayer dollars were given to Wall Street, correct?
Wall Street: Correct.
Ulsterman: But you are refusing to acknowledge if you – if your firm, received any such funds?
Wall Street: Correct.
Ulsterman: Why?
Wall Street:It serves no purpose here – not in this context. This is to be about my views regarding President Obama. It is not to be about me personally and most certainly not to be about my business.
Ulsterman: Not even if it was your business to take bailout funds?
Wall Street: Are we done here? This is not going anywhere now. I think it best we end here. I wish to keep this respectful. You are compromising my position in this, which I was promised – repeatedly, would not happen.
Ulsterman: Then let me approach it – you’re right. No need to compromise your position here. I apologize.
Wall Street: Thank you.
Ulsterman: Let me ask the question in a much broader way then – but just base it on your opinion. Your experience. I’m not asking for you to speak for anyone but yourself here, ok?
Wall Street: Certainly.
Ulsterman: I have been told Wall Street has turned against the president. You have stated you intend to do nothing to help President Obama to be re-elected, correct?
Wall Street: (pause)…Yes.
Ulsterman: Why would institutions who received so much bailout funding from this administration…Congress, whatever you want to call it – why would they not support a president who pushed so aggressively for them to receive those funds?
Wall Street: You’re posing the question much more clearly now – and not nearly being as personally intrusive. Thank you.
Ulsterman: You’re welcome – can you answer the question?
_____________________________
PART THREE OF THIS INTERVIEW COMING SOON.
No comments:
Post a Comment