Friday, February 20, 2009

CNBC's Rick Santelli and Taxpayer Rage: "...see if we really want to subsidize the losers' mortgages"

Check out CNBC's Rick Santelli's passionately indignant rant from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade.  Watch the whole thing; it has a real sting at the end.  Here is the link to the video.

A couple quotations:

"The government is promoting bad behavior!"

"How about we ALL stop paying our mortgages?"

It's outrage over the idea of having to pay your neighbor's mortgage, especially if the neighbor's been a fool to get that mortgage in the first place.  (Among other things.)  Preach it, Rick.

I ought to thank Santelli for ranting so I don't have to.

UPDATE 1:  Check out this angry piece in the Denver Post too (via Dr. Helen):  

"So why are we rewarding failure and abolishing consequences? . . . The more irresponsibly you behave, the more the government works for you."  

Plus this:
Obama has told us the American dream must be saved. So far, his remedy entails government rewarding bad behavior, encouraging dependency, subsidizing failure and penalizing success and prosperity.
Bingo.

UPDATE 2: Santelli interviewed about his outburst.  Blurb: 
And I’m not saying we should forget people who need help. But at the end of the day, Americans are strong and they’re charitable. I think what they have a problem with is that it’s force-fed via the government.
Yes.

UPDATE 3:  More here.  Check out the reader email quoted in the middle of the story.   Santelli, I dare say, did not so much create a raw nerve as much as he touched one that was already festering.

UPDATE 4:  How do we know that Santelli's hit a sensitive target?  The (increasingly catty and thin-skinned) White House spokesman attacked him by name.  Note to press secretary Gibbs and his puppeteers: What are you people smoking (besides a trillion dollars worth of worthless American greenbacks)?  PLENTY of people have been criticizing the Spend-a-palooza Government Orgy Bill, but you single Santelli out?  You're making him a martyr and a populist hero -- plus by default legitimizing him.  Besides, it's completely stupid for the White House to attack journalists and public people by name.  First it was Rush Limbaugh and now Rick Santelli?  You're making your own side look like a prickly elitist bunch of free-speech hypocrites.  HOPECHANGE!  

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