Press Releases

Why Won't Obama Stop AIG Bonuses?

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Mon, 03/16/2009 - 07:51

Barack Obama has shown no hesitation to wield the power of the state, but he claims that he’s unable to stop these outrageous AIG bonuses, even though taxpayers now own 80% of AIG.

Obama wants the government to dominate the health care and energy economies. He’s proposed huge new taxes to help finance expansion of the federal government. More to the point, he would allow bankruptcy judges to abrogate contracts as part of his mortgage bailout. His automaker bailout contemplates the setting aside or revision of UAW contracts.

TARP Inspector General Asked to Investigate Citigroup and Bank of America Donations to Rainbow/PUSH

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Thu, 01/15/2009 - 01:00

Today the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) asked Neil M. Barofsky, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), for a formal review of the sponsorship by Bank of America and Citigroup of the Rainbow/PUSH Wall Street Conference currently taking place in New York City. The January 13-16 event is one of two of Jesse Jackson’s annual fundraisers.

Obama Must Withdraw Geithner Nomination

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 01:00

Peter Flaherty, President of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), today made the following statement:

President-elect Obama should withdraw Timothy Geithner’s nomination for Treasury Secretary. Obama says that middle–class families with incomes of $250,000 are wealthy and their taxes should be raised, but he wants a Wall Streeter who didn’t pay his taxes to be his point man on the economy.

Obama Invited Blagojevich Appointment of Roland Burris By Backing Off Call for Special Election

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Tue, 12/30/2008 - 01:00

Peter Flaherty, President of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), today reacted to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s appointment of Roland Burris to Barack Obama’s Senate seat by saying:

It’s getting more difficult for Barack Obama to extricate himself from the political mess in Illinois. Obama and other leading Democrats should have stuck to their calls for a special election to fill his Senate seat, instead of reverting to a brokered process. It only invited this kind of shenanigans from Blagojevich.

Obama Labor Nominee Hilda Solis Supports Coercive Card Check and Says Illegal Aliens are Americans

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 01:00

Dr. Carl Horowitz, director of the Organized Labor Accountability Project of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), today reacted to Barack Obama’s nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) for Labor Secretary. He said:

This is a terrible nomination. Solis is a total flack for the union bosses. I predict an explosion of union corruption, especially with infrastructure stimulus funds flowing to unions like the Laborers and Teamsters, which still have not freed themselves from the influence of organized crime.

Obama’s Choice of Eric Holder for Attorney General Criticized Because of Holder’s Role in Health Care Task Force Cover-Up

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Tue, 11/18/2008 - 01:00

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), a plaintiff in the successful 1993 lawsuit to open the meetings and records of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s health care task force, today criticized Barack Obama for selecting Eric Holder as his Attorney General nominee.

According to NLPC President Peter Flaherty, “Holder is not ethically qualified to serve as Attorney General. His track record is not one of independence or objectivity. Instead, he has been guided by politics and self-interest.”

On December 21, 1994, federal Judge Royce Lamberth, who presided over the litigation to open the health care task force, asked Holder, who at the time was the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to investigate Ira Magaziner for possible perjury and criminal contempt of court. He also suggested that Attorney General Janet Reno should appoint an independent counsel to investigate.

Obama Support for Auto Bailout Characterized as Payoff to United Auto Workers

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Wed, 11/12/2008 - 01:00

UAW logo Peter Flaherty, President of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), today criticized proposals to bailout GM, Chrysler and Ford, arguing that the plans are actually intended to bailout the United Auto Workers (UAW). Flaherty said:

The $700-billion Wall Street bailout was not meant to be a prize for special interest groups that were on the winning side of the election. It is a mistake to use TARP to reward high-tax, non-right to work states like Michigan. It was argued that failure of financial firms posed systemic risk; no such risk exists with the automakers.

The automaker bailout is actually a UAW bailout. The union will not allow companies to deploy capital in ways that the market would dictate such as closing plants and layoffs. That’s why UAW opposed the GM/Chrysler merger and a government role in it.