Call it “GE-Gate,” call it “Obama-Payola,” call it “Rent-a-Senator” . . . whatever you call it, hearken back to the days of proud smokestack America when an idealistic young actor was serving as spokesman for and signing off from one of the most popular shows on television, General Electric Theater with his signal anthem: “At General Electric where progress is our most important product.” 

That young actor, a union-paying Democrat and later union president before coming to GE, was so impressed by the corporate culture, integrity and sense of purpose at General Electric that he eventually became a conservative and later served as Governor of California and President of the United States. While in the oval office he helped win the Cold War, end the Warsaw Pact and the USSR and Eastern-European communism while bringing the Berlin Wall crashing down.  Those were the halcyon days when General Electric really commanded respect.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Rajjpuut doubts very much that Ronald Reagan would be proud to serve as GE spokesman nowadays . . . . 

                Today, once mighty GE, proudest long-time resident atop the Dow Jones 30 Industrial Stocks, is in the butt-kissing and apple-polishing business full time with none other than the nation’s first black president . . . a charismatic speaker and out-and-out charmer who promised to “. . . clean up Washington” and “run the most open, transparent and accountable administration in the country’s history.” 

                 “. . . clean up Washington” and “run the most open, transparent and accountable administration in the country’s history.” Memorable words, unfortunately NOT SO the deeds! 

The only question now is, “What's the going rate to buy one U.S. Senator's vote  for the most important event in corrupt-new suddenly Eco-conscious GE’s life?” Will it take $50,000 or $75, 000 or $100,000 each to pass the “cap and trade Waxman-Markey bill?” Forbid it almighty God, I know not what course the pikers may take, but for real payola, hold out for $200,000 minimum!

While it may have been obvious during the presidential campaign that MSNBC news was incapable of mouthing anything less than glowing praise for Barak Obama . . . their closet relationship has come out into the open courtesy of the aforementioned leaked memo GE Vice Chairman Rice wrote in that Aug. 19 e-mail to his colleagues at GE. First a bit more background . . . .

                In the most blatant and shameless sell-out in American journalistic history, Barak Obama now “owns” MSNBC journalistic coverage of Himself and scratching the back that scratches his:  General Electric  (GE: MSNBC’s parent company) now “owns” the inside track on all cap-and-trade contracts; global warming contracts; green job contracts; and, oh yes, bailout money for the nearly bankrupt** General Electric during the Obama administration. GE, of course, has already received $139 Billion dollars in federal bailout funds for its financial arm. 

There was one instance during the presidential campaign when light criticism of Barack the Beloved resulted in a wrist slap and another in March of 2009 when some of their CNBC financial analysts began criticizing Obama and his proposed programs (“a spending spree” according to one pundit) -- the typical government spending boondoggles GSBs liberals are famous for. Virtually immediately GE CEO Jeff Immelt and NBC President Jeff Zucker both dropped in on aforesaid commentators to inform them as to the weather: “Boys, this is how the wind blows around here . . .”  

Apparently the “re-orientation chat” worked.  Since that time criticism, even subtle criticism of Obama the candidate or Obama the president has been non-existent. Their bias for Obama had always been outrageous, but today Zucker and Immelt have become Obama’s trick ponies and President Obama is deified at least three times daily on each NBC affiliate company. Other than Obama getting unlimited use of NBC teleprompters during the campaign and later as president, no one could be sure exactly what the tie in was. Up till late August the nature of their “pact” was still anybody’s guess. Let’s look at three examples of the suspicious nature of the relationship: 

1.        GE is relying on the Obama administration to come through on a promise that all American health records could by law only be computerized with GE and its supposedly “superior technology” having the inside track for a contract that would bring in billions. When word of this “cozy relationship was first aired in early August, Obama began showing a bit less favoritism at news conferences and even invited ABC in for one-on-one interviewing.  Instead of a whole slew of government contracts, however, GE might be cruising for a bruising.  Fox commentator Bill O’Reilly opined recently that any important contract for GE

“would make Watergate look like a Shirley Temple movie.” If that is the case, then one video clip that will make every highlight reel will be Kareem Dale (Special Asst. to Obama) smiling, “At the White House, as we always like to say, we love MSNBC.”

2.      GE appointed former Senator Tom Daschle to its health advisory board. Daschle, President Obama's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services until a tax scandal derailed him, has strong connections to the Obama White House. So obviously there is a huge potential conflict of interest here. NBC News is in on the “hear no evil, see no evil, SPEAK no evil” take for Obama, even as GE, the parent company, is aiming to corral billions from the federal government. Hard to believe that MSNBC has only run positive spin stories on Obamacare for the last 11 ½ weeks isn’t it?  NBC, was once renowned for the high ethical tone of its (liberal) news coverage but now with Zuckerman, Immelt and Daschle running point for the news gatherers, all you can hear is poisonous left-wing fanaticism supporting the president unerringly. Literally, sneezing or partial eye-rolling while reporting an Obama story is now a capital offense at NBC.

3.      GE, the once mighty Dow Jones Smokestack America Industrial giant who’s dividends were all any frugal retiree every needed, is now (unless the White House comes through) moving toward not just penny dividends, but actual penny stock status unless the White House comes through for them. To arrest that slide they have created a whole new strategy arm called “Ecomagination” which is plotting to win a wide array of ecology-themed contracts associated with global warming, green-tech, and cap and trade legislation. It all comes down on the “Obama connection,” will the president come through?

The connections that were assumed are now obvious, the August 19 e-mail memo from GE Vice Chairman Rice made it all official . . . .

"The intersection between GE's interests and government action is clearer than ever," Vice Chairman John G. Rice wrote in his August 19, 2009 e-mail to colleagues. He was calling on all GE people and GE subsidiary people to join GEPAC, the General Electric Political Action Committee. "GEPAC is an important tool that enables GE employees to collectively help support candidates who share the values and goals of GE,” that is, as the e-mail continued:   sharing the values and goals of GE means “support for policies that profit the company.”

Rice continues by getting specific about climate change, "we were able to work closely with key authors of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, recently passed by the House of Representatives. If this bill is enacted into law it would benefit many GE businesses."

GE has put almost all its eggs into the Waxman-Markey basket. W-M would profit GE Greenhouse Gas Services, which deals in greenhouse gas credits, products that have value only if a cap-and-trade bill like Waxman-Markey passes. That is if W-M fails, GM is up the creek. Rice did not pull any punches, "Our Company is heavily impacted by a number of issues pending in Washington this fall.”

GE spent more on lobbying in the second quarter of this year than did any other company, according to federal lobbying files. Since 1998, GE has been the leading lobbier, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, outpacing its runner-up by 40 percent. Tying the lobbying and PAC effort together, Rice said, " . . .we must also make sure that candidates who share GE's values and goals get elected to office . . ."

Six House members have received more than $4,000 from GEPAC this cycle -- all Democrats -- Representative John Murtha, D-Pa., faces a tough re-election next year, thanks to accusations that he has used his chairmanship of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee to benefit donors and patrons. GE is a top defense contractor.

The other big recipients are all incumbents in powerful positions, presumably safe for now: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer, Ways and Means member Richard Neal, who chairs the subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, and key appropriator Norm Ducks**. This year two-thirds of GEPAC money has gone to Democrats, but during the 2008 elections, recipients were pretty equally divided. 

Why would GE give $15,000 to every senatorial candidate regardless of party in the last election?  Obviously, it was not because they cared so much who won, but rather because this way they had an “in” with the winner, whoever he/she was. The process is called “Rent-Seeking” which means: Lobbying and contributing to campaign funds so that favorable government legislation or regulation; or defeat of unfavorable legislation or regulation happens precisely in the manner most calculated to generate huge profits for the company which ordinary free market interchanges could never provide.  

It’s a fact of life in Washington, D.C. and GE is playing the game for high stakes with its presidential stooge benefitting from the firm's (via NBC) unfailing support over the airwaves. A $15,000 contribution to both horses in a two-horse contest may cancel each other out, but they work fine if what you’re really paying for is the “ear” of a congressman.  But really, that's not the question is it . . . "How much for just his soul?"

Ya’all live long, strong and ornery,