The American Trial Lawyers Association

In the midst of all the hullabaloo over AIG's decision to award $165 million dollars worth of bonuses to executives, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has decided to take action. Cuomo has issued a subpoena to AIG seeking a list with the names of executives receiving bonuses, which he had requested in the past. Cuomo said that he was disturbed by the company's decision to award these bonuses, in light of the fact that the company is failing, and over 79% of it is now owned by the government. Congressman Barney Frank is also speaking out against the bonuses, saying that if they can't be stopped, the government should consider firing some of these executives. Unfortunately, had the Obama administration acted, they could have easily prevented these bonuses from even going out, according to congressman Brad Sherman. Sherman told Talking Points Memo that the Treasury had a mechanism in place to stop this excess, but the administration missed their opportunity. Sherman actually predicted events like this, which is why he said he voted against the bailout – He knew that the Treasury would not enforce the rules that it had been given the authority to do. On top of this, experts are now warning us that it will be almost impossible for AIG to repay all of their bailout money to the government. The only logical step from here is criminal indictments and prosecutions. But, given the track record of the government for prosecuting those who screw over America, that's unlikely to ever happen.


In other news, a federal judge has ruled that it is ok for the Navy to spray recruits with a chemical that is known to cause death, and has been banned from international warfare. The decision is in response to a case brought by naval officers, who argued that the practice of subjecting trainees to a direct shot of pepper spray was dangerous and deprived them of their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. They said the Navy could rely on less intense training methods, such as smearing a small amount of the spray on the skin beneath the eyes, or forcing trainees to walk through a room that had previously been sprayed. But Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said he wasn't in a position to overrule the Navy's decision to continue the practice. Inhalation of high doses of some of the chemicals found in pepper spray can produce adverse cardiac, respiratory, and neurological effects, including arrhythmias and sudden death. Our soldiers have enough to worry about these days – we don't need to be shooting them in the face with pepper spray to toughen them up.


And speaking of the US court system, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas finally got something right. During a speech at Virginia college yesterday, Thomas told listeners that Americans today are too self-indulgent and don't make the sacrifices that their parents and grandparents did, and the nation's leaders don't ask people to act for the higher good. He added that our country and our principles are more important than our individual wants. He quoted President Kennedy's famous, "Ask not what your country can do for you" speech, but said Americans today are more likely to say, "Ask not what you can do for yourselves or your country but what your country can do for you." Ironically, Thomas is considered one of the more conservative judges on the bench today, but these ideals that he's talking about our almost uniquely liberal. Conservative philosophy teaches that each man or woman is responsible for themselves, and the goal is to ultimately be completely autonomous. On the other hand, liberals believe in the common good, stressing the importance of the group, rather than the individual. Maybe Justice Thomas is rethinking his outdated political positions, or perhaps he just forgot what his party actually stands for.

Labels: AIG, Andrew Cuomo, Barney Frank, Bonus, Brad Sherman, Clarence Thomas, Death, Farron Cousins, Lawsuit, Navy, Pepper Spray, Supreme Court