This has to be one of the best videos I’ve seen in a long time. Neil Cavuto had Florida Representative Alan Grayson on to discuss the farce that is the “Pay for Performance Act of 2009″, which give Obama and the Secretary of the Treasury sweeping power to regulate private sector businesses by limiting pay of employees and forcing CEOs to step down when Tiny Tim sees fit. Grayson is one of the main sponsors of the legislation, yet upon even a cursory discussion, it is clear that he knows nothing about the legislation he is both sponsoring and encouraging others to vote for. While he claims that this legislation is to limit the pay of people who are “ripping off the taxpayers and stuffing money in their pockets”. He could not come up with a salary number that would be considered “unreasonable or excessive” - not even a range or percentage that might be used as a guideline. Rather, he punts to TurboTax Geithner and says, “no, the Secretary of the Treasury sets the ranges”. The ignorance of this Representative is so staggering that I don’t really know where to begin, but just off the top of my head, two points come to mind:

1) People are not “ripping off” the taxpayer’s money. The AIG executives, for example were under employment contracts that outlined these bonuses prior to AIG taking taxpayer money, and the bonuses were paid under those contracts. You can bet your sweet ass that if this had been a Union shop of some sort, that these bonuses would have been forced to be paid without question because there was a contract in place. These clowns not only knew about the bonuses being in the original legislation when they signed it, they (Chris Dodd) wrote the damned provision requiring the payment of the bonuses himself. The only way AIG and other firms are capable of “looting” this money is because YOU appropriated it from us, sir. You. The money didn’t exist to be paid out “excessively” until you took it from us and gave it (unconsitiutionally, I might add) to firms like AIG.

2) When pressed as to where he and his cronies derive the authority to regulate pay for employees of private sector companies, Grayson arrogantly and condescendingly states, “It’s the Constitution, Neil.” Ummm, no, that is not how the Constitution works, sir. In fact, the Constitution expressly forbids the transference of legislative power to the Executive branch. Expressly forbids it. If you want to do that, you need to amend the Constitution to allow for it. Be my guest and try it.

Geithner and people like Grayson clearly have either no grasp on what the Constitution even says or they simply don’t care. I’m guessing it’s a combination of the two. For example, when Geithner was asked repeatedly by Representative Michele Bachmann (MN) a few weeks ago as to where in the Constitution he finds the authority to do this sort of thing, his answer was “Oh. Well, the Congress legislated, in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, a range of very important new authorities…”, and then when Bachmann pushes him to actually answer the question at hand, “Sir, in the Constitution. What in the Constitution could you point to that allows Congress to give authority to the Treasury to take the extraordinary actions that have been taken”. Geithner gives her a confused look as though thinking, “The Constitution? I thought you knew we stopped considering that in any way, shape or form a long time ago”. His final answer to the question is a flustered “under the laws of the land, of course”. Under the laws of the land? What is he five years old? What the hell does that mean?

So, in granting broad powers to the government in direct violation of the Constitution, Grayson’s answer to repeated questions about what constitutes “excessive and undeserving” salaries and bonuses, he simply throws Geithner under the bus in absentia and says that it’s Geithner’s call. Unfortunately, it isn’t according to “the laws of the land” or as we the informed like to call it, “The Constitution”. Alan Grayson really should read it, it’s quite a fascinating document.

Grayson then continues by insulting Cavuto, calling his concern “paranoid delusion”. Cavuto is clearly angry, but I would have told this asshat to go F himself. These pompous, elitist snobs think they know better than everyone else, and that they are “doing this for the people of the United States”. No, sir, you are doing it TO the people of the United States. The two are very different. You don’t even know what you are signing, nor are you putting any limitations or even guidelines on the power being given to the Executive Branch (illegally) and you have the audacity to say that we are “paraniod” and “delusional”. His continued responses to concern over the unbridled power that they are giving Giethner and that this could exten d to any company they choose to go after - whether they took bailout money or not is “that’s ridiculous - no one is contemplating that. Why don’t you ask Tim Geithner?” We don’t need to. We have recorded record that in fact you are full of it, Mr. Grayson. Your colleague from Massachusetts, Congressman Barney “Homestar Runner” Frank has made numerous statements recently that he thinks that this power to control companies should extend to include ALL companies, not just ones taking taxpayer money. Read about it here, or in the Financial Times (now defunct online).

Cavuto finally ends it with, “You are insulting Americans who have better stock in thinking that their leaders can do a better job. You are humiliating THEM, not the crooks you say are running these companies. WE pay YOU, Congressman. Act like it.” and his response is, “you’re being rude”. How’s this for rude? “You’re fired!”. Had this sort of thing been going on in 1820, clowns like this would, at a minimum have been recalled and would almost surely have been indicted for violating their oath of office to boot.

The time has come to get rid of these elitist, self-aggrandizing clowns who think that being elected to public office gives them a mandate to do as they please with the country. Anger is building, Mr. Grayson, and you and your ilk should be worried and start acting like the public servants that you are. Not royalty.