Media Gloats and Bashes Tea Party After Gibson Guitar Cuts Deal
Posted by Jim Hoft on Monday, August 6, 2012, 11:48 AM
The liberal media gloated today and bashed the Tea Party and conservatives after Gibson Guitar Corp. reached a deal with the federal government on its exotic wood imports.
Earlier this year Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juszkiewicz was invited to sit with Republicans during Obama’s State of the Union speech.
Juszkiewicz slammed “big liberal” Obama after his partisan speech to Congress. (TPM)
The Associated Press reported:
Federal prosecutors say a deal has been reached to drop the criminal case against Gibson Guitar Corp. after the instrument maker acknowledged its exotic wood imports violated environmental laws.
Under the agreement announced Monday, Nashville-based Gibson is to pay a $300,000 penalty. The company also agreed to forfeit claims to about $262,000 worth of wood seized by federal agents and contribute $50,000 to promote conservation of protected tree species.
The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gibson’s decision to cooperate with federal laws banning the import of endangered wood products stands in contrast to a 2011 publicity campaign mounted after agents raided Gibson facilities in Memphis and Nashville.
Republicans and tea party members rallied behind CEO Henry Juszkiewicz (JUS’-kuh-wits) when he denounced the raids as overzealous federal regulation that threatened American jobs.
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snap boy commented:
One more example of the graft demanded by this administration.
Joe Blow commented:
When will the general public realize our government is beginning to use totalitarian tactics. Soon no one will be able to do anything without having to check with “Big Brother”.
stuart commented:
Gibson forced to give in to Federal Government extortion. Media thrilled. (There, I fixed it.)
Sam Stone commented:
This is no more than a response to the boot on their neck and the what looks like extortion by the Feds. Gibson wanted to get on with their business noting else.
It is always cheaper than fighting the government.
Extortion is what it is. Just like Obama did with BP.
gerr commented:
They were forced.
Redwine commented:
Exactly, stuart #3 – this totally corrupt regime lives of extortion, theft, greed, deception, retribution and lies. And the duped and duping media celebrates any punishment meted out to perceived enemies of the regime.
“contribute $50,000 to promote conservation of protected tree species”
Pure extortion.
Retribution and extortion are what the regime wants meted out to major Romney contributors Adelson, Frank Vandersloot, and others on their enemies list. Retribution and extortion are what the regime’s enforcers, the IRS, want from Tea Party-related organizations.
w commented:
Sam, BP got off easy because they already had Rahm in their back pocket. Without him, they might not have survived in their current form.
bigL commented:
One of his competitors is a big donk and obama supporter. That lede came out about the time of the first raid, after the only raid . then it was never mentioned again. Also I recall that the Feds removed finished guitars that were valued at a million dollars. Anyone else recall that? If so were they returned?
illiniguy commented:
In other news…”the Obama Administration today announced that “skin flutes” were the prefered instrument of his reelection campaign”
jorgen commented:
It is an Obama world: totalitarian methods, including extortion.
Texas_Treeroach commented:
Yes, I can understand their feeling of accomplishment. There’s nothing more rewarding for this Government than breaking someone and his successful business. The bonus is watching the victim crawl out and surrender to Socialist machine that broke him.
Of course there are high-fives throughout the State Propaganda Ministries!! Let the Red Flag wave proudly!!
Now —- Who’s next?
Winefred commented:
Butterfly. Wheel. Plea bargain. Communist re-education camp fee. Ah — the Obama-nation at its purest.
Mekan commented:
Proud to be an American where at least I once was free!
succotash1 commented:
Extortion plain and simple…where is anyone to stand up for the “folks” as we are refered to by Obama? What a cesspool of corruption has been foisted on this once? great country.
greenfairie commented:
That’s the problem with the federal government. They can crush you like a bug.
kato commented:
Almsot every day, one can read about one or more companies that have paid a big fine without admitting guilt. If you’ve got the mental disorder, then companies are guilty without proof. But it seems safe to say that a good number of these companies won’t admit guilt because they’re not guilty. They settle as a matter of expediency.
Being shaken down by a government that increasingly uses police-state tactics has become yet another cost of doing business in America. Note that when companies do spend the money to defend themselves in court, the government almost always loses. The government is great at trial by press conference, but pretty inept when it actually comes to bringing forth compelling evidence in a court of law. But the government knows how to hassle a defendant into submission, using a ready supply of taxpayer money to destroy job- and wealth-creating entities.
This is just one more reason why many companies are moving operations abroad. I await the day on which a major corporation announces that it is leaving the United States completely because the taxes, the regulations, the tort lawyers, the deranged energy policy, and the unions make it no longer worth its while. I’ll likely want to invest in that company because it will be doing something good for its shareholders.
It’s almost amazing that at this critical moment in America’s history, the people elected an arrogant, mendacious, and ignorant left-winger with the un-American mentality characteristic of many blacks. The handiwork of guys like Obama is on display from Caracas to Detroit. How did anyone believe that this subprime blowhard with his dubious credentials and associations was going to do anything but make the country worse?
gastorgrab commented:
‘…..and contribute $50,000 to promote conservation of protected tree species….”
——
What organization would that be? ‘Hardwood Trees for Obama, 2012′???
American Woman commented:
The Federal Department of Justice argued that the wood from India (confiscated from Gibson) was not finished by Indian workers and therefore illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the involvement of the government in India.
The U.S. Lacey Act doesn’t directly address conservation but is about obeying all laws of the countries from which wood products are procured. According to the Lacey Act, you are guilty if you did not observe a law even if you had no knowledge of that law in a foreign country.
Isn’t reassuring that Holder’s Justice Department is enforcing obscure laws from other countries, while distributing assault weapons into the hands of criminals?
Holder can’t supply Issa’s committee with paperwork concerning Fast and Furious and the DOJ’s role in the death of a US Border Agent, but his people work overtime to enforce the laws concerning India’s wood products. The fascists must have enjoyed terrorizing an American Co. and depriving Gibson employees of work.
Really , truly, sad and twisted.
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