Elizabeth Warren, Hypocrite, Supports Ex-Im Bank
The woman best known for demonizing big businesses nevertheless wants to maintain an outlandishly generous subsidy package for them.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren—a leading progressive populist, possible Democratic presidential candidate, self-proclaimed champion of the poor, and enemy of greedy corporations (not really, as you will see)—supports the Export-Import Bank.
That's right: The woman best known for demonizing big businesses nevertheless wants to maintain an outlandishly generous subsidy package for them.
Warren's support for Ex-Im was revealed Friday after the Heritage Foundation reached out to her regarding a possible partnership on the issue. Libertarians and Tea Party conservatives are noted opponents of the subsidy, which they see as crony capitalism that helps politically-connected businesses cheat the free market. Liberty-inclined Republicans are working with the left on a host of issues, including NSA spying and marijuana legalization—why not make common cause with Warren on corporatism as well?
Looks like the joke is on Heritage. From Bloomberg:
"Senator Warren believes that the Export-Import Bank helps create American jobs and spur economic growth, but recognizes that there is room for improvement in the bank's operations," Warren spokesman Lacey Rose tells us in an e-mail. "She looks forward to reviewing re-authorization legislation if and when it is introduced."
The irony of Warren rejecting an offer from the right to fight Ex-Im together was not lost on The Washington Examiner's Tim Carney:
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren loves to shoot barbs at Wall Street. She also enjoys forcing taxpayers to absorb Wall Street's risks while the banks pocket the profits.
… At Ex-Im's annual conference, one Wall Streeter described Ex-Im's loan guarantees to me as "free money." Is Elizabeth Warren really fine with free money to Wall Street?
Warren was in Detroit on Friday morning speaking at Netroots Nation 2014, where unaffiliated activists waved signs and led chants urging her to run for president. They even filmed this cringe-inducing music video (you can watch it here, but fair warning: you will beg for death before the end). Here are some of the lyrics:
Americans want our next president to be a woman. Hey babe, here's looking at you Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The planet is warming and the power is shifting. We need a leader who won't stand for all the corporate bullshit the lobby's grifting.
People think the system is rigged because it is. And it's time that we stand up. We need a leader who won't stand for all the corporate bullies and political phonies.
If they knew Warren supported Ex-Im, would they admit that she is a political phony who absolutely stands for all the corporate bullies? Yeah, I doubt it.
Thankfully, there are some politicians who do stand up to corporate bullies. Check out Reason TV's interview with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on his opposition to the Ex-Im Bank.
