Just read that Panetta pocked over 700k for his “efforts” – speaking to and speaking for his corporate friends.

It’s the same in academia. I have a friend who occasionally does op-eds for the NYT and is one of the top economists in an important area I won’t mention. He gets $10 to $15 thousand a pop for speaking to corporate groups, and he’s on our side! I was floored when he told me. Once I got a thousand for delivering a speech, and I thought I was a made man!

The point is that companies have so much cash, and so much they can write off, that they can buy people. It works.

thanks!

Markopolous was incredibly lucid and credible while panel two was complete Bush era executive contempt. I stayed up way too late watching the replay and need coffee.

I would absolutely recommend panel two viewing. Acura, Grayson, and Mutterpearl were excellent as well as Ackerman.

I had nightmares thinking of the risks Markopolous and his associates took to try to stop the scam. There are forces at work here of intimidation and greed throughout this whole scam. Markopolous pointed out 29 Red flags over the years and even sent a package to Spitzer whose family trust lost in the Ponzi scheme.

Best hour and a half of the “new times” yet.

reality tv!