The newly announced chairman of General Motors, Edward E Whitacre Jr, led AT&T and its predecessor entities as chairman and chief executive officer from 1990 to 2007. His tenure completely encompasses the period when telecom companies illegally acquiesced to the Bush-era warrantless interception of Americans’ communications.
Whitacre, 67, was chairman and chief executive of AT&T and its predecessor companies from 1990 to 2007. During that time he grew the company through several mergers and acquisitions, GM said.
Whitacre is on the boards of ExxonMobil Corporation and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation. He also holds an industrial engineering degree from Texas Technological University.
Whitacre also led AT&T throughout most of the fierce lobbying undertaken by the telecoms to ensure none of them were ever liable for violating the clear laws against providing access to Americans’ private data unless the government had a warrant. The success of this effort means we will likely never know how Mr Whitacre reacted when the Bush Administration illegally asked to intercept Americans’ telephone calls and emails.
Thanks to the gutting of FISA last summer, the retroactive immunity for telecoms, and the Obama Administration’s continued fights in court to keep "state secrets" secret, we will never know what AT&T said when the spies came calling for your private data and mine, without the required warrants, while Mr Whitacre was at the helm.
But it does bring a whole new meaning to "Onstar! How may I help you?" in every single vehicle General Motors produces.
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zed.
Onstar is for people that give up privacy for safety. Kind of like Franklin’s quote on liberty and security.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
In America, elite oligarchs never face justice. That’s reserved for the little people.
When the government asks GM to provide Onstar data about American owners of their vehicles, will Mr Whitacre insist on a warrant? Probably not.
DC is like musical chairs – they just keep recycling the same people through the CEO of this, or the Chairman of that. There must be only about 6 of them.
Can’t we find a successful CEO to run GM or maybe somebody who took AutoShop!
The
I drive cars thing
Does not make you qualified to run a car company.
This MBA I can manage any company without knowing a SINGLE THING about the company
because I know how to delegate
.
Is a harmful fantasy that is killing American Business. The I can manage I don’t need expertise theory was disproved by Bush.
How can anyone ask the right questions let alone delegate if they can’t tell a cam from a crankshaft? If they don’t know how long it takes to make a car?
If they reflexively believe their own preconceived ideas about Unions and National Healthcare for example (subjects most CEO’s hate) rather than learn on the job?
I bet Toyota and Honda’s CEO’s can tell a cam from a crankshaft.
Just how was he selected for the job Old Boys network? Or did he fall asleep flyfishing like Cheney did and then just wake up chairman of Haliburtron?
Cronyism picking your unqualified friends for jobs isn’t that one of the things that Doomed Bush?
“Yes! Someone has stolen the fourth amendment to my constitution . . .”
Why hire a Crony with this much baggage?
lol.
Onstar freaks me out.
OT: Frank Gaffney finally cracks KO’s WPITW – my question is what took so long?
Of course he did. I don’t trust any of the major telecoms more than I can throw them.
DFA is hosting a live chat with Howard Dean on healthcare reform at 9. Supposedly this is supposed to start off a progressive book salon. I think Dean hasn’t heard of FDL’s now long tradition of progressive book salons.
I’m waiting for your answer to that question.
Logic fails I assume he has friends who owe him in the administration but who could owe him that big?
Interesting if its real.
Oh hey I am just catching up on news here. But the Graham/Lieberman supplemental? That sounds like a stick dipped in sh*t.
you can say that again, teddy.
Which part? The book salon or the chat?
Eli is upstairs!
The Courage Of The Conservadems
True Joe is a wuss but is Harry Reid the bigger wuss? If Joe pushes Harry around on this can Harry keep his job as Senate Majority leader?
Harry seems to be helping Joe undermine him. Harry might agree with Joe in which case he should openly stump for the bill.
Helping Joe undermine him though makes him look weak.
Both
Maybe Harry doesn’t think Joe is undermining him. The rest is all kabuki. Chat is on. I think.
And what exactly did you expect from Texas Tech?
Whitacre’s initials say it all for me.
It has seemed bad enough live, but I’ve had a feeling lately that the true awfulness of the last
decade3 decades is only beginning to become apparent.