Carl Icahn: Obama "Would Be A Terrible President"

Bloomberg:

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said Barack Obama would be a ``terrible'' U.S. president whose election would bring higher interest rates and a loss of international confidence in the dollar.

``I don't normally get involved in politics, but this time I am,'' Icahn told an investors conference in New York last night. ``I don't think Obama really understands economics.''

The Illinois senator is the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama has 1,962 delegates, according to an Associated Press tally, putting him 64 delegates shy of the 2,026 needed to clinch the nomination.

``I personally think he would be a terrible president,'' Icahn, 72, said. Obama would probably go on a ``huge spending spree'' that ``the country can't afford right now.''

Read the whole story: Bloomberg

Comments

[mikatollah]

Thanks for that input Carl. Wish you had been as passionate about your politics in 2000 before Bush doubled the national debt and tripled the price of gas.

[kfdan]

This bit of information on our boy here! "Icahn developed a reputation as a ruthless corporate raider after his hostile takeover of TWA in 1985.[1] The result of that takeover was Icahn systematically stripping TWA of its assets and selling them off."

This just tells me he had the Martin Geko syndrome down pat. Now, why would I believe a guy like this. How about we look at the picture a little more clearly.

``I personally think he would be a terrible president,'' Icahn, 72, said. Obama would probably go on a ``huge spending spree'' that ``the country can't afford right now.''

Now this statement identifies our Geko man here to as one of those whose eyes must be looking down on the ground as he says this to keep from LOL. This is consumptive-eye-tick from one of the guys who has much experience in making high profits off other peoples misery ... not to mention company employees! Does this guy know what he's talking about ... well, take his rap with a grain of salt. Cleaning up the Washington Cesspool may cost some money my friends. Oh, did I forget to mention maybe some of Icahn's friends might certainly feel the heat as their favored status as non-bid contract grantees come to a rushing halt.

[LongBeachDave]

``I personally think he would be a terrible president,'' Icahn, 72, said. Obama would probably go on a ``huge spending spree'' that ``the country can't afford right now.''
Dear Mr Icahn...
I personally think you are a terrible human being. I guess that won't stop you from your bloodsucking, self-serving, despicable behavior. You are a real piece of work. How you can live with yourself is beyond me. Go back to obscurity, please, and do what your "normal" instincts tell you...don't comment or get involved in politics.

[bossjimgettys]

One of the best Obama endorsements I've seen so far!

[mikelartist]

Don't make me laugh. A junk bond corporate pirate is bitching about the end of his ruinous run.

You won't last a minute in the future after Democrats take over. You have never played fair Icahn and you never will. You house of cards is about to fall and you are desperate. Good. And good riddance.

[Crozier]

THIS MAN - who along with Frank Lorenzo - ruined the legacy airlines of the United States and cut them up to make his fortune on the bones of millions of families and their children in the airline industry - is just the reason why this FASCIST should be defined by other billionaires like Geffen and Buffett who have very different views of President Obama.

[lovethesinner]

Endorsements: Warren Buffett, George Soros.

non-Endorsements: Carl Icahn

No wonder Obama is so popular with the AMERICAN PEOPLE. (thanks Carl)

[PKSSK]

A billionare republican, Icahn says Obama will be a terrible President . In my eyes, I view this as an endorsement for those of us who are not billionares!!!! This statement proves that Obama will be the President for ALL people not just the top 1%!!!!

[Obama08Supporter]

Thank you sir, I hope the blue collar workers of America are listening. They are crawling out of the woodwork, scared as hell, that we will finally have a president for us, the regular people of America.

Hey Billionaire, you won't lost much, maynot another thousand-two a year to help your fellow American eat. That's not much to ask.

Thanks for the endorsement!

Obama 2008 a president for all people!

[CindyKay]

Yeah , I care what this fella thinks.......NOT!

This coming from a Man that Supported Guiliani . LOL!

[jeananotgina]

Listen Mr. Icahn, why don't you just go crawl back into your hole?

[TheKat]

You know what? The problem with getting over here so late is all the good comments have been taken. Rats! Thanks guys.

[urban]

Just one more reason to vote FOR Obama. As if a corporate raider, whose job is to buy U.S. businesses then lay off all the workers and ship the production overseas has my interests at heart.

Icahn is satanic

[faith]

Absolutely correct. Icahn is corporate cannibal. He buys companies and sells them for the parts and by doing such has caused hundreds of thousands of workers to lose their jobs and their homes. May this guy rot ! Along with Banking and Loans gang. But, hey it's the american way.

[loax]

This man may be a millionaire, but he is clueless about the American people. How much money has he made from the Bush War mongering machine of the past 8 years. His statement is ludicrous and self serving.

[RobinLandseadel]

Just like anything else these days, the very first question I would ask Mr. Ichan is what are his investments, and how do those investments affect the rest of us. I'd bet anything that man is scared that Bushco---aka Brown Brothers Harriman, the world's largest international bankers and a Bush Crime Family operation to it's core---is going to get charged for various and sundry crimes, perhaps entangling Mr. Ichan in its legal snares, perhaps simply losing him scads of money.

The sooner these crypto-faschists go down the better for the rest of the world. We don't need Billionaires at all, It's time to start getting rid of them.

[armadillious2002]

No Mr. Icahn - it's your Pres. Bush who has gone on the spending spree - spending billions per week in Iraq where we shouldn't have been in the first place. President bush has indeed bankrupted our once great Nation. By the way - Wealthiest man in the world Warren Buffet supports Obama. Just a guess but I'd bet Warren could buy Icahn out twenty times over.

[wedgie]

Here's a guy who hasn't done a f**king thing for anybody but himself.

Carl Ichan "would be a terrible human being."

If he was one at all.

**

[InLosAngeles]

You really don't have a clue of what you are talking about. Not surprising as this site and sadly our once proud party has about as much substance as American Idol these days. Icahn, hardly a saint, at least creates true wealth for shareholders, which gushes in to pension funds, 401k, etc and helps us working stiffs. He goes in and forces mgmt. to create value for shareholders. He shines the spotlight on mgmt, that becomes entrenched and enriches itself at the expense of shareholders....and yes he makes a lot of money for himself and the rest of us who are invested in 401k, IRAs and pensions. He is in direct opposition to private equity investors who come in, take companies private, and secure the wealth from cost cutting, etc for themselves and their ultra wealthy investors, and then spin the cored out result to the public at much higher prices down the road when the window of opportunity is right and capture the wealth for a thin sliver of wealthy individuals who invest in the private equity pools. You may not understand Icahn, and thus immediately not like him because he is wealthy from using his brain, but if you have a 401k, he has done more for you and your family's retirement prospects then the guy or gal you're planning to vote for this fall.

[arvay]

What you say is true enough but his comment shows Ichan's lack of judgement on political issues. John McCain, a self-confessed economic ignoramus, is our other choice.

At the very least, Obama isn't hostage to those entrenched corporate incompetents that Ichan sometimes attacks and removes (and more power to him there, and he's welcome to his financial rewards).

That's the essence of Obama's superiority as a president who can fix many of our economic problems, including an under-regulated financial system and the vast sums being poured into the Iraq war.

Ichan's expertise is too narrow to make his comments worthwhile.

[midwesthousewife]

Thanks for the information.

[disgustedbyitall]

I don't like Icahn for spewing nonsense. What evidence does he have that Obama will go on a spending spree? How exactly does Icahn feel about Bush, who has sucked the nation into a massive debt hole and expanded the federal government like no president since FDR (who had reason to--Bush did not)?

Instead of just blindly defending the guy because of 401Ks (which don't mean much to the poorest Americans, people Obama intends to do something about), try stepping back and taking a critical look at your billionaire hero... and maybe sending him a good PR person who's smart enough to tell him to watch his mouth in public.

[StephenDedalus82]

But he dared question the saintly perfection of Obama, the man who will be the greatest president ever. That makes him eeevil.

[PKSSK]

InLosAngeles, your comments are respected, but present a disingenuous and misguided opinion. The hero of 401K's, as you represent Mr Icahn to be, has no credibility with me. The value of 401K's have been under a contined threat of diminishment for the past seven years and will continue if we follow the current path that has allowed Mr. Icahn to build his incredible wealth, and, even more so, if we were to elect McCain.

Your opinion would serve to educate others if it were rational and represented the reality of the economical threat that is falling upon all American citizens, not just the wealthy few at the top, who choose to malign the candidate that most threatens their own financial pocket book. Your comment neglected two important words that have played a mafor role in our falling economy, GREED and POWER!!!!