THE GAME THAT GOES ON AND ON: A SWISS BANK, A PRESIDENT, AND THE PERMANENT GOVERNMENT By RUSS BAKER April 6, 2010 42-23196696 President Obama on Martha’s Vineyard, summer 2009. UBS banker and Obama fundraiser Robert Wolf is driving the golf cart. Last August, the presidential press corps followed Barack Obama and his family to Martha's Vineyard for their brief vacation. The coverage focused on summery fare-a visit to an ice cream parlor, the books the president had brought along. Nearly everyone mentioned his few rounds of golf, including his swing, and the enthusiasm of onlookers. What caught my eye, though, was the makeup of his foursome. The president was joined by an old friend from Chicago; a young aide; and Robert Wolf, Chairman and CEO, UBS Group Americas. In a decidedly incurious piece, a New York Times reporter made light of Wolf's presence: "The president has told friends that to truly relax he prefers golfing with young aides...But he departed from that pattern Monday when he invited a top campaign contributor, Robert Wolf, president of UBS Investment Bank, to join him for 18 holes. Call it donor maintenance." Wolf, however, is hardly-as the Times suggested- just another donor. For one thing, he is a leading figure in an industry that almost brought down the entire financial system-and then was the recipient of astonishing government largesse. UBS, along with other banks, benefited directly from the backdoor bailout of the insurance giant AIG. Full Article: http://www.whowhatwhy.com/the-game-that-goes-on-and-on.html -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ShadowGovernment" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/shadowgovernment?hl=en.
