In CNBC host Cramer's "U.S.S.A.": "Comrade" Obama is a "Bolshevik" who is "taking cues from Lenin"
In the past month, CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer has repeatedly characterized President Obama and congressional Democrats as Russian communists intent on"rampant wealth destruction." Specifically, Cramer has referred to Obama as a"Bolshevik" and said he is"taking cues from Lenin." Cramer has also used terms such as"Marx,"" comrades,""Soviet,""Winter Palace," and"Politburo" in reference to Democrats and questioned whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is the"general secretary of the Communist Party."
As Media Matters for Americadocumented, on the March 3 edition of NBC's Today, Cramer attacked Obama's purported"radical agenda" and claimed that"this is the most, greatest wealth destructive I've seen by a president." Cramer's statements were subsequently highlighted by congressional Republicans.
Examples of Cramer characterizing Obama and congressional Democrats as Russian communists in the past month include:
- During the February 2 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, Cramer discussed January 29 remarks by Obama in which, referring to an"article today indicating that Wall Street bankers had given themselves $20 billion worth of bonuses," Obama stated:"And so, you know, we're going to be having conversations as this process moves forward directly with these folks on Wall Street to underscore that they have to start acting in a more responsible fashion if -- if we are to, together, get this economy rolling again. There will be time for them to make profits, and there will be time for them to get bonuses. Now is not that time. And that's a message that I intend to send directly to them, I expect [Treasury] Secretary [Tim] Geithner to send to them." Cramer claimed of Obama's remarks:
Well, there's people who think I look like Lenin. Let me tell you something. We heard Lenin. There was a little snippet last week with,"Now is not the time for profits." I -- look, in Lenin's book What Is To Be Done?, the simple text of what I always thought was for the communists, it was remarkable to hear very similar language from What Is To Be Done?, which is that we have no place for profits. Thank heavens for the Chinese communists, deeply rooted in a profit government, because we have decided that profits have no place in the system.
After co-host Joe Scarborough said"[t]hat was a stunning quote," Cramer replied:"I was thinking, 'is he the New Economic Policy Lenin or the initial storm-the-Winter-Palace Lenin?' I'm not quite sure yet, it's a mid-20 situation. It could go either way."
- During the February 2 edition of Mad Money, Cramer echoed his Morning Joe comments by claiming that the"Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Pa -- Obama got elected. Hard to tell the difference when he's talking about how now is not the time for profits. By the way, my great-great-granduncle [Lenin] often said that now is not the time for profits."
- During the February 6 edition of Mad Money, Cramer said of Obama:"[H]e has to repudiate a lot of what's happened so far. For example, bizarrely, he gave Nancy Pelosi free rein to create a stimulus package full of pork -- extended unemployment benefits but without, you know, any stimulus. What is she? The general secretary of the Communist Party -- I mean, of the Democratic Party?" Cramer then added:"Then he took his Leninist line, telling us now -- telling us that now is not the time for profits and instituting salary caps for executives at banks who take more TARP money." While Cramer spoke, he held up a picture of Lenin:
- During the February 13 edition of Mad Money, Cramer claimed:"Some people actually believe that we are going to slash our $600 billion defense budget just because the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter -- just because Barack Obama got elected and went to the White House." Cramer added of the defense budget claim:"[T]here is no way Obama wants to tarnish himself -- some would say further tarnish himself -- by getting into a big fistfight with the Pentagon."
- During the February 26 edition of Mad Money, Cramer claimed of Obama:
He's crushing the margins of the health-care insurance companies like Aetna and Cigna. He's turning them into charities, for heaven's sakes, right before our eyes. Reimbursements could be cut for everyone, including the drugs not just made by Big Pharma places like Lilly but biotechs like Genzyme. Companies we had thought were near and dear to the hearts of the Bolshe -- of the Democrats everywhere.
After noting that"[m]y charitable trust owns some health care," Cramer later said of health-care stocks:"All of which goes to show in this new commun -- in this new Democratic revolution -- don't worry, after about another four years, I will get it right. Nothing is safe." Cramer then asked from who Obama is"taking his cues" and answered:"[H]e's taking cues from Lenin, and I don't mean the 'All We Need is Love' [John] Lennon. I'm talking about the we'll-take-every-dime-Cramericans-have Lenin, a man whom I revere as an ancestor but not as a manager of a capitalist country. With this assault, no stocks can be considered truly free from danger."