Elizabeth Warren, Hypocrite, Supports Ex-Im Bank

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth
Warren—a leading progressive populist, possible Democratic
presidential candidate, self-proclaimed champion of the poor, and
enemy of greedy corporations (not really, as you will see)—supports
the Export-Import Bank.

That’s right: The woman best known for demonizing big businesses
nevertheless wants to maintain an outlandishly generous subsidy
package for them.

Warren’s support for Ex-Im was revealed Friday after the
Heritage Foundation reached out to her regarding a possible
partnership on the issue. Libertarians and Tea Party conservatives
are noted opponents of the subsidy, which they see as crony
capitalism that helps politically-connected businesses cheat the
free market. Liberty-inclined Republicans are working with the left
on a host of issues, including NSA spying and marijuana
legalization—why not make common cause with Warren on corporatism
as well?

Looks like the joke is on Heritage. From
Bloomberg:

“Senator Warren believes that the Export-Import Bank helps
create American jobs and spur economic growth, but recognizes that
there is room for improvement in the bank’s operations,” Warren
spokesman Lacey Rose tells us in an e-mail. “She looks forward to
reviewing re-authorization legislation if and when it is
introduced.”

The irony of Warren rejecting an offer from the right to fight
Ex-Im together was not lost on
The Washington Examiner‘s Tim Carney:

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth
Warren loves to shoot barbs at Wall
Street. She also enjoys forcing taxpayers to absorb Wall
Street’s risks while the banks pocket the profits.

… At Ex-Im’s annual conference, one Wall Streeter described
Ex-Im’s loan guarantees to me as “free money.” Is Elizabeth Warren
really fine with free money to Wall Street?

Warren was in Detroit on Friday morning speaking at Netroots
Nation 2014, where unaffiliated activists waved signs and led
chants urging her to run for president. They even filmed this
cringe-inducing music video (you can watch it here, but fair
warning: you will beg for death before the end). Here are some of
the lyrics:

Americans want our next president to be a woman. Hey babe,
here’s looking at you Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The planet is warming
and the power is shifting. We need a leader who won’t stand for all
the corporate bullshit the lobby’s grifting.

People think the system is rigged because it is. And it’s time
that we stand up. We need a leader who won’t stand for all the
corporate bullies and political phonies.

If they knew Warren supported Ex-Im, would they admit that
she is a political phony who absolutely stands for
all the corporate bullies? Yeah, I doubt it.

Thankfully, there are some politicians who do stand up to
corporate bullies. Check out Reason TV’s interview with Sen. Mike
Lee (R-Utah) on his opposition to the Ex-Im Bank.