From the video:
…I have been asked why I would, at the age of 60, retire from BAE systems, a magnificent extraordinary company and come to SAIC. Raise your hands again? That’s the reason. That’s the reason. and there is a difference between being in an extraordinary company and a company of extraordinary people. We’ll talk a littl bit more about SAIC but that why I came to SAIC.
Um, when my wife thought I was going to retire, go to NH, get active politically; I said I will leave that to you.
…WE got a lot of problems in this country. The TEA-Baggers or whatever they are, they’ve been telling us that all summer long, alright (semi-smirk). Isn’t that who they are? (fuller smirk to get the audience to titter). I’m a little out of touch (full smirk, body language says he is pleased with himself). Heh!
From Political Scoop, the quote from Henry Goodwin:
“At the time Walt wasn’t involved in politics because he was busy running one of the world’s largest companies,” said Havenstein spokesman Henry Goodwin. “However, he has always believed that government should be limited, taxes should be low and spending should be restrained.”
Go ahead and watch either the short version (Kimberly’s post) or the longer one (put up by Mike). Watch his body language as he moves from talking about SAIC to his self-seeming joke about the TEA Party (which, as we now know, swept the Republicans into power in the US House and more importantly, taking over the vast majority of State Governorships and Legislatures). And that was, back in 2010, the Progressive PR battle to demonize those that pushed them out of power. Yes, just ordinary citizens, many who had NEVER participated in politics before outside of casting a vote, stood up and said “No More”.
Mr. Havenstein, THEY are the extraordinary people. THEY are the ones that recognized that there were (and are) problems in this Country – that that rolling back Congress to where and what it should be doing IS a big part of it. But I digress, as we can see what I see is the Big Lie starting to take form (lies by commission or lies by omission – you get to decide).
One doesn’t run a huge defense oriented company (as he boasted, several times the budget of NH) without being finely attuned to politics. Sure, corporate brand of politics in the C-Suite are far different than in the public sector but no less important (and no less dangerous if you can’ t play the game well). Further, as CEO, he as to be tuned into the politics of the Pentagon (being a large provisioner of systems to DoD) G and C levels (General, Colonels) as well as the politics of the DC Beltway..
I have no disposition to believe that, Goodwin’s deflection to the contrary, Havenstein had no clue what he was saying. He certainly did have to have an understanding of the general politics of the day because he had to be cognizant, in leading both BAE and SAIC (a government / military think tank and research company) of what the popular politics of the day’s impact on the DC political scene as it would affect his Government based business.
The question to be asked is if he truly believes that Government should be limited, why did he see fit to make sport of those that were actively demonstrating for the exact same thing? Why did he devolve to a small incident of condescending quips – unless the mask fell off for a moment or two? The only reason I can come up with is that he compared the extremely smart and “extraordinary people” at SAIC and thought the same as the Establishment Republicans and all of the Democrats – these schmucks, these [only] ordinary, everyday citizens are a joke – so I will make one as I stand in front of all of the Smart People In The Room.
To Henry Goodwin:
Really, do you wish to continue this nonsense that he was merely running a large company – no big thang? How about his own words, Henry:
Um, when my wife thought I was going to retire, go to NH, get active politically; I said I will leave that to you.
This goes to prior planning. This goes to talking with his wife a number of times over “what’s next for us”? This is about intent.
Are we, Henry, going to get a more to the point explanation – the full truth? Or weasel words that, even though I know its your job, that try to answer without giving an answer? And if he is ALL about “that government should be limited, taxes should be low and spending should be restrained“, please answer directly:
Why did he make sport of those that aligned with him, and are we going to get a heartfelt (vs a mere political one) apology? And if not, why not apologize to the most energetic wing of the Republican Party that hewes to many of the principles he talked about?
Or is he of the mind that he can write the Conservative wing of the Party off in this Primary?
In other words, what has now happened had its start back in the 2009 / 2010 time frame. Earlier than when this video was shot and I bet that I’d be right if it started much earlier. Heck, well before we became empty nesters, we started talking and discussing all KINDS of things – do we stay or do we go, what will we do to replace that “empty”, and all of the minor and major details, even the philosophy, of how we wanted t structure our life going forward.
“go to NH, get active politically” – again, he was conversant with the politics of the day and if the goal was to “become someone politically” here in NH, I’m also betting that a man that runs a multi-billion dollar company “multiple times the size of NH” is doing his homework just as much to that politics as he did the politics of his companies, the DoD, Congress, and the Oval Office.
So, as one of the Co-Founders of the NH TEA Party Coalition, can I expect an apology soon?
