As Lehman Collapsed, Execs Were Rewarded

Failed Bank's Managers Received Bonuses While Pleading For Federal Aid, Documents Reveal

(CBS/ AP)  Days from becoming the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history, Lehman Brothers steered millions to departing executives even while pleading for a federal rescue, Congress was told Monday.

As well, executives who feared for their bonuses in the company's last months were told not to worry, according to documents cited at a congressional hearing. One executive said he was embarrassed when employees suggested that Lehman executives forgo bonuses, and cracked: "I'm not sure what's in the water."

The first hearing into what caused the nation's financial markets to collapse last month, precipitating a $700 billion bailout, opened with finger-pointing and glimpses into internal company documents from Lehman's chaotic last hours.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the giant investment bank was "a company in which there was no accountability for failure." Lehman's collapse set off a panic that within days had President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson asking Congress to pass the rescue plan for the financial sector.

Richard S. Fuld Jr., chief executive officer of Lehman Brothers, declared to the committee "I take full responsibility for the decisions that I made and for the actions that I took." He defended his actions as "prudent and appropriate" based on information he had at the time.

"I feel horrible about what happened," he said.

Waxman questioned Fuld on whether it was true he took home some $480 million in compensation since 2000, and asked: "Is that fair?"

Fuld took off his glasses, held them, and looked uncomfortable. He said his compensation was not quite that much.

"We had a compensation committee that spent a tremendous amount of time making sure that the interests of the executives and the employees were aligned with shareholders," he said. Fuld said he took home over $300 million in those years - some $60 million in cash compensation.

Waxman read excerpts from Lehman documents in which a recommendation that top management should forgo bonuses was apparently brushed aside. He also cited a Sept. 11 request to Lehman's compensation board that three executives leaving the company be given $20 million in "special payments."

"In other words, even as Mr. Fuld was pleading with Secretary Paulson for a federal rescue, Lehman continued to squander millions on executive compensation," Waxman said before Fuld appeared as a witness.

With its clients clamoring for safe investments with above average return, the big Wall Street investment houses, including Lehman Brothers, bought up millions of the least dependable mortgages, chopped them up into tiny bits and pieces and repackaged them as exotic investment securities that hardly anyone could understand, 60 Minutes' Steve Kroft reports.

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Watch "60 Minutes'" explanation of the U.S.'s shadow economy.

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The government let Lehman go under Sept. 15, only to bail out insurance giant American International Group the next day, in a cascading series of financial shocks and failures that put Washington on track for the multibillion-dollar rescue starting the end of that week.

Waxman described that plan as a life-support measure. "It may keep our economy from collapsing but it won't make it healthy again," he said.

That sentiment echoed on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones industrials sank below 10,000 on Monday for the first time in four years. Investors fear the crisis will weigh down the global economy and the bailout won't work quickly to loosen credit markets.

The rescue plan, now law, was so rushed that the usual congressional scrutiny is only coming now, after the fact.

"Although it comes too late to help Lehman Brothers, the so-called bailout program will have to make wrenching choices, picking winners and losers from a shattered and fragile economic landscape," said Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, the committee's senior Republican.

Waxman said that in January, Fuld and his board were warned the company's "liquidity can disappear quite fast."

Despite that warning, he said, "Mr. Fuld depleted Lehman's capital reserves by over $10 billion through year-end bonuses, stock buybacks, and dividend payments."

Waxman quoted Fuld as saying in one document, "Don't worry" to the suggestion that executives go without bonuses.

That suggestion came from Lehman's money management subsidiary, Neuberger Berman. Waxman quoted George H. Walker, President Bush's cousin and a Lehman executive who oversaw some Neuberger Berman employees, as responding with a dismissive tone to the idea of going without bonuses.

"Sorry team," he wrote to the executive committee, according to Waxman. "I'm not sure what's in the water at 605 Third Avenue today.... I'm embarrassed and I apologize."

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said: "I wonder how he sleeps at night."

Fuld said in his statement that the company did everything it could to limits its risks and save itself.

"In the end, despite all our efforts, we were overwhelmed, others were overwhelmed, and still other institutions would have been overwhelmed had the government not stepped in to save them," he said.

CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen noted the company and its executives can't be blamed for the global meltdown.

"But you can bet that sophisticated investigators will be looking at the books to see whether there was any corporate fraud, or any failed reporting requirements, that would support some sort of case going forward," said Cohen.

"If the investigation demonstrates that any individuals within the organization had any sort of criminal intent to defraud anyone, or if any sworn financial statements were inaccurate, we could easily see an Enron-type series of criminal and civil lawsuits. But those would take a long time to emerge and even longer to resolve," said Cohen.

[docpeter1953]

IOW, business as usual for the rich.

[incog-nito]

How convenient that they didn''t mention any of this BEFORE the bailout vote.

[jerr11]

As Lehman Collapsed, Execs Were Rewarded




Sounds like a familiar story.


As America collapses, ******** Cheney and Halliburton are being rewarded.

[nags05]

I am appalled at what I just read about Lehman. I think these "big wig, greedy people" on Wall Street should be tarred and feathered. I am beginning to think the entire world is crooked, only out to feather their own pockets. I had money in Merrill, Lynch for many years and hardly made a cent. I pulled all my funds out when the market started to drop. Merrill Lynch could not understand and tried to keep us there. Then they sent me a bill for $40 for a service fee. Don''t even think I am going to pay that.

[ray999999]

the good thing about being poor is who cares what the stock market does,hope they all have to find a real job for a change.

[generey]

Documents Read At House Hearing Show Failing Bank Was Concerned With Compensation.


Toooooo funny!

[bobnjersey]

[I would like to hear, from ANY GOP supporter - about the status of the long-claimed belief that GOP supporters are against "redistribution of wealth". ANYONE?!?]
[Posted by jaydee102 at 11:20 AM : Oct 06, 2008]

it''s the re-distribution in the other direction that they abhore. if it''s going from the minions to the ''top percentile'' ... then it''s ok ... and it''s not called re-distribution ... it''s called trickle down ... even though it''s going ''up''.

[andrew_693]

Lehman Brothers is doing what they and other rich companies like Cheney''s Enron and others have always done, take care of their own class at the expense of morons. The american people are getting what they deserve and voted for. Don''t forget to blame Bill Clinton''s ***. Maybe jesus will bail you out..... enjoy the ride. Off course, if you are in the Cayman Islands depositing 20 million dollars earned at the expense of the american stupid worker.

[habu99-2009]

I would like to hear, from ANY GOP supporter - about the status of the long-claimed belief that GOP supporters are against "redistribution of wealth". ANYONE?!? crickets chirping

Posted by jaydee102 at 11:20 AM

Jaydee, you hit the nail on the head. Republicans are against any "redistribution of wealth" that comes out of their sizable pockets. Any attempt to help the poor, the sick, the hungry is an affront to them and the money they stole "fair and square". People living on the streets? To hell with them, they are on their own.

But these same moral degenerates (money IS the root of all evil after all) view the United States government as a endless supply of welfare for the well heeled. No bid war contracts, government subsidies, taxpayer funds for the bailout, these are all gawd-given rights to the elite. They might not give a *** about any sickness or suffering, but if somebody takes an extra $100k out of their fat mouths, boy do they scream like babies.

[andrew_693]

I wonder how many of you morons want to keep spending 80 billion in Iraq and your endless war now...... don''t worry, since reasoning didn''t do the job, lets see how "no money, no funding policy because we are broke" takes care of you now. See if cheney and his crooks take care of your silly war now, let''s if Macshame wants to keep up the promise to you morons.

[edward1975-2009]

Did you really expect anything different than a bunch of CEO''s bailing with as much cash as they could get. They ran the businesses they were head of in the ground and were rewarded for it. And our Republican and Democratic leaders let them do it. These are the people who they truly serve, they use us, the taxpayers, to foot the bill and they gladly do that.

[jerr11]

Bush is going out in a blaze of glory.

Katrina was a tour de force of incompetency but this economic disaster tops it all!!

Vote McCain for more of the SAME!

The Cowboy from AZ will take over from the Cowboy from TX in 09 and turn this economic disaster into an economic Armageddon!!

[skyhawk761]

Didn''t any of you watch Shara''s debate with Biden last week? We are suppose to forget about what happened in the past and just look to the future. I tried to look to the future, but what I saw scared me more than the past! W''s legacy!

[midvale3]

if you let the inexperienced barry obama run the country it will get worse.
we need to vote out congress first.
google obama and acorn and see what has been going on there.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by GrabAndGo at 11:57 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Experience is not a good thing if it''s been following the wrong ideas. McCain has been in Congress 20 + years but supports deregulation, votes against a GI Bill for returning Vets from Iraq, still supports spending money in Iraq, etc. If that''s what his experience will get us, I would (and will) rather vote for Obama.

[gandaulf2000]

I got an idea, lets all go borrow a lot of money from the banks. And, when they come and ask us to make payments,we can just tell them to go get a bailout from the FED.

[antoniof123]

google obama and acorn and see what has been going on there.
Posted by GrabAndGo at 11:57 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Spoken like a true Republican say anything just to try to cause a division.

You wing nuts were warned 2 years ago by the swing voters now you have pizzed us off so don''t go blaming anyone but yoursleves.

[usclimey]

I think every taxpayer should award themselves an extra $12000 in deductions next April to make up for the $5000 in taxes everyone just flushed down the Wall St toilet.

[gop4luzers]

These are the same crooks who lobbied for and wanted to run our Social Security Privatization Accounts. Taking people''s homes wasn''t enough. They wanted to shake every last penny out of our pockets.

Thank God the voters woke up in 2006 and started voting these losers out. Anyone who supported the Social Security Privatization nonsense should be gone.

[skyhawk761]

Uh, folks, it''''s not just the GOP and Republicans. The Dems and their "innocent" boys are JUST as culpable. Lets be sure that the blame is spread around evenly and fairly. As for all those involved? Round em''''up, charge them with treason and then have then drawn and quartered right there on Wall Street in front of the stock exchange. TREASON! Nothing less!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by xentpro at 12:01 PM : Oct 06, 2008
+ report abuse


Amen! It''s the followers of Michael Moore on the left and the Hannity followers on the right that can''t see this is a Washington Problem, not a Dem vs Repub problem.

[smurfcrusher]

"These executives should have been handed a pistol with one cartridge."

Posted by remrafdn

And left on a barren island (important detail)

[creeper00]

Let us not forget the CEO of WaMu at the time of its demise, Alan H. Fishman.

Mr. Fishman was employed by WaMu for exactly seventeen days. For that time of employment, he collected $20 million.

Don''t believe me? Believe Jonathan Turley, Professor of Law at Washington University.

http://jonathanturley.org/2008/09/26/i-quit-washington-mutual-ceo-fishman-gets-20-million-for-17-days-of-work-before-the-whole-company-was-sold/

[observantx]

Q: What is the difference between Wall Street and any casino in Las Vegas?

A: The casino is more honest. At least their game isn''t rigged.

[gambi3]

I like what disgraced executives do in Japan.

[creeper00]

I got an idea, lets all go borrow a lot of money from the banks. And, when they come and ask us to make payments,we can just tell them to go get a bailout from the FED.

Posted by gandaulf2000 at 12:05 PM : Oct 06, 2008

Wait a minute. I thought we just did that.

[oleander8]

This is all about Republican and Democrats that do NOTHING without an eye on what it will do to their careers. TERM LIMITS, people, TERM LIMITS!

[credibility2]

Since the government had to bail these companies out, the Feds need to take them to civil court and sue the CEOs that received the egregious parachutes, which were part of their firm''s collapse and recover money on behalf of the taxpayers.

[upto1947]

The people said no to the bailout, and congress said yes. Just like always. to h377 with the people. Who is the idiot, congress, like they always are.

[jntlw-2009]

Every penny of every bonus must be returned to the government (the taxpayer) immediately. If not, then go after each person''s personal assets to get the money back. Bankruptcy will not be allowed until all assets or monies due are paid back in full. They must pay it back and or go to jail and pay it back!

[txgrouch2006]

Who is the idiot, congress, like they always are.
Posted by Upto1947 at 12:51 PM : Oct 06, 2008

The REAL idiots are anyone who VOTES FOR ANY INCUMBENT in November.

Will YOU be an idiot?

[txgrouch2006]

TERM LIMITS, people, TERM LIMITS!
Posted by oleander8 at 12:37 PM : Oct 06, 2008

YES, we CAN!

VOTE AGAINST ALL INCUMBENTS next month!!

LET''S DO IT!!!!!!!!!

[txgrouch2006]

These dirty ba$tards are raping and pillaging the people, while the roof comes crashing in.

They are the modern Vikings.

PEOPLE! WHAT WILL WE DO AT THE VOTING BOOTH???

[maine11111]

That''s what this country gets!!!! When you put a lame duck president in office (he cheated to win the election) you get policies like this. The problem with this country is that you all are afraid of your government. YOUR SLAVES TO YOUR GOVERNMENT PEOPLE!!!! . WAKE UP!!!! this is supposed to a be government by the people for the people. Money has taken over in washington which is why fat cats that run huge financial firms do what they do. THIS IS ALL A CONSPIRACY THESE PEOPLE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. THIS WAS PLANNED, BUSH KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHICH IS WHY HE TOOK AWAY THE RULES MADE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!! WAKE UP AMERICA GOOD OLD GEORGE BUSH PIMPED Y''ALL FOUR TIMES 1. IRAQ WAR 2. THE AMERICAN ECONOMY 3. HURRICANE KATRINA 4. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT. America is afraid of its goverment and congress and the president knows this. This country didnt want to go to war and WE WENT TO WAR! this country said no bailout and what happened EVERY FAT CAT IN A BUSINESS SUIT GOT PAID EXCEPT THE LITTLE GUYS. WOW! AMERICA IS JUST FILLED WITH A COUNTRY OF MODERN DAY SLAVES!!!!!!

[mainedoggie]

Go.dmn Crooks.

For every dem and repub that cast a vote to bailout these b.a.star.ds, you will not be getting my vote.

[easeup-2009]

Every penny of every bonus must be returned to the government (the taxpayer) immediately. If not, then go after each person''''s personal assets to get the money back. Bankruptcy will not be allowed until all assets or monies due are paid back in full. They must pay it back and or go to jail and pay it back!

Posted by jntlw at 12:51 PM : Oct 06, 2008

We didn''t bail out Lehmans. The only people that should be pissed are shareholders.

[tbuckl]

"Lehman Brothers steered millions to departing executives even while pleading for a federal rescue" what!!! You didn''t think the CEOs of this country and our government was not going to pick our pockets??? Get real, when was the last time we the people got a good or even a fair deal from Corp. America and our government, certainly not at the last elections, not when the Feds helped the farmers out of their farms, not the native peoples of this land, they haven''t even given our military the equipment nessary to protect them on the field of battle, never! These people running our country have fallen short, they have failed, they are responsible, and Guess What? They aren''t done with us yet! Not only did Corp. America qand our government swindle the American Citizens and our military forces, they swindled everyone and any one on a global level, the whole world is pissed off right now and rightfully so. A harm has been done and a crime(s) comitted. Welcome to America, home of the free, the brave, and the swindlling CEOs of America. We learned nothiing from the Enron swindle.

[maine11111]

That''''s what this country gets!!!! When you put a lame duck president in office (he cheated to win the election) you get policies like this. The problem with this country is that you all are afraid of your government. YOUR SLAVES TO YOUR GOVERNMENT PEOPLE!!!! . WAKE UP!!!! this is supposed to a be government by the people for the people. Money has taken over in washington which is why fat cats that run huge financial firms do what they do. THIS IS ALL A CONSPIRACY THESE PEOPLE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. THIS WAS PLANNED, BUSH KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHICH IS WHY HE TOOK AWAY THE RULES MADE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!! WAKE UP AMERICA GOOD OLD GEORGE BUSH PIMPED Y''''ALL FOUR TIMES 1. IRAQ WAR 2. THE AMERICAN ECONOMY 3. HURRICANE KATRINA 4. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT. America is afraid of its goverment and congress and the president knows this. This country didnt want to go to war and WE WENT TO WAR! this country said no bailout and what happened EVERY FAT CAT IN A BUSINESS SUIT GOT PAID EXCEPT THE LITTLE GUYS. WOW! AMERICA IS JUST FILLED WITH A COUNTRY OF MODERN DAY SLAVES!!!!!!

[antoniof123]

We did not bail this bunch out but it still doesn''t matter they still took what was not theirs to take and we the people let them.

Sorry you can''t blame anyone but yourselves it is time to bring back controls and regulation make it an amendment and that way no more voodoo economics from anyone.

[bellezora]

I''d like to see a website devoted to identifying every corporate and political player who contributed to and benefited by this disaster. Just the facts and figures. And, I hope, the ways in which they will be held accountable. People around the world will lose their jobs, homes, savings,and retirement incomes through no fault of their own. Let''s find the criminally greedy *** and root ''em out.

[stn_sage]

I''''d like to see a website devoted to identifying every corporate and political player who contributed to and benefited by this disaster. Just the facts and figures.
Posted by BelleZora at 02:02 PM : Oct 06, 2008
-------------------
You know what? That''s a marvelous idea!
IF you want too---why don''t you go to the Citizen''s for Tax Justice site---www.ctj.com or .org---and leave them a short email---I bet they''d do it! That''s the type of thing they do so well!

[ofbyfor2]

Why not seize their assets and put these guys in jail where they belong.
GrabAndGo at 11:26 AM : Oct 06, 2008

I am appalled at what I just read about Lehman. I think these "big wig, greedy people" on Wall Street should be tarred and feathered. I am beginning to think the entire world is crooked, only out to feather their own pockets. I had money in Merrill, Lynch for many years and hardly made a cent. I pulled all my funds out when the market started to drop. Merrill Lynch could not understand and tried to keep us there. Then they sent me a bill for $40 for a service fee. Don''''t even think I am going to pay that.
nags05 at 11:21 AM : Oct 06, 2008

I would like to hear, from ANY GOP supporter - about the status of the long-claimed belief that GOP supporters are against "redistribution of wealth". ANYONE?!? crickets chirping
jaydee102 at 11:20 AM : Oct 06, 2008

As Lehman Collapsed, Execs Were Rewarded
Sounds like a familiar story.

As America collapses, ******** Cheney and Halliburton are being rewarded.
Posted by jerr11 at 11:17 AM : Oct 06, 2008

How convenient that they didn''''t mention any of this BEFORE the bailout vote.
incog-nito at 11:16 AM : Oct 06, 2008

IOW, business as usual for the rich.
docpeter1953 at 11:14 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Hmmmmmmm, do you think people are PO''d?

[maine11111]

That''''s what this country gets!!!! When you put a lame duck president in office (he cheated to win the election) you get policies like this. The problem with this country is that you all are afraid of your government. YOUR SLAVES TO YOUR GOVERNMENT PEOPLE!!!! . WAKE UP!!!! this is supposed to a be government by the people for the people. Money has taken over in washington which is why fat cats that run huge financial firms do what they do. THIS IS ALL A CONSPIRACY THESE PEOPLE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. THIS WAS PLANNED, BUSH KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHICH IS WHY HE TOOK AWAY THE RULES MADE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!! WAKE UP AMERICA GOOD OLD GEORGE BUSH PIMPED Y''''ALL FOUR TIMES 1. IRAQ WAR 2. THE AMERICAN ECONOMY 3. HURRICANE KATRINA 4. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT. America is afraid of its goverment and congress and the president knows this. This country didnt want to go to war and WE WENT TO WAR! this country said no bailout and what happened EVERY FAT CAT IN A BUSINESS SUIT GOT PAID EXCEPT THE LITTLE GUYS. WOW! AMERICA IS JUST FILLED WITH A COUNTRY OF MODERN DAY SLAVES!!!!!! I HOPE AMERICA''''S BUTT HOLE IS BIG ENOUGH BECAUSE GOOD OLD GEORGE ISNT THROUGH PIMPIN YOU ALL YET!!!!!

[pkelly79]

They needed to wrap up their fleecing of the American Public before they loose their free ride under Bush and McCain. Bush will certainly be judged by history to be the worst president in American history - combine these blunders with all the lost opportunity to improve standards of living in the US and the rest of the world, not to mention the war crimes, and you have one heck of a case.

[stn_sage]

Regulation or no regulation, the bottomline is: action needs to be taken so that these professional money managers will understand that it''s in their best interest to OBEY the laws!

That means pass corresponding laws giving them extensive jail sentences---twenty years minimum! After one or two go to jail, the rest will get the message and STOP cheating the public!

The same type of action should be taken against congressmen and women!

[wadyaknow]

Hey Representative Cummings - how can you sleep at night? DO SOMETHING! Put these people behind bars rather than bail them out. What is the conncetion between Bush and his cousin in all of this.

[ofbyfor2]

Does anyone seriously but inti the accusations from the right about ''Class warfare'' anymore. Seems to me like it''s been one huge red herring that is supposed to take our focus off of their dirty deeds and make us thankful that we simply have jobs.

But it has blown up in their faces.

Trickle-down= When someone convinces you that the rich have to have even more money in order for you to simply have a job, honey, you''ve been played. They will have whatever money that they want and you will have to pay for it.

Trickle-down= Privatize the profits and socialize the losses.

ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!

[stn_sage]

Maybe Bush and McSame can deregulate us out of this mess?
Posted by StormeyTexan at 02:09 PM : Oct 06, 200
---------------------
There''s not much left to deregulate! Things are bad enough, maybe they should just back off for awhile!

[xmanborg]

As Lehman Collapsed, Bushies Cronie friends got big fat checks thats what happen!

[ofbyfor2]

if you let the inexperienced barry obama run the country it will get worse.
we need to vote out congress first.
google obama and acorn and see what has been going on there.

Posted by GrabAndGo at 11:57 AM : Oct 06, 2008

Oh please!

This is so inconsequential in the scheme of things (if it really means anything at all).

It''s just the usual smear and divide tactics from a campaign that sees its numbers plummeting.

Why don''t you bring up McCain''s $15,000-a-month payment to HIS ''Fannie buddy''?

[credibility2]

I don''t believe anything legally can be done with these bottom feeders. They''d aggressively resist any effort to hold them accountable and forfeit any of their booty. At this point, it doesn''t appear that anything criminal was. Now, when it comes to moral or ethical, yes, plenty was done. Unfortunately, we can''t regulate or legislate morality, ethics or integrity, and even honesty and truth unless the opposite is linked to established crimes. Since the 1980s those in power have profited egregiously. Look at most organized power-based organizations, and their will be abuses like this. No organization is without fault. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Until we can legislate salaries and compensation for any type of occupation and not just the Wall St types, and since we can''t rely on individuals to conduct themselves morally, ethically, honestly, truthfully and with integrity, these types of problems will continue. No one should ever receive the type of salary and compensation the Wall St type received and this includes those in sports. Sorry, but no one is worth millions for anything they do, period.

[ofbyfor2]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/
RCP Average 09/26 - 10/05 -- 49.3 43.3 Obama +6.0
Gallup Tracking 10/03 - 10/05 2744 RV 50 42 Obama 8
Rasmussen Tracking 10/03 - 10/05 3000 LV 52 44 Obama 8
Hotline/FD Tracking 10/03 - 10/05 909 LV 47 41 Obama 6
Democracy Corps (D) 10/01 - 10/05 1000 LV 49 46 Obama 3
GW/Battleground Tracking 09/30 - 10/05 800 LV 50 43 Obama 7
Marist 09/28 - 09/30 943 LV 49 44 Obama 5
CBS News 09/27 - 09/30 769 LV 50 41 Obama 9
Associated Press/GfK 09/27 - 09/30 808 LV 48 41 Obama 7
ABC News/Wash Post 09/27 - 09/29 916 LV 50 46 Obama 4
Pew Research 09/27 - 09/29 1181 LV 49 43 Obama 6
Ipsos/McClatchy 09/26 - 09/29 1007 RV 48 45 Obama 3
Time 09/26 - 09/29 1133 LV 50 43 Obama 7

Somehow, Obama just keeps going up, up, up!

Could it be that America can see through McCain and Palin''s lies?