This summer, Barack Obama bought Leo DiCaprio a luxury sports car made in Finland with your money.
While the Democratic party has dragged out the old chestnut of class warfare as their 2012 election theme, they have in fact presided over an audacious transfer of wealth to America’s One Percent. Billions have gone to politically connected corporations — from Solyndra to Dow to Ford — to make politically approved green products.
But the most eye-opening welfare for the rich has been handouts to auto millionaires like Fisker Automotive’s Henrik Fisker and Tesla’s Elon Musk — builders of electric chariots for the well-to-do. Fisker has received $529 million in taxpayer money and Tesla $465 million.
When the $95,000 Fisker Karma rolled off the line this year, Hollywood superstar DiCaprio – a staunch Democrat who pockets $20 million per film — got the first one. Next in line? The needy Al Gore and Colin Powell. DiCaprio also owns a $100,000 Tesla. And thanks to Obama & Co., both his vehicles also came with a $7,500 federal tax credit for buying electric (i.e., coal-powered) vehicles.
But wait, there’s more.
Obama has also publicized the importance of rebuilding American manufacturing. California reps like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Dianne Feinstein pushed hard for Fisker subsidies under the pretense that Detroit only builds dinosaurs, and that electric “cars of the future” should be built by Silicon Valley techies.
DiCaprio’s Karma, however, is being built with U.S. subsidies in . . . Finland.
“I was in Rome when Obama won the election. Obama gets it that green technology and the economy go hand in hand, that we can build an industry that will create new jobs and economic growth,” said Leo in December, 2008.
How’s that working out?