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Obama, in Jan., on His Post-Presidency Plans: ‘I’m Not Going to Wall St.’ to ‘Make a Lot of Money’

‘I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money’
By Grabien Staff

Now that he's no longer the commander-in-chief, call him the hypocrite-in-chief.

On his way out the door, President Obama sat down with CBS's Steve Kroft to discuss his post-presidency plans. 

Kroft, marveling at Obama's apparent plans to "teach the occasional class," asked, "You're not going to Wall Street, make a lot of money?" 

"I'm not going to Wall Street," Obama confidently replied. The amount of time that I’ll be investing in issues is going to be high. But it’ll be necessarily in a different capacity.”

Fast forward a few months, and what is the ex-president's first announced paid gig?

A $400,000 speech to Wall Street bankers. 

Cantor Fitzgerald LP announced it would be paying Obama almost half a million to simply speak at a September conference. 

That was only Obama's most recent Wall Street slight.

In 2010, the president attacked Wall Street bankers for making money even after they're already rich. In Quincy, Ill., speech, Obama said bankers need to focus less on making money and more on "fulfilling the core responsibilities" of growing the economy:

"We’re not, we’re not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that’s fairly earned. I mean, I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money. But, you know, part of the American way is, you know, you can just keep on making it if you’re providing a good product or providing good service. We don’t want people to stop, ah, fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow our economy." [Video]

In 2009, Obama emphasized that, "I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall St."

In an appearance on "60 Minutes," then-Pres. Obama said:

[Wall Street bankers] don’t get it. They’re still puzzled why it is that people are mad at the banks. Well, let’s see. You guys are drawing down $10 million, $20 million bonuses after America went through the worst economic year that it’s gone through in decades, and you guys caused the problem.

I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch fat cat bankers on Wall Street. [Video]

So much for that.

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