Courtesy of the Democrats:
Congress has relaxed rules that would have required public disclosure of contributions and parties paid for by lobbyists, narrowing the scope of new ethics rules intended to draw back the veil on Washington’s influence game.
New guidance released by Congress late Wednesday exempts lobbyists from reporting their financing of an array of political and charitable contributions, events and parties at political conventions.
What? You expected something different? If you did, its because you still haven’t purchased Caucus of Corruption.
I know, I know - you liberals out there think Matt and I just wrote a book blaming corruption on Democrats, but that isn’t what we wrote at all. What we wrote is a book detailing how the Democrats are locked into corruption because no one ever holds them accountable - not the MSM, not rank-and-file Democrats and most certainly not other elected Democrats. People are people, and that means that a certain percentage of them will sin - and for a politician, the sin usually revolves around abuse of power by various means. We can’t get all corruption out of politics because we can’t get all people out of it. But we can lessen it greatly if we hold everyone accountable for their actions. By one means or another, Republicans are held accountable…so Cunningham goes to jail, while Jefferson is set to be re-elected, again. So Foley resigns, while Frank is a powerful member of the Democratic caucus. So Rowland is threatened with impeachment by his fellow GOPers to force him out, while Blagojevich is still in office even though he figures prominently in myriad corruption scandals. On and on it goes like that.
Look, Democrats, its not for us to tell you what you must do, but we will tell you what you should do - and what you should do is start to understand that good intentions don’t excuse crimes. It doesn’t matter that these are all good liberals who are reliably on your side on the issues - they are poisoning our politics and contributing to the contempt government is held in. They have to go - but only you, on your side, can actually make them go. Do you really want to be a party which is ok with corruption? Don’t you want to be honest as you can be?
Tags: Caucus of Corruption, liberal lies, lobbyists
July 19th, 2008
Barack Obama is trying to capitalize on a recent story about two McCain advisors who are linked to a 527 group that is attacking Obama.
Of course, Obama has his own issues with campaign officials and advisors, such as the advisor who recently left after it was reported he held talks with Hamas. But, there’s also this story, reported yesterday by The Washington Post, about Obama’s campaign co-director who is also a federal lobbyist for the government of Puerto Rico.
Ethics watchdogs said that the high-profile role of Francisco J. Pavía appears to contradict the Obama campaign’s ethics guidelines, which forbid federal lobbyists from working on staff. But Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Pavía is an “active volunteer” — not a paid staffer — and can hold the job without running afoul of the campaign’s rules.
Because all campaign have co-directors who are just active volunteers.
Obama’s hypocrisy over connections to lobbyists has been well documented but highly ignored by masses. Not too long ago, Obama alleged that lobbyists were running McCain’s campaign…
Really, what does all this finger pointing prove? Obama talks the talk, but he doesn’t walk the walk. He may think he’s doing himself a favor nitpicking over advisors connections to this group or that, especially given his own past problems (which there is always a crafty excuse for) … For a candidate who claims he doesn’t like campaign distractions from the issues, he certainly has a love for distractions he thinks he can benefit from politically.
Tags: Barack Obama, hypocrisy, liberal lies, lobbyists
May 29th, 2008
We’ve all heard Barack Obama talk about how evil lobbyists are, but I guess some lobbyists are more evil than others.
Democrat Barack Obama opposes a bill that would change the nation’s 135-year-old mining law - the same stance as mining industry executives who employ a Nevada-based lobbyist advising the presidential candidate.
The Obama campaign and Billy Vassiliadis, a longtime Nevada power broker, contend there is no connection, saying they have never discussed Obama’s position on the mining bill.
Sure.
Vassiliadis, a longtime Nevada power broker, is a member of Obama’s Nevada steering committee and has contributed $2,300 to his campaign. He is a lobbyist for the Nevada Mining Association at the state level and the chief executive of the advertising and lobbying firm hired by two mining companies to lobby for them in Washington.
Denver-based Newmont Mining Co., one of the world’s largest gold producers, hired Las Vegas-based R&R Partners’ Washington, D.C. office in January. The firm has represented silver and gold miner Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. (CDE), in Washington since 2006.
Obama campaign spokeswoman Shannon Gilson said Vassiliadis has advised the campaign only on politics, never policy.
“I have not had a single conversation, not one, with anybody in the Obama campaign about mining,” Vassiliadis said.
You can always trust the word of a lobbyist right? This is getting ridiculous. Between faux-transparency and changing his position on Iraq depending on the political climate, and now this interesting little lobbyist connection he has, how can anyone believe a word he says?
Tags: Barack Obama, Iraq, lobbyists, political climate, transparency
November 15th, 2007
