Community | January 21, 2013 | 64 comments

Obama Inauguration Sponsors Spent Millions Influencing Government

source: http://truth-out.org/news/item/14037-obama-inauguration-sponsors-spent-millions-influencing-...

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Vic_Romano

http://truth-out.org/news/item/14037-obama-inauguration-sponsors-spen...

President Barack Obama has long vowed to “take on” federal lobbyists, swearing off their campaign cash, curtailing access to his administration, and lately, directing his Presidential Inaugural Committee to reject their donations.

“We've always relied on each other, not Washington lobbyists or corporate interests, to build our campaign,” he wrote to supporters after launching his re-election campaign.

While Obama has banned donations to his second inaugural celebration from lobbyists, no such prohibition exists on donations from the corporations that employ them.

Donate they have: Obama’s inaugural festivities Monday are bankrolled by several of the nation’s most powerful corporate lobbying forces, which have collectively spent at least $158.6 million on lobbying since the president first took office, a Center for Public Integrity review of congressional disclosures indicates.

(A new list of sponsors current through Saturday pushes the total to $283 million, please see update.)

The ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, perhaps fittingly, falls squarely on the third anniversary of one of the most notable political influence developments in U.S. history — the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision — which Obama decried as a “huge victory” for special interests and their lobbyists and a “powerful blow to our efforts to rein in corporate influence.”

Chief among corporate inaugural donors: AT&T Inc., Microsoft Corp., energy giant Southern Co., biotechnology firm Genentech and health plan manager Centene Corp. Together, more than 300 registered lobbyists worked on the five companies’ behalf to influence legislation and government policy, according to their latest federal filings covering January through September.


Continues............

http://truth-out.org/news/item/14037-obama-inauguration-sponsors-spent-millions-...
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64 comments // Obama Inauguration Sponsors Spent Millions Influencing Government

  • LivingPong
    • +6
      LivingPong  

    • Brilliant, more disclosure I say. It would be nice if all members of government would consent to the publication of all their financial investments, backers and interests, I mean it's only fair seeing as though they collect everyone else's financial data.

    • 4 months ago
  • johnnyTremaine
  • Ricky84
  • Paratus
    • +2
      Paratus  

    • When Bush had his second inauguration, the New York Times took him to task for spending 40 million bucks and the terrible influence the corporate types had in the proceedings. Now word from the Times on the second coming yesterday which cost more. Typical.

    • 4 months ago
  • AmericanStandard
  • johnnyTremaine
  • Wyley_Wombat
    • +3
      Wyley_Wombat  

    • And the parade did not even go down K street. It should have, for K street is the home of lobbyists and hookers; both paid by corporations to influence congress creatures.

    • 4 months ago
  • Vic_Romano
  • cw9000
  • cw9000
  • AmericanStandard
  • Vic_Romano
  • JanforGore
  • im1mjrpain
  • artemis6
  • LivingPong
  • alexandrekBack
  • cmc101
    • +3
      cmc101  
    • alexandrekBack:

      I think most people agree
      they can carry a gun scream at the top of their lungs for their interpretation of the second amendment while the Wall street thieves steal their food , shelter and wages .

    • 4 months ago
  • artemis6
  • wolfess
    • +2
      wolfess  
    • cmc101:

      NOW you're on to something, I would be more than willing to give up some of my gun rights if there weren't so many rich @ssholes that continue to RAPE us and get nothing but a pat on the back for it!

    • 4 months ago
  • johnnyTremaine
  • artemis6
    • +7
      artemis6  

    • I refused to watch it , did not listen to it on the radio . I hate to be lied to and especially , i dislike when people try and manipulate me . I hope everyone had a lovely day .

    • 4 months ago
  • wolfess
    • +4
      wolfess  
    • artemis6:

      I had to take my husband's vehicle to the gas station to put air in the tires; I went to the gym and exercised; went to the pharmacy for cough med and went to bed last nite at 8 b/c this cold was beating the cr@p out of me :-) ... the good news is I actually feel better this morn!!!!!

      Pwr 2 the SICK & BUSY peons!
      GUILLOTINE EXCESS!

    • 4 months ago
  • cmc101
    • +4
      cmc101  
    • wolfess:

      we all can rejoice that you are recovering
      get plenty of rest .take two aspirin and drink plenty of water
      if that don't kill ya talk to you in the morning

    • 4 months ago
  • wolfess
    • +3
      wolfess  
    • cmc101:

      Awww thnx C :-)! I think I'm actually getting over it, but you're right -- the best thing I can do is take it easy ... the good news is this thing has really kicked my appetite so maybe I've actually lost a couple pounds :-)!

    • 4 months ago
  • cmc101
    • +4
      cmc101  
    • wolfess:

      My grandma swore about chicken soup
      I'm such a believer that i can eat or drink it 7 days a week
      jello any shape or form hot or cold is a good source to help in maintaining water
      go easy on sugar if you have a sugar problem

    • 4 months ago
  • VFORVENDETTA
  • Vic_Romano
  • Vic_Romano
  • artemis6
    • +1
      artemis6  
    • wolfess:

      I am glad you feel better , i had a lovely day reading ... and listening to some MLK speeches . There was a MLK parade , but i decided it was too cold . 20 degrees out there .

    • 4 months ago
  • artemis6
  • Vic_Romano
  • warman1138
  • Vic_Romano
  • Vic_Romano
    • +5
      Vic_Romano  

    • Bank of America, unions among newly named inauguration sponsors.

      Add Bank of America, Coca-Cola, FedEx and a collection of labor unions to the growing list of powerful lobbying forces underwriting the second inauguration of President Barack Obama — long a vocal critic of the influence industry and corporate political power.

      The new inaugural bankrollers, the names of which the Presidential Inaugural Committee released this weekend, have together spent $124.3 million lobbying the federal government since Obama took office, a Center for Public Integrity review of federal disclosures shows.

      Lobbying forces donating to Obama’s inaugural have spent nearly $283 million to influence the federal government since 2009 when including previously disclosed corporations, such as AT&T Inc., Microsoft Corp. and energy giant Southern Co. — a figure likely to grow as the inauguration committee releases the names of more new contributors.

      (Read: Corporate backers poured $160 million into lobbying since 2009.)

      FedEx has spent more than $64 million on federal lobbying since 2009, while Coca-Cola has spent nearly $25 million and Bank of America more than $12.8 million, federal disclosures show.

      The Forest County Potawatomi Community, a Native American tribe based in Wisconsin that operates casinos, also donated to the inaugural committee and has spent $1.5 million on lobbying during the past four years. Another inaugural donor, financial investment firm Ariel Investments, has spent $200,000.

      Lobbying expenditures by newly disclosed union entities donating to the inaugural committee include:

      American Federation of Government Employees ($4.74 million in 2009);
      International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ($3.5 million;)
      Laborers International Union of North America ($3.5 million);
      American Postal Workers Union (2.6 million);
      United Association ($1.9 million);
      International Association of Fire Fighters ($1.5 million);
      United Food and Commercial Workers ($1.5 million), and;
      the Sheet Metal Workers International Association ($150,000).

      Such unions are organized as nonprofit corporations under the Internal Revenue Service code.

      Obama has banned individual lobbyists from donating to his inaugural celebration, but he’s instituted no such prohibition for the corporations or labor unions that together employ several hundred lobbyists to influence government policy and legislation.

      This policy is a marked departure from the practices of Obama’s 2009 inaugural committee, which banned corporate contributions altogether and limited individual donations to $50,000.

      The inaugural committee has not released how much money any of its donors have actually contributed, and by law, it won’t be compelled to disclose such information to the Federal Election Commission until 90 days after Monday’s inauguration.

      http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/01/19/12057/bank-america-unions-among-newly-...

    • 4 months ago
  • Vic_Romano
  • JanforGore
    • +4
      JanforGore  
    • Vic_Romano:

      Just think how many hungry people all these "festivities" could have fed. Is this a democracy or an aristocracy? From what I know the presidency is bigger than any one man or woman. So to be honest all of these ego driven festivities don't do much for me , especially when we see so many people still seeking work and trying to keep their heads above water. I honestly don't care that Michelle Obama wore a designer gown by whoever. It just proves both sides are no different when it comes to unnecessary excess.

    • 4 months ago
  • VFORVENDETTA
    • +3
      VFORVENDETTA  
    • Vic_Romano:

      "Bank of America, unions among newly named inauguration sponsors.

      Add Bank of America, Coca-Cola, FedEx and a collection of labor unions to the growing list of powerful lobbying forces underwriting the second...."

      All I know is that all that money would have paid for a lot of jobs, fed a lot of kids.

      Now what is it I've been saying about living in a Plutocracy again?

      Good post Vic

    • 4 months ago
  • cmc101
  • Vic_Romano
    • +3
      Vic_Romano  
    • JanforGore:

      Now that's the kind of inauguration I envision....a President feeding the homeless, visiting our veterans, hanging out with teachers, and putting Congress on notice that we've got some serious problems with our society.

    • 4 months ago
  • Vic_Romano
  • JanforGore
  • VFORVENDETTA
    • +4
      VFORVENDETTA  
    • Vic_Romano:

      "Probably been this way since George Washington was..."

      Indeed. I'll tell you Vic, in my lifetime I have lived VERY poor, I have seen some VERY hard times, so not a day go's by that I am not very thankful for what My wife and I do have today, but when I see the smog expressions on the faces of well fed pigs like Rush Lintballs, and all the rest of their corporate criminal buddy's, and I know that there are kids searching though landfills to eat, I know that if I had a chance, I would publicly crucify them, without a moments hesitation.

      Some people might say, how could you do that to another human being? I say, there was a reason (and justification) for the French revolution and the Guillotine, subjugation and hunger bring about a great deal of hate, righteous hate, so you could say I have a great deal of hate.

    • 4 months ago
  • johnnyTremaine
  • johnnyTremaine
  • wolfess
    • +3
      wolfess  
    • VFORVENDETTA:

      I don't see it as hate so much as righteous indignation -- when CHILDREN are starving and homeless there is something CRIMINALLY WRONG with a nation that would do nothing to alleviate their suffering. We have seen such an outpouring of love for the children that were killed in Newtown, and yet very few have said ANYTHING about trading our guns for food and safety, so that NO child has to go to bed hungry and cold! If all those voices that are shouting for gun control would start shouting for an END to hunger and homelessness for our children this country would be in a much better place!

      Pwr 2 the CHILDREN peons!
      GUILLOTINE HUNGER!

    • 4 months ago
  • wolfess
  • VFORVENDETTA
    • +4
      VFORVENDETTA  
    • wolfess:

      "I don't see it as hate so much as righteous indignation -- when CHILDREN are starving and homeless there"

      All you say is true M. G. but I'm telling you we will not see the kind of "change" we want and so desperately need in this country, until the Plutocracy is gone, and we have Socialism.

    • 4 months ago
  • wolfess
    • +4
      wolfess  
    • VFORVENDETTA:

      I know you're right Bro, and that means this is going to be a bloody battle b/c the psychopathic hoarders will do ANYTHING to hold onto their money!

      Pwr 2 the HUNGRY peons!
      GUILLOTINE COMPLACENCY!

    • 4 months ago
  • artemis6
  • artemis6
  • johnnyTremaine
  • wolfess
    • +2
      wolfess  
    • johnnyTremaine:

      I think he has voluntarily left b/c none of us know what AlJazeera is going to do with this part of current -- but it has been nice to at least have peace and quiet from the RIGHT side of the insani-tea continuum :-)!

    • 4 months ago
  • VFORVENDETTA
  • VFORVENDETTA
  • LivingPong
    • +2
      LivingPong  
    • VFORVENDETTA:

      Rush Lintballs. What a complete loon that guy is. To think all them Republicans are shit scared of that guy so they signed his little paper, forever compromising themselves to his will. Even Ronald Regan signed tax increases 11 times (he decreased taxes once in his whole office), Rush Lintballs would have him thrown out of the party.

    • 4 months ago
  • LivingPong
    • +1
      LivingPong  
    • JanforGore:

      Logic seems in short supply in government. I understand congress blocks stuff, so why not use his public profile to raise money to help people. Instead of $100,000 a seat it should be to give their money or time to helping people at charities, disaster relief, helping people with a job or improving opportunities for people with disabilities.

      I didn't see it on TV, but I saw some people crying or something in the crowd. Was that because heaps of money was being wasted instead of helping people?

      Oh wait that's just the alternate reality I keep imagining where instead of broken promises, planes and choppers descend out of the sky to help people instead of blowing them up.

      I wonder what those towers represented to some people. I wa wa wa wa wonder? I wonder why people would turn into enemies of a state after watching resources of nations plundered and people left starving and destitute. Little kids in the dust with the vultures circling. I wonder why people would become disillusioned with selfish government, the encouragement of somewhat mindless consumption, the lack of consequence for those who abuse the financial system at a massive cost to the lives of others.

      The best counter-terrorism would be aid and disaster relief. The stand-out leaders throughout history had courage, they didn't pretend to be tough, they dared to be compassionate and independent.

    • 4 months ago
  • johnnyTremaine
  • johnnyTremaine
  • johnnyTremaine
  • johnnyTremaine
  • wolfess
  • johnnyTremaine
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