tagged w/ Lobbying
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans say Sen. John McCain and his vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, are mavericks. But in a new ad, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign says not so fast -- they're no maverick reformers.
And it's a point that Obama has been making on the campaign trail in recent days.
"John McCain says that he is going to tell all those lobbyists in Washington that their days of running Washington are over, which sounds pretty good until you discover that seven of his top campaign managers and officials are -- guess what? -- former corporate lobbyists," Obama said recently in Flint, Michigan.
It's true: Seven top McCain officials were lobbyists, though the campaign stresses that none is currently registered to lobby Congress:
One: Campaign manager Rick Davis is a major telecommunications lobbyist.
Two: Senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann recently faced scrutiny over his foreign lobbying on behalf of the Republic of Georgia, which has been embroiled in a military conflict with Russia.
Three: Senior adviser Charlie Black was a foreign lobbyist for dictators in Zaire and Angola in the 1980s, fodder for the liberal group MoveOn.org.
Four: Frank Donatelli, the Republican National Committee's liaison to the McCain campaign, has had clients including Exxon Mobil.
Five: Economic adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer has lobbied for corporate giants like Koch Industries.
Video at link...WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans say Sen. John McCain and his vice presidential running... more
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ivxx
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3 years ago
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It's pretty obvious to anyone paying attention a majority of Americans oppose the bailout plan passed last night by the Senate and heading toward the House.
As discussed here and here, many Americans seem to understand the "real" economy -- i.e., Main Street -- will suffer if the plan fails, but they still oppose it and view it as a bailout for Wall Street "fat cats."
"I've lost my money because of these idiots, now they want me to subsidize their losses too???," Yahoo! Finance user "hoser48" wrote yesterday. "They can go to hell with the common man, we will all live together as equals then. A bailout is not the answer."
Clearly that sentiment isn't universal, and Monday's 778 Dow dive did change many people's view. But it's also true the mood in the country is ugly, and it didn't happen overnight.
Todd Harrison, CEO of Minyanville.com, has been warning about the threat of "societal acrimony" for some time....
Read More and Watch Video at Link...
It's pretty obvious to anyone paying attention a majority of Americans oppose the... more
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President Bush said Thursday "a lot of people are watching" to see if Congress will enact the $700 billion financial rescue plan that he called the best chance to restore calm to the financial industry.
As both Democratic and Republican House party leaders worked the offices and halls of congressional office buildings to find enough votes for passage in a floor showdown scheduled for Friday, Bush spoke with more urgency than previously as he lobbied furiously for the measure...
Read More at Link...President Bush said Thursday "a lot of people are watching" to see if... more
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The city and the Yankees secretly crafted a letter Rep. Charles Rangel used to lobby the IRS for tax changes that would save the team $66 million, the Daily News has learned.
They did this at the same time Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and the team's law firm, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, raised almost $25,000 for Rangel, records show.
The law firm's political action committee also donated an additional $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in this election cycle. Rangel is chairman of the DCCC's board of directors and a key fund-raiser for House Democrats. Yankees President Randy Levine is senior counsel at Akin Gump.
The Rangel letter was just one weapon in the Yankees' ongoing battle to get more tax-exempt financing for the new stadium rising in the Bronx. Last year, the team got $942 million in tax-free bonds through a city agency, but the team wants $350 million more.
If the new bonds go through, the Yankees would lower their borrowing costs by $66 million on top of the $181 million they're already set to save from the first round of tax-free bonds, the Independent Budget Office estimates.
Internal e-mails and correspondence obtained by The News under the Freedom of Information Act show how the Yankees and Mayor Bloomberg's top deputies have worked hand in hand to win special tax breaks for America's richest team.
In one letter, the Yankees invited city officials to a special behind-the-scenes MLB preview of the 2007 All-Star game in San Francisco. This year's All-Star game was held at Yankee Stadium. City officials could not say which officials went or how much the trip cost taxpayers.
A key obstacle for the Yankees' financing remains the Internal Revenue Service. That's where Rangel, chairman of the powerful tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, came in.
The city and the Yankees secretly crafted a letter Rep. Charles Rangel used to lobby... more
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"If you don't like the oil sands oil, what companies will do [in Canada] is build a bigger pipeline to the west coast and export it to China and India," warned a lobbyist for Nexen Energy, which has "major investments" in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. He was attending the U.S. Democratic National Convention, where oil sands backers held a closed-door meeting with presidential candidate Barack Obama and his top energy advisor, Jason Grumet. Grumet had earlier blasted oil sands oil for having "a much greater impact on climate change." Extraction from oil sands produces three times as much greenhouse gas emissions as traditional oil extraction. Canadian cabinet minister Tony Clement, who was in the closed-door meeting with Obama, said, "We have to be more aggressive in representing Canadian values and interests in the American political scene." Nexen has hired former U.S. ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin as a Washington, DC based oil sands lobbyist. The industry is powerful in Canada. In July alone, oil sands industry representatives held 36 meetings with Canadian ministers and government officials."If you don't like the oil sands oil, what companies will do [in Canada] is... more
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Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison Thursday for his corrupt lobbying activities, which led to the downfalls of a congressman and several other Washington officials.
Choking back tears, Abramoff delivered a highly emotional plea for the judge to exercise leniency, but readily admitted he had done wrong.
"I stand before you a broken man," he said during the two-hour sentencing hearing. "I am not the same man."
Abramoff has served 22 months in prison on a separate conviction involving casinos in Florida. The judge said that the new four-year term will run concurrently with the remainder of that sentence.
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison... more
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Disgusting practices of the rich and powerful.
If you want to be a successful plutocrat, you have to perfect the art of the hostess gift.
Edwina Rogers, the wife of Washington lobbyist Ed Rogers, is a master of the form and has developed her own signature specialty. She wraps her thank-yous in sheets of real dollar bills, purchased from the Bureau of Engraving.
In this clip from the pilot episode of “PowerHouse”–a kind of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” show set in Washington and in development for NBC–Mrs. Rogers is shown in her “wrapping room,” a special area of her walk-in closet in her 18,000-square-foot mansion.
She unfurls a roll of dollar bills and starts slicing them up to make the appropriate wrapping sheets. No matter that she slices several dollar bills in half–it is all about lining up the George Washingtons on the front.
“The effect is fabulous, especially for foreigners,” she says. “They love it.”
The host, Mario Correa, quips that he spends “less money on gifts for people than you do on the wrapping paper.”
Mrs. Rogers responds, quite thriftily, that she only wraps small gifts–not large ones–in money (a sheet of 32 $1 bills goes for $55).
Disgusting practices of the rich and powerful.
If you want to be a successful... more
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This is just disgusting. The arrogance of the uber-wealthy.
If you want to be a successful plutocrat, you have to perfect the art of the hostess gift.
Edwina Rogers, the wife of Washington lobbyist Ed Rogers, is a master of the form and has developed her own signature specialty. She wraps her thank-yous in sheets of real dollar bills, purchased from the Bureau of Engraving.
If you want to be a successful plutocrat, you have to perfect the art of the hostess gift.
Edwina Rogers, the wife of Washington lobbyist Ed Rogers, is a master of the form and has developed her own signature specialty. She wraps her thank-yous in sheets of real dollar bills, purchased from the Bureau of Engraving.
This is just disgusting. The arrogance of the uber-wealthy.
If you want to be a... more
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Recall that a week ago, John McCain's (R) son -- Andrew K. McCain -- suddenly resigned as a member of the board of directors and audit committee of Silver State Bancorp (and its subsidiary Silver State Bank) citing "personal reasons." From various published accounts, the bank is on exceptionally shaky financial footing and some believe it is only a matter of time before the FDIC steps in and takes over the bank.
However, six days after McCain suddenly quit, there's still a great deal of mystery about his departure as no one is talking, according to today's Arizona Republic:
One of U.S. Sen. John McCain's sons has resigned from the board of a Nevada-based bank that operates four branches in Arizona, just five months after he was appointed director.
Andrew McCain quit as a director of Silver State Bancorp, where he served on the audit committee.
...A Silver State spokesman declined to comment on the resignation. McCain didn't return phone calls.
Recall that a week ago, John McCain's (R) son -- Andrew K. McCain -- suddenly... more
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Eight states have already outlawed salvia; Michigan is among 16 other states seeking to criminalize its use and sale.
Translated from Latin, the drug's name means "sage of the seers." A website dedicated to the plant (salvia.net) tells us that its "psychoactive properties have been known to the Mexican Mazatec Indians for ages ..." and that its effects range from uncontrollable laughter to a sense of "profound understanding" to feelings of "total confusion or madness."
"In recent years," the site says, "salvia has become increasingly popular amongst explorers of nonordinary states of consciousness."
Sort of like News Hits itself.
Earlier this year, the Michigan House voted 106-0 to approve House bill 5700, which seeks to criminalize use of the plant by classifying it as a "schedule 1 Narcotic," putting it in the same league as drugs such as marijuana, heroin, ecstasy and LSD. If the bill makes it into law, getting caught just using the stuff could land you in jail for up to a year, with a $1,000 fine to boot.
Although currently legal under federal law, eight states have already outlawed salvia; Michigan is among 16 other states seeking to criminalize its use and sale.
The legislation is currently awaiting approval by the Senate Committee on Health Policy.
The Metro Times contacted Speaker Pro Tempore Michael Sak, the Grand Rapids Democrat who sponsored the original House bill. Asked to explain the specific negative effects associated with salvia, Sak told us that the drug led to "extreme hallucinations, with psychological and physical impact." When we pressed him to be more specific, Sak instructed us to "go to YouTube, and look up 'crazy ass salvia video.'"
We hold the research being done by all the exemplary psychedelic experimenters at YouTube in as high regard as anyone, but we asked Sak if he could produce any literature produced by actual, you know, scientists with medical degrees and things like that. Sak, saying he didn't have any peer-reviewed literature to share with us, suggested we find some on our own.
A search of scholarly journals didn't help much. The Clinical Journal of Psychopharmacology tells us salvia is indeed a hallucinogen, and that its effects are strong. Little else is understood about this member of the mint family. ("For a minty fresh mind!" strikes us as a helluva good advertising slogan, however.)
There are not, as of yet, any rigorous studies showing salvia use leading to mental disorders or physical damage. According to the Associated Press, there's no record of anyone dying while actually on the stuff.
U.S. government statistics put salvia's rate of use among the population far behind most other illegal recreational drugs, such as ecstasy, LSD, marijuana, heroin and cocaine.
During our research, News Hits found a nice story about the issue by Neal McNamara in City Pulse, an alternative newspaper in Lansing. McNamara actually tried the stuff, but reported it didn't really do all that much for him. A little "light euphoria" maybe, but certainly no "purple dragons" or any other heavy head trips.
A major contributor to Sac's 2006 campaign was the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association.
According to information posted on the Web by the nonprofit National Institute on Money in State Politics, the association was Sak's No. 1 supporter in 2006, giving his campaign $5,948.
Why will no one stand up and say no to criminalization?
We have a voice and a chance to protect this and all of mother earths plants...
Join the conversation and add your thoughts by commenting below. Eight states have already outlawed salvia; Michigan is among 16 other states seeking... more
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We all know the names of professional athletes and actors that have little to do with our lives. Now it is time for us to get to know the corrupt men who have a lot to do with the way this country operates. Let me introduce you to:
Earlier this month, the Sunday Times caught longtime Bush associate Stephen Payne on tape offering access to top Bush administration officials in exchange for “six-figure donations to the private library being set up to commemorate Bush’s presidency.” Payne, who is now being investigated by the Homeland Security Department and the House Oversight Committee, made the offer to Kazakh politician Yerzhan Dosmukhamedov, who is also known as Eric Dos.
The Times reported that Dos had previously worked with Payne to arrange a 2006 visit by Vice President Dick Cheney to Kazakhstan. Dos claims that in exchange for arranging Cheney’s trip, “a payment of $2m was passed, via a Kazakh oil and gas company, to Payne’s firm.” Payne denies that any such arrangement existed.
But the Times reports today that Payne may be lying about his business dealings and that the money may have been funneled through a sister company to Payne’s lobbying firm:
The Sunday Times, however, has discovered the existence of a channel through which funds from the Kazakh government could have been readily transferred.
A sister company to WSP, Worldwide Strategic Energy (WSE), of which Payne is also president, has a subsidiary, Caspian Alliance, which is the sole US representative for KMG.
The Times reports that a top adviser to Sen. John McCain, lobbyist Randy Scheunemann, has direct ties to the company that is alleged to have funneled the funds:
Randy Scheunemann, chief foreign policy and national security adviser to John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, was listed in the WSE brochure as part of its executive team. Scheunemann and Associates, his lobbying firm, is reported as having represented the Caspian Alliance in 2005.We all know the names of professional athletes and actors that have little to do with... more
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vlemx
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3 years ago
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Capitol Hill lost yet another Congressman to K Street recently, as one more elected official rolled down the hill to join a lobbying firm. Through the story of the latest defector, the American News Project examines this burgeoning trend, known in DC as the "revolving door."Capitol Hill lost yet another Congressman to K Street recently, as one more elected... more
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lagan
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3 years ago
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http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/davidg/gGxDzP
Obama may have just lost my vote
I had high hopes for the candidate of change, but at the end of the day it's politics as usual.
After today's vote for the FISA bill, I am seriously reconsidering my support for Barrack Obama and the democratic party altogether. There is no longer a populist party. We have one party masquerading as two. Our government has been bought and paid for by large corporations and lobbyists.
Congress' approval rating is at an all time low as is the approval of the president yet nothing changes.
I'm afraid real change will only come when the economy slips into a depression (the ball is already rolling). People are tired of this fascist two party monopoly of our government and media.
Shame on you Barrack Obama!
Shame on you for supporting the telecom industry at the expense of the 4th amendment of the constitution.
Shame on you for supporting the brutal Israeli regime.
Shame on you for your tough rhetoric regarding Iran. They have EVERY legal right to use Uranium for peaceful purposes. The US and Israel have violated UN charter by threatening them with war. We've tried to freeze their assets, which is an act of war and this country wonders why they are now test firing missiles. HELLO!
There is one country, however, in the middle east who has NO legal right to enrich uranium for ANY purposes yet they have 200 nuclear bombs and are in violation of more UN resolutions than ANY nation on earth. I'm speaking, of course, of Israel.
No "logic" being presented by the corporate media to invade Iran can do so without begging the question - Why not invade the country who is truly in violation of international agreements, the world court, UN charter and the 4th Geneva Convention.
Before I get attacked by AIPAC, know that I am jewish (Though capable of thinking)http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/davidg/gGxDzP
Obama may have just... more
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aleeka
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3 years ago
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Washington's largest lobby, the pharmaceutical industry, racked up another banner year on Capitol Hill in 2007, backed by a record $168 million lobbying effort, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of federal lobbying data. Among the industry's successes: getting two controversial laws extended and thwarting congressional efforts to restrict media ads for prescription drugs.
Washington's largest lobby, the pharmaceutical industry, racked up another banner... more
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Congress has gone mad for sure. This resolution of a naval blockade against Iran could be considered an act of war.
Hello Americans. Call your congressman and tell them you don't want another war!Congress has gone mad for sure. This resolution of a naval blockade against Iran... more
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The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is currently holding its annual policy conference in Washington, where not only the Israeli prime minister but also all three main US presidential candidates and Condi Rice are speaking.
AIPAC has developed a strong relationship with Republicans, as well as conservative Christians, since the years of the "Reagan Revolution." John McCain opened the conference, while Clinton and Obama closed on Wednesday in a joint session.
AIPAC has over 100,000 members and an operating annual budget which now soars above $100 million dollars. Over 7,000 of these members are attending the conference, and AIPAC has scheduled over 500 meetings with members of Congress to do their lobbying work on behalf of Israel.
So what's the deal with AIPAC?The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is currently holding its annual... more
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http://www.aipac.org/Publications/SpeechesByPolicymakers/Obama_-_As_Prepared_for_Delivery.pdf
http://www.aipac.org/media_files/AudioPC08Speeches/PC08_Obama_Full_Speech.mp3
The fundamental element that set Barack Obama apart from all other Candidates was that he refused to accept funds from Special Interest Groups and Lobbyists, in order to send a clear message that they will not have the traditional influence over what happens in his White House. However, today Obama stood before the largest Israeli Lobby and pledged his undying devotion. The words of his speech expressed great favoritism for Israel.
This disturbed me very much, because it is a contradiction in his original platform. On the other hand, as much as it disturbs me, it is not enough to make me change my mind about supporting Obama for president for one simple reason: Virtually ALL American politicians commit this same transgression of favoritism for Israel.
AIPAC is really the only Lobby that has so much devestating influence over our government. When Obama initialy suggested turning his back to Lobbyiests, I was hopeful that we would finaly be rid of them. They are the primary motivation behinde all of our bad policy abroad and sometimes even domestic. If you think I exagerate, then I advize you to simply go to their website and see for yourself.
http://www.aipac.org/ http://www.aipac.org/Publications/SpeechesByPolicymakers/Obama_-_As_Prepared_for_Delive... more
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Vasqi
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3 years ago
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Introduced as the nominee of the Democratic Party, Senator Barack Obama drew several standing ovations from a vastly Jewish crowd at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference in Washington on Wednesday, talking tough on the Iranian threat to Israel while also promising that he would lead in pursuing a peace settlement in Israel.
Mr. Obama endorsed a two-state, Israel-Palestine settlement, and took an implicit poke at President Bush. He was speaking, as did John McCain before him on Monday, to a policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a major lobbying organization for Israel.
“I won’t wait until the waning days of my presidency,” Mr. Obama said. “I will take an active role and make a personal commitment to do all I can to advance the cause of peace from the start of my administration.”
As president, he added: “I will work to help Israel achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state of Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security.”
Shortly after he spoke, his former rival, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton came a touch closer than she did last night to acknowledging that he is the nominee of the party. She vouched for Mr. Barack’s friendship and concern for Israel, but did not call him the nominee.
“Let me be very clear,” she said, “I know Senator Obama will be a good friend of Israel.”
Mr. Obama defended his stance that he would negotiate with the nation’s enemies, but coupled that with a pledge of unstinting support for Israel’s security. He also promised to send military hardware to Israel under the same conditions governing NATO nations.
He talked tough on Iran, describing it in terms suggestive of a rogue nation. He made clear that he would place the military might of the United States behind Israel in the event of an Iranian attack on the Jewish state.Introduced as the nominee of the Democratic Party, Senator Barack Obama drew several... more
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McCain's national finance co-chairman has stepped down, the latest casualty of a presidential campaign eager to cauterize damage caused by its ties to lobbyists.
Former Texas Rep. Thomas G. Loeffler, one of McCain's key fundraisers, resigned in the wake of a new McCain policy on conflicts of interest that required campaign volunteers to disclose their lobbying connections.
Loeffler, who runs the lobbying shop The Loeffler Group, is the highest profile departure from McCain's inner circle since a summer 2007 shake-up cost McCain his campaign manager and chief strategist.
Among Loeffler's clients is the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., the parent company of plane manufacturer Airbus. Northrop Grumman Corp. and EADS won a lucrative contract to provide air refueling tankers for the Air Force. McCain helped scuttle an earlier contract in 2004 that would have gone to a competitor, Boeing Co.
Loeffler's firm also has lobbied for other foreign interests and foreign governments. Newsweek reported over the weekend that Loeffler's firm was paid $15 million by Saudi Arabia. The news magazine also said Loeffler listed meeting McCain along with the Saudi ambassador to "discuss US-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations," even though Loeffler told a reporter last month that he had not discussed his clients with McCain.
McCain's national finance co-chairman has stepped down, the latest casualty of a... more
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