Obama and lobbyists
June 21st 2009 03:54
I thought President Obama was going to curtail the power of lobbyists in Washington. It looks like it's business as usual, though:
Obama claims he is keeping his promise by being elsewhere when the lobbyist money changes hands. However, his party is still awash in the influence of lobbyists who have only their own monied interests in mind. This shows just how hollow his promise of reform was. If he was serious about cleaning up Washington, he would do everything in his power to diminish the pay-for-play pool that his party is still swimming in. Until he proves that he can do more than leave the room when the lobbyists show up, he should be forced to wear the scarlet letter "H" for hypocrisy.
When President Obama arrived at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for a fund-raising reception on Thursday night, the new White House rules of political purity were in order: no lobbyists allowed.
But at the same downtown hotel on Friday morning, registered lobbyists have not only been invited to attend an issues conference with Democratic leaders, but they have also been asked to come with a $5,000 check in hand if they want to stay in good favor with the party’s House and Senate re-election committees.
But at the same downtown hotel on Friday morning, registered lobbyists have not only been invited to attend an issues conference with Democratic leaders, but they have also been asked to come with a $5,000 check in hand if they want to stay in good favor with the party’s House and Senate re-election committees.
Obama claims he is keeping his promise by being elsewhere when the lobbyist money changes hands. However, his party is still awash in the influence of lobbyists who have only their own monied interests in mind. This shows just how hollow his promise of reform was. If he was serious about cleaning up Washington, he would do everything in his power to diminish the pay-for-play pool that his party is still swimming in. Until he proves that he can do more than leave the room when the lobbyists show up, he should be forced to wear the scarlet letter "H" for hypocrisy.
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