Tony Podesta Has A Party Pooper

Washington luminaries raised glasses in honor of lobbyist Tony Podesta, who celebrated his 65th birthday on Friday night with a party at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Roll Call, Politico, and the Examiner all covered the event, which was billed as a "Red Shoe Affair" -- per Podesta's fashion proclivities, guests were asked to wear red shoes.

(Podesta's red shoe thing goes back at least until 1993, when the Associated Press reported that he wore red hightops with a tuxedo to a pre-inaugural fundraiser because, he said, "I want to be comfortable standing around.")

Among those spotted at the birthday bash: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Project on Government Oversight's Adam Zagorin(!).

But a sourpuss lurks among the journos toasting Podesta in print: Bloomberg's Al Hunt, who writes that Tony and Heather Podesta "are raking in millions from the insurance and drug industries, tobacco companies and corporate interests fighting changes to labor laws or the overhaul of the student-loan program."

Hunt calls the Podestas "conscientious objectors to the culture of change in Washington" and says they personify the "ingrained money and political culture."

Heather and Tony Podesta's firms represent clients opposed to just about every part of the Obama change agenda.

But Podesta told Al Hunt that "We have only some small differences with the administration and the Democratic leadership."

Those differences certainly aren't big enough to keep administration officials and Democratic leadership away from A Red Shoe Affair. Get with the party, Al Hunt!

Comments

[loki]

Pelosi is not surprise. She follows the money.

[jimrs]

Many suggestions on this thread about trying to reform a system that is corrupt.
Folks, the powers that be ain't gonna let you do it easily.

The condition of man...is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.
Thomas Hobbe -1588-1679 (leviathan 1651)

[Bettysdad]

Clintonista.

[Givethemhellharry]

I hope that Tony remembers what he did 17 years ago to Rachel Nielsen and the fine young woman whose life he helped to destroy. He has a lot of sins to atone for.

[rosiebond007]

Novel idea for the Podestas..
Could they not start a philantghropic foundation and help others ??
Give some folks a helping hand?

[Greggo]

We have the best government that money can buy.

[Konnie]

if these criminals have this kind of money, logic would follow that our premiums are to high,
pay outs to low, and we need single payer now more than ever............if we are the new
"base" reid talked out then we better start rattling a few more cages.

[Fred Hood]

step one to taking back our country get rid of corporations buying our representation............end lobbies now

[chelliza]

Ronald Reagan set out to give the rich everything and let them decide what trickles down to the rest of us. This is a perfect example of one of those he assisted. Those that came after Reagan just made it all worse for the rest of us. We are no longer a democracy but a plutocracy. Thanks Ronnie.

[Eagleman]

Birds of the same feather flock together

It does not matter - Black or White, He or She, Liberal or Conservative, Democrats or Republicans

Crooks of the Capital Hill party together

[Fred Hood]

every body loves a party and they party ever night on our dime...........

[consumerist]

Exactly. It really doesn't matter which philosophy or party you belong to. Greed draws everyone in and in America we consider "Greed" to be a good thing. We worship at its altar and we teach the young the same thing always. Principle be damned!

PS: Nancy Pelosi was also seen inaugurating a hospital wing for the private doctor's group in McAllen, Texas which was found to be doing unnecessary tests to make as much money out of medicare as possible. Read it here http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/us/politics/30mcallen.html

I wish the bay area would get rid of Nancy Pelosi and all the well entrenched crowd of politicians representing California as all of them are crooks.

[NewArtz]

The system is rigged, and we are help hostage to it. Any third party candidate only divides voters, and the consequences can be devastating, as in the election of an extreme minority candidate. Perhaps local processes could be overtaken by "the people", but the machine runs on money and money alone.

Our democracy does not favor the rich, but our Republic has always seen property as power worthy to respect more than poverty. The people are only becoming poorer in a system than is designed to exclude them.

As it was with the founding Fathers, he who paid the bills wrote them. Nothing has really changed. A few rich control very many more poor. Democracy was considered by them as mob rule, and any majority should be properly propagandized before being given a voice, and then that voice should be translated via Electors, whose voices alone mattered.

America has the technology almost prepared for a pure democracy, but who within the Republic will ever allow it?

[edwcorey]

While the two parties claim to be opponents, they are play-acting. It's an incestuous relationship, which is why government is as dysfunctional as inbred children.

[swift goat pet for truth]

The First Amendment guarantees us all the right of Free Speech.

But only loads of money guarantees us that we will be heard.

[futate01]

Instead of yapping with our clacking fingers we need to unite and put an end to privately funded campaigns.

As THE PEOPLE it should be our number one priority, above health care, above war, above everything. As long as politicians rely on corporations to "win their jobs" we the people have no say. We need to push for making any private campaign contributions, across the board illegal, and set up a tax based campaign finance system, with equal spending capacities across all valid political parties.

Until this fundamental structure is change everything else is a loss. With our current system you will never see proper healthcare, financial regulations, environmental incentives... etc.

WE THE PEOPLE no longer have any power in this country because we no longer pay the politician's paychecks. Money talks. If you don't' know that you've been living in a cave. This is why we need to limit them to a tax based campaign financing system because then WE PEOPLE are paying their paychecks and then the politicians will have every incentive to listen to us. If we do well and pay more taxes they do well. As it is now, if the corporations do well they "donate" to them thus the corporations are in charge at our expense.

This would be real change and the only way to save this nation. The only way to have real reform across the board in this country. If you don't see what I'm saying than you are blind.

[vippy]

I agree with what you are saying but don't expect them, who are in charge, change the system.
Never will happen. The fastest way is vote out all incumbents, what else would be so powerful?
They would run scared and remember who put them in office! Then throw them out when their
4 years are over again. It could not possibly be worse than we have it now.

[futate01]

This is how most European counties are run. If you say it can't happen it never will. If you have already decided that you can't achieve something you never will.

I think it can be done if we fight hard enough for it. The Europeans did it. Are you saying Americans are not good enough to do the same?

[sherbug]

We need term limits in D.C. It should be from the Supreme Court on down to the Mayor and everything inbetween. No more toe tag term limits. Do 2 terms and get out and let somebody else come in with fresh ideas and fresh eyes.

These old geezers most of them are sitting up collecting a check they don't even need.

[Beamin1]

Agree, but what to do? Where to start ? Why not push for term limits it seems this would make a difference; anyone that stands against term limits are looking out for their own interests instead of the peoples ?

[Pablo175]

Ugh. Very sleazy.