Bill Halter, Blanche Lincoln's Primary Opponent, Promises Never To Become A Lobbyist

Bill Halter, the lieutenant governor campaigning against Sen. Blanche Lincoln in the Arkansas Democratic primary, announced Tuesday that he has never been a lobbyist and that he will never become a lobbyist.

"The revolving door used by lobbyists and legislators only serves to fill the pockets of special interests while ignoring the needs of Arkansas families," said Halter in a statement from his campaign. "During my career I've worked in both the private sector and public service. After completing a stint in public service, I have never become a lobbyist and I never will. When so many public officials move from their positions directly into lobbyist positions, it undermines public confidence in our government."

Indeed, many politicians go on to become lobbyists. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, more than 300 former members of Congress have become lobbyists or taken similar jobs in recent years. It's an easy way to make a huge pile of money at the end of a political career.

Last week, freshman Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Col.) proposed measures that, among other things, will prohibit a member of Congress from ever becoming a lobbyist. (Bennet himself did not promise to avoid the influence industry.)

Several current senators who plan to retire when their terms end seem to be angling for gigs on K Street. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) all but said he wanted a lobbyist job and Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) refused to rule it out when asked by HuffPost.

Halter also said on Tuesday that he opposes automatic pay raises, will hold a town hall in every Arkansas county every year and that he will make his schedule public.

Blanche Lincoln's campaign did not say whether she would also take the no-lobbyist pledge but defended the candidate in a statement:

"Today Bill Halter held a press conference while Senator Lincoln worked toward Senate passage of an amendment that will hold bailed-out Wall Street institutions and their executives more accountable to American taxpayers by taxing excessive bonuses," said Lincoln campaign spokesperson Katie Laning Niebaum. "In addition, she has successfully inserted two tax relief amendments in the Senate jobs bill with direct benefits for Arkansas workers, businesses, seniors and the disabled."

Comments

[FalconX2000]

01:27 PM on 03/27/2010

Arkansas has 75 counties. He wants to do a town hall in every one of them annually? That's...ambitious.

[TheFabOne]

02:30 PM on 03/10/2010

I'm FROM Little Rock, Arkansas, proud of it. I also am an ex-Democrat who is now an Independent, because I did not believe in the leadership of Coward Dean before our President was elected.

Let me say this: being from Little Rock, there are folks in Blanche Lincoln's 'neck' of the woods (if you get my drift) that can't SPELL lobbyist, so this guy saying he will never be one is like me saying I will never be PREZ-UH-DINT.

[HypocriticalSpamazon]

02:46 PM on 03/10/2010

The people you malign don't vote in an off-year primary. This matters to the people who will be voting in May.

[nirek]

02:03 PM on 03/10/2010

I think it should be a prerequisite to be in any government position that you are never to become a lobbyist!

[mutton]

01:16 PM on 03/10/2010

What's the big deal, Blanche? Go ahead and promise not to become a lobbyist and then do what you want. Being a lobbyist is not an elected position.

[kplNYC]

01:12 PM on 03/10/2010

Oh well, then...since he promised, it must be true.

[baomike]

01:04 PM on 03/10/2010

Blanche can't make a no Lobbyist pledge. She already is one.

[hrc04]

01:24 PM on 03/10/2010

I thought everybody knew that.

[Billl]

12:59 PM on 03/10/2010

Eliminate Insurance; Use a Sales Tax and Public Option Save a $Trillion Annually

One week of public hearings should be held to educate the President, legislators, and voters of how a Public Option using Veterans HealthCare successes could save lives and a $trillion annually for health care reform by using a dual choice Private or Public Option plan.

Consumers using private systems would never be required to give information to or step into a Public Option facility.

All 300 million people in the US could receive Free Public Option healthcare, delivered from government VA system styled hospitals, paid for with sales tax revenues instead of insurance premiums, and it would save $1trillion dollars every year from the $2.6trillion spent last year.

Public Option users would never have to pay another insurance premium, medical service co pay fee, or any prescription costs and everyone who wants it could have it no restrictions.

Going back and forth between free public and user purchased private care would allow unlimited choices and always free public care would be available.

Veterans Government Health Care is producing better health outcomes for Vets than civilian patients are receiving anywhere else in the country, at any price, including Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Medicare, anywhere and VA’s costs are a fraction of private care’s.

Between 1995 and 2004, the cumulative increase in the VA’s cost per enrollee was just 0.8 percent, while Medicare was a whopping 40.4 percent.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0501.longman.html

[MildenHall]

12:14 PM on 03/10/2010

If she "inserted" something for the people of Arkansas you can guarantee there is a bigger slop bucket that was poured into the trough for her corporate masters.

Just more ammo for Halter to use.

[Justdontgetit]

11:59 AM on 03/10/2010

Already making promises we know won't be kept.

[liveordie]

11:48 AM on 03/10/2010

Boy are you going to eat those words as soon as someone offers you a $1,000,000 plus all expenses for every year you sell your soul.

[dRwOOD]

11:45 AM on 03/10/2010

THis guy is gaining some serious traction, and with statements like these Lincoln could be in serious trouble... GOOD!!

[pd33bkagn]

11:20 AM on 03/10/2010

Sure Bill Halter pledges not to become a lobbyist. He has been sucking off the public teat since 1993 and he has come to like the easy living. He has forgotten how to do any real work. His plan is to take taxpayer money for the rest of his life.

[TehMimz]

12:51 PM on 03/10/2010

Proof please.

[Coinyer101]

10:56 AM on 03/10/2010

Lincoln will not get my vote in the primary, or the general......,I hope Halter wins both.....,

[Clovie]

10:32 AM on 03/10/2010

The more I hear about Halter, the more I like the guy! And, anyone's got to be better than Blanche.

[MarsAmbassador]

10:15 AM on 03/10/2010

Well, the guy seems like a populist who sees an opening. I don't know anything about him, but he can't be any worst than Blanche. She's one of the worst Democrats I've seen in years. I don't know what her values and priorities are, but they do not line up with progressives or even most liberals. She is a corporatist DINO and it's about time we cleaned the ranks of these pretenders. She's not in politics for her constituents or her country, she's in it for herself and the corporations that back her campaigns. Good riddance to baaaad rubbish.