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Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger

Posted: February 24, 2008 11:49 PM

You Can't Spell Congress Without a "K"


The lobbying business is thriving -- and not just on John McCain's bus.

My old friends at The Hill report that lobbying revenues were up across the board in 2007, despite the ethics and lobbying overhauls the Democrats instituted with much fanfare.

Maybe the money saved on not buying meals for members and staff accounts for the extra cash. No?

From The Hill:

Democrats campaigned in 2006 in part by promising to break the bonds between lobbyists and lawmakers. New lobbying and ethics rules prohibit lobbyists from buying members or staff meals or other gifts or traveling with them on fact-finding trips.


What had a bigger impact on K Street, firm partners say, was the increased legislative activity of the new Democratic majority in areas like energy and tax policy.

Who knew lobbyists had a hand in writing the law of unintended consequences?

 
 
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11:47 AM on 02/25/2008
I assure you that Representatives and Senators do not receive their "nearly quarter-million-dollars per person per day" from free lunches.

Article 2, Section 4 of the United States Constitution lists only two "high crimes" by name:

(1) treason, and ...

(2) bribery.

Perhaps there is a reason for this: both of these are the same thing.
11:33 AM on 02/25/2008
Some phenomena, including lobbying and the legislation susceptible to its influence, mutate like viruses in response to the drugs (or measures) thrown at them.
03:56 AM on 02/25/2008
the Democratic party hierarchy is just as corrupt as the Bush republicans and has been for years

Hillary is their candidate, the DNC's "firewall" against any type of exposure or disruption to their pay-to-play corruption and cosy complicity with Bushco

Obama says he will get rid of the lobbyists and their corporate masters who have bought and paid for the Clintons, Pelosi, Reid, Feinstein, et.al.

i'm sceptical as to whether this is even possible, but i am sure as hell willing give Barack Hussein Obama the support needed to try and clean up the political cesspool in Washington dc

the American people deserve better than the continuation of a sham democracy offered by HRC
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SamEllison
I feel so clean!
03:15 AM on 02/25/2008
It's exactly what Ren and Stimpy, oops I mean Rahm and Steny, said they were going to do. Hell, Rahm's brother doesn't trust him why should I?