In Colorado, we have a lot of mountains that are a challenge to climb. Our most challenging mountains are the ones that are more than 14,000 feet tall -- the 14ers.
Back in Washington there aren't any 14,000-foot mountains, but we do have 14,000 lobbyists who work to grind progress to a halt.
What may surprise you is that many of these lobbyists came directly from Congress. Once upon a time these former members of Congress and their staffs worked to move our country forward, but now they use their experience and behind-the-scenes knowledge just to further the agendas of their employers.
Recently, I was asked by a woman on the Western Slope, "Where's my lobbyist?" And she's right -- this broken system is allowing the voices of millions of Coloradans and people across the country to be drowned out by special interest lobbyists.
That's why I've introduced The Close the Revolving Door Act of 2010 to end lobbyist abuses, and get Congress back on track to move America forward.
Reforming Washington's K Street culture isn't going to be easy. I've already seen firsthand how hard lobbyists fought to stop health care and Wall Street reform -- and those are reforms that everyone agrees are badly needed.
Can you imagine how hard they're going to fight this?
I know it will be tough, but I've spent a career outside of politics fixing broken businesses, schools, and city budgets. That's why I'm not about to back down from this challenge -- we can't settle for this broken business-as-usual system any longer.
The Close the Revolving Door Act of 2010 will:
We can't let these Washington insiders continue to stall the changes we need.
Follow Sen. Michael Bennet on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BennetForCO
Bennet voted Nay on the on the Brown (OH) Amdt. No. 3733
Purpose: To impose leverage and liability limits on bank holding companies and financial companies.
http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00136
(End welfare for rich bankers by making them provide leverage for their risky gambling bets, and to impose limits on how much we, the people have to pay to bail them out when they lose on their bets.)
I know you have received lots of corporate campaign finance support, but don't you agree with the President that this would improve our elective and legislative process?
La-de-friggin'-dah. Pending real campaign finance reform, I see no reason to let the Rethugs reap the largesse.
The only time the politicians come to their senses when it is election time, then, and then only they
remember the voter. Disgusting!
I think that GS and 'doing God's work' or whatever is a great example of the power of the dollar bill over the course of human events. When you've got $10, you're just a face in the crowd, when you've got $10 billion, people are lining up around the block to kiss your hiney. Money, power, influence, that's what politics is really all about...pesky things like laws and voters just get in the way...
As others have pointed out in previous letters on this article, your name is conspicuous by being listed as one of those that voted against the Kaufman-Brown SAFE amendment.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-ratigan/is-your-senator-a-bankste_b_567907.html
Would you care to explain your actions? It will determine what actions I will take in November..
you're fanned.
If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/gop-rep-steve-king-defend_n_478493.html
Well, what organizations have you donated to? If you gave to the NRA or AIPAC, you probably have plenty of lobbyists speaking for you on their issues. If you donate to NARAL, you're probably helping hire a few too, although the left generally doesn't do as well.
Sorry, Sen. Bennett, but I'll be finding someone else to vote for over that betrayal. Unless you'd care to devote another column to telling us your reasons for stabbing the majority of your constituents in the back in favor of a few more big-donor contributions. Or am I misreading it?
All Romanoff has offered is that he doesn't take "corporate contributions." Big whoop.
I used to like you as a senator, but yesterday's vote scuttle it all when I wasn't able to find your name among the "yeahs" to that amendment. I guess it's time for Coloradans to try Romanoff out by sending him to Washington in your place.
I sincerely pray that the jobs market in the US would have recovered by January 21, 2011 because you are gonna need a new job. Straighten out your resume----it's always advisable to do that.
Yipppeeee
Go Mayor Hick!