An Oligarchy Delivered by Lobbyists

[mother earth]

Published on Feb 9, 2015
In the first month of 2015, three separate high-ranking United States government officials made headlines after being publicly accused of accepting bribes. In September, one of them, the now ex-governor of Virginia, was convicted on these charges. So, where is the line between lobbying and bribery?

Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits On Campaign Spending
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/big-sky-big-money/supreme-court-strikes-down-limits-on-campaign-spending/
"In a decision that all but ensures a greater role for wealthy donors in American politics, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down restrictions on how much individual donors may contribute to candidates, political parties and political action committees."

Former Governor in Virginia Guilty in Bribery Case
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/us/bob-mcdonnell-maureen-mcdonnell-virginia-verdict.html?_r=0
"Former Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia and his wife, Maureen, were convicted of corruption in federal court on Thursday, after a trial that shattered the political career of the one time Republican star and peeled back the couple's private life to the bone.

Rooting Out Corruption
A Look Back at the Jefferson Case
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/april/a-look-back-at-the-william-j.-jefferson-corruption-case

Jack Abramoff: The Lobbyist’s Playbook
Crooked lobbyist Jack Abramoff explains how he asserted his influence in Congress for years, and how such corruption continues today.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jack-abramoff-the-lobbyists-playbook-09-07-2012/

When getting access is difficult, there are ways to wear down the walls surrounding a legislator.
Access is vital in lobbying. If you can't get in your door, you can't make your case. Here we had a hostile senator, whose staff was hostile, and we had to get in. So that's the lobbyist safe-cracker method: throw fundraisers, raise money, and become a big donor.
—Lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2011

Inside the Cushy, Fabulously Compensated Life of an Ex-Congressman
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/inside-cushy-fabulously-compensated-life-ex-congressman
excerpt:

Look at former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor -- an even bigger Republican money magician --- defeated in a primary in his Virginia home district by an upstart who made the incumbent's obeisance to the financial industry a central issue of his campaign. Remember the Wall Street Journal's headline? "Eric Cantor's Loss a Blow to Wall Street."
Turns out it was a glancing blow at best. Eric's back and Wall Street's got him. As the Times' Mark Leibovich wrote, just weeks after his primary fiasco, Cantor was "the latest example of Washington's upward-failing, golden-parachuted, everybody-wins calculus." Sure enough, September came and with it news that Cantor was joining the boutique global investment bank Moelis & Company. The Times commented when the announcement first appeared in the Wall Street Journal:
Mr. Cantor has no previous experience in high finance or investment banking. But the reason for his new job is clear: The Moelis founder Ken Moelis told the Journal that he was hiring Mr. Cantor in part for his ability to open doors -- an admission that Mr. Cantor will now be paid to trade on the influence and friendships he developed as a House leader.

Former Congressmen make huge salaries as lobbyists while still collecting congressional pensions
http://newsnyork.com/former-congressmen-make-huge-salaries-as-lobbyists-while-still-collecting-congressional-pensions/

They left Congress, but Congress hasn’t left them wanting.

Hundreds of former House and Senate members are earning eye-popping salaries trading on their Capitol connections as lobbyists, even as they receive congressional pensions that collectively cost taxpayers about $25 million a year.

It’s perfectly legal. In fact, most members of Congress cannot opt out of the pension system.

But as more and more lawmakers leave office for jobs on K Street, where they can earn salaries of $750,000, some current legislators say they have had enough.

Lobbying Congress while collecting a congressional pensions is “an insidious form of double dipping,” Rep. Steve Israel of New York said.

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As the campaign for the 2016 election revs up, we'll hear more and more about income inequality, but who will state the obvious? Who will tell us we need to close the revolving door? Who will tell us we need to hold Wall St. accountable once again and prosecute instead of fine? Who will tell us that campaign finance reform is imperative?

Our gov't is run by lobbyists, just look at TPP, the oligarchs seem to have a bigger vision and they've got the money to buy it.

[libdem4life]

1. We need a miracle, that's for sure. It's the Citizen's United for the 1% n/t

[DeSwiss]

2. Lobbying is Bibery.

- Period. If it isn't then why don't the lobbyist's employers also give money to people who don't vote the way they want? Because its a BRIBE. We are represented by criminals, whether unwitting or not anyone who takes money to represent the people isn't worthy of the office.

And any system which allows for this behavior to occur as a natural part of the process is a failed system that should immediately be abandoned.



K&R

[daleanime]

3. K&R.....