U.S. Lobbyists Work for Ivorian Leader

[t0dd]

Source: NYT

WASHINGTON — As the United States continued to push for President Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast to step down, two former Clinton administration officials were trying to present Mr. Gbagbo, who has clung to power despite international condemnation, in a more sympathetic light.

Michael Espy, the former agriculture secretary who is now a lobbyist, has appeared on Ivorian television on behalf of Mr. Gbagbo’s government, while Lanny J. Davis, former chief counsel to President Clinton who was hired by Mr. Gbagbo’s government this month, worked the phones and described himself as a liaison of sorts to the tainted regime.

At the White House, the lobbying efforts did not appear to be getting very far. Mr. Obama telephoned President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria on Wednesday to reinforce the message that the United States wants to see African leaders — who have been working to dislodge Mr. Gbagbo — out front in the international campaign to oust him.

By all international accounts, Mr. Gbagbo was defeated by Alassane Ouattara in the Nov. 28 runoff vote for president, but Mr. Gbagbo has disputed the election results.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/world/africa/23coast.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

[Poll_Blind]

1. $100,000 a month to whore for an African dictator. Part of some new Free Trade program?

Gbagbo needs to go.

Espy and Davis (who's netting the $100k a month) can go fuck themselves with the AK-47's Gbagbo's pointing at his own people.

PB

[alarimer]

2. Didn't do the same thing for the people behind the coup in Honduras?

Or perhaps I am thinking of some other shady election. But Lanny Davis is utter scum, whoring himself out to a dictator who clearly lost the election. How can he possibly work for this guy?