No Ban on Lobbyists as Advisers for Obama

[Clinton Crusader]

*No Ban on Lobbyists as Advisers for Obama*

by John Solomon
The Washington Post
Feb. 11, 2008

(excerpts)

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has made a big deal about the
fact that his campaign doesn't accept political donations from Washington
LOBBYISTS, and recently declared that "they won't run my White House, and they won't set the agenda in Washington." But that ban DOESN'T extend to seeking their endorsements, or their advice.

Daniel Shapiro, one of Obama's foreign policy advisers on the Middle East,
registered to LOBBY for several CORPORATE clients in the last year ... counts some of America's biggest CORPORATE names among his clients, including beermaker Anheuser-Busch, carmaker Daimler Chrysler, the American Petroleum Institute and Freddie Mac.

Obama also recently secured the endorsement of former South Carolina governor Jim Hodges, who now runs a LOBBYING FIRM the Hodges Consulting Group, and is registered himself as a federal LOBBYIST for Hillenbrand Partners, a Chicago-based company that does business with the Federal Home Loan Bank, according to U.S. Senate lobbying disclosure records. Hodges reported receiving $12,000 from the client in the first half of 2007, the records show. Hodges also signed on as a NATIONAL CO-CHAIR of Obama's campaign and is advising Obama on his southern political strategy.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/01/07/sc_obama_backer_is_also_a_lobb_1.html

[Eric J in MN]

1. Let him get advice from as many people as he can.

I don't want politicians indebted to lobbyists. I'm not against them talking to lobbyists.

[OzarkDem]

2. This should be illegal

What does a candidate need with so many lobbyists on his payroll?

Are they the ones who help "bundle" the contributions?

Any ideas?

[rodeodance]

3. Screams one thing and does another!!

[boppers]

4. I want a big tent for our next president.

I want voices from lobbyists, PAC's, corporations, and political nobodies all being heard.

Equally.

The symbolic act of rejecting lobbyist funding doesn't mean that every dollar in the campaign is checked for fingerprints, it means that the candidate isn't *beholden* to the voice that provided it.

Basically, it's a symbol of ethics, that they are not a candidate who has already been bought by somebody else.

edit:spelling

[Blue State Bandit]

5. while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair

Barack Obama January 8 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/us/politics/08text-obama.html

[jackson_dem]

6. Edwards was for a ban on lobbyists working in his White House

Why can't Obama go that far? He is "against" lobbyists, right?

[Blue State Bandit]

9. I've waited in that line outside of my senator's office to lobby him,

so I guess I can't do it either?

[Rageneau]

8. They just get to buy the overwhelming MAJORITY of shares.

If BO thinks he can invite all kinds of people -- the poor, the unattractive, the lame, as well as the powerful, wealthy and beautiful -- into one big tent and that they will all be treated exactly the same way, he is more naive than I gave him discredit for.

Who gets the good seats at the Super Bowl?

The same people will get the good seats at Obama's table.

[Sensitivity]

7. Most influential thinkers or statesmen have "Lobbied" for some group at some time

[Dogmudgeon]

10. The hypocrisy never ends

They've been beating on Hillary like a drum about this for years, but if Barack Obama does it, it must be okay.

An Obama follower also recently chastised me for criticizing the press.

I've heard of revisionism, but this is an order of magnitude worse than that!

--p!

[LadyVT]

11. Of course! They'll expect paybacks just as Bush's lobbyist endorsers did.