Three Reasons Why It's Hard to Pity Big Business

Here are a few reasons:

Insurance giant AIG executives receiving $185 million dollars from bailout money from US taxpayers while 10,000 laid-off people go to find a job at a career fair at Dodger's stadium.

Clean water quality in Iowa being sacrificed by Iowa legislators under duress from the Farm Bureau and the Pork Producer's Council.

To Defeat labor initiatives like the Employee Free Choice Act, business PACs not only gave nearly five times more in campaign contributions than labor PACs did in the last election cycle ($365.1 million versus $77.9 million, including contributions to leadership PACs) they are backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which spent $144.4 million on lobbying efforts in the 2007-2008 election cycle, or more than $400,000 for every day Congress was in session. By contrast, the entire labor sector spent less than $84 million on lobbying efforts during those two years.

Among Lobbyists: Clinton and McCain in the Lead

Bloomberg News


Democrat Hillary Clinton has raised more money from lobbyists than any other presidential candidate while Republican John McCain has more of them assisting his campaign.

Clinton took in $823,087 from registered lobbyists and members of their firms in 2007 and the second-biggest recipient was McCain, who took in $416,321, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based group which tracks political giving. Barack Obama, Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination, doesn't take money from registered lobbyists, although he received $86,282 from employees of firms that lobby, according to the center.

McCain has 26 registered lobbyists as campaign advisers or fundraisers compared with 11 for Clinton and none for Obama, according to review of records compiled by Public Citizen, a Washington-based group that favors stronger disclosure laws for lobbyists.

More

Edwards: No Lobbyists in the White House

John Edwards told a crowd at in Washington, Iowa this morning that he would not hire any former corporate or foreign government lobbyists in his administration.

According to MSNBC

"I want to make an announcement today, which is that when I am president of the United States, no corporate lobbyist or anyone who has lobbied for a foreign government will work in my White House," he said.

Following the town hall, Edwards reiterated to reporters that that means he will not hire anyone who has ever been registered as a federal lobbyist in Washington, DC. He said that would include "people who have lobbied, been registered lobbyists in Washington on behalf of corporate interests at the federal level ... corporate lobbyists, those who've lobbied against the interests of the American people, those who've lobbied on behalf of foreign governments."

Asked whether that would include federal lobbyists who have worked on behalf of interests like labor that he champions, Edwards replied, "This will be a judgment I'll make. But my view is that anybody who has been lobbying on behalf of big corporations are part of the problem, because corporate greed is at the heart and soul of what's stealing the future of our children and what's killing the middle class in our country."

He said his announcement has nothing to do with other candidates' choices. "I think it would be a great thing for America if the other Democrats would commit to the same thing, but this is about my presidency," he said.

John Edwards from New Hampshire: Clinton Bus Stops at Lobbyists' K Street Addresses

John Edwards addressed St. Anselm's College on "The Moral Test of Our Generation." In his speech he addressed corporate influence on politics and said:

"Recently, I was dismayed to see headlines in the Wall Street Journal stating that Senate Democrats were backing down to lobbyists for hedge funds who have opposed efforts to make millionaire and billionaire hedge fund managers pay the same tax rate as every hard-working American. Now, tax loopholes the wealthy hedge fund managers do not need or deserve are not going to be closed, all because Democrats — our party — wanted their campaign money.

And a few weeks ago, around the sixth anniversary of 9/11, a leading presidential candidate held a fundraiser that was billed as a Homeland Security themed event in Washington, D.C. targeted to homeland security lobbyists and contractors for $1,000 a plate. These lobbyists, for the price of a ticket, would get a special "treat" — the opportunity to participate in small, hour long breakout sessions with key Democratic lawmakers, many of whom chair important sub committees of the homeland security committee. That presidential candidate was Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton's road to the middle class takes a major detour right through the deep canyon of corporate lobbyists and the hidden bidding of K Street in Washington — and history tells us that when that bus stops there it is the middle class that loses.

When I asked Hillary Clinton to join me in not taking money from Washington lobbyists — she refused. Not only did she say that she would continue to take their money, she defended them.

Today Hillary Clinton has taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any candidate from either party — more money than any Republican candidate.

She has taken more money from the defense industry than any other candidate from either party as well.

She took more money from Wall Street last quarter than Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama combined.

The long slow slide of our democracy into the corporate abyss continues unabated regardless of party, regardless of the best interests of America.

We have a duty — a duty to end this."

Richardson on Lobby Bucks: "What Am I Supposed to Do?"

CNN reports Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson said Tuesday that he has no problem taking money from federal lobbyists.

"What am I supposed to [do]?" the New Mexico governor asked. "I have enough trouble raising money to run a campaign."

Two other Democratic candidates, former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama, have turned the issue of not accepting campaign contributions from Washington lobbyists into a major staple of their campaigns. But not Richardson.

"The unions have lobbyists in Washington," Richardson said. "I take money from them. Nurses, environmentalists, senior citizens."

At a forum in early August, Richardson said it was "silly" to refuse lobbyist money. He told the crowd the candidates are "sucking up to you… [with] slogans that get you cheering."

Give the Voter a Chance

Iowans receive more than just a little attention leading up to the Iowa caucuses in January. This is both a blessing and a curse. In part, it does help for candidates to roll out their campaigns and issues in front of real voters, as opposed to the RNC or the DLC. And it is very helpful for the people to have an opportunity to talk to the Pols about issues that matter to them, so they know who best represents their views. So far, so good.

However, there is a line that needs to be drawn and that line is around national groups setting up shop in primary states to get their particular issue up on the toteboard of national consciousness at the expense of the people who live there having a chance to speak their piece.

Now I am not advocating against anybody's free speech, but I'm railing against "bought" speech. I'm not even talking just about advertising, I'm talking about lobbyists that are paid to follow campaigns, pass out slick brochures, and make comment to the press.

If you are a issues group, you want your issue to rise to the top of the heap and so advocacy is key, no question. However, if you are Joe Citizen and you want to ask Candidate Smith about what her/his view on farm subsidies is, it can be difficult when "bird doggers" are running around to every campaign event to get the candidate's take (probably for the 30th time today) on their issue.

Now many will disagree with me because they see this as a basic right (and believe me, I see the point too). I guess what I hope for is that those persons fighting the fight for their cause will take a step back for the potential voter so that they can get a word in edge-wise--who knows, maybe Citizen Joe will even do their work for them.