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One of the consistent elements of the last few years is the consistency and frequency with which Republican policymakers turn to lobbyists -- for everything.
When Congress worked on a jobs bill in 2010, John Boehner and his team huddled with corporate lobbyists. When work on Wall Street reform got underway, Boehner and the GOP huddled with industry lobbyists. When Congress worked on health care reform, Boehner and the GOP huddled with insurance lobbyists. When an energy/climate bill started advancing, the GOP huddled with energy lobbyists. In February, when the STOCK Act was being considered, the GOP huddled with financial industry lobbyists.
This summer, Republican officials are working on their party platform to be unveiled at their national convention. Care to guess who has their ear?
Recent sessions held at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., have covered financial regulation, defense, foreign policy and energy, among other topics.
Most of the attendees remain tight-lipped about the meetings.... But high-profile K Streeters who have attended include Candida Wolff, Citigroup's executive vice president for global government affairs, who was the chief Congressional liaison for President George W. Bush. A Citi spokeswoman confirmed that Wolff attended a financial services platform meeting but said the lobbyist had no comment.
For those unfamiliar with the D.C. culture, "K Street" is home to many of the Beltway's powerhouse lobbying firms.
Remember, before the 2010 midterms, when Tea Partiers rallied to boost Republican control of Congress because "the people" were tired of Washington's existing power structure? Two years later, Citigroup has a role in shaping the Republican platform.
In fairness, it's worth noting that Roll Call's report added that outside views are shaping the Democratic platform, too, but a recent drafting committee meeting included representatives of the National Farmers Union, Health Care for America Now, the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.
What's more, the DNC's list was available upon request. The list of lobbyists working with the RNC remains under wraps.
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News flash: Republicans are scumbags. In other breaking news, sun continues to rise in the east.
RNC sent me a survery. Says DO NOT DESTROY official RNC documents. You must return. blah blah blah.. It ask about 25 questions about how sick are you of Obama..Example Do you believe Barack Obama has used the presidency and the powers of his office to look out for the concerns and interests of Americans LIKE YOU?
Yes or No...LIKE YOU LOL...
Here's the best part.. They have my name wrong.. They want to fight against voter fraud then they send a survey to me with the wrong legal name.. It just keeps getting better.
Just a note. When I had Cancer, and was unable to pay many of my bills. Citigroup was the one who suggested I sell my hair when it fell out from chemo to generate some money for bills. They also asked my Mom if I was terminal, and if I had life insurance that would pay them. I think that helped to contribute to her stroke. Just what a Mom wants to hear. Hey, is your kid going to die, and if so make sure you pay us first with the life insurance money. I have a long memory, and I am still young. I will get back on my feet, and I will remember who NEVER to do business with, and so will everyone I know.. Makes sense they would back the Republicans.
Oh no, I guess their in the hair selling business too. Somebody told me to chop all mine off.
The stupidity of your comment is only overshadowed by your illiteracy. "They're" not "their".
Thanks Mark, I have chemo brain so the fact that I can even get on here, and communicate is pretty cool. Don't hate me because I told you the truth, and you don't want to except it, but hey that's what Republicans do right. Prayers with a side of hate.. How does that work? You claim to be conservative Christians, then you hate all day, and then do you go and repent what you did for the day so you can do it all over again. Or do you just think God wants you to spread hate...I'm sure Jesus is really proud of you for making fun of a Cancer patient. (golf clap).. Who is the stupid one now?
I realize as well you were referring to Angel. See I'm not that stupid, but since she was replying to me. I must comment on her behalf to MY post. We have to stick together, because that's what we DO.
My son is currently repaying a student loan to Citibank. For a while now, he's been in the habit of getting a few days late in his monthly payment. Invariably, they call him, and then call me since I co-signed. And invariably, he then makes the past due payment plus the following month's payment, ahead of schedule.
Citibank has yet to see this pattern. Every single time, I assure them he will make the payment, and he does. And he always makes the payment online, but it takes a few days for them to process it, and they call me in the meantime. When they call, I ask "Is there an online payment pending?" They check, and see that it is. So I have asked them why they don't bother to check that before they call to bother me. The answer? "We can't check that until we speak to someone on the account." Never mind that it takes them two or three times the amount of time it could to do all this.
Citibank - the stupidest bank on the face of the earth.
If Eric Holder had pursued criminal indictments against bankers and Wall Street, the special interests would be busy doing damage control instead of writing the Republican platform. And the Republicans would not be in control of the House. People would still be unemployed and hurting, but at least they would have the satisfaction of watching the people who brought the economy down hurt in a big way.
So, I guess turning to the citizens of the U.S. is out of the question. What year was it that we were left out of the equation.? Probably the same year that they allowed Lobbyists in as our new legislatures. Will they ever look to us for suggestions? They are looking at their job creators. The ones that create exclusive jobs for them when they leave office. How can they sleep at night knowing they were only securing their own selfish futures and not for any of the people who voted them in. Let's vote them out so they can start their new promising careers working alongside the lobbyists. Big Oil, rich lawyers and CEO's just to mention a few.
Who exactly do you think wrote Dodd-Frank? If you answer either of them, you've never listened to them or read anything they wrote.
Also while I like the ACA generally if you think that one paragraph of it was written by anybody but a lobbyist, you have a third grade understanding of how Congress works.
Are you sure "huddled" is the right word?
Maybe "cuddled".
Things sure are "muddled".
The really sad part is that Congress used to actually write legislation. And there was a time when Congress looked down upon Lobbyists, but that was before greed and selfishness took over! Just as I said, the tea-potty sheeple fail to recognize that they've been co-opted, corrupted and just plain used by the GOP establishment. These sheeple really think that their interests are being "represented" by the like of: Bachmann, Cantor, Rubio, et.al - they are delusional if they do!
To be fair, both sides of the aisle have succombed to the lure of K street, but democrats are starting to awaken and they have a conscious, unlike those on the right! The right is selfishly pathological how else to explain their dismissal of their failed policies and insistence on returning to those same epic failures that got US into this fiasco!
Vote out the GOTP in November!
The GOP turned to a former Lobbyist to run as Candidate for President. Steve Benen on July 26 wrote an article on the Maddow Blog; "When Romney became head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, he was so eager to get other politicians to give him public funds, he became a registered lobbyist."
When will the journalist start asking Romney about that?
this is who they are....
no shock in the least