Commentary might seem overwrought in this case. The facts speak for themselves.
From President Obama’s State of the Union Address last week (clearing throat):
That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why -– for the first time in history –- my administration posts on our White House visitors online. That’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs, or seats on federal boards and commissions.
But we can’t stop there. It’s time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or with Congress. It’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office.
I am “borrowing” from multiple sources when I lay out the follow list of individuals with lobbying ties, lobbying habits, lobbying paychecks, etc. — all welcomed with open arms into lobbyist-free zone that is the White House. Perhaps when lobbyists walk through the pearly gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they are absolved of their past sins.
From The New York Times on the day after the Presidential inauguration:
Mr. Obama’s nominee for deputy secretary of defense, William Lynn, has been a lobbyist for the defense contractor Raytheon, and his nominee for deputy secretary of health and human services, William V. Corr, lobbied for stricter tobacco regulations as an official with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
A senior White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, conceded the two nominees did not adhere to the new rules. But he said that Mr. Lynn had the support of Republicans and Democrats, and would receive a waiver under the policy, and that Mr. Corr did not need a waiver because he had agreed to recuse himself from tobacco issues.
“When you set very tough rules, you need to have a mechanism for the occasional exception,” this official said, adding, “We wanted to be really tough, but at the same time we didn’t want to hamstring the new administration or turn the town upside down.”
Wow, this just in: Rules create boundaries.
But wait, there’s more! Here are some additional names, from a list compiled one week later as nominations trickled out:
Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm.
Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association.
David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric.Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs.
Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.
Mona Sutphen, deputy White House chief of staff, was registered to lobby for clients, including Angliss International in 2003.
Melody Barnes, domestic policy council director, lobbied in 2003 and 2004 for liberal advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.
Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.
Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to the president’s assistant for intergovernmental relations, lobbied for the American Association of Justice from 2001 until 2005.
The whole “Who is a lobbyist?” and “Who isn’t?” issue, I realize, is much more complex than this. Even President Obama makes a good show of being a tad more transparent.
But he walked right by his own lobbyist-employees at the White House on the very day he railed against the evil, corrupting influence of lobbyists in his State of the Union speech. Unless he entered the Oval that day through the outside entrance, in which case he only walked by a Marine standing guard.
Entirely possible, I guess.
Have I missed anyone? What about FLOTUS’s staff? Enquiring minds want to know.
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Remember the Dems Motto: “Do as I say, Not as I do.” Yea verily…….
Isn’t there an exception to every rule? It seems as if Obama is the exception to the rule. I repeat – I hate this hope and change.
I think we all forget that the person that hired those Lobbyist was PAST Obama, not PRESENT Obama. I know the two can be easily confused, but their policies are so different that obviously they are separate people.
I see that corporate experience (see Holder’s description, above) is totally fine, utterly acceptable and April-fresh–as long as the corporation involved has failed.
Obama either doesn’t KNOW he’s an economy-sized liar, or he knows, thinks we don’t know, and doesn’t care. I vote the latter.
I just think he thinks we are all stupid and would never connect the dots.
Its become readily apparent that past Obama was a Wizard-behind-the-curtain being masterfully puppeteered from topic to topic by statisticians.
Telling 51% of the people what they want to hear without the ability, experience, or “what planet are you from” common sense to deliver that is no longer acceptable to Americans.
No new taxes to Americans under $250,000? Whoops!
Closing Guantanamo? Whoops!
Gays in the military? Whoops!
Stimulus package will prevent unemployment from hitting 8%? Whoops?
Its all George Bush’s fault? Whoops!
Obama thinks you’re rich and senile.
So, I just noticed that thanks to spending what we don’t have, the national debt is somewheres about $12.5 Trillion, and the numbers came out that last year, the US GDP was $14.5 Trillion.
What happens when those numbers cross? Will the earth explode? Because if it does, I need to find Sir Branson and hijack one of his space plane thingies so I get a good view.
They just increased the debt cap to $16 trillion Bill so look for that ebnch mark to be exceeded next year.
They wanted to be really tough, but not turn the town upside down???
Didn’t most of the Obama supporters vote for him BECAUSE he was going to turn Washington upside down? Because he was actually going to BE really tough, not just WANT to be?
We aren’t Norwegian, Barry! Americans expect results!
oh, leave the poor guy alone. He is graying already and for gosh sake, he is bothered about terrorist attacks whiile on vacation. I mean, what do you expect him to do? His job? That would just be too tough.
40 lobbyists?
Obama makes a mockery of his own lobbyist ban
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Obama-makes-a-mockery-of-his-own-lobbyist-ban-83385832.html
Way to go on disregarding your own ban, Obama. That’s just great from someone like you.
@AllyKat – He also said he was going to end Washington “cronyism”. Then he brought in Joe Biden.
Let’s get this out of the way right now, All Women Stalker:
RACIST! RAAAAACIIIIIISSSST! It’s posts like that that make racially-divisive, hysterical racebaiting hatemongers sensitive about the issue of race in America.