President Obama promised to restrict lobbyists from his administration. He said, "Lobbyists entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years. When you leave government, you will not be able to lobby my administration for as long as I am president."
But that seems anything but the truth. The second most important job in the Pentagon, where billions upon billions of weapons systems are purchased, is to be headed by William Lynn, a recent lobbyist for Raytheon Corporation, one of the largest defense contractors in the world. It is impossible for Lynn to NOT WORK ON matters involving Raytheon and he lobbied the Defense Department.
William Corr has been nominated to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Until recently, Corr was a registered lobbyist for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. It is impossible for Corr to NOT WORK ON matters regarding tobacco and he lobbied HHS.
At the Treasury Department, Secretary Timothy Geithner has hired former Goldman Sachs lobbyist Mark Patterson to be his chief of staff. Patterson was a registered lobbyist until April. It is impossible for Peterson to NOT WORK ON matters regarding Goldman Sachs and Wall Street. And he lobbied Treasury.
The National Journal is reporting fourteen of the 112 White House staffers that Obama has named had been registered as lobbyists at some point since 2005. The list includes Obama’s senior adviser David Axelrod and Homeland Security adviser John Brennan.
The Obama administration explains that some very important minds, invaluable to the country, need waivers from the policy in order to enable the use of extrordinary talent. If this is really true, then it just shows how incestuous is the marriage between the federal government and industry. Is it, No, no, Nannette, but then let's jump into bed? But are there so few talented minds in America where only one will do? Please! Don't try to pull my chain. Is President Obama, "but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing?" Surely not. But he hasn't made a graceful takeoff of Good Ship Lollypop.
Video Length 5 min 4 sec
The National Journal is reporting fourteen of the 112 White House staffers that Obama has named had been registered as lobbyists at some point since 2005. The list includes Obama’s senior adviser David Axelrod and Homeland Security adviser John Brennan.
The Obama administration explains that some very important minds, invaluable to the country, need waivers from the policy in order to enable the use of extrordinary talent. If this is really true, then it just shows how incestuous is the marriage between the federal government and industry. Is it, No, no, Nannette, but then let's jump into bed? But are there so few talented minds in America where only one will do? Please! Don't try to pull my chain. Is President Obama, "but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing?" Surely not. But he hasn't made a graceful takeoff of Good Ship Lollypop.
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