Posted on 04/23/2004 3:28:30 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
WASHINGTON - Sen. John F. Kerry [related, bio], who railed at corporate special interests on the presidential primary trail this year, sang a different tune back in the Senate where he met privately with dozens of the capital's most powerful lobbyists since 1989.
Kerry held nearly 200 lobbyist meetings, according to records released yesterday by his campaign.
On the campaign trail earlier this year, Kerry's trademark line was a blustering threat to well-heeled Washington lobbyists: ``We're coming, you're going and don't let the door hit you on the way out.''
But Kerry's roster includes such high-powered lobbyists as Gerald Cassidy, Thomas Hale Boggs Jr. and Christopher ``Kip'' O'Neill, son of the late U.S. House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill.
Many of the lobbyists are also his top fund-raisers.
Kerry also met with lobbyists for many of the nation's top corporate interests with important legislation pending before Commerce and Finance Senate committees that Kerry sits on. The list was dominated by telecommunications and financial firms.
Those lobbyists represented such corporate giants as Microsoft, Intel, AT&T, Pacific Telesis, Massachusetts-based Raytheon, Viacom, Fleet/Northstar and Merrill Lynch.
Former rival Howard Dean [related, bio] branded the Bay State senator a ``special interest clone'' during this year's primary contests after reports that Kerry raised more money from paid lobbyists than any other senator over the past 15 years.
Kerry promised to release the list of his meetings with lobbyists in January. Aides admitted the list may be incomplete, but stressed Kerry was being more candid about his lobbyist meetings than any other presidential candidate. He also met with dozens of labor, Democratic activist and public interest lobbying groups, the records show.
Kerry's lobby record dump was intended to convince voters that unlike the Bush administration, he has no secrets to hide as he pursues the White House, aides said.
President Bush's campaign mocked Kerry's lobbyist disclosure.
``Kerry's release is a political ploy,'' said Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt.
The Kerry camp, mounting a major offensive, next week plans to slam Vice President Dick Cheney for failing to disclose the list of oil industry lobbyists he met with while formulating the administration's energy policy behind closed doors. Cheney's case is set to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
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