Will Glen Johnson (at AP) Get The Last Laugh? (Romney and Lobbyists)

Captain's Quarters ^ | Jan. 19, 2008 | Ed Morrissey

[jdm]

Earlier this week, AP reporter Glen Johnson acted unprofessionally by essentially heckling Mitt Romney during a press conference when Romney said that he would not be beholden to lobbyists if elected President. Even a bystander called Johnson "rude and ugly", a moment caught on YouTube. However, the Boston Herald -- a paper with a rightward bent -- believes that Johnson may have won on the facts while losing on the visuals (via Joe Gandelman at TMV):

Former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney, who has cast himself as a Washington outsider and blasted his opponents’ ties to lobbyists, has more than a dozen federally registered lobbyists raising money for him and several others advising his campaign, records show.

At a Nashua event the day before the New Hampshire primary, Romney said, “I don’t have years and years of favors to repay, lobbyists who have raised all sorts of money for me.”

But at least 13 lobbyists work as so-called bundlers - those responsible for prodding deep-pocketed donors and generating vast sums of money for the candidate - according to records compiled by nonprofit Washington watchdog Public Citizen.

Does this make Johnson look any better? No, but it makes Romney look a little worse. Politicians like to deride lobbyists and claim that they will have no favors to repay when they get to Washington, but it's hard to make that argument when more than a dozen of them raise funds for the candidate. Regardless of whether they "run" the campaign, these lobbyists have helped fund it, and that makes the anti-lobbyist rhetoric somewhat hypocritical, regardless of the parsing of the word "run".

It would be refreshing, if politically suicidal, for a candidate to point out what lobbyists do. They represent legitimate interests of people around the country on policies that impact them. Lobbying is not inherently unethical or dishonest. Just like any other profession that exists at the intersection of power and money, enormous opportunities exist for corruption that have to have vigilant oversight to prevent.

Mitt, with his massive self-financing, had the standing to make that point rather than the banal attack on lobbyists in general that left him vulnerable to yet another data point for those who consider him disingenuous. Of all of the candidates, he has relied least on outside financing, which makes him less beholden to special interests in terms of grubby paybacks. Why not say that, rather than making a fairly debunkable claim that he has no ties to lobbyists?

Even better yet, why not say this: "Because of the massive size and intrusive scope of the federal government, it requires a lobbying industry to make sure that everyone's voice gets heard on the blizzard of legislation and enforcement initiatives that arise in Washington each year. Those lobbyists working for my campaign want to reduce the federal government and shrink that burden. We want a Washington DC that doesn't require an entire industry of lobbyists, one which the individual voice can reach to the Beltway and effect change. If you want that kind of federal government, one that stops interfering with states, communities, and individuals and focuses on its actual assigned responsibilities, vote for me!"

That would be a winning and honest message.

[OPS4]

This is more of a worry, a Romney Thompson Ticket can beat the dems. If Hillary wins heres what you all have to look forward to. To see the shocking Scandal Index of the Clinton years, as compiled by the liberal Progressive Review (http://prorev.com) is to appreciate the Clinton's 24/7/365 belief that any progress in their leftist domestic and foreign affairs agenda could only be realized through the most nefarious activity – much of which fit neatly into the criminal category. Under the listing of "Records Set'" by the Clinton administration (read: co-presidency), Progressive Review cites the following, of which I will only list a sampling: ▪ Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates. ▪ Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation. ▪ Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify. ▪ Most number of witnesses to die suddenly. ▪ First president sued for sexual harassment. ▪ First president accused of rape. ▪ First president to be held in contempt of court. ▪ First president to be impeached for personal malfeasance. ▪ First first lady to come under criminal investigation. ▪ Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign-contribution case. ▪ Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions. ▪ Number of Starr-Ray investigation convictions or guilty pleas to date: one governor, one associate attorney general and two Clinton business partners: 14. ▪ Number of Cabinet members who came under criminal investigation: 5. ▪ Number of individuals and businesses associated with the Clinton machine that were convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes: 47. ▪ Number of these convictions during Clinton's presidency: 33. ▪ Number of indictments/misdemeanor charges: 61. ▪ Number of congressional witnesses who pleaded the Fifth Amendment, fled the country to avoid testifying, or (in the case of foreign witnesses) refused to be interviewed: 122. ▪ Guilty pleas and convictions obtained by Donald Smaltz in cases involving charges of bribery and fraud against former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and associated individuals and businesses: 15; acquitted or overturned cases (including Espy): 6. ▪ Clinton machine crimes for which convictions were obtained: drug trafficking, 3; racketeering, extortion, bribery, 4; tax evasion, kickbacks, embezzlement, 2; fraud, 12; conspiracy, 5; fraudulent loans, illegal gifts, 1; illegal campaign contributions, 5; money laundering, 6; perjury, et al. ▪ Number of times that Clinton figures who testified in court or before Congress said that they didn't remember, didn't know, or something similar: Bill Kennedy, 116; Harold Ickes, 148; Ricki Seidman, 160; Bruce Lindsey, 161; Bill Burton, 191; Mark Gearan, 221; Mack McLarty, 233; Neil Egglseston, 250; John Podesta, 264; Jennifer O'Connor, 343; Dwight Holton 348; Patsy Thomasson, 420; Jeff Eller, 697; and Hillary Clinton, 250. Believe it or not, this exhaustive list omits even lengthier lists – on public record – of crimes investigated, public officials and reporters intimidated, threatened and muzzled, and the raft of dead people associated with the Clintons who died by guns, knives, alleged suicides, etc. See http://members.tripod.com/~rcjustice/pres.html and http://prorev.com/legacy.htm.

[Oklahoma]

This so-called reporter, Johnson, is a worthless piece of human excrement that should be “re-educated” behind the nearest barn. The entire incident wasn’t about what Romney said. It’s about left wing propagandists pretending to be journalists trying to damage a non-left wing candidate.

[jwalsh07]

I'm not a Romney shill. Nor am I a Thompson shill. McCain and Giuliani are not worth shilling for.

Basically I'm a reality check these days and here's the reality.

Left wing shills like Johnson abuse their positions as reporters to mock Republican Presidential candidates and contingents on FR applaud his shilling.

Some more reality:

McCain or Romney will be the Republican nominee.

McCain is totally unacceptable, Romney I may have to live with.

But you'll never find me taking the side of leftist shills in the news media over Republican Presidential candidates no matter what their species of RINO.

[restornu]

How did Fred Thompson get his start up money?

There is a GREAT different in being paid lobbyist campagin manager and running one'S campaign, than having a non paid advisor!

Refresher; Fred was a Lobbyist and so are his Sons Lobbyist But don't forget that Thomson has been lifetime lobbyist and his campaign is full of lobbyists. Posted by Fredo | July 31, 2007 4:40 PM

Thompson Raises $3.4M, Spends $625,700 (Tom Collamore tobacco lobbyist)

31 Jul 2007 03:05 pm

$3.4m is more than enough to start up a campaign -- and a not un-impressive sum for a non-candidate to raise. Too bad that unnamed Thompson aides had set expectations for $5M. Heading into July, when he expanded his staff significantly, Thompson had about $2.7M on hand.

Some details, courtesy of the campaign (er, the committee)

The biggest single expense: web hardware, at $66,750. 7,500 or so donors contributed a total of $771,783 through the web. Payroll accounted for $106K. The average donation was $469.8. 148 donors were from Florida, 111 from Georgia, and 780 were from Tennessee -- about 30% of his itemized total. About $282,000 came from lawyers and lobbyists, though only three donors listed their occupation as "lobbyist."

Thompson reimbursed himself $2800 for travel. Departed campaign manager Tom Collamore was paid more than $14,000. The firm employing Michael Toner, Thompson's legal counsel received about $25,000. Jeri Thompson did her work for free.

Google Tom Collamore, tobacco lobbyist

Jihad Spence: Fred Thompson's Pan-Islamist Campaign Manager

An Interview With Fred Thompson's Campaign Manager, Bill Lacy (current)

[Mojave]

This so-called reporter, Johnson, is a worthless piece of human excrement that should be “re-educated” behind the nearest barn.

For exposing Romney as a hypocritical liar?

[jwalsh07]

The Golbeite was wrong in both style and substance. He asserted that "lobbyists" were running Romney's campaig, That is a lie, the woman running the campaign is not a lobbyist.

So, support whoever the hell you want. In this case, I'll support Romney over the lying leftist sack of shit.

[Mojave]

Fred was a Lobbyist and so are his Sons

And Romney is a liar and so are his shills.

[Mojave]

Romney was lying about the “running” part too.

From the Associated Press
January 18, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican Mitt Romney said Thursday he could govern in the country’s best interest because “I don’t have lobbyists running my campaign.” But Washington insiders are on his senior staff and registered lobbyists are top advisors.

One advisor, Ron Kaufman, chairman of Washington-based Dutko Worldwide, regularly sits across the aisle from Romney on his campaign plane, participates in debate strategy sessions and last week accompanied Romney to a lunch in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Another advisor, former Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.), is chairman of Romney’s policy committee. He also is chief executive of Clark & Weinstock, and his corporate biography says he “provides strategic advice to institutions with matters before the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.”

A third advisor, former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), who was at Romney’s victory party in Michigan on Tuesday, is co-chairman of Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations and also is a registered lobbyist, according to federal records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

[jwalsh07]

Right, Romney discussing strategy with movement conservatives supports the lefitst's contention.

Cripes.

[Colofornian]

As for the subject, what was the lie that Romney allegedly told? Please provide the exact quote.

Romney: “I don’t have lobbyists that are tied to my—” and then adds "I don’t have lobbyists at my elbows that are arguing for one industry or another industry" while the Boston Herald points out that Romney has: more than a dozen federally registered lobbyists raising money for him and several others advising his campaign, records show.

See both the article & also the first post at: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1956258/posts

[Mojave]

Lobbyists as campaign advisors. Romney was caught blatantly lying.

[broncobilly]

I am favorably impressed that Romney has all these high level knowledgeable people that he can consult with. I like that better than Huckabee who says Bolton is an adviser and Bolton says “that is news to me.”

[Mojave]

I am favorably impressed that Romney has all these high level knowledgeable people that he can consult with.

So why did Romney feel compelled to lie about it?

[restornu]

No Rumney had his own start up Money and those that advise him are non paid like me who and millions of other supporters and we want good government that is our pay back!

...and Mojave you think you are are pure as white snow!

[Oklahoma]

I’m pulling for Thompson so don’t start a lot of nonsense with me about Romney. I have a fairly deep seated hatred of leftist reporters which accurately describes Johnson. He needs a few teeth removed just for being what he is and whether or not Romney is what Romney is doesn’t have a damn thing to do with it.

[Hoodat]

Romney was caught blatantly lying

what was the lie?

[Mojave]

No Rumney had his own start up Money and those that advise him are non paid

Which has nothing to do with the lies he was caught in. But thanks for trying to change the subject.

[Mojave]

what was the lie?

Read the thread.

[Mojave]

He needs a few teeth removed just for being what he is

Does Romney hate the First Amendment as much as you do?

[restornu]

It seem the fat Michael Moore wantabe setting on the dirty floor, many folks like you like to follow!

Romney is thinking in terms of paid leadership not folks who are extended friends of Romney!