Watchdogs give lobbyist a pass for senior health post

The Hill ^ | 1/26/2009 | Jeffrey Young

[markomalley]

Government watchdogs who assailed President Obama for setting aside his restrictions against lobbyists joining his administration for a Pentagon appointee say the same criticisms do not apply to an anti-tobacco lobbyist in line for a top health job.

Obama plans to nominate William Corr, who had been executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and a registered lobbyist since 2000, to be deputy secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).

But nominating Corr would require the White House to waive Obama’s Jan. 21 executive order against lobbyists serving in his administration. The order says a person may not “seek or accept employment with any executive agency that I lobbied within the two years before the date of my appointment.”

The White House issued a waiver to permit Raytheon lobbyist William Lynn to become deputy secretary of Defense, provoking an outcry from government ethics watchdogs.

Obama has not yet formally nominated Corr, but before the Inauguration, the presidential transition team announced that he had been chosen to be deputy secretary, serving under HHS Secretary-nominee Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader who has yet to be confirmed.

Corr’s qualifications, which include participating in Obama’s transition, serving on Daschle’s Senate staff and working as a senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, have not been questioned.

[markomalley]

The rules don't apply to the nomenklatura, doncha know...

[squidly]

Wow! Violating his own executive order inside of five days. Only three working days! And considering that he in all likelihood had chosen the guy before he issued the order, he probably violated his own executive order before he even issued it. Yes He Can!

[pepperhead]

And it is the second time he has violated that executive order!