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Obama Denounces “Special Interests” At U of C Accepts $400,000 For First Speech
Jonathan Turley ^ | April 25, 2017 | Jonathan Turley

Posted on 04/25/2017 7:41:24 AM PDT by COUNTrecount

Obama Denounces “Special Interests” At The University of Chicago . . . And Then Quietly Accepts $400,000 For First Speech From Wall Street Special Interests

President Barack Obama was at my alma mater yesterday and used his first public statements to decry how “special interests dominate the debates in Washington.” Then will now be setting off for his first speech . . . to Wall Street special interests at Cantor Fitzgerald, which will pay him $400,000. This is the same politician who called such banks “fat cats” who exercise undue influence over our leaders.

Cantor Fitzgerald, a bank, has been touting how it is making a killing on health care investments. Now, the man who created the health care program will be receiving almost half a million dollars for a single brief speech. It raises visions of Hillary Clinton who cashed in on Wall Street speeches while denouncing the influence of Wall Street (and later refused to disclose the content of those speeches to the public).

One distinction is that Hillary pulled in only half of what Obama is demanding from Wall Street and powerful interests.

Of course, Obama was criticized for the level of influence of both Wall Street investors and powerful lobbies like the pharmaceutical industry on his policies. He was accused of packing his administration with lobbyists and breaking his promises on limiting the power of lobbies.

What is hilarious about our current system is that we have all of these bribery and influence peddling laws in place. However, if Wall Street or lobbyists give a former president half a million dollars for less than one hour of speaking soon after leaving office, it is entirely acceptable from a legal standpoint. So long as there is no quid pro quo, there is nothing legal wrong with absurd amounts of money going to a president as soon as he leaves office. At this rate, just 100 hours of work will put Obama near the $100 million goal surpassed by the Clintons, who virtually walked around with credit card swipers on their belt to facilitate payments from special interests.

In his speech, Obama encouraged people to work on the community level to influence change. He appears to be starting with the small Wall Street community of influence peddlers in his own quest for social justice.


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1 posted on 04/25/2017 7:41:24 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
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To: COUNTrecount

Obama is a hypocrite, but he’s a rich hypocrite. You don’t see him hanging with the ghetto dwellers because they can’t come up with $400,000.


2 posted on 04/25/2017 7:42:59 AM PDT by txrefugee
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To: COUNTrecount
his first speech . . . to Wall Street special interests at Cantor Fitzgerald, which will pay him $400,000. This is the same politician who called such banks “fat cats” who exercise undue influence over our leaders.

What a turd. (I know ... so what else is new?)

3 posted on 04/25/2017 7:44:11 AM PDT by NobleFree ("law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual")
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To: COUNTrecount

The bastard denounces “special interest” groups and then accepts $400K for saying so? He may only be one in number but I have to say that he himself is a “special interest” person when demanding and worse, getting such money for saying so. How many times do you think he said, “ah, ah, or I, I did this and I did that, etc. Falling asleep during his blabber would have been easy. Who is stupid enough to have even paid for even listening to him?


4 posted on 04/25/2017 7:47:08 AM PDT by DaveA37
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To: txrefugee

While he can’t be President again, he could be the anti-Christ, so the special interests need to get in line. ;-)


5 posted on 04/25/2017 7:47:27 AM PDT by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR)
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To: COUNTrecount

He is very young for a former President. He has many many years to support himself.

I hope he runs out of money and clout.


6 posted on 04/25/2017 7:49:41 AM PDT by RummyChick (can we switch Don,Jr for Prince Kush and his flak jacket. From Yacht Party to Warzone ready to wear.)
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To: COUNTrecount

why is a public university allowed to pay politicians such enormous funds? That just invite corruption.


7 posted on 04/25/2017 7:50:41 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: COUNTrecount

Here comes the Kick Back money


8 posted on 04/25/2017 7:51:59 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: DannyTN

“why is a public university allowed to pay politicians such enormous funds?”

A public university say not be allowed to, but the University of Chicago is private.


9 posted on 04/25/2017 7:54:06 AM PDT by Timpanagos1
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To: COUNTrecount

Must be nice getting all those bucks and saying nothing.


10 posted on 04/25/2017 7:54:11 AM PDT by duckman ( Not tired of winning!)
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To: txrefugee

“...if they weren’t hypocrites they wouldn’t be Democrats...”


11 posted on 04/25/2017 8:00:39 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: RummyChick

My prediction? His “lifestyle choices” will truncate his longevity. While he may be young, counting back from the end I suspect he is actually very, very old.


12 posted on 04/25/2017 8:02:20 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: wastoute

“His “lifestyle choices” will truncate his longevity.”

Yep — smoking (tobacco, weed and who knows what else?)
drugs, drinking, sex — will tell in the end. Of course, I thought Slick Willie would be dead by now.............


13 posted on 04/25/2017 8:06:09 AM PDT by Polyxene (Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.)
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To: Polyxene

I suspect BJ realized early on that his greatest risk was proximity to his wife...


14 posted on 04/25/2017 8:13:51 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: COUNTrecount

$400,000 for reading a telepromter!


15 posted on 04/25/2017 8:15:13 AM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (I'm not tired of Winning yet! Please, continue on!)
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To: txrefugee
...because they can’t come up with $400,000.

So, where does the money for these celebrity speakers come from? If a university receives any amount of tax monies (federal/state/local), directly or indirectly, they should be barred from paying guest speakers any amount of money IMHO.

In general, Universities are breeding grounds for liberals and I for one an tired of seeing my tax money used against me.

16 posted on 04/25/2017 8:21:44 AM PDT by JesusIsLord
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To: txrefugee
..."Obama accepts Half Million for Wall Street Bank Speech"...


17 posted on 04/25/2017 8:55:41 AM PDT by caww
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To: COUNTrecount

The sad thing is all the obamabots won’t even recognize his blatant hypocrisy-


18 posted on 04/25/2017 9:14:44 AM PDT by Bob434
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To: COUNTrecount

Bambi doesn’t consider any of his interests “special interests”.


19 posted on 04/25/2017 9:37:24 AM PDT by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: COUNTrecount

We all knew some of the cash the Obamites laundered to Iran would be making it back to him somehow.


20 posted on 04/25/2017 12:31:19 PM PDT by Kid Shelleen (Beat your plowshares into swords. Let the weak say I am strong)
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