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He promised there wouldn’t be lobbyists. Not a one. But less than a week into Barack Obama’s presidency (a week!), the White House had hired at least a dozen of them. They granted exceptions for some, and for others they exploited loopholes in the administration’s own self-written, self-imposed rules. Anyone taken by surprise by the more recent White House scandals—Solyndra, Operation Fast and Furious, the downfall of Obama’s “Wall Street Guy” Jon Corzine—really shouldn’t have been surprised at all. That early ethical backpedalling was excellent, if not unfortunate, foreshadowing of what was to come. Over the last three years, Barack...

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Now that Rick Perry and Herman Cain are seeing their stars fade, at least among the pundit class that shapes the popular news, some political observers are speculating that Newt Gingrich could be the next conservative hope for President. In the CNBC Republican Debate on Wednesday evening in MIchigan, Wall Street Journal Editorial writer John Harwood asked Newt Gingrich about his former consultant relationship with the mortgage facilitator Freddie Mac. Conservatives and Libertarians blame the Federal Government for the housing crisis that hit in 2007 and continues today. They believe the Federal Government created the housing bubble by mandating that...

The bipartisan debt panel to nowhere is exactly where K Street lobbyists want it to be: hopelessly deadlocked. A November 23 deadline for agreement on $1.2 trillion in budget savings is looming, but no real reductions in the size, scope or spending of government are on the table. Instead, we are witnessing another obscene special-interest splurge to preserve the status quo. All in the name of "reform," of course. The only thing "super" about the so-called budget control super committee is the size of lobbying muscle exerted on its members. Almost 100 registered lobbyists who are former employees of super...

In 2007, the year before Barack Obama was elected President, the liberal advocacy organization Public Citizen’s “White House For Sale” website was actively seeking change in what it viewed as onerous lobbying activities, particularly bundling.  Its lead headline read: Bundling for Favors:  Open the Books on Bundled Campaign Contributions And its opening paragraph succinctly described bundling as: “the activity of fundraisers who pool a large number of campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and individuals. Bundlers, who are often corporate CEOs, lobbyists, hedge fund managers or independently wealthy people, are able to funnel far more money to campaigns than they could...

Do Obama's big donors break his no-lobbyist pledge? CBS News President Obama's re-election campaign is pushing back against a New York Times report that suggests Mr. Obama may not be meeting his own standards when it comes to keeping corporate lobbyists out of his campaign.

The collapse of Solyndra looks inevitable in retrospect — and for auditors who reviewed their loan application that the Obama White House expedited and to the employees who worked there, it looked inevitable before it happened, too. This has many wondering just what business model Solyndra used to keep the company going as long as it did. The New York Times figures out that Solyndra’s execs used a tested-and-true business method called Lobby For Dollars — and that they kept using this model even as the company disintegrated: According to records filed with the Clerk of the House and a...

Today Perry speaks of Washington as an alien land, inhabited by irresponsible politicians. In his most recent book, Fed Up!, Perry criticizes President George W. Bush for giving free rein to “spendthrift congressional Republicans.” “Ultimately, the record is fairly unforgiving for Republicans — particularly in Congress — who have been in power in Washington over the last decade or so,” Perry wrote in 2010. “They haven’t just spent our money wildly — they have blatantly ignored our core founding principles.” This is the same message that Perry has brought to the campaign trail since the announcement of his bid for...

Top 10 Industry Contributors to Super Committee Members Industry Totals Lawyers/Law Firms $31,529,149 Securities & Investment         $11,221,416 Democratic/Liberal $9,647,264 Health Professionals $9,321,588 Real Estate $8,793,350 Education $8,568,460 Misc. Business $7,902,021 Business Services $6,563,524 Women's Issues $6,396,728 Insurance $5,693,595

Rep. Xavier Becerra — or, to be more precise, lobbyists working on his behalf — wasted no time Thursday capitalizing on the California congressman’s appointment to the congressional super committee. A little over two hours after Becerra was named to the powerful panel, Investment Company Institute’s Jim Hart sent out an email encouraging attendance for the trade group’s upcoming $1,500 per person fundraiser based on Becerra’s new found status as one of the elite 12. “We will host an event for Congressman Xavier Becerra, not only Vice Chairman of the Democratic Caucus but also who has just been named to...

Through a nonprofit, private donors are expected to cover the $3,000-a-month rent, along with utilities and other expenses, on Gov. Jerry Brown's loft in Sacramento. Reporting from Sacramento -- Gov. Jerry Brown will look to a group of private donors — presently refusing to reveal their identities — to pay his rent at the luxury loft in downtown Sacramento where Brown and his wife live while in town. Donors are contributing to a nonprofit formed specifically to cover the costs of Brown's $3,000-a-month, 1,450-square-foot apartment. In the past, the practice of having private donors pay for the governor's residence has...

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has expressed concern at the appointment of Rabbi Richard Jacobs as head of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Included among our concerns is the fact that Rabbi Jacobs is a member of the Rabbinic Cabinet of J Street, the extremist, George Soros-funded lobby group that takes positions to the left of the Israeli Labor and far-left Meretz parties, recently opposed sanctions on Iran, and urged President Barack Obama not to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning as “illegal” Jewish homes and communities in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. Jacobs is also a...

I love teachers. I really do. And I'm sure that most are overworked and underpaid. Certainly, no one is getting rich from teaching kids. I applaud the hardworking teachers across this land. But, as has happened in Wisconsin, when teachers unions muscle legislators like the Mafia and Democrats abandon their voting posts because they don't like projected outcomes, haven't we abandoned the very foundational principles of our republic? Where were the "be civil" mainstream media police last Friday morning, when union demonstrators screamed at legislators on the floor of the Wisconsin Assembly while they voted? More proof of union dominance...

From senators to lobbyists in one week flat. Bob Bennett of Utah and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota have been hired as senior policy advisers by Arent Fox, the firm said on its website Tuesday. The announcement comes a week to the day after the pair ended their congressional careers. Bennett, a Republican, and Dorgan, a Democrat, will work together to expand "the firm's already thriving government relations practice," the statement said. The news was first reported by The New York Times.

House Democrats are hiring a top attorney from President Barack Obama’s National Security Council to help lead their charge against Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the committee, has tapped David Rapallo, an experienced congressional investigator, to be the Democratic staff director for the oversight panel, which will be the center of attention for a wide range of investigations when Republicans take control of the House. It’s a job familiar to the University of California-trained attorney: He spent 11 years as a minority subcommittee director, later serving as Democratic Rep....

Wikileaks continues to rock the political world by shedding light on conspiracies, corruption and cover-ups. The latest batch of diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks reveals what can only be characterized as a U.S.-led conspiracy to force GMOs onto European countries by making those countries pay a steep price if they resist. The cable reveals the words of Craig Stapleton, the US ambassador to France, who was pushing the commercial interests of the biotech industry by attempting to force GMOs into France. In his own words (below), he expresses his frustration with the idea that France might pass environmental laws that...

Dear Tea Party voter: You've been had. When the good people of South Dakota voted last month to send Republican Kristi Noem to Congress, they probably believed she would give no quarter to the lobbyists and special-interest groups who enjoyed, as she put it, "throwing money at the feet of a member of Congress." But since she defeated Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (in part by making an issue of Sandlin's marriage to a lobbyist), Noem has hired her new chief of staff from ... a lobbying firm! And on Tuesday afternoon, she was the guest of honor at a...

Tax Cut Bill Loaded With Deals for Lobbyists, LawmakersAssociated Press Published December 11, 2010 WASHINGTON -- In the spirit of the holiday season, President Obama's tax-cut deal with Republicans is becoming a Christmas tree tinseled with gifts for lobbyists and lawmakers. But that hardly stopped the squabbling on Friday, with Bill Clinton even back at the White House pleading the president's case. While Republicans sat back quietly, mostly pleased, Democrats and other liberals were going at each other ever so publicly. As Clinton lectured on Obama's behalf, Vermont independent Bernie Sanders castigated the agreement for the TV cameras in the...

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is leaving office just as he came in -- with a party paid for by outside interest groups. Schwarzenegger's spokesman, Aaron McLear, said the governor plans to attend .. but is not involved in the planning. The California Chamber of Commerce and the NAACP, both Schwarzenegger supporters, are among those seeking contributions for the Dec. 16 event at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Sacramento Bee reported that one appeal is seeking tax-deductible donations of $25,000 "for this memorable evening."

TSA’s other body-scanner contractor is Rapiscan Systems Inc. In 2009, the company was awarded an agreement that could be worth up to $173 million. And like L-3, Rapiscan has a notable K Street presence. Holland & Knight, Rapiscan’s outside lobbying firm, has earned $480,000 in fees from the company since May 2008, according to lobbying disclosure records. David Whitestone, a former aide to Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), and John Buscher, once the chief lobbyist for United Airlines, are lobbying for the company. Overall, Rapiscan has spent close to $3.6 million on lobbying since 2007, according to records.

One interest group is very upset about Senator Jim DeMint’s (R-SC) plan to force a vote in the Senate Republican Conference for a two year earmark moratorium — Lobbyists. According to The Hill, the lobbying group that represents lobbyists are very angry and worried that the easy money days of earmarking for dollars is over. Yes, even lobbyists have lobbyist in Washington, D.C. The head of the American League of Lobbyists is blasting the proposed earmark bans in Congress, saying lawmakers are letting down their constituents by not working to fund projects in their districts. Dave Wenhold, the league’s president,...

What on Earth Happened to the New York GOP? A dozen years ago Republicans dominated state politics. It doesn't appear they'll be a factor this fall. SEPTEMBER 18, 2010 By JOHN FUND New York Almost every state in the nation features a competitive race for governor or the Senate this fall. But not New York. Though Republicans are running for governor and both U.S. Senate seats—one to fill Hillary Clinton's unexpired term—polls show none have much of a chance of winning. A dozen years ago, Republicans held a majority of New York's statewide elected offices and controlled the state Senate....

Tea Party's Rise Gives Business Pause * BUSINESS * SEPTEMBER 17, 2010 By BRODY MULLINS and NAFTALI BENDAVID Business leaders and lobbyists are increasingly worried that the election of tea party-backed Republican candidates to Congress might threaten their priorities next year, fearing that these candidates' anti-spending fervor and opposition to special tax breaks would jeopardize prized programs. Business leaders clearly prefer a Republican-controlled Congress to a Democratic one, judging from their statements, endorsements and campaign contributions. They cite low taxes, less regulation and certainty in the business environment as among their top priorities in Washington, and many see Republicans as...

It has begun. Republican Senate aides who desperately want the majority back so they can add an extra zero to their eventual K-Street salary package once they stop prostituting themselves to lobbyists and instead become lobbyists prostituting themselves to squishy Republicans are attacking Jim DeMint. In addition to their own self-interest, you can be sure they are expressing their bosses’ frustrations.Now, you and I both know that Jim DeMint swooping in at the last minute to endorse Christine O’Donnell had as much to do with her victory as a butterfly flapping its wings in China 340 years ago last Monday....

If you read this weekend’s New York Times’ hit job on would-be Speaker John Boehner and his “lobbyist friends,” you might think, as the reporter clearly thinks, that John Boehner is cozier with lobbyists than most powerful politicians are. But did you know: Nancy Pelosi has raised almost twice as much money from lobbyists this election as Boehner has? At least 18 House Democrats have raised more lobbyist cash this election than Boehner has. Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid have pocketed more lobbyist cash in the past 18 months than Boehner has raised in the past 6 elections, combined?

Let's go back to those hopey-changie days of the Obama campaign for president when he railed constantly against all those "special interests" and eeeevil lobbyists that he claimed were ruining the political process. Let us recall that once elected he claimed he'd have the "strictest ethics rules" of any president ever. Obama has made sure that his message has been anti-special interests, anti-lobbyists, anti-business-as-usual… heck just plain anti-business, for that matter. It’s all been quite a show. Unfortunately for all the talk his actions speak to the opposite of his spin -- more on that in a moment. But even...

Recently I learned that 81% of all donations to our Federal elected representatives come from one twelfth of one percent (0.0012) of our voters, principally funneled through lobbyist groups. Incumbents received 99% of these lobbyist-donated funds in the last election cycle. This may explain why 96% of incumbents won reelection in 2008 less than a month after polls showed that our Congressmen’s approval rating was only 9% after the bank (TARP) bailout on 10-3-08. Money wins elections. A recent example illustrates how this works. Senator Barbara Boxer voted for a $5 million “earmark” (pork) for La Raza, a Latino lobbyist...

Illustrating that a promise made is not necessarily a promise kept, this administration is again under fire for violating its own ethics pledges. On the campaign trail, candidate Obama initially pledged not to hire former lobbyists. But once in office, that directive was “clarified” to mean that any lobbyists hired would not be given the opportunity to influence any decisions involving their former employers. Now, that promise, too, has gone by the wayside with the disclosure that White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer Andrew McLaughlin has directly participated in formulating policies that would impact Google, where McLaughlin had formerly served...

Every person accused of a crime or an ethics violation deserves a competent defense. Charlie Rangel's legal defense, fittingly, comes from K Street. Two of the three firms providing legal counsel to Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., in his pending ethics cases are lobbying firms. In fact, one firm, Oldaker, Belair & Wittie, conducts much of Rangel's political fundraising, while operating four different lobby shops. But who's ultimately paying Rangel's legal bills? Mostly corporate and union political action committees along with individual lobbyists.

..."We don't need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples," Lott told the Washington Post, referring to the conservative South Carolina senator who has been a gadfly for party leadership and a champion for upstart conservative candidates. "As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them."...

Some Republican congressmen have been warned to keep their distance from the female lobbyists who prowl Capitol Hill. Sources say House Minority Leader John Boehner has told GOP congressmen who partied with lobbyists "to knock it off." His spokesperson said, "Boehner has always told all our members that they will be held to the highest ethical standards."

Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias on Tuesday proposed ethics reforms so sweeping as to appear dead-on-arrival in Washington, D.C. He wants a total ban on corporations and lobbyists donating to candidates and a lifetime ban on senators or congressmen ever becoming lobbyists. More modest laws passed by Congress have already been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has ruled that corporations have a First Amendment Right to free speech that includes donating to candidates. “I’m not going to pretend that as a freshman United States senator, in one day we’re going to change the world and move toward...

Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has a well-developed talent for self-promotion. He makes a point of being the last person on any stage, and he leaves no detail to chance. The Chamber’s event staff is famously fastidious: one of Donohue’s parties involved corralling a Clydesdale horse into the Chamber’s lobby. Such grandiosity is of a piece with how Donohue treats his station. He travels in a chauffeured Lincoln and a leased jet, and his salary, $3.7 million last year, makes him the sixth highest paid lobbyist in the country. This requires funding, which...

Washington’s biggest lobbying firm has acquired the Breaux-Lott Leadership Group, a smaller firm started by two former senators in 2008. Patton Boggs, which reported $78.1 million in lobbying revenue in 2009, counts among its clients Halliburton, Bristol Myers Squib and the Mars candy company. Breaux-Lott, started by former Louisiana Senator John Breaux and former Senate Majority Trent Lott and their sons, represented Chevron, Diageo and Goldman Sachs. “I think they’re at a point where they need to continue to grow,” Managing Partner Stuart Pape told POLITICO. “They need the substantial additional resources that we can provide, and that’s why the...

A liberal watchdog has called for an investigation into whether White House employees are using personal e-mail accounts to contact lobbyists in violation of federal law. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent a letter to House Oversight Committee chairman Ed Towns (D-N.Y.) and ranking member Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) Monday asking them to initiate an investigation into whether White House employees used personal e-mail accounts to contact lobbyists in violation of the Presidential Records Act (PRA). The letter also takes White House staff to task for meeting with lobbyists in nearby coffee shops instead of in the White...

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a government watchdog group, says the White House is committing “willful violations” of federal and presidential records acts, along with violating disclosure laws, and is calling for a congressional oversight hearing into administration officials meetings with lobbyists. The problem arises from White House officials having met with K- Street lobbyists hundreds of times over the past 18 months at “off-campus” coffee shops. Some lobbyists claimed they frequently receive e-mails from White House staff members’ personal accounts, rather than from their official White House accounts. CREW says this is “an apparent attempt...

How does Obama's administration continue business as usual with lobbyists when Obama promised to be the “most transparent presidential administration in history”? It's easy. They just walk across the street and meet the lobbyists in a coffee shop. That avoids having anything appear on that pesky White House visitor log. The NY Times reported: WASHINGTON — There are no Secret Service agents posted next to the barista and no presidential seal on the ceiling, but the Caribou Coffee across the street from the White House has become a favorite meeting spot to conduct Obama administration business. Here at the Caribou...

An American communications firm best known for shaping the liberal Moveon.org into a national movement has tackled a new project: orchestrating an international anti-Israel campaign aimed at breaking the blockade of the Gaza strip. Fenton Communications, ..., signed two contracts last year with Qatar to develop “a communications action plan for an 18-month campaign” aimed at delegitimizing Israel and generating international support for the Hamas-run Gaza strip, documents filed with the Department of Justice show. The campaign, known as the “Al Fakhoora Project,” has a very visible Web presence that boasts of rallying 10,000 activists “against the blockade on Gaza.”...

A House ethics office is demanding fundraising information from lobbyists on five Republicans and three Democrats, according to a document obtained by The Hill. The House Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) this month sent letters to officials on K Street requesting detailed information on the lawmakers, all of whom sit on the Financial Services Committee or the Ways and Means Committee.

Surprise, Surprise: 16 Financial Lobbyists Formerly Worked For Dodd And Shelby Talking Points Memo Jun. 11, 2010, 4:07 PM Dozens of financial industry lobbyists have ties to lawmakers serving on the conference committee negotiating financial reform legislation, according to data reported by Public Citizen. Among them are seven former chiefs of staff and a total of 16 former employees of Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL). In addition to the lobbyists with direct ties to the conference committee members, Public Citizen's investigation found 59 lobbyists who have previously worked on either the Senate or...

The Ferguson Group, one of the largest earmark lobbying firms, is raising funds from other lobbyists for a media campaign to promote the benefits of earmarks. “Let’s be honest,” said Bill Ferguson, CEO of the Ferguson Group. “Most of the money spent by government is going to be wasted. Does it really make much difference to the average schmo how this is accomplished?” “After all, the alternative to an earmark is some idiotic formula set up by Congress and administered by the drones of the federal bureaucracy,” Ferguson pointed out. “Does anyone really believe this will produce an optimal outcome?”...

Facing a brutal re-election battle, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is taking the unprecedented step of leaning on Democratic leadership to shake the money tree on his behalf before the Memorial Day recess, headlining a breakfast fundraiser alongside 15 of his committee chairmen.

Lobbyists who pursue congressional earmarks are planning a public relations campaign to defend the practice, as voters signal they no longer want lawmakers to direct millions of federal dollars to pet projects back home. The Ferguson Group, one of the largest earmark lobbying shops in Washington, is seeking donations from other appropriations lobbyists to establish a group that would promote the benefits of earmarks through a media campaign, according to documents obtained by The Hill. The public relations firm Pankowski-Rooney-Hart Public Relations (PRH) is already helping with fundraising for the effort. Lobbyists are also seeking a good government organization with...

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has decided to stop accepting campaign money from Wall Street firms while the financial reform battle continues in the Senate, his office said on Friday.

Music piracy is a more serious crime, at least in economic terms, than bank robbery, according to the Songwriters Guild of America [PDF]. The Guild has written to Victoria Espinel, Barack Obama’s Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, who has asked for public comment on tackling piracy. The Guild writes: “There are numerous economic crimes of much lesser magnitude (such as bank robbery) that are routinely and fully investigated, for which law enforcement agencies such as the FBI have significant resources. By contrast, online copyright piracy dwarfs bank robbery in causing economic losses, yet the FBI has limited criminal investigative interest and...

Goldman Sachs adds to its ranks of lobbyists By Tomoeh Murakami Tse Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, April 29, 2010; A12 Until a few years ago, Goldman Sachs operated a sleepy lobby shop in the nation's capital. But now, faced with fraud charges, investigations, a firestorm of criticism and a regulatory overhaul bill that could seriously damage its profitability, the venerable Wall Street firm is assembling a team of veteran lobbyists, well-connected former Hill staffers and top public relations strategists to confront what is arguably the most traumatic moment in its 140-year history. Over the past two years, as it...

WASHINGTON — Assessing the battle to overhaul the nation’s financial regulations recently, Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, left no doubt about the consequences if Congress cracked down on his bank’s immense business in derivatives. “It will be negative,” he said. “Depending on the real detail, it could be $700 million or a couple billion dollars.”

Minting Bank Lobbyists on Capitol HillApril 13, 2010, 7:27 pm Representative Barney Frank publicly rebuked a former aide this month for taking a job with a big Wall Street firm right after drafting a regulation that could affect the way the firm did business. Mr. Frank described it as an unusual transgression, one that embarrassed others working on the legislation and created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. **SNIP** The case of Peter S. Roberson, whose hiring by a derivatives clearinghouse drew the ire of Mr. Frank, is the most extreme, and it points up holes in...

With eight months to go before congressional elections, House and Senate Democratic candidates exceed in virtually every important campaign fundraising category. Democratic House lawmakers appear likely to reverse their seven-cycle record of being outspent by House Republicans, according to recent finance reports. Democrats in both chambers are enjoying the traditional advantages of majority-party status -- and then some. They lead in donations by political action committees, by committees affiliated with the national political parties or with House and Senate leaders, and in individual contributions to incumbent lawmakers. In some instances, their lead exceeds what the Republicans had when that party...

Remember way back —all the way back in time to that distant memory known as the year 2008—when Barack Obama made a big deal about cleaning up special interests and lobbyists that were buying influence all over Washington? Remember when he used that crafty angle in part to make himself appear as the long-awaited outsider or "messiah" who could, in a hope-like fashion, "change" Washington from its special interest-heavy influence? It's not going well! Obama's been caught lying again regarding his empty promises versus his actual record. But the extent of his lie hits at a major policy promise Obama...