The best Congress lobbyists could buy
A lot of ink, paper and broadcast time has been consumed trying to trace the origins of the current economic collapse, with a lot of the blame being placed on government’s failure to regulate effectively.
Personally, I think that trail ends right here:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Here’s a peek at e-mails popping into lobbyists’ inboxes these days offering quality time with members of Congress:
—A weekend at the Clearwater, Fla., spring training home of the world champion Philadelphia Phillies with Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., including a game, a meeting with players and a ballpark tour.
—Golf at a Montana course designed by Arnold Palmer and fly fishing on the state’s Madison, Gallatin and Yellowstone rivers with Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.
—A “Saint Patrick’s Day on the Rio Grande” reception at a Tex-Mex restaurant near the Capitol with Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.
There’s a catch: Be prepared to contribute plenty of money.
Though it’s early in a non-election year, politicians and special interests are blasting out daily e-mails by the truckload, beckoning lobbyists and other would-be donors to fundraisers ranging from the mundane to the exotic. A look at scores of them, provided by recipients, shows they share a straightforward message: Members of Congress would like your help getting in re-elected, and contributors can spend time with them….
A list (of fundraisers) compiled by the Democrats’ House campaign committee runs 22 pages and includes 190 events slated for 2009 for House Democrats alone, with some already planned for October.
With the stalled economy drying up contributions, Republican fundraiser Monica Notzon says she might send 500 to 5,000 e-mail invitations per event.
“I probably get 10 to 15 a day,” said lobbyist Butler Derrick, a former House member. “I’ve gotten so I can recognize them and I just kill most of them.”
Hosts compete to draw crowds. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., planned an event this week featuring Muhammad Ali, while Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., is inviting donors to go skeet shooting. Others invite contributors to a Bruce Springsteen concert, a wine-tasting weekend in Oregon, baseball and NCAA basketball tournament games, and weekends in New York or Palm Springs, Calif…..Congressional re-election campaigns can cost millions of dollars. Defenders call fundraisers a harmless chance for contributors to exercise their rights to support and meet with legislators. They say the charges of undue influence are exaggerated.
“Put your money back in your pocket if you think it’s going to buy you something other than a club soda and a Swedish meatball,” said Michael Fraioli, a veteran fundraiser for some House Democrats.
The solicitations are effective. Lobbyists contributed $34 million to federal candidates in 2007 and 2008, ranking them 16th among more than 80 industries studied by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
“You go there with a check in your hand and that’s your opportunity to meet with the member” of Congress, lobbyist John Meredith said of fundraisers. “That’s kind of how it works.”
Even so, some lobbyists are resentful.
“When you have both parties during election periods come up and bash lobbyists, and then you have the audacity to send me a fax asking me to attend your fundraiser, I think it’s hypocritical,” said lobbyist Paul Miller.
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227 comments Add your comment
Chad Harris
March 25th, 2009
1:41 am
Could someone direct me to where I can read the Republican Budget plan because I seem to have missed that so far?
Since the majority of Bookman commenters are Wingnutters, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding me a link.
Bud Wiser
March 25th, 2009
5:50 am
1. Obama lied again, all night long, as he usually does. Once more he proclaimed he’d go through the budget “line by line” and get rid of programs “that don’t work”,just as he said about the earmarks in the stimulus package, which he said the same, and signed it with over 9000 earmarks included. He’s nothing more than a lying bass-turd.
2. Helen Thomas didn’t ask any questions because; a. Obama flapped his ears and the windstorm blew the papers out of her hands, b. She was heavily sedated, or c. she was drunk and heavily sedated.
Maybe doctor Chad flew in especially for the conference, because I see he’s baaaaaack. Doesn’t anyone stay on topic any more? Go play with your rats some more Lady Chadderly, and leave the normal people alone.
Anyone else notice how Obama danced all around the question of the middle class tax cuts, never saying definitely that it would remain, but adding most positively that “revenues will have to be increased” somehow to meet this plunge he’s taking us all toward national bankruptcy?
The only ones who buy this bag of crap from Obama are the morons that supported him in November. Remember this day when he comes back later for all of your money because he has killed the economy, wrecked the financial sector, and plunged the entire planet into a global depression.
Dave R
March 25th, 2009
5:56 am
G, you need some serious, and I mean serious help. You also need some schooling on certain Constitutional issues. Your comment from above:
G- “He treats us like grownups.
Absolutely brilliant, my President. If you complain, first list your credentials to even judge and assess.”
First, he’s treating you like CHILDREN, not adults. He’s making all the hard choices for you (which gives you an orgasm, I know), and trying to take away all your personal responsibility. You’re back to that little girl who can do no wrong and gets pulled out of jams by the mommy or daddy because you didn’t know any better. Congratulations, you’re just regressed to childhood, G.
Now, to your second comment.
My credentials to judge and assess are simply this:
I am a citizen of the United States of America. NO OTHER CREDENTIALS ARE NEEDED.
And don’t you DARE imply otherwise, G. As long as there is a breath in my body, I will reserve the RIGHT to speak about anything I darned well please, madam, and the day you and your minions try to take THAT right away from me, there will be revolution.
Bank on it.
Taxpayer
March 25th, 2009
6:23 am
These revolutionaries of the radically wrong right need a rallying rant — The Bachman Bums or The Teatime Tools.
The REAL GodHatesTrash, Superstar
March 25th, 2009
6:26 am
Unfortunately, morons and imbeciles are not barred from citizenship in the United States.
Taxpayer
March 25th, 2009
6:30 am
Just trying to read through what some of these right wing fringe have to post is painful. Their monotonous broken record parroting is beyond predictable. There is not a single thing of value in their posts. They just get on here and hike their little legs and dump on anything that others say that they don’t like. Then again, that is what their masters instructed them to do and these Republican tools are most assuredly loyal to their masters. That must make Limbaugh and Boortz and Bachman and Cheney, etc., real happy.
Bud Wiser
March 25th, 2009
6:39 am
Taxpayer, you fail to address my comment about O avoiding talking about the middle class tax cuts. Is it that you think it “,…is not a single thing of value…, or that you haven’t even the brainpower of your own to “…hike (your) little legs and dump on anything that others say that (you) don’t like.?
The REAL GodHatesTrash, Superstar
March 25th, 2009
6:51 am
It’s cold in Vermont this morning. A few days ago it was pretty warm.
Unlike a RightWingnutterbutter, my dog knows better than to defecate near where he eats, so my dog goes out to do his business every morning and evening, rain or shine, cold or warm.
He’s an environmentalist, I guess. And he could never work in a Georgia peanut plant, as fastidious as he is.
Dave R
March 25th, 2009
7:03 am
GHT, neither are morons nor imbeciles barred from membership in the Democrat party. Of course, as someone from a state that elects a Socialist to Congress and the Senate, you’d know that, wouldn’t you?
I Report/ You Whine
March 25th, 2009
7:04 am
Police said a man wearing a ski mask walked into the store at Biscayne Boulevard and 54th Street and demanded money from a clerk.
A customer, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled a gun, said Officer Jeff Giordano, a Miami police spokesman.
The customer and robber exchanged fire.
The robber was shot dead at the scene.
bwa
Dave R
March 25th, 2009
7:05 am
Taxpayer: “There is not a single thing of value in their posts.”
Pot calling kettle . . . – pot calling kettle . . .
Hello, kettle . . .
Taxpayer
March 25th, 2009
7:06 am
What is there to say about middle class tax cuts that the Republicans have not already said. When Obama proposed them, Republicans complained that they were too small. When they got implemented, Republicans complained that they were too small. When Republicans discovered that they have a limited life span, they complained that they will end. When Republicans found that some Democrats are against extending the life of the tax cut, they complain again. Republicans have become too predictable and just outright boring.
Taxpayer
March 25th, 2009
7:15 am
Changes are being made to deal with this country’s problems and more change is on the way. Obama learned quickly that the right wing fringe is just going to complain and offer nothing of value so he’s just leaving them in his dust, where they belong. Good bye, right wing fringe. Don’t let the screen door hit you.
Levin said, “MDA programs have suffered from extensive schedule delays, and from billions of dollars of added costs.” This is because a Bush-era exemption allowed the agency to skip firm cost and schedule estimates — the metrics of performance. Not worried about performance or efficiency, the missileers racked up a $3 billion cost overrun in 2008 alone. That is twenty times the cost of the AIG bonuses, and such overruns happen annually! In Levin’s short words, “This is going to have to change.”
I Report/ You Whine
March 25th, 2009
7:17 am
Because those who control most major newspapers and TV are immature dreamers still stuck on their vision of a socialist utopia; the stuff of teenaged vows to “change the world.” And their hero epitomizes all they hold dear; a hip, youthful knight who champions activism — whatever that means — and looks good doing it.
And so we have managed to elect a man whose brief time in office has reeked of political immaturity. It’s as if like a child, he is constantly trying on his father’s shoes by purporting to accept responsibility, while seconds later claiming, “It wasn’t me…I didn’t do it!”
bwa
BDAtlanta
March 25th, 2009
7:24 am
It sounds like the Right wingnuts aren’t getting their proper dose of “This is what you are to say today” from Fox news and Limbaugh.
You guys need to tune in and soak it up cause it is already Wednesday and the week is almost over.
BDAtlanta
March 25th, 2009
7:28 am
Taxpayer:
Give them righties a tax cut, pronto, before they wig out and blow a gasket!
“me me me me me me me me me” = the Conservative rant.
Aghast
March 25th, 2009
7:37 am
AJC — I am appalled that ajc.com would (or could) ever post an article crtical or to question our President and his administation — see “FACT CHECK: Obama having it both ways on economy?”
PLEASE CANCEL MY E-SUBSCRIPTION IMMEDIATELY!!!!!
DB, Gwinnettian
March 25th, 2009
7:42 am
Mornin’ all. Looks like Jay’s pulling a Wooten today.
I noticed in today’s print edition that the AJC has done as some in here had suggested (me included) and covered the rash of “Git Yer E-Z Stimulus Money Here!” scams. Worth a look.
Anyway, I learned something–the state of GA has set up its own site “as a public service so Georgia citizens can understand where the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 dollars are allocated and how the funds are utilized to benefit the state.”
DB, Gwinnettian
March 25th, 2009
7:43 am
Sorry, second link in my post @ 7.42, to the GA site, is fubar… I’ll try again.
G
March 25th, 2009
7:56 am
I’m still waiting on the Rushpublicant budget plan.
Could it be hiding with the WMD?
Copyleft
March 25th, 2009
7:58 am
To get control of our economy, we need to regulate corporations and the market–which is anathema to free-market fundamentalists, libertarians, and similar far-right cheerleaders.
To get control over Congressional corruption and influence-buying, we need to outlaw lobbying and require public funding of political campaigns… and again, the free-marketeers and libertardians cry about such a “gross violation of free speech [i.e., influence-buying].”
Gee. I wonder what our major obstacle is to having a legislature and a market that actually serve the public interest?
DB, Gwinnettian
March 25th, 2009
7:58 am
“Could it be hiding with the WMD?”
Check under the “voter fraud.”
G
March 25th, 2009
7:59 am
Oh Rushpublicant budget plan, come out, come out, wherever you are…
ESR
March 25th, 2009
8:01 am
I can’t believe there’s as many of you all as there is that doesn’t have expanded cable by now and you were forced to watch only what you can afford and that’s the lower channels and you were forced to see The Pretender read his teleprompter. Wow, this economy must be bad to have to sit and watch that mess. Surely you all have some old VHS tapes you can pop in the recorder?
Taxpayer
March 25th, 2009
8:01 am
It’s not like these do nothing but say no Republicans have not given themselves, on the taxpayer’s dime, more than ample time to at least formulate a question that can be translated into some form of language:
But the exchange at Tuesday’s House Financial Services Committee hearing between Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) is of a different sort. The most generous interpretation is that Manzullo is hoping to create footage for a future campaign commercial. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, captive extras in his campaign spot, are at a loss as to how to respond — with Bernanke going so far as to break with the traditional comity that suffocates the hearing structure to tell Manzullo that his question is “poorly posed.”
Taxpayer
March 25th, 2009
8:07 am
Rush Limbaugh was at it again on Tuesday, “confusing” Barack Obama with Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe, and referring to the president as “one angry guy — his wife is angry as well.”
Wow, Rush must have gotten a new non-prescribed prescription with some kick to it. His bleats are all blurred.
dbm
March 25th, 2009
5:24 pm
If government weren’t such a threat to business, businesses wouldn’t have to put so much money and effort into talking to politicians and buying them off.
There are many, many ways in which government interferes with business and the economy. This contributes both to business’s need for lobbying and to distortions and inefficiencies that can cause economic problems and disasters, including the current one.