RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/24/2009 8:26:29 AM

maybemaybenot

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Owner59

He wasn`t in government at the time he screwed us.He was a lobbyist working against the consumer`s interest.

Exactly. Lobbyists don't work for the consumer and their interests are not for the consumer.
Soooo, I am having a little bit of trouble accepting that a lobbyist is the appropriate appointment, to an office that is suppose to protect my interests given Obama's stand on lobbyists on his first day in office. With a wave of the Obama magic wand, Mr. Lynn is all of a sudden going to abandon all his past habits and beliefs and now be my advocate/protector. Sorry, I just can't swallow that one.

Obama's stand, which if he had actually stuck to, is the same as mine.
I guess that is in keeping with the " Change" mantra. Set up a policy today, and change the spirit of it tomorrow.

And yes, it gets under my skin. I really didn't buy into Obama at all, but he is the President. I listened to his talk about the lobbyists and thought perhaps I was wrong about him and we have some common ground. I felt some of that " hope" you all have been chattering about. But it was fleeting.

mbmbn

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/24/2009 9:13:49 AM

Owner59

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The distinctions must go deeper.The world is way to complicated not to.

There are lobbyist and then there are lobbyist.Not all lobbyist are alike.The Sierra Club lobbys.Animal welfare groups lobby.Consumer protection and consumer interest groups lobby.

Does ADM and Exxon getting exclusive access to DC seem out of balance?Hell,bush gave Ken Lay of Enron his own white house office and WH letterhead.

On every issue and in anyway possible,bush let industry insiders do the overseeing/blind eye turning.Let the coal industry set the rules for the coal industry.Let the oil and gas folks set the rules for energy policy.Let the pernicious and parasitical health insurance industry,set the rules for the insurance industry.Drug policy,again crafted by pharma lobbyist.

Not once a decision,order or policy in favor of the consumer.

I don`t want to see lobbying to stop or people denied access to our government.I just don`t want lobbyists owning DC,making the rules/breaking the rules and playing referee all at once.

Lobbyists/industry CEOs running things is what Obama is talking about.Thousands and thousands of jobs won`t be filled by pro-big business/anti consumer/anti-regulation pin heads.

He had to make this one out of thousands exemption to his rule(and for good cause),explained why and acknowledged it.

I think the candor is refreshing.

< Message edited by Owner59 -- 1/24/2009 9:23:53 AM >

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/24/2009 10:04:37 AM

Sanity

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Are you saying that Obama was too naive to know that, when he made the pledge?

Isn't that exactly what John McCain tried to tell us?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Irishknight

Is there actually a person knowledgable enough anywhere near DC for him to nominate who isn't a lobbyost or who hasn't had their dick sucked by one?

< Message edited by Sanity -- 1/24/2009 10:38:23 AM >

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/24/2009 10:58:49 AM

Owner59

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Sanity

Are you saying that Obama was too naive to know that, when he made the pledge?

Isn't that exactly what John McCain tried to tell us?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Irishknight

Is there actually a person knowledgable enough anywhere near DC for him to nominate who isn't a lobbyost or who hasn't had their dick sucked by one?

Never said he knew everything about everything and doesn`t pretend to.

Now refreshing.

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/24/2009 7:41:23 PM

rexrgisformidoni

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I vote we start over.

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/25/2009 1:55:36 AM

awmslave

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I see no reason why US government should fight lobbyists: they are like lovers supporting each other.

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/25/2009 7:43:09 AM

maybemaybenot

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Owner:

You're right. There are lobbyists and their are lobbyists. And Mr. Lynn is one of the former.

1- he led Raheyon's strategic planning and goverment relations, as such he lobbyed Washington for defense contracts
2- Ratheyon spent 14 1/2 million on lobbying activities during Mr. Lynns tenure.
3- Ratheyon got 54 billion in government contracts during his days at the helm .
4- The Federal Contractor Misconduct Database has documented 17 instances of fraud, with 475 million spent by Ratheon in settlements during his time in charge.
5- Obama got a letter from some 200 congressman and 43 Senators asking that we continue making F-22's. They are such great fighter aircarfts, we haven't used a single one in Afgahnastan or Iraq. We are " saving them up". They are also the heaviest aircrafts built. The reason the good Senators and Congressman want to continue building them ? Umm, to stimulate the economy and maintain jobs. In laymens terms that means continuing to spend 12 million dollars in useless product that we don't even use.
6- Guess who, if confirmed, will decide whether or not to continue building these absolutely useless aircrafts? Yessireee : Mr. Lynn.
7- Guess which company will see 3 billion dollars on it if approved: Yep, Ratheyon.

Mr. Lynn's entire resume for the last 7 years has been that of bed buddies with the US Senate and Congress. Whether Obama or anyone else apologized or explained their reasons, it is still in direct conflict with the policy our new President has made. In my world that is hypocracy, not refreshing. In my world that is not the fox being kicked out of the henhouse, but the fox tearing the door off and not replacing it.
It's a guy who has spent 7 years lobbying for GOVERNMENT MONIES , being put in charge of allocating those monies to his previous employer.

No, I do not want to outlaw lobbyists, I would like to see their power significantly decreased. Just like the policy set forth by Obama.
Hope and Change ? I *** HOPE *** his nomination is not confirmed and that Obama *** CHANGES *** his nomination to be consistant with the policies he sets. Even in cases where I don't agree with his policies.

Call me a hater, call me anything you want. I don't think it is too outrageous to expect the man who made the policy to stick to the policy. No one twisted his arm or held a gun at his head to make this policy. He did it of his own accord. I am speculating here, but given he made the policy one day and nominated Mr. Lynn the next day: I would say he made a calculated move to violate his own policy at the same time he was making the policy.

mbmbn

< Message edited by maybemaybenot -- 1/25/2009 7:46:15 AM >

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/25/2009 8:36:11 AM

Owner59

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Thanks,the 1st real response and mature reply so far in '09'.

I didn`t know these particular things.Didn`t know who he was.But I do know the Raytheon has a mini-monopoly in the defense industry and one really can`t fully get them out of the system.

Where City Group was to big to let fail,Raytheon is to big not to have some of them in the expert pool that`s needed here,in this one instance(which Obama has acknowledged).

The guy was doing his job.If he was personally behind any of the maleficence, then toss him.But he can`t be held responsible for things a huge company like Raytheon does.

I would like to see Raytheon and GE taken down a notch and spread the work and contracts around, but I doubt that`ll happen.The concentration of companies doing this type of business has been going on for centuries.For good reasons and for bad.Ike warned us about it. I believe what Ike said.

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RE: William Lynn and the anti lobbyist pledge - 1/25/2009 8:55:52 AM

maybemaybenot

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You see, Owner: I would not be opposed to Mr. Lynn's appointment, were it not for the policy Obama made. He has a very impressive resume, pre Raytheon, fully qualifying him for the job. He served as Under Secretary of Defense, was a director of program analysis for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he has 3 DoD medals for distinguished public service and served six years under Sen. Kennedy. So experience-wise, he probably is a good man for the job.

Despite my differing ideology with President Obama, what I am looking for is consistancy. That has been sorely lacking for the last 8 years. I struggle with the explanation that the President gave with his " waiver" from his own policy to Mr. Lynn. Perhaps, and I do mean perhaps, I could give this a one time * wink and nod*, were it not for the Presidents Press secretary saying that future waivers of this type would be " limited". Yes, he said that and that leads me to believe that there are more to come in terms of : saying one thing and doing another.
So speaking for myself, this nomination, combined with the Treasury Secretary nomination, a guy who evaded his taxes for years is just not the refreshing " New Day for America" I have had shoved down my throat. And makes me resent even more VP Bidens little litany telling me and you that to not support < Obama's plan for> higher taxes is unpatriotic. If I don't support the * IDEA * and another guy does support the * IDEA* but doesn't follow the rules and has a record of violating the * IDEAS*, how in the name of all that is holy can anyone have the balls to put his name in for nomination, and call me unpatriotic. Again, hypocracy, in my world.

mbmbn

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