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Obama gives lobbyists the boot
November 27, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Obama has issued an executive order barring registered lobbyists from serving in advisory committees related to their lobbying.
This is a baby step in a much bigger, longer battle, but I personally love it. Lobbyists are what's wrong with American politics, and the less power they have, the better.
Obama campaigned on the promise of reducing special interest influence and increasing transparancy in government. He hasn't done much up until now, but if this is what we can expect, I can't wait to see what he does next.
- Meatball
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RE: Obama gives lobbyists the boot
November 27, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Lobbyists are one part of the battle. What is far more important is the simple fact that Congressmen and Senators have to spend so much of their time raising funds for their next election. The lobbyists supply that money in large chunks.
Bribery should be illegal but somehow when it is called campaign "contributions" that makes it alright.
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RE: Obama gives lobbyists the boot
November 27, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I don't think corporations or anything other than individuals should be able to contribute to campaigns. A corporation is not a person and cannot approve or disapprove of a person's poltical stance.
- Meatball
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RE: Obama gives lobbyists the boot
November 28, 2009 at 12:56 pm
(November 27, 2009 at 5:16 pm)Meatball Wrote: Obama has issued an executive order barring registered lobbyists from serving in advisory committees related to their lobbying.
This is a baby step in a much bigger, longer battle, but I personally love it. Lobbyists are what's wrong with American politics, and the less power they have, the better.
Obama campaigned on the promise of reducing special interest influence and increasing transparancy in government. He hasn't done much up until now, but if this is what we can expect, I can't wait to see what he does next.
This is a small and welcome step. One that is absolutely needed, however, we all know that it's only a matter of time before they find a way around this "executive order." This is what they do, find the loophole and milk it for all it's worth.
Nothing is your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull. - George Orwell
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RE: Obama gives lobbyists the boot
November 28, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Lobbyists are like parasites. Make the environment hostile to them, and either they will die and drop away or find a new orifice to infest.
Why don't we treat lobbyists attempting to find loopholes as maggots are to a wound. Track them, fix the wound, track them to the next. Rinse, repeat.
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RE: Obama gives lobbyists the boot
November 30, 2009 at 7:24 pm
(November 30, 2009 at 4:56 am)Saerules Wrote: Cash maggot: The only kind of maggot I would like to bathe in 
I would still remain dubious at bathing in a cash maggot. After all, underneath, it's still a damn maggot.
Nothing is your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull. - George Orwell
