Of financial reform, scapegoats, useful idiots, and crony-capitalism

[Egbert]

The difficulty with lobbyists is not there there are too many, but there are too few.

I think the problem is that too much is available for sale, not that too many show up to buy.

I agree but that's a different problem. Thank the income tax law that gives too much resource to the Congress to spend.

Absent that overstimulation of the petulant, fiefdom owning 5y.o.'s that we call Congress, that Congress still limits lobbyists to those that can benefit the Congressman rather than the population.

[Lars]

Speaking of which, Chelsea's getting married!

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1007/chelseas_day_what_we_know.html

I don't know, this just seemed to be the right thread.

[Dirtweasle]

The difficulty with lobbyists is not there there are too many, but there are too few. ...

[...]

... Government has setup lobbying as a form of legal graft, bribery and crony capitalism.

Interestng take.   ... and I think you may be onto something.

So what prevents a person from directly contacting their congresscritter in person or by the mails?

[Egbert]

The difficulty with lobbyists is not there there are too many, but there are too few. ...

[...]

... Government has setup lobbying as a form of legal graft, bribery and crony capitalism.

Interestng take.   ... and I think you may be onto something.

So what prevents a person from directly contacting their congresscritter in person or by the mails?

Try taking them to lunch and find out.

[Egbert]

Speaking of which, Chelsea's getting married!

http://dosomefink.com/phpbb2/index.php?action=post;topic=4049.90;num_replies=90

I don't know, this just seemed to be the right thread.

I heard it's being paid for by George Souros. Can't back it up, just a rumor I heard.
I also understand it costs a few million.

[Lars]

Whoops, fixed the link. 

According to the story,

The rehearsal dinner is reportedly taking place at the nearby Grasmere, a 525-acre estate boasting a Federal-period manor house with formal gardens, stucco guest cottages and a large stone barn complex. Another area manse rumored to be serving the family over the weekend will be Glenburn, where the Clintons are said to be staying  over the weekend. Glenburn is the Rhinebeck home of Eric and Andrea Colombel. Andrea Colombel is the daughter of billionaire financier and longtime Clinton supporter George Soros.

Soros better be paying, the Porta-Potties are $15,000.

[Seminole]

Try taking them to lunch and find out.

The represent a couple hundred thousand people.  That's a lot of lunches.

A lobbyist is a representative.  It makes more sense for a lobbyist to meet the pol than for the pol to have lunch with everyone that gave money to Club for Growth, or some other constituency represented by the lobbyist.

What do you propose changing about contacting and funding representatives while they still have trillions to give away?

[Egbert]

Repeal laws that limit first amendment rights.

[Dirtweasle]

Given the fact that payments or rather gifts of money is interpreted as a form of speech then giving congresscritters money is protected?

[Seminole]

Repeal laws that limit first amendment rights.

I'm all for that, but I don't think that will convince your congressman to take up your lunch offer.
What does it do about lobbying as you've described?

[Egbert]

He probably uses the correct phrases and expresses himself properly at cocktail parties.

President Obama's choice to be the government's chief budget officer received a bonus of more than $900,000 from Citigroup Inc. last year -- after the Wall Street firm for which he worked received a massive taxpayer bailout.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/28/omb-nominee-got-900000-after-citigroup-bailout/

[Dirtweasle]

No mongrel dogs who teach?