jdanton

http://www.publicintegrity.org/lobby...t.aspx?aid=731

I found this. Card was a former lobbyist.

As have been a few others.

Seems more lobbyists get hired by the White House than I had suspected, although no where near as many as go in the other direction.

I believe this article covers 12.

I think I've going out in a couple of minutes, but I wanted to post this so it could be read and we could discuss the extent to which being a former lobbyist impacted their jobs.

__________________
Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

jdanton

Having read this; we didn't go out, I see that Bush's White House, at least, has hired a number of former lobbyists.

Therefore, I owe, and give, my apology, to Edwards.


I'm still not sure if an across the board ban on hiring former lobbyists is necessarily a good idea, but it is something over which the president will have control of.

Can anyone find where this has happened in previous white houses?

__________________
Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

Teri B.

Hell, Fred Thompson is a former lobbyist, and he's RUNNING for President.

jdanton

True.

All of this does make me wonder why it's as big a problem as it's being made out to be.

Maybe someone will be kind enough to fill in the blanks with something more than inuendo.

__________________
Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

gorillamom

And everyone wonders why the Greeks abandoned democracy over 2000 years ago. You can't have people with personal money or other persoan; adgendas in "public" office. That's why I thinik if they want seperation of church and state as it is supposed to be, then let only atheist run. But, wait, that would violate someone's rights. Anyone getting my drift here? JD, I thought you were female! Cookie mentioned you're a grandpa. Just goes to show.............

__________________

The Clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power,
To tell just when the hands will stop
On what day or what hour.
Now is the only time we have,
So live it with a will,
Don't wait until tomorrow,
The hands may then be still.

jdanton

Somewhere in your belief that I was a female is the problem with drawing conclusions sans facts.

Personally, I don't think it's possible to put a person into any public office by any method who doesn't have some kind of personal agenda.

I've been aware for some time of politicians leaving office and becoming lobbyists.

I'm still not sure as to the extent the reverse has been a problem.

The single biggest "lobbying" campaign I can remember was the lobbying of the public via tv commercials the health insurance industry embarked on back in '94.

I remember three "experts" testifying to a Senate Committe some years back about postal employees pay and benefits, as compared to pay and benefits in "similar" industries.

They were followed by a guy from UPS who was there voluntarily, and testified that they pay more and provide better benefits than does the postal service.

Curious, the committee called the three "experts" back and asked what "similar" industries they had been referring to. Burger King, Wendies, etc....

They were read quite the riot act. Their entire testimoney was stricken.

I bring this up because it illustrates that our representives are not walking encyclopedias. It is absolutely necessary, for them to make a good decision, to have good information.

The question then becomes: how do we insure they get honest and accurate data?

__________________
Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.