Guess Who's Forming The Frosh PAC?
The Democrats, as often observed, won a majority in Congress by demanding an end to the "culture of corruption" and undue lobbyist influence. The main beneficiaries of that campaign, the 41 freshman Democrats in the House, now want to form a political action committee to increase their clout on the Hill. So who did they choose to form and run it? Three guesses, and the first two don't count:
The class of 41 freshman House Democrats has selected a registered lobbyist to form its political action committee, in what ethics watchdogs and Republicans are calling a contradiction of their promise to end a "culture of corruption" in Washington.The custodian of the Democratic Freshmen PAC is William C. Oldaker, 65, whose most-recent lobbying clients include the oil industry, the tobacco lobby, pharmaceutical industries and American Indian gambling interests. Mr. Oldaker also has been removed from several Democratic PACs over conflict-of-interest concerns.
According to a 2005 report by the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), "When lobbyist William Oldaker sits down to negotiate with a member of Congress, he brings years of experience working for the federal government to the table, as well as the legislative resources of his own firm. He also brings quite a bit of money."
CPI has publicly referred to Mr. Oldaker as a "rainmaker," for his ability to successfully represent his clients' interests before congressional lawmakers. Many prominent lawmakers, and especially those seeking higher office, form PACs to donate money to other candidates or causes.
Oh, I get it. It takes a thief to catch a thief, right? The Democrats want to use a full-employment model for "rainmaker" lobbyists so that they can catch them in the act of benefitting Democrats instead of Republicans -- the better to expose them. That must be the strategy!
Or, perhaps, the Democrats have decided to end even the pretense of fighting corruption and lobbyist influence. Given their rhetoric on and off the campaign trail, the selection of Oldaker specifically rejects their promises over the last two years. Oldaker has represented the betes noirs of the modern Democratic Party: Big Oil, Big Tobacco, and the pharmaceuticals. It's practically the Democratic version of Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Leatherface, someone that they would have hauled in front of a televised committee hearing to humiliate rather than hire to add the Democrats to that list of clients.
Congressman Mike Thompson insists that the Democratic Freshmen PAC has followed the law in forming its PAC and hiring Oldaker, but that's hardly the point. Most of the influence that lobbyists have in Washington comes within the law, too. That's what the Democrats -- and especially these freshmen -- promised to change. They certainly never indicated that they would hire registered lobbyists from Big Oil and Big Tobacco as their consultants.
Republicans set themselves up to lose last year by clinging to lobbyists and their money more and more tightly over their 12-year period of control of Congress. The Democrats are setting speed records in making the same mistakes over a 12-week period. It's a betrayal of the Nancy Pelosi/Harry Reid rhetoric, one that even Oldaker could have predicted would backfire.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on May 31, 2007 7:00 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)
Comments (7)
Posted by MarkD | May 31, 2007 7:26 AM
Now what? Pigs on the right have been replaced by pigs on the left.
We need term limits - 12 years total of Federal political service, including the staffers.
Posted by Al Maviva | May 31, 2007 7:26 AM
I'm shocked, simply shocked, to find systematic corruption here.
Posted by km | May 31, 2007 9:25 AM
Backfire? How will it backfire? The MSM won't report it and the GOP won't get any traction by campaigning on it. It will be a non-story.
Posted by David M | May 31, 2007 9:59 AM
Trackbacked by The Thunder Run - Web Reconnaissance for 05/31/2007
A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.
Posted by Maverick Muse | May 31, 2007 11:06 AM
So where does today's Democrat Party PAC stand on unions and illegal immigration?
Thank you, Hillary, for sharing your platform. She claims that socialist/communist unions built America by building the middle class. From a correct postulation that the middle [working] class, not the robber barons, made America great, Hillary then exposes her convoluted logic honoring the unions for having built the middle class.
It was, however, the middle “working” class of individual Americans that stood together for their own constitutional rights who built the unions and survived the intimidation and murder by robber barons, employers and lawmen, and a United States President. By definition, the working class builds, and deserves credit for producing good work. As always, MADE IN THE USA means that you can rely on its excellence.
How much easier can it possibly be than it is already to VOLUNTARILY join a union in the USA today? Hillary wants to enforce greater “ease” to join unions by mandating a union-supported method of organizing called "card check" that would penalize non-union workers ultimately with unemployment. Ultimately, Hillary will propose to give all working tax payers, regardless of citizenship, the right to vote. "No taxation without representation." When it comes to this literal survival game, place all cards face up on the table.
Today’s problem with unions is that the union represents the union first, not necessarily the individual worker. When the union fleeces its own flock for the benefit of its own corrupt management pyramid scheme, that rots the very premise for the unions' existence. The federal government today has so many laws on the books protecting the working class that via democratic socialism, the federal government has essentially usurped the function that historically legitimized unions. Today's workers already pay twice for socialistic protection under the law, taxes AND dues. Currently, taxes are usurped to pay for illegals vs. citizens. Given comprehensive immigration reform that compounds taxes, despite your citizenship and union membership, watch your employment slip away to immigrants, today most of whom are illegal trespassers. Recognize that management gains more power with MORE new membership. Given opportunity, management (government or union) bypasses the legalities of citizenship in a heartbeat. (Examples: Bill Clinton's "because I could" defense, and the federal Z leeway.) Now productive workers pay even MORE taxation to provide benefits to the onslaught of immigrants (no barriers exercised or enforced). Working citizens will no longer enjoy benefits despite a life time of legal hard working contributions. If current barriers are not exercised and enforced, no "new" barriers will be, either. Socialists’ have both hands, government and union, in the till.
Guess who’s going to deliver you now? Last time, you gave your union the credit. Think again, because it is really the same who always saves you. Regardless of party, Americans elect officials to uphold the law. Republicans have elected socialists in elephant clothing as Bush and many others proven. By their fruits ye shall know them. He who has eyes to see, let him see.
What we have here is a failure to communicate. Though disillusioning, Bush called the Minute Men vigilantes. Though disappointing, it is no surprise now that Bush obliterates conservative Americans for bitchin' and moaning over his fool hardy faults. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
WE ARE NOT CONFUSED.
Faith without works is dead. Believe in yourself. United we stand our ground and make our voice heard. Make our elected officials who have ears to hear vote according to YOUR voice, or get the boot.
Enforce the current laws now.
Secure our borders now.
Incidentally, following the tragedy of 9/11, our government statistics showed a decline in American violent crime. After President George W. Bush publically promoted amnesty for illegal immigrants, a larger influx of illegal aliens entered the USA. These past two years, violent crime has significantly increased in the USA, and the government has not publically posted the racial statistics of violent criminals in the USA. With regards to immigration, it is most significant to know the statistics on illegal immigrant violent criminals within the USA.
REGARDLESS OF PARTY, WE CITIZENS VOTE, WE WORK, WE PAY TAXES, WE SUPPORT LAW AND ORDER, WE CONTRIBUTE TO CHARITY, WE SEE, WE THINK, WE READ, WE UNDERSTAND.
WE LEGALLY EMPLOYED CITIZENS MATTER.
Posted by Carol Herman | May 31, 2007 12:24 PM
Well?
To "win" elections, the donks are saying they have to buy the best campaign advice they can get. Then, they sell this to da' People.
What happens in 2008, now, is anybody's guess.
But Dubya just managed to get InstaPundit to notice his agenda doesn't match any promises made during campaign stops. And, he links to Laura Ingraham; in the magic of the Net. SO you can HEAR her ripping Dubya "a new one."
There's plenty more "new one's" to go around.
My guess?
The lobbyists have connected to the 41, because?
Ah. SOME ARE COMING BAAACK.
If 2008 is a place where the public wants to bury Bush; where do you think they'll start?
What makes you think 2008 will even be a "normal" year?
After Bush #41, up to bat came Perot. Who, crazy as he was, got 19% of the American votes. Not bad. And, so far? No other 3rd party candidate has ever come close!
Clinton wasn't liked when he walked in the door in 1992. But people actually liked him a lot by the end. Hard to explain?
NO. Sometimes, going after a man, accusing him of rape, and such, is such a stupid maneuver; that the sympathy meter for him GROWS. And, as a politician? Turns out Bill Clinton is no slouch.
Dubya? Worse than a slouch. A dishonest elitest; whose doing his best to give the donks everything they want. With, given the makeup of the house, and the singular seated majority in the senate? The donks are doing gangbusters. While Bush can't seem to fill the pen that he'd use to veto STINK-O legislation. (Well, it's not STINO-O to the queen of england.) And, Bush, on the ropes, isn't actually "thinking on his feet!")
So, I'm waiting.
To see which one of the candidates, ahead, embraces Bush's "Palestinian dream state."
Oh, and the guy that begins to question why we had to pour so much money into Irak, to bribe people? WHY SO? When did we bribe the japs? Or the germans?
Yeah. We're there. And, if we're smart we will sit there for a very long time. Too bad we didn't PICK the position from where to sit, though. Dubya picked "goody-two-shoes," and good grief, the Saud's!
So, 2008 looms.
The donks figure the GOP will be castrated because of Dubya's shinanigans. Sort'a like the Herbert Hoover of 2000 to 2008.
While the donks don't even see the miscarriage in John Kerry. Or Albert Gore. They're so popular overseas, it hardly matters to the elites what people here, feel and think.
The lobbyists. James Baker is also one of those.
So that's the "money bet." If you're rich enough. And, you don't care how you toss stuff out the window, go ahead and watch this stuff.
The other thing to realize? Those 41 who got in? They gave Pelosi the driver's seat. She took it. And, she's not giving anyone else a copy to her car keys. So? If the lobbyists control the donks ... and you want money and cover for the future? You go to the dogs.
Only if we're lucky will a better balance ever return to DC in the near future.
While the real threats, ahead? Gall on the GOP kiesters in Congress. Bush is that bad! And, yet? I haven't seen one person come forward with a decent challenge.
Okay. Today. InstaPundit put up Laura Ingraham's rant. "OUCH." Good quote.
Posted by patrick neid | May 31, 2007 2:14 PM
until these stories are on the front page of the NYTimes and other papers for weeks on end the dems have nothing to worry about.
here's another prediction. do you want good news from iraq everyday? vote for hillary. once she is president all the news will suddenly turn positive. hillary this, hillary that in regards to new directions in iraq. schools, hospitals, women's rights will all be highlighted as the war continues on. positive reasons why the struggle must continue will litter the editorials pages. it will be non stop.
the only problem with this is it comes with the avowed marxist hildabeast!