Obama's Cabinet and Staff

[lostfan]

How about the head of the FCC? And in a breaking of a campaign promise to keep lobbyists out of his government, he wants to appoint one to head the FCC. One that has a fondness for the so-called Fairness Doctrine. DC insider Henry Rivera, a former Democratic FCC commissioner, and partner in the lobbyist law firm Wiley Rein, is being picked by Team Obama. While not currently registered as an active lobbyist, he has been engaged as such as recent as 2001. His law firm is also heavily involved in efforts to lobby on telecom issues. Rivera’s law firm is also the former home of Kevin Martin, the current FCC chairman, and is arguably one of the schmooziest lobbyist telecom legal firms in Washington. They employ several former FCC commissioners as well as a significant number of former FCC employees. Of course, Rivera and the other lawyers at the firm are not the only people at the FCC, or other governement agencies, to leave government for high-paying lobbyist jobs, but how is this 'change'? Looks like just another Washington insider, with an agenda.

Dude.

 

He hasn't even taken office yet.

[NorthSideSox72]

How about the head of the FCC? And in a breaking of a campaign promise to keep lobbyists out of his government, he wants to appoint one to head the FCC. One that has a fondness for the so-called Fairness Doctrine. DC insider Henry Rivera, a former Democratic FCC commissioner, and partner in the lobbyist law firm Wiley Rein, is being picked by Team Obama. While not currently registered as an active lobbyist, he has been engaged as such as recent as 2001. His law firm is also heavily involved in efforts to lobby on telecom issues. Rivera’s law firm is also the former home of Kevin Martin, the current FCC chairman, and is arguably one of the schmooziest lobbyist telecom legal firms in Washington. They employ several former FCC commissioners as well as a significant number of former FCC employees. Of course, Rivera and the other lawyers at the firm are not the only people at the FCC, or other governement agencies, to leave government for high-paying lobbyist jobs, but how is this 'change'? Looks like just another Washington insider, with an agenda.

He doesn't even have a cabinet yet. No way he has picked the FCC chair at this point.

 

[EvilMonkey]

He doesn't even have a cabinet yet. No way he has picked the FCC chair at this point.

OK, I read that wrong. he is heading the FCC transition team, almost as bad. It still shows how lobbyists are playing a big role in Obama's admin, despite his saying that they woulnd't have a place at thetable. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13739_3-10084046...s&subj=news

[NorthSideSox72]

OK, I read that wrong. he is heading the FCC transition team, almost as bad. It still shows how lobbyists are playing a big role in Obama's admin, despite his saying that they woulnd't have a place at thetable. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13739_3-10084046...s&subj=news

Well for one thing, I don't recall Obama ever saying that no lobbyist would have a seat at the table (maybe he did and I simply don't remember). I think he's made it a theme that lobbyist wouldn't dictate policy, but I think its near impossible to assemble teams like this without some folks in it who have done some lobbying.

 

Second, reading that article, it seems like this guy is pretty ideal for the job. I'm not sure what the uproar is about.

 

Third, this guy is not a registered lobbyist, again per that article. He was once a lobbyist in 2001.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Well for one thing, I don't recall Obama ever saying that no lobbyist would have a seat at the table (maybe he did and I simply don't remember). I think he's made it a theme that lobbyist wouldn't dictate policy, but I think its near impossible to assemble teams like this without some folks in it who have done some lobbying.

 

Second, reading that article, it seems like this guy is pretty ideal for the job. I'm not sure what the uproar is about.

 

Third, this guy is not a registered lobbyist, again per that article. He was once a lobbyist in 2001.

Yup. It's always different.

[NorthSideSox72]

Yup. It's always different.

Not going to bother reading my post, eh?

 

I said nothing of that sort. Nothing is "different". I asked legitimate questions. You don't want to answer them, hey, that's fine. But your cop out answer isn't even relevant to my post.

 

[lostfan]

Yup. It's always different.

Sigh

 

I don't care if ex-lobbyists work anywhere in the government and I never did, I care if lobbyists are running the government. All I care about is whether the people that get picked are qualified. And I don't care if they're Democrats or Republicans.

[EvilMonkey]

Not going to bother reading my post, eh?

 

I said nothing of that sort. Nothing is "different". I asked legitimate questions. You don't want to answer them, hey, that's fine. But your cop out answer isn't even relevant to my post.

Obama railed against lobbyists, and thier influence in campaigns. Iguess you can sleectivly not remember that, but every time it came up that someone doing anything for McCain was or is a lobbyist, that's all we heard about is how they will have no voice in shaping his administration. So how is picking this guy, who was a lobbyist and who's firm are huge lobbyists, to pick your FCC head somehow magically 'different'? Ok, he is ot a lobbyist 'now'. but he was, and his firm is. And he is nothign BUT a Washington insider, so again, how is that 'change'?

[EvilMonkey]

Sigh

 

I don't care if ex-lobbyists work anywhere in the government and I never did, I care if lobbyists are running the government. All I care about is whether the people that get picked are qualified. And I don't care if they're Democrats or Republicans.

YOU may not care, but vilifying lobbyists was a major theme of the Obama campaign. And now they welcome them in with open arms to help them shape the admin.

[BigSqwert]

Obama railed against lobbyists, and thier influence in campaigns. Iguess you can sleectivly not remember that, but every time it came up that someone doing anything for McCain was or is a lobbyist, that's all we heard about is how they will have no voice in shaping his administration. So how is picking this guy, who was a lobbyist and who's firm are huge lobbyists, to pick your FCC head somehow magically 'different'? Ok, he is ot a lobbyist 'now'. but he was, and his firm is. And he is nothign BUT a Washington insider, so again, how is that 'change'?

 

McCain had advisers who were still lobbying while working on his campaign. Big difference.

[lostfan]

YOU may not care, but vilifying lobbyists was a major theme of the Obama campaign. And now they welcome them in with open arms to help them shape the admin.

You can't effectively govern without Washington insiders, that's an oxymoron. To take what Obama said literally and to the extreme is to expect him to be Jimmy Carter and surround himself with people that don't know s***.

[NorthSideSox72]

Obama railed against lobbyists, and thier influence in campaigns. Iguess you can sleectivly not remember that, but every time it came up that someone doing anything for McCain was or is a lobbyist, that's all we heard about is how they will have no voice in shaping his administration. So how is picking this guy, who was a lobbyist and who's firm are huge lobbyists, to pick your FCC head somehow magically 'different'? Ok, he is ot a lobbyist 'now'. but he was, and his firm is. And he is nothign BUT a Washington insider, so again, how is that 'change'?

You seem to want to apply the bats*** fringe complainers (who complain about EVERYTHING the other side does) to the Obama campaign as a whole, and to any of us who voted for him. I really think it was ever Obama's intention, or his words, to have some sort of ban on any and all current and former lobbyists having any role whatsoever in his administration. That would be incredibly silly and impractical.

 

Also, do you think anyone in their right mind honestly thought that Obama would change EVERYTHING? No one said anything of the sort here, and Obama's campaign certainly didn't. There are only so many things that can be changed. Yes, Obama's main theme was change. Yes, I think he can indeed change a number of important things. No, no one I have seen has ever said that Obama will change every single damn thing.

 

Are you going to flip out if Obama walks the same path from Marine 1 to the White House that Bush did?

 

[YASNY]

You seem to want to apply the bats*** fringe complainers (who complain about EVERYTHING the other side does) to the Obama campaign as a whole, and to any of us who voted for him. I really think it was ever Obama's intention, or his words, to have some sort of ban on any and all current and former lobbyists having any role whatsoever in his administration. That would be incredibly silly and impractical.

 

Also, do you think anyone in their right mind honestly thought that Obama would change EVERYTHING? No one said anything of the sort here, and Obama's campaign certainly didn't. There are only so many things that can be changed. Yes, Obama's main theme was change. Yes, I think he can indeed change a number of important things. No, no one I have seen has ever said that Obama will change every single damn thing.

 

Are you going to flip out if Obama walks the same path from Marine 1 to the White House that Bush did?

 

You know, I've been listening to bats*** fringe complainers (who complain about EVERYTHING the other side does) for the past eight years. I think you can expect Obama to treated in the same fashion whenever and wherever possible.

[Texsox]

As we continue to circle down the old drain . . . Neither side being honorable enough to walk their talk.

[NorthSideSox72]

You know, I've been listening to bats*** fringe complainers (who complain about EVERYTHING the other side does) for the past eight years. I think you can expect Obama to treated in the same fashion whenever and wherever possible.

That's certainly one way to go. If you want to be like the screaming liberal fringe, I can't stop you.

 

Or, we can have some good discussions as the new Presidency unfolds, like we did about the volunteerism thing over the past few days. Some of us voted for Bush in 2000 and gave him every chance to succeed, before becoming cynical about him.

 

[Balta1701]

That's certainly one way to go. If you want to be like the screaming liberal fringe, I can't stop you.

 

Or, we can have some good discussions as the new Presidency unfolds, like we did about the volunteerism thing over the past few days. Some of us voted for Bush in 2000 and gave him every chance to succeed, before becoming cynical about him.

Some of us took down all our anti-Bush stuff on a late summer morning in 2001. And at least gave him the benefit of the doubt until they saw what he was doing with it.

[BigSqwert]

Some of us voted for Bush in 2000 and gave him every chance to succeed, before becoming cynical about him.

 

*raises hand*

[lostfan]

Some of us took down all our anti-Bush stuff on a late summer morning in 2001. And at least gave him the benefit of the doubt until they saw what he was doing with it.

Yeah, that was me. I was completely in his corner for about a year.

[DukeNukeEm]

I think its funny how the right says people had their minds made up about George Bush from the start. Earth to Republicans: He had a 92% approval rating, thats about as high as it's ever been for any president. He had unlimited public support and managed to piss all of it away.

Edited November 11, 2008 by DukeNukeEm

[Cknolls]

Rumor has it Obama called Lugar from the plane yesterday after his trip to the White House.

[lostfan]

Rumor has it Obama called Lugar from the plane yesterday after his trip to the White House.

Interesting, I thought Lugar already declined? He's fully qualified and probably the best for the job, though.

[HuskyCaucasian]

You seem to want to apply the bats*** fringe complainers (who complain about EVERYTHING the other side does) to the Obama campaign as a whole, and to any of us who voted for him. I really think it was ever Obama's intention, or his words, to have some sort of ban on any and all current and former lobbyists having any role whatsoever in his administration. That would be incredibly silly and impractical.

 

Also, do you think anyone in their right mind honestly thought that Obama would change EVERYTHING? No one said anything of the sort here, and Obama's campaign certainly didn't. There are only so many things that can be changed. Yes, Obama's main theme was change. Yes, I think he can indeed change a number of important things. No, no one I have seen has ever said that Obama will change every single damn thing.

 

Are you going to flip out if Obama walks the same path from Marine 1 to the White House that Bush did?

Obama team announces new rules on lobbyists

President-elect Obama's aides are announcing new rules to govern the conduct of lobbyists during the transition to power, including steps to limit their involvement in areas where they have sought to influence policy in the past year.

 

According to John Podesta, a top transition aide, federal lobbyists will be prohibited from any lobbying while they are at work on the transition.

 

Also, if anyone involved in the transition later becomes a lobbyist, they would not be able to lobby the new administration for one year on matters on which they worked for the president-elect.

 

The rules also stipulate that federal lobbyists may not contribute financially to the transition.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Interesting, I thought Lugar already declined? He's fully qualified and probably the best for the job, though.

Like I said before, things change once you've actually been asked.

[lostfan]

Like I said before, things change once you've actually been asked.

Well, it didn't say he actually took the job.

[Balta1701]

Interesting, I thought Lugar already declined? He's fully qualified and probably the best for the job, though.

Frankly I wasn't a fan of either state or defense going to a Republican (especially not both btw) but it'd be hard for anyone, anywhere to argue to me that there's a better choice for State than Lugar.