lobbyists

I’ve obtained an e-mail from Washington Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli that’s been sent to the paper’s reporters and editors in response to Politico’s story about access-for-cash offers to lobbyists:
A flyer was distributed this week offering an “underwriting opportunity” for a dinner on health-care reform, in which the news department had been asked to participate.
The [...]

From Politico’s Mike Allen today comes the shocking tale of lobbyists and corporate insiders invited by The Washington Post to meet in intimate, off-the-record pow-wows, not only with Obama administration officials, but also with Post reporters and editors — all facilitated by the newspaper, and all for the bargain basement price of $25,000 – $250,000.
The [...]

At The Wall Street Journal, Gerald Seib lays out President Obama’s biggest problem as he unveils his proposals for regulatory overhaul today — the “Goldilocks” dilemma. The plan is likely to draw fire from both Obama’s right and left, Seib says.
The Federal Reserve will get more powers to oversee big financial institutions, large firms will [...]

Well, this doesn’t look too good, does it? A recent lobbyist for Goldman Sachs, Mark Patterson, is in line to become chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, ABC news reports. And more former lobbyists also are expected to be filling some key administration jobs as well. All this seems to fly in the [...]

“Ben Porritt is literally lying to you.”
That’s the latest debate-night declaration from Sen. Barack Obama aide Hari Sevugan, as he personally blasted Porritt, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, over Porritt’s claim that there are “no associations with any lobbyists on our campaign.” Porritt made the statement while trying to deflect questions about a Sen.  [...]

Following up on yesterday’s post concerning how Sen John McCain’s transition-team chief had ties to Saddam Hussein (!), a McCain spokesman named Ben Porritt responded on MSNBC by telling the bald-faced lie that, “We’ve had no associations with any lobbyists on our campaign.”
Seriously. Watch:

McCain senior campaign adviser Steve Schmidt had his response ready to go when reporters inevitably questioned campaign adviser Rick Davis’ $35,000 per month former position as the president of an organization set up by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to stave off increased federal regulation, as reported today by The New York Times.
Without [...]

A labor strike at Boeing is the latest twist in a seven-year story of corruption and conflicting interests.

PHILADELPHIA — On the campaign trail, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the designated GOP vice presidential nominee, paints herself as a McCain-style earmark terminator. At a rally Sunday in O’Fallon, Mo., Palin made just this claim:

“In Alaska now, with the budget under control, we have a surplus. I’ve never hesitated to protect the wages and the [...]