Words to live by.

Hiring a lobbyist, Ludlow said, was a way to take Mobilisa beyond being just a startup.

"There are two ways to play Little League baseball: One is everyone gets a chance to bat, and the other is that the team decides they want to win," Ludlow said. "And people at Mobilisa decided they wanted to win."

Need to add this guy to the list of biggest dicks.

Sad thing is, there really is no humor in this.

All truth.

Sigh...

Isn't this illegal? I didn't see any mention of any laws being broken, or did I miss it?

This is exactly what is wrong with America today.

idrow: Isn't this illegal? I didn't see any mention of any laws being broken, or did I miss it?

Things like this should be illegal, but unfortunately, Congress would never give up their right to get campaign contributions.

Mobilisa, for example, sells a bar-code scanner to swipe ID badges at security gates on military bases. The off-the-shelf Motorola scanner retails for about $3,000. Yet Mobilisa sells the same handheld device to the government for nearly $7,000.

uofwi92: This is exactly what is wrong with America today.

QFT. Well, at least one of the exact reasons. Seriously, anyone who thinks we operate in a "free market" is an absolute idiot.

Nelson Ludlow and his wife, Bonnie, have donated generously in the past five years, giving $11,500 to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash

Don't forget your local Senator.

Wow...great scam.

What these people are doing is not what is wrong with America, it is a symptom of the largest problem in Washington: Corporate Personhood. If you learn nothing else today, learn this definition, and how big of a problem this is.

Overview (new window)

Slightly more in depth (new window)

What to do about it (new window)

Ludlow says terrorists don't carry smart cards, so it makes more sense to focus on checking driver's licenses. Mobilisa's system scans the bar code on a license and instantly runs the name against a database of watch lists, sex offenders and criminal records.

These things all scare me and sound bad. They mentioned terror in their pitch ... they are patriots and should get all the no-bid contracts they want.

I swear to god I learned this trick watching the movies.

Thorton: "First of all, you have to grease the local politicians...for the sudden zoning problems that always come up. Then there's the kickbacks to the carpenters. And if you plan on using any cement in this building...I'm sure the teamsters would like to have...a little chat with you, and that'll cost you. Don't forget a little something for the building inspectors. There's the long-term costs, such as waste disposal. I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business... but I assure you it's not the boy scouts."

Philip: "That will be quite enough, Mr. Melon. Maybe bribes and kickbacks...and Mafia payoffs are how you do business...but they are not part of the legitimate business world... and they're certainly not part of anything...I'm teaching in this class. Do I make myself clear?"

Washington is the bribe capital of the world.

You even have to pay lawyers bribes to fill out all the FERC forms to prove that those bribes you are paying aren't bribes.

Not only is this not illegal, it's constitutionally protected. The guy may be a bit overconfident, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Not to get too off topic (this is Fark, however), but is it me, or does the "first mate" in the pic look somewhat GILF-tastic?

Then there's the kickbacks to the carpenters, and if you plan on using any cement in this building I'm sure the teamsters would like to have a little chat with ya, and that'll cost ya. Oh and don't forget a little something for the building inspectors. Then there’s long term costs such as waste disposal. I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business but I assure you it's not the boyscouts.

So, this is satire. Like the Obama Wets the Bed story. Right?

Right?!?

Whoops, that'll teach me to click "Add Comment" after grabbing a snack.

GoldenMetalRaven:

Second favorite part of that movie, right after the Vonnegut bit.

DeltaXi65: Not only is this not illegal, it's constitutionally protected. The guy may be a bit overconfident, but there's nothing wrong with that.

History, you need some. (new window)

As people, non-corporate citizens, they are allowed to lobby. As corporate contractors, you are seeing where the problem is here.

For all those who believe we need the federal gov to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor, this is the reality of how the rich use the gov to redistribute wealth from the middle class to the rich.

Wow, I must admit I had never even thought of this. Pure genius!

lobbying = legal bribery

/case in point...

yeegrek: Not to get too off topic (this is Fark, however), but is it me, or does the "first mate" in the pic look somewhat GILF-tastic?


agrees

Isn't this illegal? I didn't see any mention of any laws being broken, or did I miss it?

This is Freedom Of Speech according to the Supreme Court.

I am beyond furious and disappointed over stuff like this, I just expect it now. You have people memorized by bullshait from people like Rush and Kieth meanwhile we invade countries and blow trillions of dollars we don't have so we can give oil and military contracts to well connected contributors (read: Bribes). That's the money YOU pay make no mistake about it.

This happens on every level of government, cash means more then votes and we are heading to financial ruin because of it. No candidate ever talks about the debt or how much interest we pay a year on it for example. No real issues are ever raised because people don't want to hear it. So we have a system fueled by corruption and a public that cringes ever time they hear the truth.

The people have failed in their oversight and allowed these people to rob this county blind. Warren Buffet had a great line about the current administration for example "They are giving it (America) all away".

/But Gays are getting married so I guess that's more important.
//sigh

Blacklight

I don't need a history lesson. I'm well aware of the issues some have with the idea of corporate personhood. Whatever those issues are, that's the law as it stands right now. As for what the guy did here, it isn't illegal. Lobbying is constitutionally protected, as is the ability to give money to political candidates. The guy had an idea for a start up, and now he's providing a service to the government. It happens all the time.

If people spent half as much time going out and creating new businesses like this guy did using his method instead of whining about it, they'd be getting rich too.

As for the lobbying, lobbying in and of itself isn't bribery. 95% of lobbying doesn't involve any kind of payments to or from anyone. It's going in and making an argument. The better the argument, the more likely you'll get what you want.

DeltaXi65: 95% of lobbying doesn't involve any kind of payments to or from anyone. It's going in and making an argument. The better the argument, the more likely you'll get what you want.

You can get more with a good argument and a $5000 check than you can with a good argument. Sucks, but that's life.

danceswithcrows

Depends on the argument and the issue. Chances are if the issue is big enough, the guys on the other side are there with their own $5000 check and the two cancel themselves out. Then you win or lose on the merits.

DeltaXi65:
As for the lobbying, lobbying in and of itself isn't bribery. 95% of lobbying doesn't involve any kind of payments to or from anyone. It's going in and making an argument. The better the argument, the more likely you'll get what you want.

Where are you pulling this statistic from? Is this "successful lobbying" or "All lobbying attempts"? I find this very difficult to believe.

DeltaXi65: danceswithcrows

Depends on the argument and the issue. Chances are if the issue is big enough, the guys on the other side are there with their own $5000 check and the two cancel themselves out. Then you win or lose on the merits.

but its still bribery all around.

which is not ok.

this is small-time. You should see the defense contractors who hire ARMIES of lobbyists for the big multi-billion dollar earmarks.

but what's the alternative? Require the use of public (taxpayer) funds for campaigns instead of private contributions? nobody will go for that, and the court may even call it an abbrogation of free speech.

Blacklight

I'm talking from personal experience. I've been successful without having to spend a dime, and I've also failed having spent a significant amount of money. Most lobbying campaigns succeed or fail on the merits. The money spent, if any is spent, is generally spent on lobbyists, advertisements, letter writing campaigns and so on. The amount spent actually on the candidate is miniscule, since we can't spend more than the FEC limits anyway. And that's a pittance.

For every issue, there's always someone on the other side willing to spend just as much as you are.

QFT. Well, at least one of the exact reasons. Seriously, anyone who thinks we operate in a "free market" is an absolute idiot.

this

burndtdan

It's not that simple. Bribery requires an intent to bribe, and it also requires that the payment is given in expectation of receiving the benefit. The only people in DC who think that giving a candidate a contribution guarantees they get what they want are amateurs who don't last long.

$10k may seem like a lot of money to you and me, but it's not worth ending your career over. Even the real crooks like Duke Cunningham wouldn't cross the street for $10k.

It may seem like semantics, but the difference between bribery and lobbying is pretty wide.

Stories like this make me sick.

Stories like this are the fault of EVERY Congressperson. The budget is, what, 10,000 pages? Nobody reads it, they all just assume that the earmarks are for the "good".
The very phrase "no-bid contact" should ring more bells than a Vegas slot machine floor.

DeltaXi65: It may seem like semantics, but the difference between bribery and lobbying is pretty wide.

As wide as Craig's stance?

Either way, a semantic difference doesn't make it right. It's a despicable act in a despicable system.

Once upon a time the Senator mentioned in this article sat at my mothers dinner table, not too long before she was first elected and spoke vehemently about the corruption in congress and how she was going to root it out and change the system to accomodate better access to government by all the citizens. She was adamant that there would be no more corporate favoritism or welfare programs. No more $1000 toilet seats. That workers should be respected and people encouraged to further their educations so that process must be simplified.

Etc, etc, etc.

Guess she was just lying. Color me surprised. She was an Emily's List (pop) candidate and my mother respects that organization.

OccamsWhiskers: Then there's the kickbacks to the carpenters, and if you plan on using any cement in this building I'm sure the teamsters would like to have a little chat with ya, and that'll cost ya. Oh and don't forget a little something for the building inspectors. Then there's long term costs such as waste disposal. I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business but I assure you it's not the boyscouts.

If it's not illegal, it should be.

Remember:

When buying and selling are controled by legislation, the first thing to be bought and sold are the legislators.

BTW: I thought campaign finance reform was supposed to fix this.

Don't be outraged when the system is used in the way the system was intended to be used. This is what the laws were set up to allow.

Be outraged that the laws allow this, and then change the laws.

The solution is simple. Do away with lobbying and do away with all political donations except personal (and limit those). Laws and contracts should not be influenced by money.

RamboFrog

"BTW: I thought campaign finance reform was supposed to fix this."

You don't really expect the foxes to legislate themselves out of the henhouse, do you?

The only way to eliminate campaign funding bribery without running afoul of the constitution is public financing of campaigns, and that's likely to be only partially successful.

Ron Paul.

Politicians now give away our tax dollars to those who have OPENLY bribed them. It used to be this sort of thing had to be hidden away.

With today's apathetic taxpayer ... it really doesn't matter.

Matthew Lesko approves.
Link (new window)

This is disgusting.

I used to be disgusted but now I try to be amused.

We are seeing the closing act of a system that has become ridiculously corrupt.

1.) Don't vote for incumbents beyond 2 terms in any elected office. No more than 2 terms in the Senate or the House.

2.) Don't vote for Congressmen that support ridiculous earmarks, or have ties to the companies they advocate earmarks for (like Ben Nelson's son and his company).

3.) Don't vote for candidates that have a history of financial malfeasance or tit-for-tat repayments through the party machine. this means voting for Hillary is out, a few other candidates like Obama may be an option.

4.) Don't vote for any candidate that supports massive new spending initiatives, or who violently opposes cuts in spending on social programs that aren't essential. The federal government has been borrowing to support massive debt payments for many years now, and our currency is being degraded as a consequence in part of this debt load. The recent expanded and vetoed Schip bill is a an example. the original bill was a travesty, a joke, Bush was right to veto it, and any candidate who supported it in its initial form was a spendthrift who needs to be jacked out of office. The bill Bush just quietly signed into law is more consistent with what can be afforded - look at what your candidate had to say about the first version, and just vote them out if they said "Bush is against health care for children". Bush is no Einstein, but he got that one right.