I am the Lord your Obama

...analysis done by Republican sources and corroborated by Politico.

It's a shame these republicans and Politico weren't so vigilant while the republicans were auctioning off the EPA, Interior Dept., and every other place that a conflict of interest would do real harm to the country.

I've traveled a lot, and have spent many hours in lobbies. Thus, I never applied for a job with Obama.

They've made two exceptions.

Quel horreur.

It's the strongest stand ever taken against lobbyists by a modern President. Actually, that's faint praise-- this is absolutely unprecedented.

I would really, really love to know the percentage of Bush appointnees that were former lobbyists in their area.

Right now Obama has about a 2/8000 ratio, or (by my last count) 12/8000 who are recusing themselves in certain areas.

This is the kind of change we need.

And I'm not being funny.

And they pointed out that before Obama made his campaign-trail promise, he issued a more complete - and more nuanced - policy on former lobbyists.

Formalized in a recent presidential executive order, it forbids executive branch employees from working in an agency, or on a program, for which they have lobbied in the last two years.

Yet in the past few days, a number of exceptions have been granted, with the administration conceding at least two waivers and that a handful of other appointees will recuse themselves from dealing with matters on which they lobbied within the two-year window.

1. Make campaign promise.
2. Break campaign promise.
3. Amend promise to allow breaking of promise.
4. Break amended promise.
5. Hope.
6. Change.

Snowflake Tubbybottom: 1. Make campaign promise.
2. Break campaign promise.
3. Amend promise to allow breaking of promise.
4. Break amended promise.
5. Hope.
6. Change.

Actually, from the way the article is written...

1. Make promise
2. Say things on campaign trail
3. Once elected, follow original promise while people get mad at campaign promise without looking at his stance.
4. Make 2...3? exceptions that break his original promise
5. Hope.
6. Change.

OMG Tardmitter! OMG! Can't you see obama is just doing what best for teh country and not being a Chimpy McHitlerfight suit halliburton? Theres a difference! If Obama breaks a promise it's only because he's smart and sees a mistake and corrects it! Farek you! Goddam Neo-con!

bulldg4life: Snowflake Tubbybottom: 1. Make campaign promise.
2. Break campaign promise.
3. Amend promise to allow breaking of promise.
4. Break amended promise.
5. Hope.
6. Change.

Actually, from the way the article is written...

1. Make promise
2. Say things on campaign trail
3. Once elected, follow original promise while people get mad at campaign promise without looking at his stance.
4. Make 2...3? exceptions that break his original promise
5. Hope.
6. Change.

That's what teh Neo-Cons said. Evil evil Neo-Cons.....

bulldg4life: Actually, from the way the article is written...

1. Make promise
2. Say things on campaign trail
3. Once elected, follow original promise while people get mad at campaign promise without looking at his stance.
4. Make 2...3? exceptions that break his original promise
5. Hope.
6. Change.

Campaign promises are awesome. They are virtually guaranteed to be broken.

READ MY LIPS: NO NEW TAXES!

Remember when the Republicans promised not to be giant douchenozzles?
Yeah, me either.

I'm just glad everybody is staying in election season mode. I can't wait to see this 3 years from now.

This strategy is sure to give the Republicans their next big win, everyone loved the kind of rational points that muck4doo makes as evidenced by the recent elections.

Keep going with that, don't ever change.

12/8000? Oh noes! He is t3h hippo-crip! Damn yous Obama! Damn yous!

At least Obama doesn't make snow cones out of sand.

/I like snow cones. They're fabulously delicious.

sarcastrophe:

Campaign promises are awesome. They are virtually guaranteed to be broken.

READ MY LIPS: NO NEW TAXES!

Actually it was "No gnu taxes". And to his credit Bush 41 never did raise taxes on gnus.

Snowflake Tubbybottom: Actually it was "No gnu taxes". And to his credit Bush 41 never did raise taxes on gnus.

Well, that's not much of an endorsement. We all know that no gnus is good gnus.

/with gary gnu

Oh, he appears to have possibly broken a promise? Let's impeach him! We will not stand for this bullshiat, damnit!

Epsilon: Let's impeach him!

I'm game, where do I sign?

Sun God: At least Obama doesn't make snow cones out of sand.

/I like snow cones. They're fabulously delicious.

If he did do that, there would be a lot of soothed vaginas around these parts.

Well, it's not like he promised to uphold the constitution then go ahead and take a huge dump all over it - by, for example, declaring his administration to be above the separation of powers, above the right of habeus corpus, above the right to privacy and probable cause - all over it while declaring it is only a piece of paper.

'Cause, you know, that would actually be important. And inspire outrage from Republicans and Democrats alike. Wouldn't it?

Oh.

Formalized in a recent presidential executive order, it forbids executive branch employees from working in an agency, or on a program, for which they have lobbied in the last two years.

Most of the examples in the article meet one or both requirements. A few others were given waivers...BFD.

I think Meredith summed it up nicely: "Any good set of ethics rules has the opportunity for waivers, but if the waivers become the rule, rather than the exception, then you have to look at whether the waivers are being sought too frequently or whether there's a problem with the rule," McGehee said. "I don't think we're at that point yet."

Come on people, put things into perspective here. Bush's mistakes and failures absolve Obama of any mistakes he makes or any of his own executive orders he fails to abide by.

POAC: It's a shame these republicans and Politico weren't so vigilant while the republicans were auctioning off the EPA, Interior Dept., and every other place that a conflict of interest would do real harm to the country.

Isn't it even more of a shame that Democrats who railed against lobbyists back then are kind of OK with it now?

/waiting to get called a Fark Independent™

POAC: It's a shame these republicans and Politico weren't so vigilant while the republicans were auctioning off the EPA, Interior Dept., and every other place that a conflict of interest would do real harm to the country.

B-B-B-But Bush!

sarcastrophe: Campaign promises are awesome. They are virtually guaranteed to be broken.

READ MY LIPS: NO NEW TAXES!

B-B-B-But Daddy Bush!

Trying to hire only non-lobbyists in Washington is like trying to hire American citizens to pick lettuce.

/Yea, I went there.
//That's La Razaist!

haemaker: Trying to hire only non-lobbyists in Washington is like trying to hire American citizens to pick lettuce.

I'm currently looking for a part-time job, and no one's hiring, so I'd like to know who's hiring for lettuce pickers.

If the trend of the past week holds, this is how the next 4 years are gonna be, people. Obama sets an ideal, lives up to it 95% of the time, setting an unprecedented gold standard in good governance -- but being a pragmatist, will compromise where he deems appropriate.

Rather than debating whether these 5% instances are appropriate or not, partisans will latch on to the shocking, and "OUTRAGE!!!!!11"-inducing fact that he's not perfect.

The grownup conversation will get derailed, Obama supporters will be put on the defense and say some ridiculous stuff when they get dragged into the argument (after all, when you engage the ridiculous on its own level, the end result is often ridiculous itself.)

In the end, all the negativity generated by this shiat will overshadow the quiet competence of the new administration, setting us up for the mass disengagement that helped get Bush elected/reelected.

/And thus the cycle continues.

Jensaarai: If the trend of the past week holds, this is how the next 4 years are gonna be, people.

What is the trend of the past week? Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Is Drew Carey still hosting that show? Where is Oprah when the country needs her?

Last One Left: Isn't it even more of a shame that Democrats who railed against lobbyists back then are kind of OK with it now?

No. Because we're at a different shade in the gray right now. Arguing black and white, that any lobbyists are unacceptable, is an impossible standard to be held to if you want any people in government who have ever been in government before. Unless you wish for literally your entire senior staff to be asking "okay so, like, what do I do now?" then you're going to need some prior players - and it has been standard in Washington for ages now for people not currently in government who plan to return to serve the intervening time as some form of lobbyist.

The fact that Obama is setting up a system whereby lobbyists must be looked at LONG AND HARD before being brought on board, and prevented from obtaining roles where they might be in the position of exercising loyalties to lobbyist agencies over loyalties to the country, is light years beyond anything any president has ever done to curb the potential issues inherent with lobbyists in Washington. I literally do not know how he can realistically go further to reform the system as it exists at the moment without sacrificing the ability for his team to function at a good pace from day one.

I am fine with this administration taking a detailed, nuanced approach to a complicated, touchy issue. I am also fine with them making broad policy statements in speeches that may touch on but not fully explore the nuances of the issue. The information was already out there for the interested. Saying "he lied to us" is the same as saying "I'm too stupid or lazy to explore the full policy positions of the candidates for our highest office, instead assuming that their entire plan for office can be contained in eight words spoken from a podium."

Surely you're not that pathetic. Surely you can study and learn about things without being spoon-fed it. So why do you assume that other people can't or won't do the same? I refuse to believe that the average American is so foolish as to be incapable of seeing anything but binary options.

The world is complex. I like the fact that our president is developing complex solutions for complex problems. It might actually help solve them for once.

Sun God: Jensaarai: If the trend of the past week holds, this is how the next 4 years are gonna be, people.

What is the trend of the past week? Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Is Drew Carey still hosting that show? Where is Oprah when the country needs her?



/Links is hot. I failed to live up to my ideals.

FTA:

Here are former lobbyists Obama has tapped for top jobs:

Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm.

Outside of the two year limit.

Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association.

Not the same area.


William Lynn, deputy defense secretary nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for defense contractor Raytheon, where he was a top executive.

This breaks the rules.


William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use.

So does this, but I'm thinking that a lot of people won't mind.
Tobacco is bad, mmkay?


David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric.


Outside the two years.

Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs.

Breaks the rule.


Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.


Outside the two years.


Mona Sutphen, deputy White House chief of staff, was registered to lobby for clients, including Angliss International in 2003.

Outside the two years


Melody Barnes, domestic policy council director, lobbied in 2003 and 2004 for liberal advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Outside the two years


Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.

This would break the rule if intergovernmetal affairs has any influence over hispanic affairs (I don't know)


Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.

Not enough detail to call.


Michael Strautmanis, chief of staff to the president's assistant for intergovernmental relations, lobbied for the American Association of Justice from 2001 until 2005.

Outside the two years.

So to sum up, three breaches (with I assume the corresponding waivers), one possible breach and one insufficient info.

Not a particularly strong argument here.

It's a shame these republicans and Politico weren't so vigilant while the republicans were auctioning off

It's a shame that there's a farking Republican alive today.

/If you're a Republican, please, put that loaded gun in your mouth and think about what you pricks have done to the greatest nation on earth.

Remove all Republicans: THIS. Everyone knew when he said no lobbyists he didn't really mean that.

My best response to this sort of tripe I've already posted.

Drakkenmaw: I am fine with this administration taking a detailed, nuanced approach to a complicated, touchy issue. I am also fine with them making broad policy statements in speeches that may touch on but not fully explore the nuances of the issue. The information was already out there for the interested. Saying "he lied to us" is the same as saying "I'm too stupid or lazy to explore the full policy positions of the candidates for our highest office, instead assuming that their entire plan for office can be contained in eight words spoken from a podium."

POAC: ...analysis done by Republican sources and corroborated by Politico.

It's a shame these republicans and Politico weren't so vigilant while the republicans were auctioning off the EPA, Interior Dept., and every other place that a conflict of interest would do real harm to the country.

In all fairness, I don't recall Bush pledging not to whore out his administration to K Street.

Last One Left

By all means, please keep screeching like a banshee regarding this. Eventually you'll be standing in the middle of the room with everyone giving your embarrassed looks.

Drakkenmaw

If it's not a complete and utter falsification, republicans will rend their clothes, pull out their hair and scream, "WHY OBAMA, WHYYYYY?!"

President Obama just days before in a speech he laid out the rules for hiring lobbyists to work in his administration and almost immediately after that speech he asked for a waiver to hire a Pentagon lobbyist to work in the Pentagon.

How is this not hypocrisy?


lobbyists "won't find a job in my White House."

bmr68: President Obama just days before in a speech he laid out the rules for hiring lobbyists to work in his administration and almost immediately after that speech he asked for a waiver to hire a Pentagon lobbyist to work in the Pentagon.

How is this not hypocrisy?


lobbyists "won't find a job in my White House."

Who says it's not? The question is, is it justified?

If he hires all the lobbyists, there won't be any more lobbyists, you see. It's all part of his plan.

b-b-b-b-b-but Bush....

Phil Moskowitz: Last One Left

By all means, please keep screeching like a banshee regarding this.

Phil Moskowitz accusing Last One Left of "screeching like a banshee"?

If thats not irony I don't know what is

In a staff of 8000, 12 have EVER been lobbyists.

Think about that for a minute.

Really. I'm not kidding. Think about it.

Thought about it? Good. Now stop pissing yourself.

Nudge: In a staff of 8000, 12 have EVER been lobbyists.

Think about that for a minute.

Really. I'm not kidding. Think about it.

Thought about it? Good. Now stop pissing yourself.

But Obama's not being perfect. Just the best of all who have had to tackle this problem, empirically speaking, and that doesn't count.

Doesn't that fill you with OUTRAGE!!!!!111?

Lincoln was "The Emancipator"

Reagon was "The Great Communicator"


Obama is "The Reneger!"

Jensaarai: If the trend of the past week holds, this is how the next 4 years are gonna be, people. Obama sets an ideal, lives up to it 95% of the time, setting an unprecedented gold standard in good governance -- but being a pragmatist, will compromise where he deems appropriate.

Yes and we will all be saved from the current economic shiatstorm by magical stimulus rainbows that he shoots from his most holey brown eye.

Jensaarai: The grownup conversation will get derailed, Obama supporters will be put on the defense and say some ridiculous stuff when they get dragged into the argument (after all, when you engage the ridiculous on its own level, the end result is often ridiculous itself.)

Well, you weren't arguing with anyone and you said a ton of things any right minded person would be embarrassed by. "Grownup conversation"? You do realize this website started as a tribute to a squirrel with digitally enhanced testicles and has a dedicated fan base made up mostly of people waiting for the day Wheaton stops being a tease and shows us what he has working underneath that clown sweater. Besides who the fark uses the term "grownup conversation" it's like "rue the day" it's for undergrads trying to sound mature and grandmas trying to project all the authority someone wearing depends can. The phrase only exists so that if you hear someone seriously use it you can know for sure that they are incapable of having one.

Jensaarai: In the end, all the negativity generated by this shiat will overshadow the quiet competence of the new administration, setting us up for the mass disengagement that helped get Bush elected/reelected.

I don't know about "quiet competence" but quiet is sure as hell right. When Sarah Palin answers more questions than you on the week you take office I think it is safe to say you are in hiding. I know he was asked a question not to long ago and responded by saying "can't i just eat my waffle" I'm just here for a visit but I don't think he's actually ever come back and answered the question like he said he would. The competence part of your statement is simply unknown both for those saying he is an obvious faliure and those saying that he is living up to an unprecedented gold standard in good governance. Only time will tell if either of those points of view is valid. And for the record political disengagement had little to do with Bush's election, I'd say it had more to do with Jeb Bush and Tipper Gore. Jeb counted the votes and Tipper scared just enough young Democrats over to Nader to ensure we got the first four years. As for 2004 I can only guess that you were too young to follow the election but voter turnout was quite high, it was the largest turnout since 1968. While the most recent election had a higher turnout than 2004 it was only by 1-2% and it was still far short of the turnout numbers from the 1960's and earlier.

BrotherMalcolm:

Ooh, a racist one-liner topping off a juxtaposition with two American hallowed icons!

2/10

Snowflake Tubbybottom: sarcastrophe:

Campaign promises are awesome. They are virtually guaranteed to be broken.

READ MY LIPS: NO NEW TAXES!

Actually it was "No gnu taxes". And to his credit Bush 41 never did raise taxes on gnus.

I was reading his lips and I thought it was No New Texas and he lived up to it.

Again from the left "it's not a problem if OUR guy does it"

Reading this thread is like reading the answers of a cheating spouse explaining where they have been for 4 hours.

Malbar: Ooh, a white college liberal getting outraged at imaginary racism! I suggest you look up the definition of renege because it doesn't mean what you think it does.

Oh, but it has an N and a G and it refers to a black person, so it must be racist!

I'm well aware of the actual definition. Do you honestly think the similarity in the sounds was an accident?

I love how executive orders made by the chief executive of the country can have a waiver.

Much like his torture order has loopholes.