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It didn’t take long but President-elect Obama hasn’t been able to keep the lobbyists out of his transition team as previously promised. The Washington Post is reporting on several key members of the transition team and their deep lobbyist ties.
Barack Obama campaigned on a pledge to change Washington, vowing to upend the K Street lobbying culture he encountered when he joined the U.S. Senate.
But more than a dozen members of President-elect Obama’s fast-growing transition team have worked as federally registered lobbyists within the past four years. They include former lobbyists for the nation’s trial lawyers association, mortgage giant Fannie Mae, drug companies such as Amgen, high-tech firms such as Microsoft, labor unions and the liberal advocacy group Center for American Progress.
Mark Gitenstein, one of the 12 transition board members who will play a significant role in shaping the Obama administration, worked on million-dollar lobbying contracts with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and promoted legislation for giant defense contractors Boeing and General Dynamics. Until this fall, he was registered to petition Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of AT&T, Merrill Lynch, KPMG, Ernst & Young and others.
Gitenstein has blue-chip credentials for the volunteer role on the Obama team. He was chief Democratic counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee during confirmation hearings for controversial Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork; was a close adviser to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s White House bid; and served as counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
But his presence is also a reminder that Obama’s campaign pledge to keep his distance from the Washington lobbying culture may be tougher to fulfill than he anticipated.
“Nothing is going to change,” said Lanny Davis, a former special counsel to President Bill Clinton who did lobbying work for a range of companies after leaving the White House.
“From George Washington to George W. Bush, there has been a role for the lobbyist that is perfectly appropriate and good for democracy. The notion that there is something wrong per se with lobbying is ridiculous. But I favor more transparency and disclosure — online, in real time, for all lobbyists.”
The number of former lobbyists involved in Obama’s transition thus far is small compared with the past two transition teams, but they occupy several key positions. They include Biden’s incoming chief of staff, Ron Klain, who was signed up to lobby for Fannie Mae until 2005, and transition co-chair John Podesta, who lobbied for the Center for American Progress until 2006.
After serving as a top aide to Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, Klain represented a company facing asbestos-exposure lawsuits, the embattled drugmaker ImClone and two companies trying to win support for large mergers. His completed his last lobbying assignment, helping Fannie Mae with “regulatory issues,” in late 2004.
Obama’s formal policy during the campaign indicated that there may be some role for lobbyists in his administration, though his rhetoric did not always convey that. In a 2007 speech, he said he was “running to tell the lobbyists in Washington that their days of setting the agenda are over. They have not funded my campaign. They won’t work in my White House.”
A few days later, he changed the phrasing to say that lobbyists “are not going to dominate my White House.”
Among the first acts of Obama’s transition effort was the release of a formal policy on lobbyists, which Podesta described as “the strictest and most far-reaching . . . of any transition in history.”
The rules ban lobbyists from donating to the transition effort and lobbying during the transition period. Once Obama is sworn in, his advisers must wait a year before attempting to lobby the administration on any transition issues they handled.
The code also says that “if someone has lobbied in the last 12 months, they are prohibited from working in the fields of policy on which they lobbied.”
That one could be tricky for at least two transition team members. Gitenstein lobbied Congress on a broad spectrum of subjects such as “legal reform” during the past year, according to disclosure reports. As a senior advisory board member, his work could touch on a range of topics that would pose problems for him.
Another senior staff member, Patrick Gaspard, recently de-registered as a lobbyist on health-care issues for the Service Employees International Union. He is the transition team’s associate personnel director.
Transition officials declined requests to make Gaspard and Gitenstein available for interviews but said both are adhering to the ethics code.
“Patrick and Mark have jobs on the campaign that are general in nature, but per the unprecedented ethics policy laid out earlier this week they will recuse themselves from the fields of policy or agencies they lobbied in the previous 12 months,” said Dan Pfeiffer, the communications director.
Efforts to control influence-peddling go back decades. In the wake of Watergate, Congress passed criminal penalties for senior presidential appointees who, after leaving their posts, lobbied their former colleagues within a year. The law was strengthened in 1988 to cover a wider range of government officials.
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton pledged to toughen the one-year lobbying ban. Hours after his swearing-in, he enacted a five-year ban in an executive order that covered about 1,000 appointees. But in 2000, just before leaving office, he lifted the five-year ban, citing bleak job prospects for many aides in the face of a Republican takeover. Podesta, then the White House chief of staff, drafted Clinton’s revocation.
Past president-elects have had differing approaches to the transition period, which presents a unique opportunity for lobbyists to shape government in ways that could help their clients and enhance their own business. President Bush’s policy demanded that transition workers avoid conflicts of interest, according to Michael Toner, who was chief counsel to the 2000 transition team.
Toner said excluding lobbyists altogether never struck him as advisable.
“Campaign rhetoric is one thing,” he said. “You’ve got to have serious people who know the inner workings of government.”
The problem here is that pretty much every major Washington-insider has done some lobbying now and then. The next problem is that these are the people leaders pick because they have a great knowledge of how the Washington political structure functions. It’s vicious circle though this really is just an example of how promises can be difficult to keep unless you are incredibly intent on keeping them at all costs.
Nothing against President-elect Obama since I expected some minor story like this to emerge at some point. It’s very difficult to remove lobbying interests from Washington, it’s like removing blue from the sky. Hopefully he will continue making an effort to do so in the future as he pledged during the campaign.
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I guess you can’t keep a good lobbyist down. I watched the season finale of Bill Maher today. Asthon Kutcher was on and made a comment, something like, “Maybe the Oil Companies should be the one’s who bail out American’s Big Three Automobile Companies.”
Sounds like a good idea to me. The Oil companies seem to be the ones with the big tax breaks, the ones making a unprecedented amount of money. I’m sure they have the money to bail them out, plus how common sense is it to bail out the companies that produce the product that you depend on to sell you product?
You now, I’m thinking that obama making proclamations like this, and then having to backtrack, is just one of the examples of his inexperience. I’m glad that he’s surrounding himself with Clinton aides, etc., because he needs to get his on the job training out of the way before January. Maybe they’ll be able to teach him more of the ins and outs of what’s practical and what’s not by then.
Just imagine if McCain got elected, had a heart attack, how much on the job training would have been needed then? Even more scary then what’s going on now if you ask me.
It might be, but your scenerio is hypothetical, mines in real time. And that’s scary enough.
LoL
I’ve got faith that everything will be just fine, maybe even get quite a bit better over the next four years. 
I’m praying for some good collaboration from all sides in this developing administration.
Obama’s transition office announces three more posts Sunday.
Former Senate chief of staff and close aide Pete Rouse will serve as senior adviser, and Mona Sutphen and Jim Messina will become deputy chiefs of staff.
http://thecaucus.blogs.ny.....ore-staff/
http://thepage.time.com/obama-release-3/
Backtracking is what most if not all politicians have done before Bush. Remember “read my lips no more taxes”?
It Has nothing to do with the claim of inexperience. WE can selectively accuse anything as being due to inexperience if we want to continue the old attack. There isn’t anything out of the ordinary which is unique to Obama alone which can be pinned on his experience. If you all want to live in fear be in fear that no one cared about the powers which the GOP and their defenders fought for Bush to have which is now being handed down to Obama. And guess what? I bet Obama does nothing to put the power and liberties back to where they should. Or at least retrofit them for our day and age. IF we want to talk about Fear and can lay out a whole bunch of things on both sides of the fence which are potentially dangerous. I have heard the potential danger and Armageddon from democratic presidents for years since Bush sr. lost. Now maybe we can work on having some accountability for the things the last administration had done which would send a message to all future presidents.
No job anywhere can prepare anyone to be president of the US, period. There is always going to be some otj training going on with anyone. As it has been discussed before, some of the good presidents had very little experience going into the white house as the head honcho.
Jeremy,
I’m glad you could admit that.
Now if only everyone on here could.
And Obama claims he’ll represent the American people . . .
Dreadson..accountablity should start with Chris Dodd and Barney Frank in regards to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It looks like there is an investigation going on into Dodd’s sweet mortgage deal he got. But I think Frank is going to get away with everything. There should be an ethics investigation but there won’t be because they are democrats. It’s easy enough to blame Bush for everything but if you look at the videos on youtube about Fannie Mae and the republicans who questioned more regulation they were put in their place by a number of democrats. I think that everyone on that video should be questioned. This is just one of many. http://www.youtube.com/wa.....MGT_cSi7Rs
As for change, can anyone tell me what kind of change we can expect when the majority of people Obama is looking at for his cabinet are former Clinton people? I guess he only meant change from Bush but certainly not from business as usual in Washington. Can we still believe in “no new taxes”?
As for something happening to McCain and Palin taking over, just think if something happens to Obama Biden will be taking over. How scary is that?
“There should be an ethics investigation but there won’t be because they are democrats.” – Deb
It sounds like Democrats are a all powerful monster that the Republicans are too weak to control. That would say something bad about BOTH parties.
You’re right, if all Obama is going to do is become another Bill Clinton, then we’ve got a problem on our hands “My friends” – John McCain
LoL
Why is it that only crappy people get chosen to run for president? If all the their candidates are so much better, why are they not crafty enough to emerge from the pact and take over. They are so well versed in how to be a great President, but so weak that they can no blast out of the “let’s shut those people up” trap and emerge as a viable candidate. Why is this?
I think Huckabee was pushed out this time around because the rep’s knew they were gonna loose. They are reserving the ‘good one’ (Huckabee) for the next go around.
At least I can hope. =D
Sound’s possible.
Jeremy
I like Hucabee and watch his show. Him, Newt, Sarah, and La. Govenor are good choices. Next two years will weed them and others. I like Steele
Kendale Do you think there will ever be an ethics investigation into fannie and freddie? Pelosi won’t allow it to happen. I am not saying that the democrats are monsters and I believe that if it was the other way around the republicans would protect each other. So much of the mortgage mess could have been avoided. Now we are left holding the bag and passing the country’s debt to our kids to pay off.
I believe that from day one there were a group of people who decided that Obama would be our next president and nothing would stop them. How else can you explain it. Obama was almost an unknown but everyone knew Hillary and so many people thought Bill was a great president.
Now Obama may have Hillary as his secretary of state. You know what they say “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. Maybe he will offer McCain something too.
I think that there was more going on then we will ever know. Although it may come out 100 years from now. Someone will write a book. Of course none of us will be around to read it.
I’m with you guys though when it comes to some of these young republicans who are just starting their political careers. Maybe it is time to do an complete overhaul of Congress and get some fresh ideas and new people in there.
DJS
It was more than Acorn,Dodd, and Frank that got sub-prime homes bad loans. Causing bail-out to be necessary. I keep hearing people say we must help the home owners now we are helping the lenders.. One caused the other. Government pushed the loans upon the lenders. The company that gave Dodd his sweet-heart loan needs to go to jail.
Congress makes big issue about no golden parachute. Distraction. Congress wants us to think about the $ millions. $ 20,000 private air planes. What about the $ billions ? Trillions in bad home loans ?
The young Republicans will have some who will be rising to the top in the milk jar like cream. There may come our next President. I hope they yell in Congress against all those that commiteed crimes for prosecution. And fight for good laws and against bad. If Congress ignores, always imform the people.
I agree, there were more than a hand full of people who are responsible for what happened to the economy. There are far more responsible for the mortgage issue. That is a long discussion. Sure, the people at the top should be reprimanded, but they should not be reprimanded alone.
Mortgage companies in general should be ashamed of themselves for giving home loans to those who can not afford them. Home owners who can’t afford homes should not fool themselves with greed and go out and get loans from idiot companies.
I would write more but I really have to run. I’ll be back later.
Bill
I know it was more than ACORN, Dodd and Frank that caused the sub prime bad loans, but Frank knew that there were problems with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but everytime he was asked he said everything was ok. Maybe we couldn’t have prevented all of what happened but we could have stopped it earlier. Bush had been talking about more regulations since 2001. Dodd is trying to claim he didn’t know he got a really good deal on his mortgage.
It all has rolled into one big mess. Subprime loans, allowing 100% financing so there was no PMI on loans, lowering the standards for approval, doing stated instead of documented loans, and the list could go on.
But I have a problem with people who are put on committees as chairmans and then they don’t think they should take any of the blame for what has happened. If you are responsible to pay your bills and you don’t who’s to blame? It isn’t your neighbor.
I think that most people in Congress have been there too long. They should have a limit on the number of terms. These people get too set in their ways and think they can get away with just about anything. Look at all of them lately who have been charged with crimes. They are supposed to be representing us not out for their own satisfaction.
Kendale
Yes, there are few innocents here. McCain, for one, spoke out against sub-prime loans. He did not yell out loud enough. He did not cusade in Congress. Appear on all the news medias informing back in 2005. Demanding the ear of the public. Had he, our mess could have been overted or minimalized. And most likely be President-elect
Alas, the greedy, top to bottom,including home loaners and buyers, stoled much of our future to deep debt. And well meaning ones did not do enough.
DJS
I agree with all you said.
Bush should have vetoed more and cried-out what he saw coming. That was his failure.
Very good points by all of you.
I wish more people who had the power to prevent the problem would have stood up and prevented it. I honestly don’t know who had the power to do so, or if any one person makes a difference. Perhaps it would have taken many people together to prevent the problem. Maybe this is why those who spoke out about it did not actually prevent it because it was “bigger than them”
Kendale
Your point is well taken. Maybe the out-cry on bailing out Big Three will stop it! I fear it will not. It did not stop the first one. Obama favors it, as stated recently. Remember McCain dropped out of Michigan early. Detroit backed Obama with their donations.
I hope I am wrong. Looks like CitiBank is going down. Needing $ 50-100 billion right now. They laid off 53,000. Is a never ending story
I will have to disagree with Obama on bailing out the car companies. I mean, true, I don’t want all those people to lose their jobs, but I agree that the oil companies should bail out the car companies, no more big three means a dent in the oil companies pockets as well, NOT a HUGE dent, but a dent.
is it me simply being cynical or did the war have something to do with the car companies not making enough money?
Gas prices went up because of the war, less people want to buy gas guzzlers, car companies cant push their big fancy SUV’s, now they need a bail out.
Kendale
I have not heard oil companies should bail out car companies. I have big problem with that. But tell me the plan first.
Kendale
Yes, higher prices on gas was one big factor. Lack of ability to get car loans another. Detrot not selling the right kind of cars hurt as well. High cost of cars did to.
wow i am having serious trouble posting on this thread tonight. I dont know if its firefox or what
I believe the suggestion of the oil companies bailing out the car companies was a joke by Ashton Kutcher. It’s not a real plan but the idea is entertaining.
I know it was a joke, but since then, it has taken off all over various news outlets and on the internet. People are seriously saying that they feel the oil companies should stand up and do it.
Again, I know it was a joke. But at the same time, it makes a bit of sense to me. I DONT WANT TO PAY TO BAIL THEM OUT.
Maybe we should do the democratic thing and VOTE on it.
Nothing democratic about taking my money through taxation and doing with it what you want, rather than what I voted for.
If any other faction should bail out the Big 3, it’s the Union. They did more to put them in this mess than anyone else. The Big 3 lose over $1000 on every vehicle they sell because of the employee packages negotiated by the UNION.
Kendale
Let oil bail-out Car companies ? Why not ? People have invested their money in oil stock, 401 and retirements. With the oil profits they pay investors. Most retired employees receive their retiement check in part from oil profits.
These are the owners of big oil.
Well, it would seem to me – so far – that the Clintons and their team are back in office. For all the appointees so far, we may as well have elected Hillary, don’t you think? Where’s the change?
Babs
Last night on Fox they were talking about Obama’s plans. With Congress having his economic plans ready day 1 for signing. Obama would not say the cost. Bloomburg estimates $ 7 Tillion in national debt. Lord help us. Another Big Spend Democract Congress and President. With no money in the coffers limit. Now add the Pork ! Hope for only 1/3 more.
Obama will not say no tax increase for rich but previous Clinton aides are leaking that. Funny how some of Bush’s ways are creaping in. What happened to campaign promises. Increasing rich tax was way to better this bad Bush caused economy. Raise Capital Gains. Guess we might as well have elected McCain.
With Market swings of 300-400 point within a day normal, we are in dire need. Why Obama will not follow ex-Clinton aid Dick Morris and allow “Mark-to-Market”. Morris says this one thing would improve the market and cost government no cash.
Morris said something else I believe. In a year or two Obama’s approval rating will be 20%. So Republicans needs to get good people ready to take control of Congress next election.
2010 is already high on the priority list for the Republicans, that’s why they’ve already started holding seminars, etc. I think the popular consensus is that we are about to go through the Jimmy Carter years again, and even if 2010 brings a more balanced congress I pity the man who has to go behind obama and try to undo all that’s being done now.
Yes, we would have done well to elect McCain, but that’s hinesight now. I’ll disagree with Morris, I don’t think it will take two years for obama’s approval rating to be that low. If voters had wanted another Clinton in the White House, they would have elected Hillary. Already there are some loud grumbling from the left to join all the grumbling on the right. All that’s left is the middle to join in.
Babs
Morris might have said 1 year. But I said 2 to cover my bad memory. I notice the big Obama supporters are not expressing themselves loudly against us anymore. Flem Flam Man is being discovered now. The promises are falling along the way side.
I remember Carter as Presdent and his Brother , wife, and Mother. All good people. I enjoyed Billy’s beer. His claim to fame is his great humanintarian work, not his Presidency.
The DREAM should be dead before he is President
Babs
Did you know that Obama’s children will be going to same school that Carter child went to ?
Yes, it’s a Quaker School, actually. That should be interesting.
Carter was the first President I ever voted for. He lives about 50 miles from me, and still does a lot of good humanitarian work. But his Presidency was a failure, and obama is repeating the promise of the same – a windfall profits tax for one. And don’t forget Carter campaigned on the great hope, too.
I saw a commentator the other day who said we now spell change c-l-i-n-t-o-n. *LOL*
Babs
Now if Msss. Clinton stays in Congress she can legally head a committee on health care, if, that comes to term.
Plains small town peanut farmer did not make good President. Too bad leasons learned are forgotten.
Is kind of ha ha funny Jimmy campaigned for great hope, now we have the great hope promising Carter’s change.
Wind-fall, by what definition ? I understand when gas rose. But what now ?
Oil drilling was a maybe during campaign for Obama. What now. Dead ?? A year from now when Perkins says oil will rise, we will still be sitting on our oil.
Global warming is gone. Now it is called Global Change. Reason, earth is getting colder as United Nation has annouced. But Speaker, Gore, and Obama are heavily indebted to alternate energy. I pay more for my coal developed electricity because of carban charge. So shall we all
Clinton signed the more help home owners for poor. Congress and Frank added the $ Trillions, Acorn and Frank lowered the home loan stardard that let sub-prime destroy our economy.
God Bless the Cinton and Obama.
I assume the commentator was on Fox ?
obama believes in a windfall profits tax against the oil companies – just like Carter did, and it was a disaster.
Actually, if I recall, it was on CNN. I’ve been cruising the MSM to see when the honeymoon ends for them and obama. CNN is getting there pretty fast.
It is said that democrats are the big spenders yet its republicans that usually lead us into war. Are wars free?
Babs
Glad to hear CNN has had their eyes opened. Colmes I hope is soon. Colmes interrupts people when they make points. But in keeping with allowing all views I admire Fox.
I think Hannity has a bit of a problem himself.
Yep, Sean needs to watch where he steps for a little while. He’ll have plenty of new ammo against obama soon enough.
I really can’t stand the rudeness of Alan Colmes, and I think he wears high heels when he goes home at night.
j/k
Babs
Colmes wife was on show recently. She wrote a book. She seems real nice.
She’d have to be nice to live with him! *L* I bet she never gets a word in edgewise. What was her book about?
Babs
I don’t recall what her book was about. She sure has the personality of the family. Of course the wife normally pulls the family into a unit. I believe family members have differing political beliefs.
I bet she rules the house. A good wife knows how. A few t.v. dinners will put a husband in his place.
Babs
The Navada young woman (Denison ?) murdered and across the street assaults is horrible. At last they have the dirt bag. This guy must be a sicko. I understand there is DNA, so hopefully he will never see the light of freedom again if found guilty.
Colmes, I recall Hannity nearly insulting a person to the brink of guest walking off the show in the middle of a conversation.
If you gave the name of the individual, your statement might have some validity. Without name of guest it is meaningless. I watch him alot and have not seen it.
Definitition of insult- An offensive action or remark.
To affront or demean. To treat with insensitivity and rudeness.
I saw O’Reilly have a heated discussion with Frank and I had no problem with it. Frank refused to own up to the facts.
And wanted out of the hot seat. No insult
Truth is not insulting. Truth can make guest want to leave. Telling the truth like a jerk can be. But have not seen that by Hannity or Colmes as far as that goes.
Here is one incident If you watch all the time then you’d know your show. This ep is recent
Wow two months ago Hannity claim that the idea that the economy is in dire straights is garbage, that this was NOT true. Hrmmm…When did the news start talking about a bail out before of the poor economy? Hannity is a genius and a great host.
Though I was wrong, the other guy said Idiot, not Hannity. Yet Hannity was a bit out of line and wrong in what he was saying.
Wow this one is nice…..
Camel Jockeys
Report Comment
I like these as well
Ron Paul v. Hannity
Notice how they cut Ron Paul off when Paul was going to make the point that American has stood by plenty of times while other countries attempt genocide on their nations, look at the African nations, do we declare war there? Nope.
HaHaHa Hannity thinks the way to be safe is to wage war on countries!
Kendale Sturdivent Nov 26th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
“”Colmes, I recall Hannity nearly insulting a person to the brink of guest walking off the show in the middle of a conversation.”
I watched the segment then and just now. I don’t see a problem. They Each spoke their view through-out. Did not end in insult shouting.
I guess what you see and what I see are different then. I saw name calling, shouting, insults……Also saw Hannity making a fool of himself
We see it differently. Each was giving views on the subject the guess was bought on show to discuss to the very end
As far as camel jockeys I see no problem and do not wish to go back and forth on things like that.
I see Hannity trying to pin point Paul to answer a statement Paul made in debate and not allowing change of subject. I call that his job. I have no problem with Paul view that most wars are caused by Democrats. Have seen evidents that number wise that is true. I agree with what Hannity said about war but not your interpretation of it.
You’re blind man. That is ok.
Kendale
I do not insult you for your view. I just differ. You make it very hard to want to communicate with you. The rules of the site is to discuss. Even disagree. Not to say insults. Decide now if you want to debate with me. I have gone through this too many times
See what I mean..
“I agree with what Hannity said about war but not your interpretation of it.”
So, I see Colmes is leaving Hannity. So sad. Not.
Babs
That will hurt ratings for sure.. I know who would be perfect replacement, althought they may want another Democrat.
What about the Republician from “The View”. Hasn’t she suffered enough ? She did well when interviewed by Hucabee. She got Rosy.
Doesn’t sound like there will be a replacement, but then you never know. I think Sean does fine on his own, but if I were asked to pick it’d be Dick Morris.
Babs
Your right. Dick Morris or Steele would be great.
She would fit in better on say Hucabee. I want to see her off “The View”. I like her grit
I’d like to see the View off the air.
Babs
Absolutely. Whoopee asked McCain if he wanted slavery back. McCain was with his wife for Christ sake. Where did Whoopee fall into a hole of waste to come up with that question ? They have no shame.
They remind me of a bunch of laying hens in the chicken yard fighting over the baney rooster. They’ve lost any credibility they ever had, and that started back when Rosie was on the show. I don’t think I’ve ever watched the show, except for clips of their infighting.
Babs
Barbara in years gone by was a icon. She opened up women to star in news media. She intervewed the cream. I admired her care for her daughter. Now she is a has been. Fighting back and forth with Rosie
I think they’ve all done damage to their own integrity. Barbara Walters was surely an icon, and should have taken to a quiet private life while she was on top.
Babs
Whoopee was in some fine movies. These celebs are hurting themselves going political. Brad Pitt is from my home town. Did lots of fine movies. Then he got into that gay marriage thing in Califoria. I would stay out of politics if I was a movie star. Do charity work instead.
Yes, you know I’ve been thinking about all the millions the celebs raised for obama, but they don’t raise a penny for the victims of the fires in their own neighborhoods. I’ve been reminded of that constantly when choosing movies lately, in fact. I don’t even want to watch some of them anymore. I don’t think anyone has been more cruel to Sarah Palin than some of the “stars”, and now I just can’t seem to stomach them on the big screen.
Babs
One word…Modonna..She talks politics during her concerts.. Put that dead rotten fit flesh out to pasture.
On Fox they say the “black list” is here again. Instead of Communist it is those not Democrat. But if your big enough Star, they will overlook. Money profit still counts. Said working actors were required to donate to Obama and how much
Really? I missed that one, but I enjoyed watching the conservative celebs during the campaign step up and be heard. Why does anyone in Hollywood think they are part of America? It’s as if they close themselves off in their own cult. Sometimes you wonder if they play so many parts they can’t remember who they were in real life.
Babs
My clonidines are kicking in. Been near 1 hour since I took them. Need to go sleep. Have good day
Babs
I believe it is 90210 high school that has a oil well that is or was producing oil. I have seen such things in Texas. But the California High school well had to be covered up so no one could readily tell it was there.
Sort of like Teddy Kennedy wants alternative energy, but he does not want ocean mills in his view at his home.
::pops a few Klonipin::
Can’t say I would stop watching movies staring actors that share a different political view. If a movie is good, I will watch it. A star can porn black people in a pizza oven, if the movie they are in is a good one, I am going to watch it. Then again I watch many movies, free of charge.
I remember when there was a bunch of fuss, saying the owner of the Tommy Hilfiger cothing line was racist. Yet at the time, the clothing line has some really nice cloths, of course, I bought them.
I don’t see it as supporting someone so much as I see it as doing what I enjoy, and wearing what I like.
If I only went for products by people who chared my views, my quality of life with probably deteriorate.
Kendale
“clonidine” is not the same as “Klonipin”
Giving patients wrong medicine can cause dangerous complications. The two drugs are for differnt things. As a nurse you should know this ? Appears you had an agenda.
Hopefully Babs will explain
I know that Clonidine is a blood pressure medication. Why would I want to take that? Klonipin is a benzodiazapine like Xanax, hence why someone would pop them, for the buzz. Jesus.
My agenda was to make a joke about me taking anti anxiety medicine that is commonly abused by teens and young adults. Not to pick on you for having high blood pressure. Get a grip on yourself, you are so freakin’ paranoid. Maybe you do need a Klonipin, and some a SSRI (eg. Prozac, Lexapro, Praxil, ect.)
Little did you know, I Aced pharmacology. So again, you have no clue as to what you are talking about.
P.S. I promised Babs I would not go off on you when you are acting stupid anymore, so let this be the last time. Maybe you can act like an idiot on another site so I can publically humiliate you some more.
Clondine is also prescribed for people who are addicted to pain medication and alcohol, to decrease symptoms of withdrawal. Things that make ya go Hrmmm
Kendale
I mentioned taking my blood pressure medicine, then you mention the other drug. “Pops a few Klonipin”
I’ll let Babs observe.
So you still insist on saying that I believe that clonidine is a benzodiazapine? And you are hoping Babs is stupid enough to agree with you?
::kills himself::
Bill,
I am begging you, please, lets talk politics from now on. You are hopeless in trying to find me make a medical mistake. Plus this is You Decide Politics, not die trying to find a mistake from Kendale. STOP! PLEASE!
How about that Eric Holder. Great guy, against torture, against Gauntanamo. Against giving guns to everyone in 2009, because when the constitution was written it was more sensible to give everyone guns, living a scarcely inhabited country. Yet people think he is not worthy of Attorney General, and their reason? Lame! Because he advized Bil Clinton to Pardon Marc Rich. As if that has anything to do with his qualifications.
See, we can talk politics now Bill. It is ok. Get your Doc to prescribe you some Xanax/Klonipin/Ativan, some Seroquel to slow your brain down, and some Wellbutrin, it might help with the anxiety/depression and help you quit smoking.
Then we can be one big happy political chatting family.
Kendale, the context of your comment did appear you were correcting Bill on the spelling of his meds. You might should have chosen a drug that wasn’t spelled nearly the same to prevent the misunderstanding. Now let’s drop it.
I’m not sure the reasoning against Holder is so lame, as more and more information is being released about Holder’s involvement of the parden. Even the Huffington Post, who we all know is as far left and in the tank for obama as you can get, is weighing in on this one.
http://www.huffingtonpost.....47605.html
Word around the political pool is that confirmation of Holder as AG is going to be difficult if not impossible.
To the laymen it may appear I was attempting to correct spelling, but anyone who has anything to do with pharmacology would know otherwise. Point taken.
As far as that pardon. Why does this make Holder a bad guy? If he gave the pardon himself, I still would not call him a bad guy. Or less capable of being Attorney General.
I’ll go back and find the articles I was reading. It seemed that he didn’t just straight up support the pardon, there are some questions as to his methods in trying to facilitate the partdon. I’ll see if I can find the article again.
Are people so against this whole thing simply because the person being pardoned was trading with Iran or is there more to the story. I understand he was wanted for tax evation but perhaps that charge was simply a whim they used because the did not like him for trading with Iran. I’ll do a bit of looking around as well.
Here’s a nice article from RCP. The writter admits that Holder is best for the job, but states he should not get it simply because of his part in the Marc Rich Pardon.
Holder is Disqualified by Mark Rich Pardon
I am still trying to find out what EXACTLY Eric Holder did other than recommend the pardon.
The consensus is that he should have blocked the pardon. Here’s the best article I’ve seen on the subject so far:
http://www.washingtonpost.....s_pos=list
Its been a while Babs, still being a good mediator I see. Wanted to say hi, and tell you that I am still reading and enjoying all the debates.
I try, Harriett, I try. *L*
Nice to see you’re still around, pop into the conversation more often.