Commentary: Obama already struggling with lobbyist promises

[Chapdog]

(CNN) -- I want you to hear something President-elect Barack Obama said just about a year ago:

"I am 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."

Just this weekend The New York times published a list of names -- a rather long list of names of people -- who are working on Obama's transition team or who have accepted jobs in his White House who are either former lobbyists or who have close ties to lobbyists.

The Times reports that some of those people were lobbying as recently as this year.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/17/campbell.brown.lobbyists/index.html#cnnSTCText

 

[Cancel5]

Not all lobbyists are bad! They are the voice of the minorities in some cases.

It is those lobbyist who have become too powerful and whose voices are heard above the will of the people because of the perks they have given their representative.

It is hard to divide the good from the bad, though!

 

[SmarterthanYou]

in other words, lobbyists with liberal agendas good, conservative lobbyists bad. that about right?

 

[uscitizen]

in other words, lobbyists with liberal agendas good, conservative lobbyists bad. that about right?

for a while yes.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

for a while yes.

how about libertarian or constitutional lobbyists? or are we exclusive lobbyists now?

 

[Cancel5]

in other words, lobbyists with liberal agendas good, conservative lobbyists bad. that about right?

I wish it were that easy! Not all conservative ideas and agendas are bad. I use to like the way conservatives were fiscally conservative! That does not however, seem to be the case, anymore! They spend even more recklessly then the Dems!

 

[uscitizen]

Most conservatives are not.

 

[Topspin]

lame as shit, I could have saved those neurons for my deathbead.
What politician hasn't broken tons of promises. I'll skip the next 1,000 Obama didn'ts lets see what he does with the WAR, economy, and civil liberties.

 

[Cancel3]

I wish it were that easy! Not all conservative ideas and agendas are bad. I use to like the way conservatives were fiscally conservative! That does not however, seem to be the case, anymore! They spend even more recklessly then the Dems!

If the accepted definition of conservative is someone who wants fiscal responsibility & retraint, less government interference, smaller government, and lower taxes, wouldn't the recent administration be ruled as not being conservative?

Why not call the people liars if they claim to be conservative and yet spend like wild, grow the government ever larger, and use it to interfere even more in our lives?

The recent republicans have been anything BUT conservative. That does not mean we change the definition of "conservative". It means we call them something else.

 

[Chapdog]

If the accepted definition of conservative is someone who wants fiscal responsibility & retraint, less government interference, smaller government, and lower taxes, wouldn't the recent administration be ruled as not being conservative?

Why not call the people liars if they claim to be conservative and yet spend like wild, grow the government ever larger, and use it to interfere even more in our lives?

The recent republicans have been anything BUT conservative. That does not mean we change the definition of "conservative". It means we call them something else.

i concur. i dont agree with democrats at all but given the choice of bush/mccain policies and obama i think obams are more conservative. I think the republican party has to redefine themselves as the conservatives again.

What shitty choices we have.