Hope you had fun at the tea party…

[somdrenter]

Firms Infused With Rescue Cash Find Money to Fund Lobbying
GM, Financial Companies Are Among Biggest Spenders

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Top recipients of federal bailout money spent more than $10 million on political lobbying in the first three months of this year, including aggressive efforts aimed at blocking executive pay limits and tougher financial regulations, according to newly filed disclosure records.

The biggest spenders among major firms in the group included General Motors, which spent nearly $1 million a month on lobbying, and Citigroup and J.P. Morgan Chase, which together spent more than $2.5 million in their efforts to sway lawmakers and Obama administration officials on a wide range of financial issues. In all, major bailout recipients have spent more than $22 million on lobbying in the six months since the government began doling out rescue funds, Senate disclosure records show.

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

 

[aps45819]

This is EXACTLY what's wrong with Washington.
They extort money from the people, give it to idiots that can't run a business then the business gives it lawmakers to ensure the lawmakers give more to the business that isn't needed.
Obama is the master of this. A hospital gives his wife a job. Hospital gets a grant of taxpayer money. Wife gets a big raise paid for by the taxpayers.


Everybody wins but the guy that goes to work every friggin morning.
... and he's about to get screwed big time when the hybrid gets this green crap going.

 

[Larry Gude]

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

I'm a little slow this AM. What does this have to do with having fun at the TEA parties?

 

[Larry Gude]

This is EXACTLY what's wrong with Washington.
They extort money from the people, give it to idiots that can't run a business then the business gives it lawmakers to ensure the lawmakers give more to the business that isn't needed.
Obama is the master of this. A hospital gives his wife a job. Hospital gets a grant of taxpayer money. Wife gets a big raise paid for by the taxpayers.


Everybody wins but the guy that goes to work every friggin morning.
... and he's about to get screwed big time when the hybrid gets this green crap going.

OK, but walk through this. How is one hospital going to get support over another? I'm not trying to excuse corruption but I am trying to take the broad view of just how our society should work.

If I run a hospital and I want it to be better yet I know I need political support to, say, get my hands on a building next door to expand the ER or to get the street widened or to get some public funds to help offset the costs of having to serve anyone who comes into that ER, regardless of ability to pay, what better way than to do favors for a hot shot politician?

As for GM, of course they would continue to lobby, to advertise.

I am not agreeing with bailing out GM, at all. However, there is an argument to be made that, given that the government is very much part of the problems at GM in the fist place, the government is inexorably linked to GM's problems, ergo, linked to the solutions, such as they are.

How is this stuff avoided? Isn't this the nature of society, seeking self interest? I understand how it can be distasteful and look like simple quid pro quo graft. However, isn't this the nature of the beast?

 

[somdrenter]

I'm a little slow this AM. What does this have to do with having fun at the TEA parties?

Given that its business as usual in Washington, obviously nothing. But if you had fun at one of the tea parties, at least you got something out of it because Washington/bankers/politicians et al refuse to listen.

 

[Larry Gude]

Given that its business as usual in Washington, obviously nothing. But if you had fun at one of the tea parties, at least you got something out of it because Washington/bankers/politicians et al refuse to listen.

OK, so you're not anti public outrage in this case, just not sanguine about the results?

 

[somdrenter]

OK, so you're not anti public outrage in this case, just not sanguine about the results?

Well, certainly not optimistic, but pretty confident of the results (i.e. I’m confident that the results will be business as usual…)

No, not anti-public outrage; but if the tea parties were public outrage, wake me when they bring out the piñata…

 

[Larry Gude]

Well, certainly not optimistic, but pretty confident of the results (i.e. I’m confident that the results will be business as usual…)

No, not anti-public outrage; but if the tea parties were public outrage, wake me when they bring out the piñata…

Well, it's a start. People are not happy with out government. Not happy with Obama. Not happy with Democrats. Not happy with Bush. Not happy with Republicans.