The U.S. Justice Department this week dropped an antitrust case against a company represented by the lobbying firm that employed Pam Bondi before her confirmation as attorney general earlier this year.
American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) has paid the lobbying giant Ballard Partners hundreds of thousands of dollars this year to pressure Bondi’s Justice Department on “antitrust issues,” according to federal disclosures.
I didn’t say it was important, I said lobbying is protected.
Of course corporation should be able to lobby! A corporation, in theory (heh), is a group of people with a common financial cause. That notion is not inherently evil.
Were I a legislator I’d happily allow lobbyists in my office. Who am I to know everything? I’d listen carefully and kick their ass out if I disagreed morally. But then I don’t get campaign funds to continue fighting the good fight! What a trap.
Lobbyists aren’t the problem, Citizens United v. FEC is the fucking problem. As to Congress reigning in lobbyist favors and money, fat chance.
Read Obama’s two books? Forgot which one it was where he was talking about funding his run for Illinois State Senator vs. what Axlerod told him he’s need to run for US Senator. Don’t remember the numbers but Obama was fucking shocked! So was I!
tl;dr: Lobbyists aren’t so much an issue as campaign finance reform. But the good guys can’t reform it without losing the money to stay in office, not overnight. LOL, 10th grade government teacher covered this. Local guy dropped out the mayor’s race because he couldn’t, in good conscience, kiss all the asses he needed to appease to raise campaign funds. What a world.
(can’t edit my posts and that one needs SERIOUS work, poor and conflicting arguments, fuck it, stands)
Of course corporations should not be able to lobby!
See, we can’t outcompete corporate money and dedication. We will always lose, when profit is more important than say global warming or clean water or affordable / free healthcare.
Capitalism is way better then any other system to create and improve what gets the most profit and it’s by definition without morale.
It should not be allowed to do that with lobbing against the well-being of the people. It only exists because of us.
What I’m trying to say is: that protection is bullshit
You surely see problems with “well-being” defined in law?