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No, "Illegal bribery" is illegal. There is no such thing as "legal bribery". Some ignorant pop-culture or union educated Americans rely on emotion instead of rational thought to figure these things out. The Sierra Club is a worthwhile organization that saves the world but the NRA is evil or vice versey. You can't assume that lobbyists are criminals just because you have an emotional attachment to an issue. Make a complaint if you think you need to blow the whistle on a politician but the lobbyist issue is phony.
So, you're saying that if some entity in the private sector makes a direct cash payment to a specific public official in order to procur a lucrative contract for the provision of widgets to the government at three times their fair market value, it is "illegal bribery" but if the same private entity employs a lobbying firm to make a direct cash payment to the party boss who then deposits a portion of the payment into the campaign chest of the same public official as a laundered general political contribution, with the unwritten (perhaps, not even directly spoken) understanding that said public official will direct said contract to said private entity in exchange for said contribution, it is ....
...what?
Please answer the question, if you don't mind, because if this is not bribery I do not know what it is.
It's assumption piled on assumption. If you used the same logic on the "health care law" you would be busy for years and years. The point is that lobbyists are regulated by federal law. The issue is phony.
So, you're saying that if some entity in the private sector makes a direct cash payment to a specific public official in order to procur a lucrative contract for the provision of widgets to the government at three times their fair market value, it is "illegal bribery" but if the same private entity employs a lobbying firm to make a direct cash payment to the party boss who then deposits a portion of the payment into the campaign chest of the same public official as a laundered general political contribution, with the unwritten (perhaps, not even directly spoken) understanding that said public official will direct said contract to said private entity in exchange for said contribution, it is ....
...what?
Please answer the question, if you don't mind, because if this is not bribery I do not know what it is.
It's assumption piled on assumption. If you used the same logic on the "health care law" you would be busy for years and years. The point is that lobbyists are regulated by federal law. The issue is phony.
Regulated from what?
...making political contributions to the party, or direct cash payoffs to a specific public official?
We all witnessed the enormous influence that lobbying and campaign financing can have over our elected officials with the attempt at healthcare reform during Obama's first years in office:
Liberal Democrats suddenly transformed into Objectivist Republicans, like a focking spell was cast over them!
It's assumption piled on assumption. If you used the same logic on the "health care law" you would be busy for years and years. The point is that lobbyists are regulated by federal law. The issue is phony.
Regulated from what?
...making political contributions to the party, or direct cash payoffs to a specific public official?
We all witnessed the enormous influence that lobbying and campaign financing can have over our elected officials with the attempt at healthcare reform during Obama's first years in office:
Liberal Democrats suddenly transformed into Objectivist Republicans, like a focking spell was cast over them!
What are you looking for? Lobbyists ..r..us. Campaign donations are monitored. Bribes are illegal. The system is regulated. Americans can hire and fire representatives every two years. The lobbyist issue is phony.
The "right to petition the government" is guaranteed in the Constitution. We can't all call up our representatives or barge inbto their offices or even invite them to lunch so what do we do? We hire lobbyists like the NRA or the Sierra club to try to persuade them to do the right thing. Some politicians might be crooks and that's why the Founding Fathers gave us the option to fire them every two years.
That could still happen. There's nothing wrong with a lobbyist talking to a representitive, it's when money changes hands that the trouble starts.
Maybe money does "change hands" but that really ain't what it's about. Bribery is illegal. The fake outrage is about the money lobbyists legally spend in making politicians aware of tens of thousands of issues. Americans chip in their hard earned dollars to get the ear of a politician and lobbyists are licensed and there are rules they have to follow. The issue is phony.
The post says "your congressman takes bribes". It's obviously a lie but intended to focus on alleged lobbyist abuses except there ain't no lobbyist abuses, only emotional reaction to imagined abuses. Lobbyists ..r...us. We reserve the right to chip in our hard earned taxpayer funds to try to influence the decisions of elected representatives. It's a constitutional right. Whether there are loopholes in the gigantic campaign finance law that allow certain donations to parties rather than candidates has nothing to do with the issue. The lobbyist threat is bogus.
No, "Illegal bribery" is illegal. There is no such thing as "legal bribery". Some ignorant pop-culture or union educated Americans rely on emotion instead of rational thought to figure these things out. The Sierra Club is a worthwhile organization that saves the world but the NRA is evil or vice versey. You can't assume that lobbyists are criminals just because you have an emotional attachment to an issue. Make a complaint if you think you need to blow the whistle on a politician but the lobbyist issue is phony.
So, you're saying that if some entity in the private sector makes a direct cash payment to a specific public official in order to procur a lucrative contract for the provision of widgets to the government at three times their fair market value, it is "illegal bribery" but if the same private entity employs a lobbying firm to make a direct cash payment to the party boss who then deposits a portion of the payment into the campaign chest of the same public official as a laundered general political contribution, with the unwritten (perhaps, not even directly spoken) understanding that said public official will direct said contract to said private entity in exchange for said contribution, it is ....
...what?
Please answer the question, if you don't mind, because if this is not bribery I do not know what it is.
It's assumption piled on assumption. If you used the same logic on the "health care law" you would be busy for years and years. The point is that lobbyists are regulated by federal law. The issue is phony.
So, you're saying that if some entity in the private sector makes a direct cash payment to a specific public official in order to procur a lucrative contract for the provision of widgets to the government at three times their fair market value, it is "illegal bribery" but if the same private entity employs a lobbying firm to make a direct cash payment to the party boss who then deposits a portion of the payment into the campaign chest of the same public official as a laundered general political contribution, with the unwritten (perhaps, not even directly spoken) understanding that said public official will direct said contract to said private entity in exchange for said contribution, it is ....
...what?
Please answer the question, if you don't mind, because if this is not bribery I do not know what it is.
It's assumption piled on assumption. If you used the same logic on the "health care law" you would be busy for years and years. The point is that lobbyists are regulated by federal law. The issue is phony.
You and your right-wing brethren are some of the biggest moaners, whiners and whingers about the govt.
Reading your posts on this topic, I realise not are you part of the problem, you are an enabler of everything you claim to despise...
If you want a fair and transparent govt, lobbying should be outlawed period (and I'm talking the way it is currently run, not about having an opinion on something and making it an election issue)....
Yeah right, short sighted lefties think we should outlaw lobbyists until they want to save the earth. What they mean is that they want to outlaw conservative lobbyists. Dishonest lefties are a dime a dozen. They took civics 101 and now they want to outlaw everything they disagree with. "Moderate" republican John McCain teamed up with left wing Russ Feingold and announced that they fixed the "campaign finance law". Dumb assed McCain didn't realize that Feingold fixed it so that left wingers like George Soros would now be tax exempt to pump liberal propaganda through "media matters" and a dozen other venues. Meanwhile Americans would be restricted from buying air-time to support the candidate they liked during a period McCain and Feingold decided was too close to the election. If left wingers get their way everything but liberal propaganda will be outlawed. Lobbyists...R...us. We have a Constitutional right to petition the government. The left only becomes hysterical about it when it seems that they might lose an election.
Dumb assed McCain didn't realize that Feingold fixed it so that left wingers like George Soros would now be tax exempt to pump liberal propaganda through "media matters" and a dozen other venues. Meanwhile Americans would be restricted from buying air-time to support the candidate they liked during a period McCain and Feingold decided was too close to the election. If left wingers get their way everything but liberal propaganda will be outlawed. Lobbyists...R...us. We have a Constitutional right to petition the government. The left only becomes hysterical about it when it seems that they might lose an election.
Lobbyists.. r.. us. Whether it's the greenie Sierra club or the NRA most of us chip in and hire people to speak to elected representatives for us regarding matters we think are important. That's the way it works. The problem is that we hate the lobbyists who work for the other guy. Grow up people.
Looks like you have been targeted by the right here on the rep side.
Dont think anything of it, it means nothing.
Yes the money needs to be heaved out of the process or we will lose this country
Lobbyists.. r.. us. Whether it's the greenie Sierra club or the NRA most of us chip in and hire people to speak to elected representatives for us regarding matters we think are important. That's the way it works. The problem is that we hate the lobbyists who work for the other guy. Grow up people.
...OR a constitutional amendment calling for public financing of elections. Do that and all lobbyists can do is pitch their position, NOT their money. We need to level the playing field or our representitives will never listen to us, just to those with the deepest pockets.
