Here is a short edited transcript from the 2 minute video below of Donald Trump's interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN from July 22, 2015:
TRUMP: "The politicians are going to destroy this country. They're weak and they're ineffective and they're controlled by the lobbyists and special interests...They will do whatever I want ... I've had lobbyists and I've had some very good ones. They could do anything. They could take a politician and have them jump off this ledge. "
COOPER: "Can you actually change that culture of corruption?"
TRUMP: "Well, you can in the sense that the top person can't be bought [indicating himself] ... but these lobbyists totally control these politicians ... I see Bush [Jeb] with the lobbyists ... they're totally telling him what to do, like a little puppet. And the same with Hillary and everybody else. Now, when I'm in business, I'm part of that game ... these guys are desperate for money. I don't need it. I'm going to do what's right for the country."
Jeb Bush Vows to Curb Lobbying and Trim Government --- Oops! --- Jeb Bush Speech Denouncing Lobbyists Was Organized By Corporate Lobbying Group
In a recent speech, Hillary Clinton said: "Hugely successful companies that benefit from everything America has to offer should not be able to game the system and avoid paying their fair share — especially while companies who can’t afford high-price lawyers and lobbyists end up paying more."
Hillary Clinton’s campaign will accept political donations from lobbyists, but Politico reports: "Clinton is not expected to face off against any candidates who do not also accept donations from PACs and lobbyists."
I suppose they never heard of Senator Bernie Sanders — unless they consider labor unions "lobbyists". Whereas, Hillary relied on wealthy donors and lobbyists to pull together most of her money. And Hillary campaign not only used lobbyists as bundlers, but her campaign treasurer works for a lobbyist, though is not registered as a lobbyist.
More of Trump's opinions on politicians and lobbyists:
TRUMP: "When I called them they always treated me well. And that's part of the game. And that's part of what's wrong with this country. Because as a businessman I could have gotten anything from anybody. And that is part of the problem. Lobbyists, donors, special interests ... I have given millions ... They won't necessarily do what's right for the country. They'll do what's right for their special interests, their donors, their lobbyists, et cetera. Not what's good for the country."
COOPER: "So, you weren't giving money based on political beliefs, but you are giving money based on currying favor like in many people do."
TRUMP: "People [politicians] love me. And you know what, I have been very successful. Everybody loves me."
CNN chief national correspondent John King joined Anderson Cooper for some analysis of Donald Trump:
COOPER: "Although, John, he is both critical of the game but also says essentially I was playing the game. He at least kind of points out the discrepancy there. I mean, that's a conflict.
KING: Well, he points out one of the things that everybody hates about politics. Because the average Joe out there thinks big business or big rich people or big donors get together and get the meetings with the senator, they get the meetings with the White House staff, they get access to the president and the average Joe doesn't. So he is saying that is just the game. But then he is conceding he plays it."
Proof that Donald Trump is right: 427 former members of Congress have already become lobbyists. And we might expect a few of these 13 Democrats in the Senate and these 28 Democrats in the House (who voted to fast-track the TPP trade deal that was written by lobbyists) to become lobbyists themselves when they leave office.
According to TIME, so far at least 40 people have donated to both Hillary Clinton and one of her GOP rivals — calling political favors friendships.
Here's another 2 minute video of House Speaker John Boehner actually admitting to being bribed by lobbyists. As Donald Trump says, "They will do whatever I want."
Via the Washington Post: Mister Trump sits on the board of — or holds executive positions in more than 500 separate companies and partnerships.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-financial-disclosure-lists-hundreds-of-positions-and-deals/2015/07/22/533443e2-3090-11e5-97ae-30a30cca95d7_story.html
We loathe them. Their work stinks. It’s time we paid for better.
ReplyDeleteThe average member of Congress earns $174,000 a year, a lot more than the median American household of $50,000. But it’s not as much as the median starting pay of $234,000 for a dermatologist, and doesn’t come close to the $9.6 million that the CEO of a typical public company earned in 2011.
Young staffers are also up against the older, wiser versions of themselves who now work for special interests. There are just about as many registered lobbyists as congressional political staff on the Hill—about 13,000. With the huge reduction in congressional staff, lobbyists and think tanks often set the congressional agenda and are a major source of expertise about how government works.
Congressional staff depart through the revolving door with alarming speed, as a recent Washington Times story shows. Like senators and representatives, staffers are paid well to leave, and as a London School of Economics study found, they receive an additional pay bump so long as their former boss remains in office. This is dangerous for our democracy.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2013/04/congressional_salaries_senators_representatives_and_their_staff_all_deserve.html
Lobbying is a bipartisan affair for members of congress who get booted out by their constituents.
ReplyDeleteFormer Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) is joining Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, which is Washington’s largest lobbying firm. But Hagan still has another year before she would be able to register to lobby, because senators are required to take a two-year "cooling off" period before they can directly advocate before their former House and Senate colleagues. Hagan left Congress at the end of 2014 after losing a tough reelection battle to then-Rep. Thom Tillis (R-NC). Hagan, who will be serving as a senior policy consultant within the same firm’s public law and policy practice.
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/lobbying-hires/265281-ex-sen-kay-hagan-joins-lobby-firm
* They say they’ll fight for you to get elected. Then once in office, they do the will of corporations. Then when they leave office, they’ll go to work for those same corporations to lobby other members of congress — to do the will of corporations.
What better way to get even with voters who don’t re-elect you.