Says President Barack Obama: Never mind!
Reports
the New York Times:
When President Obama
arrived at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for a fund-raising
reception on Thursday night, the new White House rules of
political purity were in order: no lobbyists allowed.
But at the same downtown hotel on Friday morning, registered
lobbyists have not only been invited to attend an issues
conference with Democratic leaders, but they have also been
asked to come with a $5,000 check in hand if they want to stay
in good favor with the party's House and Senate re-election
committees.
The practicality of Mr. Obama's pledge to change the ways of
Washington is colliding once more with the reality of how
money, influence and governance interact here. He repeatedly
declared while campaigning last year that he would "not take a
dime" from lobbyists or political action committees.
So to follow through with that promise, Mr. Obama is simply
leaving the room.
For the first time in eight years, Democrats have a president
of their own to preside over their political fund-raising
activities. And Mr. Obama's rules have hardly stopped the
bustling intersection of money and politics. Not only are
members of Congress already engaged in their next races, but
legislative battles over health care, energy and financial
regulation have also put a premium on access and influence
for many lobbyists and their clients.
So much for "change."
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).
