Conservative pols booted out of office have a way of hanging around Washington

[marmar]

from TomPaine.com:


And Still They Rise
Bill Berkowitz
June 12, 2007


Bill Berkowitz is a freelance writer who covers right-wing groups and movements.

Paraphrasing General Douglas MacArthur’s famous quote about old soldiers not fading away, old conservative politicians don’t fade away, they join high-powered lobbying firms and right wing think tanks. If you thought you’d heard the last from such conservative stalwarts as former California Congressman Richard Pombo, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, fuhgeddaboutit. Despite each of them being handily defeated last November by Democrats, these three right wing ideologues have landed squarely on their feet in well-funded positions affording them multiple opportunities to continue agitating for various aspects of their political agenda.

During his tenure in the House, Pombo was an ethical and environmental nightmare. As chairman of the House Resources Committee—before he lost his seat in 2006 to Democrat Jerry McNerney—Pombo was the proud author of a number of environmentally insensitive proposals, including the authored the "Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2005" which gives the authority to charge and retain recreation fees for the use of public lands and which serves as the bedrock upon which the pay-to-play Disneyfication of the national parks and other public lands, is being constructed.

Pombo was closely linked to GOP uber-lobbyist and now imprisoned Jack Abramoff, and in September 2005, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Pombo one of the "13 Most Corrupt Members in Congress."

Pombo’s defeat has move him from the electoral arena to a lobbying position, having recently been appointed chairman of an organization called Partnership for America. Earlier this year he signed on with Pac/West as a senior partner.

Partnership for America bills itself as a "grass-roots alliance" promoting freedom, jobs and a clean environment. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/06/12/and_still_they_rise.php

[Demeter]

1. It Keeps Them From Getting Lynched In Their Home States.

Besides, all the nutcases are in one confined geographical spot....Club Fed

[jwirr]

2. IMHO they are doing two things: continuing to support *ss and

waiting around for some company that owes them big time for monies rendered to hire them.