John Breaux, Hero or Hack?(lobbyist tawdriness as statesmanship)

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-chait14jan14.story
JONATHAN CHAIT
John Breaux, Hero or Hack?(lobbyist tawdriness as statesmanship)

JONATHAN CHAIT

January 14, 2005

When the White House appointed retired Sen. John B. Breaux (D-La.) to co-chair its commission on tax reform last week, newspapers described him, as they always do, with phrases like "moderate," "valuable broker between the parties" and "legendary dealmaker." Given the conventions of objective journalism, a truly accurate description, like "repellent sleazebag," might be too much to expect. But was it truly necessary to shower him with such lofty descriptions?

It's typical of the unfathomable esteem in which Breaux is held that only one news outlet saw fit to mention his current occupation: Washington lawyer, which is code for lobbyist. Breaux works for the law firm Patton Boggs, a notorious influence broker, and also represents two New York investment firms. These are pretty important details, given that his clients could have a strong stake in whatever tax changes Breaux's commission recommends.<snip>

Here, for instance, is Breaux's defense of the Bush tax cuts, which he helped broker: "Is this budget a perfect document? Of course not. But does it advance the cause of governing in a democracy that is almost evenly divided among the two parties? I think the answer is yes, it does." Got that? "Governing" means passing a bill, regardless of its effect on the national interest. If communists had won the election, Breaux would have urged both parties to sit down and work out the best forced farm collectivization bill they could.

In 1981, Breaux supported one of President Reagan's budgets on the condition that Reagan preserve tariffs on imported sugar — a loathsome form of corporate welfare that raises food prices and hurts the poor in order to subsidize the sugar industry, much of which is based in Louisiana.

At the time, he commented that his vote could not be bought, "but it can be rented." National Public Radio host Michele Norris cited this line last year in the course of flattering Breaux in a valedictory interview. Amazingly, Norris interpreted this episode not as corruption but as bipartisanship.<snip>

[WildClarySage]

1. Part of the republican strategy seems to be

infiltration of the democratic party. Breaux and other DINO's are not merely republican-lite democrats, they seem determined to advance the republican cause.

ok maybe a bit paranoid. Still, one can't help but think that with friends like these, who needs enemies?

[Tinoire]

2. Hack. What else to expect from a former DLC chairman?

Lieberman also is co-founder, along with Sen. John Breaux, D-La., of the New Democrat Network, a self-described venture capital fund to bring in fresh blood into the party.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_2000_August_7/ai_63918931

Joining Lewan on the event committee were several dozen of Washington's elite lobbyists, including representatives from the Dutko Group, Greenberg Traurig, the Wexler Group, Verner, Liipfert, and SVP Kessler and Associates, all with blue-chip clients, along with lobbyists for Chevron, Citigroup, Salomon Smith Barney, and others. One was Arthur Lifson, vice president for federal affairs at Cigna Corporation, one of the nation's largest health insurers and a company that stands to gain enormously if, say, Medicare were privatized along the lines proposed by the DLC and by one of its founders, Senator John Breaux of Louisiana. "The DLC is trying to bring some fresh ideas to Medicare and to dealing with the uninsured," says Lifson, whose company is listed as a member of the DLC's policy roundtable. "It builds on changes that are taking place in the marketplace, rather than turning everything on its head Hillary Care." Lifson frankly endorses the DLC as a counterweight to "populists ... at the other end of the party."

Pac-men

The DLC supports Bush on issues like the troubled faith-based initiative and his education reform plan, which is largely drawn from the PPI's policy papers. Perhaps most important, Senator Breaux seems intent on leading congressional New Democrats in support of Bush's stated goal of voucherizing Medicare and partly privatizing Social Security--though both of those highly controversial ideas are opposed by most Democrats and seem unlikely to be enacted during this session of Congress.


http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=4706