Edwards lobbyist bans - 2 years and 5 years

[sandnsea]

Those who are pretending Edwards' ban is any different than Obama's must just be confused.


Banning top government officials from becoming lobbyists: Edwards will restore the Clinton-era executive order barring appointees from lobbying their former colleagues for five years, created by President Clinton but rescinded in his last days. He will also enact it by statute so that no president can revoke it and expand the definition of prohibited lobbying to include directing strategy on lobbying campaigns, not just making direct contact with officials.

Banning lobbyists from taking top government jobs: In today's Washington, corporate lobbyists don't just lobby public officials, they often become them. Edwards will bar individuals who acted as federal lobbyists in the preceding two years from taking senior executive jobs with responsibility for the subject areas on which they lobbied.
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/govt-reform/

[Adelante]

1. Thank you

:crazy:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. Has Hillary Clinton said anything yet about banning lobbyists? nt

[robbedvoter]

3. I dunno, but weren't those Bill Clinton's rules????

[Andy823]

6. That's what was posted

But it was also posted that he rescinded them in his last days. Wonder why that was? :eyes:

[sandnsea]

8. The 5 year ban, yes

I don't know about the other. I also have a vague memory that he rescinded most of it at the last minute, but I'm not 100% on that.

[Andy823]

4. I don't think so

But don't hold your breath waiting for her to do so! :evilgrin:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. Oh I'm not believe me. I'm well aware that she was Repub before she met Bill Clinton. nt

[Yuugal]

9. Lobbyists are people too! nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. Well, that right there tells us what she thinks of lobbyists! She loves them.

I don't.

[lisainmilo]

5. Great link .....I expanded on your OP though

The OP took a great part of JRE plan, but I wanted to expand on his entire lobbyist reform.


"Take on the Lobbyists' Power with a Constitutional Line-Item Veto: Winning earmarks for their clients – transferring government money directly to certain institutions and interests – is the bread and butter of Washington lobbyists. The lobbyist who pioneered the use of earmarks, Gerald Cassidy, earned a fortune that exceeds $125 million. His earmarks helped start what the Washington Post called "the lobbying boom" and establish "a system of interdependence between lobbyists and Congress that thrives today." To put an end to the rampant abuse of earmarks, Edwards will enact a new form of line-item veto – "expedited rescission" – that would allow the president to single out pork spending provisions in bills and send them back to Congress for required up or down votes. Congress could earmark money only by going on the record in support of each special-interest provision, one by one. Edwards will minimize the risk that the president will abuse the process by allowing only one package of rescissions per bill and requiring the president to spend the funds if Congress reaffirms them.
Prohibit Lobbyists from Giving or Raising Campaign Cash: Today, lobbyists approach politicians with campaign checks in one hand and wish lists in the other. Federally registered lobbyists gave over $23 million in the 2006 campaign. Edwards has never taken a dime from federal lobbyists or PACs. He will sever the connection between money and lobbyist influence by:
Ending lobbyist campaign contributions: Lobbyists should be able to make their cases on the merits, not by influencing politicians with donations. Edwards will prohibit all federal candidates from accepting campaign contributions from federal lobbyists.
Stopping lobbyists from bundling: Lobbyists solicit donations from others and direct them towards candidates to maximize their impact, a practice known as bundling. Edwards has never allowed any lobbyists to bundle donations for him. As president he will ban federal lobbyists from bundling for federal candidates.
Close the Lobbyist Revolving Door: Cashing in on government connections has become a new retirement plan for Washington politicians. Nearly 250 former members of Congress and agency heads registered as federal lobbyists between 1998 and 2004. Edwards will close the lobbyist revolving door by:Banning top government officials from becoming lobbyists: Edwards will restore the Clinton-era executive order barring appointees from lobbying their former colleagues for five years, created by President Clinton but rescinded in his last days. He will also enact it by statute so that no president can revoke it and expand the definition of prohibited lobbying to include directing strategy on lobbying campaigns, not just making direct contact with officials.
Banning lobbyists from taking top government jobs: In today's Washington, corporate lobbyists don't just lobby public officials, they often become them. Edwards will bar individuals who acted as federal lobbyists in the preceding two years from taking senior executive jobs with responsibility for the subject areas on which they lobbied.


:patriot:

[maximusveritas]

7. Maybe he's changed his position

and just hasn't updated the website.

[cynthia]

12. this is how you clean up Washington

I can't believe Bill rescinded this before leaving office, how can one explain that?