The Cynicism of Obama's 'Closing' Argument

[Herman Munster]

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2963

If the primary were held today, I don't know whether I'd vote for Obama or Edwards. I was leaning towards Obama, but I can't honestly put myself there anymore, as I found Obama's closing argument quite frustrating. Obama bragged about having ended the lobbyist-dominated culture in DC, saying the following: "I did the same thing in Washington when we passed the toughest lobbying reform since Watergate. I'm the only candidate in this race who hasn't just talked about taking power away from lobbyists, I've actually done it."
When did this happen? Did all of collectively miss the moment from 2004-2007 when Obama's work in the Senate removed power from lobbyists? I had no idea Obama took power from lobbyists in DC, and neither apparently did lobbyists in DC, who, unaware they had lost power, ensured that the Apprpropriation bills would have tens of billions for oil, coal, and nuclear, that the Farm bill would be a $200B monstrosity, and that the war would be funded with new blank checks every few months. It's weird how they missed the memo from Obama.

Or maybe Jeff Birmbaum of the Washington Post was correct in his article about Obama's ethics legislation, in listing the various ways that DC power players were exploiting its loopholes as soon as the ink was dry. Here's one loophole of many I found comical.


Along the same lines, lobbyists, who are banned from organizing travel for lawmakers, are thinking about asking their assistants to do it -- an action that would skirt the prohibition.



I love that this one. It's like, Obama's ethics legislation was so strict that it forced assistants to make travel arrangements. Apparently another part of the bill barred all cash gifts to lawmakers unless paid in untraceable hundred dollar bills, and another part of this strict legislation allows lawmakers the use of only uncut cocaine.

The toughest lobbying reform since Watergate? Really? Regardless of whether you support Obama or not, that he cites this as a major accomplishment should give you serious pause as to his judgment. Either he believes that it solved the problem in DC, which is foolish, or he doesn't, in which case he is being disingenuous in bragging about taking power away from lobbyists. He also believes that no one, least of all Iowa voters or his own supporters, care that he is citing as his major accomplishment in DC a policy idea that is universally considered a joke and/or a failure. It's so cynical as to be comical.

The reality is that Obama has no serious accomplishments he can point to which suggest he has rejected 'the Washington establishment' and found an alternative path. Neither, of course, does Edwards or Clinton. But I find Obama's boasting of his ethics accomplishment exceptionally dishonorable. Everyone knows DC is as bad as it has ever been, and that the ethics bill wasn't even a band-aid.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. You know, I kind of thought he was stealing Edwards' message

when I heard this.

[sandnsea]

5. Way back in 1997??

He cooked up the Illinois campaign reforms so he could use it to steal Edwards' message in 2007??

[Lucinda]

2. Thanks for the post!

[desi]

3. He's not fooling anybody.

Least of all the lobbyists who are still laughing their way to the bank.

[sandnsea]

4. It's more than Edwards did

Coupled with the reform in Illinois, it's WAY MORE than Edwards did. He never said he'd ended ALL lobbyist influence in Washington, he said he'd done more than had been done since Watergate.

[madrchsod]

7. do not confuse people with the facts-

so far it`s been barrack,russ,and big john who has actually done something about reform.

[madrchsod]

6. he has lied about his lobbying reform....here are the links

http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/releases/07/01/20070108.html
Feingold and Obama Introduce the Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act

http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0621-04.htm
Senators Feingold & Obama Push For Strongest Ethics and Lobbying Reform Bill Possible

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/07/mccain.obama/index.html
CNN.com - McCain and Obama 'moving on' - Feb 8, 2006

clearly obama and his co conspirator russ fiengold are not to be trusted when it comes to talking about lobbying reform. obama worked with a known republican ,john McCain, who is running for president. no need to prove to me that obama is a republican in disguise....