Lobbyists Take Leave to Advise Kerry Campaign (WP)

Washington Post

In bolstering his inner circle of advisers with veterans from previous Democratic campaigns, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) has also chosen to hire lobbyists with close ties to a wide array of businesses, including drug companies and Microsoft Corp.

Joel P. Johnson, Joe Lockhart, Howard Wolfson and Michael J. Whouley are best known as Democratic insiders. Johnson and Lockhart worked as senior communications aides in the White House of President Bill Clinton. Wolfson was spokesman for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Whouley has played senior roles in Democratic presidential campaigns going back a dozen years.

But until they jumped to the Kerry campaign or the Democratic National Committee (DNC) as part of a recent personnel shake-up, all four also worked for lobbying companies that either explicitly registered as federal lobbyists or assisted corporations with their lobbying efforts. All four have taken leaves of absence to join the campaign. ..

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Gotta make sure to line up the corporations -- wouldn't want to leave them out or anything.

Does wonders for my enthusiasm for Kerry. Too bad there's not an icon for "heavy heart."

so they work for aa corporation. They also used to work for the governmment. Lots of people do that. I'll bet 90% of the people on this board work for, or at one time worked for a corporation. What's important is where their heart is at... getting Kerry elected. Rest assured they will make little or nothing in compensation compared to their present salary for the next two months.

They swing between govt jobs and lucrative private sector jobs with companies that benefit from legislation they may have too much say about- certainly more sway than the rest of us.

I know "business" isn't the enemy- we need business, the kind that practice good citizenship- so there must be some input. It is just too hard to trust coming off this corporatist admin.

I wish he'd steered clear but what do I know?

It matters where your heart is, but most of us wouldn't like to see Kerry emulate some of Mr. Clinton's neoliberal anti-labor policies.

Thus we are a bit suspicious of this.

Obviously Bush is worse when it comes to workers, but that's not the point.

That said, I'm going to give Kerry a chance and work to get him elected.

those are my sentiments also.

Who knows, maybe Kerry can get people some help with the high cost of drugs by using some of those people in his campaign who are related/lobby for the pharm industry. One can only hope. :shrug:

Right now, we have to stop the "bleeding" of the American people, the American soul...

I have every confidence in Kerry's ability to play just as dirty and to sell out almost as much as the BFEE.

he should only hire people who've never worked for a corporation.

:eyes:

and pile more on. These people are poltical pros -- they consult, they lobby -- just like the pros on the other side.