Lobbyists on a Roll: Gutting Reform on Banking, Energy, and Health Care

Arianna Huffington
Posted: June 25, 2009 02:36 AM


Remember all that change Americans voted for in November? Well, there's been a change in the plans for change.

The detour has come courtesy of a familiar nemesis: DC lobbyists who, this year alone, have watered-down, gutted, or out-and-out killed ambitious plans for reforming Wall Street, energy, and health care.

The media like to pretend that something's at stake when a big bill is being debated on the House or Senate floor, but the truth is that by then the game is typically already over. The real fight happens long before. And the lobbyists usually win.

They're used to administrations and newly elected Congresses that come in with big plans for the future. But, as Obama and Congressional reformers are finding out, the future doesn't have a well-funded lobby. The past, on the other hand, is extremely well represented.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/lobbyists-on-a-roll-gutti_b_220521.html

lobbying and insurance are the last two insanely profitable, completely legal rackets left

and that is that if they had to fight at all, that means that their clients won by giving much loot to democratic incumbents.

the loss of popularity for failing to pass a bill or passing a very watery bill notwithstanding, and further notwithstanding the fact that we here would much prefer democrats with spine to democrats with cash, the extra loot will help secure their positions, helping to retain solid democratic majorities for years to come.

as i said it's not at all a clear win, but a bit of a silver lining.

At least with Republicans in power, you can line up those that are both party loyalists AND those voters who want to find politicians WITH PRINCIPLES, to work together to get them out of office!

But with Dems basically being JUST AS CORRUPT, and a good many Democrats only caring that we have a "D" in front of these politicians' names, then that splits those that would be able to replace them with newer politicians with principles, making it that much harder to get rid of the corruption that's destroying this country now.

It basically forces us to start a third party, and by doing so, even screws up the hopes of the party loyalists that care less about their substance, as there will be in effect more "Nader influence" to worry about in the coming elections.

How to prevent that? Talk your congress critters in to passing instant runoff voting. Problem is, they won't want to pass it, unless they see the party defections start to build up massively.

What this does is make it harder for us to field and fund primary challenges with people who will stand with us

Not to be too pessimistic, but I have no hopes for meaningful health care reform.

The big industry people will ride this country down to the bottom while sucking it dry.