Lobbying, Revolving Doors, Campaigns, No Surprises
New York, NY
Views: 10,160
by Joel Chaffee
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The Daily News is reporting that state attorney Andrew Cuomo, who
recently announced his candidacy for Governor, received more than
$300,000 from lobbyists in the previous two years.
This is nothing new or surprising, notes the New York Public Interest
Research Group (NYPIRG), whose webpage detailing the recent misconduct
in New York state governance is awfully funny. Bribery, the "revolving
door" for government employees turning lobbyists, and former Governor
Pataki's Philip Morris funded 1995 trip to Hungary.
The Wall Street Journal reports on accusations that Cuomo's chosen
running mate, Rochester Mayor Patrick Duffy, is a "'double
dipper,' ...the practice of government employees collecting salaries
and public pensions at the same time." Cuomo had previously chastised
the practice.
Reporting on a tit-for-tat between opponents Cuomo and Rick Lazio, the
New York Post feeds into the ongoing between the two: Cuomo's too much
a government insider, and Lazio is a corporate hound. However, given
NYPIRG's point about the "revolving door" when "Top legislative
staffers and political party leaders are allowed to become lobbyists
without a suitable 'cooling off' period," this is an irrelevant
argument.
The two candidates' argument is a wonderful fog of war, similar to the
great attention given to the differences between Republican and
Democrat, instead of their vast similarities. When billions where
being dished out during the financial crisis, without a minute to
spare, to enormous financial institutions, who had seen similar
bailouts in the past, the revolving door could not have been more
apparent.
Meanwhile, the NYTimes recently reported in a shocking headline,
"Adviser to Cuomo Is Also Top Lobbyist," referring to Jennifer
Cunningham. The Times quoted Phil Singer, a Cuomo campaign consultant,
as saying "She has never been paid by Andrew's campaign, nor has she
ever lobbied him or his office on any matter whatsoever."
"Lobbying" makes it sound official, as though to mean, "She never
called the secretary and made an appointment with Cuomo and came to
see him during office hours." Okay, but did they go out and dinner and
discuss their working lives? I sometimes get to thinking that if my
friend Derik ended up in City Hall, the city might start taking an
interest in my preferences.
It is worth mentioning that Cuomo's work as Clinton Administration
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is not well
remembered. The Village Voice reported in 2008 that Cuomo "took
actions that ... helped plunge Fannie and Freddie [Mac] into the
subprime markets without putting in place the means to monitor their
increasingly risky investments." To be fair, the Voice also called
Lazio "a loyal servant to Wall Street ... a patsy for profit."
Cuomo's campaign ads are heavy on the employment aspect. The scary to
sunny "Works For You" claims that Cuomo does not work for insurance
companies or banks, but instead for homeless, students, consumers and
taxpayers who "are outraged by Wall Street bonuses."
Rick Lazio's campaign site, meanwhile, does not feature campaign ads
exactly, though is pretty heavy in the "Andrew Cuomo is a liar" field,
charging that Cuomo has been "Too political for too long." And then
Cuomo will tell Lazio that he's a corporate drone, and back and forth.Daily News is reporting that state attorney Andrew Cuomo, who
recently announced his candidacy for Governor, received more than
$300,000 from lobbyists in the previous two years.
This is nothing new or surprising, notes the New York Public Interest
Research Group (NYPIRG), whose webpage detailing the recent misconduct
in New York state governance is awfully funny. Bribery, the "revolving
door" for government employees turning lobbyists, and former Governor
Pataki's Philip Morris funded 1995 trip to Hungary.
The Wall Street Journal reports on accusations that Cuomo's chosen
running mate, Rochester Mayor Patrick Duffy, is a "'double
dipper,' ...the practice of government employees collecting salaries
and public pensions at the same time." Cuomo had previously chastised
the practice.
Reporting on a tit-for-tat between opponents Cuomo and Rick Lazio, the
New York Post feeds into the ongoing between the two: Cuomo's too much
a government insider, and Lazio is a corporate hound. However, given
NYPIRG's point about the "revolving door" when "Top legislative
staffers and political party leaders are allowed to become lobbyists
without a suitable 'cooling off' period," this is an irrelevant
argument.
The two candidates' argument is a wonderful fog of war, similar to the
great attention given to the differences between Republican and
Democrat, instead of their vast similarities. When billions where
being dished out during the financial crisis, without a minute to
spare, to enormous financial institutions, who had seen similar
bailouts in the past, the revolving door could not have been more
apparent.
Meanwhile, the NYTimes recently reported in a shocking headline,
"Adviser to Cuomo Is Also Top Lobbyist," referring to Jennifer
Cunningham. The Times quoted Phil Singer, a Cuomo campaign consultant,
as saying "She has never been paid by Andrew's campaign, nor has she
ever lobbied him or his office on any matter whatsoever."
"Lobbying" makes it sound official, as though to mean, "She never
called the secretary and made an appointment with Cuomo and came to
see him during office hours." Okay, but did they go out and dinner and
discuss their working lives? I sometimes get to thinking that if my
friend Derik ended up in City Hall, the city might start taking an
interest in my preferences.
It is worth mentioning that Cuomo's work as Clinton Administration
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is not well
remembered. The Village Voice reported in 2008 that Cuomo "took
actions that ... helped plunge Fannie and Freddie [Mac] into the
subprime markets without putting in place the means to monitor their
increasingly risky investments." To be fair, the Voice also called
Lazio "a loyal servant to Wall Street ... a patsy for profit."
Cuomo's campaign ads are heavy on the employment aspect. The scary to
sunny "Works For You" claims that Cuomo does not work for insurance
companies or banks, but instead for homeless, students, consumers and
taxpayers who "are outraged by Wall Street bonuses."
Rick Lazio's campaign site, meanwhile, does not feature campaign ads
exactly, though is pretty heavy in the "Andrew Cuomo is a liar" field,
charging that Cuomo has been "Too political for too long." And then
Cuomo will tell Lazio that he's a corporate drone, and back and forth.
The Daily News is reporting that state attorney Andrew Cuomo, who
recently announced his candidacy for Governor, received more than
$300,000 from lobbyists in the previous two years.
This is nothing new or surprising, notes the New York Public Interest
Research Group (NYPIRG), whose webpage detailing the recent misconduct
in New York state governance is awfully funny. Bribery, the "revolving
door" for government employees turning lobbyists, and former Governor
Pataki's Philip Morris funded 1995 trip to Hungary.
The Wall Street Journal reports on accusations that Cuomo's chosen
running mate, Rochester Mayor Patrick Duffy, is a "'double
dipper,' ...the practice of government employees collecting salaries
and public pensions at the same time." Cuomo had previously chastised
the practice.
Reporting on a tit-for-tat between opponents Cuomo and Rick Lazio, the
New York Post feeds into the ongoing between the two: Cuomo's too much
a government insider, and Lazio is a corporate hound. However, given
NYPIRG's point about the "revolving door" when "Top legislative
staffers and political party leaders are allowed to become lobbyists
without a suitable 'cooling off' period," this is an irrelevant
argument.
The two candidates' argument is a wonderful fog of war, similar to the
great attention given to the differences between Republican and
Democrat, instead of their vast similarities. When billions where
being dished out during the financial crisis, without a minute to
spare, to enormous financial institutions, who had seen similar
bailouts in the past, the revolving door could not have been more
apparent.
Meanwhile, the NYTimes recently reported in a shocking headline,
"Adviser to Cuomo Is Also Top Lobbyist," referring to Jennifer
Cunningham. The Times quoted Phil Singer, a Cuomo campaign consultant,
as saying "She has never been paid by Andrew's campaign, nor has she
ever lobbied him or his office on any matter whatsoever."
"Lobbying" makes it sound official, as though to mean, "She never
called the secretary and made an appointment with Cuomo and came to
see him during office hours." Okay, but did they go out and dinner and
discuss their working lives? I sometimes get to thinking that if my
friend Derik ended up in City Hall, the city might start taking an
interest in my preferences.
It is worth mentioning that Cuomo's work as Clinton Administration
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is not well
remembered. The Village Voice reported in 2008 that Cuomo "took
actions that ... helped plunge Fannie and Freddie [Mac] into the
subprime markets without putting in place the means to monitor their
increasingly risky investments." To be fair, the Voice also called
Lazio "a loyal servant to Wall Street ... a patsy for profit."
Cuomo's campaign ads are heavy on the employment aspect. The scary to
sunny "Works For You" claims that Cuomo does not work for insurance
companies or banks, but instead for homeless, students, consumers and
taxpayers who "are outraged by Wall Street bonuses."
Rick Lazio's campaign site, meanwhile, does not feature campaign ads
exactly, though is pretty heavy in the "Andrew Cuomo is a liar" field,
charging that Cuomo has been "Too political for too long." And then
Cuomo will tell Lazio that he's a corporate drone, and back and forth.
The Daily News is reporting that state attorney Andrew Cuomo, who
recently announced his candidacy for Governor, received more than
$300,000 from lobbyists in the previous two years.
This is nothing new or surprising, notes the New York Public Interest
Research Group (NYPIRG), whose webpage detailing the recent misconduct
in New York state governance is awfully funny. Bribery, the "revolving
door" for government employees turning lobbyists, and former Governor
Pataki's Philip Morris funded 1995 trip to Hungary.
The Wall Street Journal reports on accusations that Cuomo's chosen
running mate, Rochester Mayor Patrick Duffy, is a "'double
dipper,' ...the practice of government employees collecting salaries
and public pensions at the same time." Cuomo had previously chastised
the practice.
Reporting on a tit-for-tat between opponents Cuomo and Rick Lazio, the
New York Post feeds into the ongoing between the two: Cuomo's too much
a government insider, and Lazio is a corporate hound. However, given
NYPIRG's point about the "revolving door" when "Top legislative
staffers and political party leaders are allowed to become lobbyists
without a suitable 'cooling off' period," this is an irrelevant
argument.
The two candidates' argument is a wonderful fog of war, similar to the
great attention given to the differences between Republican and
Democrat, instead of their vast similarities. When billions where
being dished out during the financial crisis, without a minute to
spare, to enormous financial institutions, who had seen similar
bailouts in the past, the revolving door could not have been more
apparent.
Meanwhile, the NYTimes recently reported in a shocking headline,
"Adviser to Cuomo Is Also Top Lobbyist," referring to Jennifer
Cunningham. The Times quoted Phil Singer, a Cuomo campaign consultant,
as saying "She has never been paid by Andrew's campaign, nor has she
ever lobbied him or his office on any matter whatsoever."
"Lobbying" makes it sound official, as though to mean, "She never
called the secretary and made an appointment with Cuomo and came to
see him during office hours." Okay, but did they go out and dinner and
discuss their working lives? I sometimes get to thinking that if my
friend Derik ended up in City Hall, the city might start taking an
interest in my preferences.
It is worth mentioning that Cuomo's work as Clinton Administration
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is not well
remembered. The Village Voice reported in 2008 that Cuomo "took
actions that ... helped plunge Fannie and Freddie [Mac] into the
subprime markets without putting in place the means to monitor their
increasingly risky investments." To be fair, the Voice also called
Lazio "a loyal servant to Wall Street ... a patsy for profit."
Cuomo's campaign ads are heavy on the employment aspect. The scary to
sunny "Works For You" claims that Cuomo does not work for insurance
companies or banks, but instead for homeless, students, consumers and
taxpayers who "are outraged by Wall Street bonuses."
Rick Lazio's campaign site, meanwhile, does not feature campaign ads
exactly, though is pretty heavy in the "Andrew Cuomo is a liar" field,
charging that Cuomo has been "Too political for too long." And then
Cuomo will tell Lazio that he's a corporate drone, and back and forth.
The Daily News is reporting that state attorney Andrew Cuomo, who
recently announced his candidacy for Governor, received more than
$300,000 from lobbyists in the previous two years.
This is nothing new or surprising, notes the New York Public Interest
Research Group (NYPIRG), whose webpage detailing the recent misconduct
in New York state governance is awfully funny. Bribery, the "revolving
door" for government employees turning lobbyists, and former Governor
Pataki's Philip Morris funded 1995 trip to Hungary.
The Wall Street Journal reports on accusations that Cuomo's chosen
running mate, Rochester Mayor Patrick Duffy, is a "'double
dipper,' ...the practice of government employees collecting salaries
and public pensions at the same time." Cuomo had previously chastised
the practice.
Reporting on a tit-for-tat between opponents Cuomo and Rick Lazio, the
New York Post feeds into the ongoing between the two: Cuomo's too much
a government insider, and Lazio is a corporate hound. However, given
NYPIRG's point about the "revolving door" when "Top legislative
staffers and political party leaders are allowed to become lobbyists
without a suitable 'cooling off' period," this is an irrelevant
argument.
The two candidates' argument is a wonderful fog of war, similar to the
great attention given to the differences between Republican and
Democrat, instead of their vast similarities. When billions where
being dished out during the financial crisis, without a minute to
spare, to enormous financial institutions, who had seen similar
bailouts in the past, the revolving door could not have been more
apparent.
Meanwhile, the NYTimes recently reported in a shocking headline,
"Adviser to Cuomo Is Also Top Lobbyist," referring to Jennifer
Cunningham. The Times quoted Phil Singer, a Cuomo campaign consultant,
as saying "She has never been paid by Andrew's campaign, nor has she
ever lobbied him or his office on any matter whatsoever."
"Lobbying" makes it sound official, as though to mean, "She never
called the secretary and made an appointment with Cuomo and came to
see him during office hours." Okay, but did they go out and dinner and
discuss their working lives? I sometimes get to thinking that if my
friend Derik ended up in City Hall, the city might start taking an
interest in my preferences.
It is worth mentioning that Cuomo's work as Clinton Administration
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is not well
remembered. The Village Voice reported in 2008 that Cuomo "took
actions that ... helped plunge Fannie and Freddie [Mac] into the
subprime markets without putting in place the means to monitor their
increasingly risky investments." To be fair, the Voice also called
Lazio "a loyal servant to Wall Street ... a patsy for profit."
Cuomo's campaign ads are heavy on the employment aspect. The scary to
sunny "Works For You" claims that Cuomo does not work for insurance
companies or banks, but instead for homeless, students, consumers and
taxpayers who "are outraged by Wall Street bonuses."
Rick Lazio's campaign site, meanwhile, does not feature campaign ads
exactly, though is pretty heavy in the "Andrew Cuomo is a liar" field,
charging that Cuomo has been "Too political for too long." And then
Cuomo will tell Lazio that he's a corporate drone, and back and forth.
The Daily News is reporting that state attorney Andrew Cuomo, who
recently announced his candidacy for Governor, received more than
$300,000 from lobbyists in the previous two years.
This is nothing new or surprising, notes the New York Public Interest
Research Group (NYPIRG), whose webpage detailing the recent misconduct
in New York state governance is awfully funny. Bribery, the "revolving
door" for government employees turning lobbyists, and former Governor
Pataki's Philip Morris funded 1995 trip to Hungary.
The Wall Street Journal reports on accusations that Cuomo's chosen
running mate, Rochester Mayor Patrick Duffy, is a "'double
dipper,' ...the practice of government employees collecting salaries
and public pensions at the same time." Cuomo had previously chastised
the practice.
Reporting on a tit-for-tat between opponents Cuomo and Rick Lazio, the
New York Post feeds into the ongoing between the two: Cuomo's too much
a government insider, and Lazio is a corporate hound. However, given
NYPIRG's point about the "revolving door" when "Top legislative
staffers and political party leaders are allowed to become lobbyists
without a suitable 'cooling off' period," this is an irrelevant
argument.
The two candidates' argument is a wonderful fog of war, similar to the
great attention given to the differences between Republican and
Democrat, instead of their vast similarities. When billions where
being dished out during the financial crisis, without a minute to
spare, to enormous financial institutions, who had seen similar
bailouts in the past, the revolving door could not have been more
apparent.
Meanwhile, the NYTimes recently reported in a shocking headline,
"Adviser to Cuomo Is Also Top Lobbyist," referring to Jennifer
Cunningham. The Times quoted Phil Singer, a Cuomo campaign consultant,
as saying "She has never been paid by Andrew's campaign, nor has she
ever lobbied him or his office on any matter whatsoever."
"Lobbying" makes it sound official, as though to mean, "She never
called the secretary and made an appointment with Cuomo and came to
see him during office hours." Okay, but did they go out and dinner and
discuss their working lives? I sometimes get to thinking that if my
friend Derik ended up in City Hall, the city might start taking an
interest in my preferences.
It is worth mentioning that Cuomo's work as Clinton Administration
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is not well
remembered. The Village Voice reported in 2008 that Cuomo "took
actions that ... helped plunge Fannie and Freddie [Mac] into the
subprime markets without putting in place the means to monitor their
increasingly risky investments." To be fair, the Voice also called
Lazio "a loyal servant to Wall Street ... a patsy for profit."
Cuomo's campaign ads are heavy on the employment aspect. The scary to
sunny "Works For You" claims that Cuomo does not work for insurance
companies or banks, but instead for homeless, students, consumers and
taxpayers who "are outraged by Wall Street bonuses."
Rick Lazio's campaign site, meanwhile, does not feature campaign ads
exactly, though is pretty heavy in the "Andrew Cuomo is a liar" field,
charging that Cuomo has been "Too political for too long." And then
Cuomo will tell Lazio that he's a corporate drone, and back and forth.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Last updated New York, NY 10.06.09 by Joel Chaffee
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