Beltway Confidential digest - http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/
From the people who brought us the swine flu vaccine shortage - Government-run health care! UPDATED
President Obama's late-night declaration of a nationwide public health emergency last night shouldn't be allowed to obscure the most important lesson of the developing swine flu... —Mark Tapscott
Millions watching Rep. Mike Rogers' opening statement on health care reform
It's not often that something said by a congressman anywhere but on C-SPAN is heard by millions of people, but more than 5.6 million people have viewed the opening statement on... —Mark Tapscott
NPR analyst compares Obama to Nixon, issues full apology
It's pretty unremarkable to describe the Obama White House's growing enemies list -- the insurance companies, Chamber of Commerce, Fox News -- as "Nixonian." But... —Byron York
Who's really reading the McChrystal report?
Forget about reading legislation, how about a top general's report on Afghanistan? Gen. Stanley McChrystal's classified report on the war in Afghanistan supposedly includes his... —Susan Ferrechio
Joe Biden avoids stepping in it By: Julie Mason 10/23/09 5:26 PM
Bill Burton: Who does number two work for? By: Julie Mason 10/23/09 3:44 PM
Michelle Obama turns Breast Cancer Awareness Month into attack on insurance companies By: Byron York 10/23/09 3:35 PM
House subcommittee plans Honolulu junket to check on stimulus spending By: Mark Tapscott 10/23/09 2:26 PM
Americans increasingly skeptical of global warming alarmism By: Michael Barone 10/23/09 12:47 PM
Could Health Care Slip to Next Year? By: Susan Ferrechio 10/23/09 12:15 PM
Morning Must Reads -- Confusing movement with progress on health care By: Chris Stirewalt 10/23/09 8:50 AM
Ghost Sighting! Bob Michel - Voice from GOP's losing past UPDATED! By: Mark Tapscott 10/22/09 10:10 PM
Palin endorses Hoffman in hot NY-23 congressional special election By: Mark Tapscott 10/22/09 9:15 PM
WH drops Fox thing, goes after Cheney By: Julie Mason 10/22/09 4:25 PM
A word-cloud downpour of taxes. By: Susan Ferrechio 10/22/09 3:42 PM
On politics and testosterone By: Julie Mason 10/22/09 2:49 PM
Senate Democrats wary of health care deficit spending By: Michael Barone 10/22/09 11:55 AM
Few believe health care will improve if reform passes By: Byron York 10/22/09 11:33 AM
Morning Must Reads -- Deficit worries nix key health proposal By: Chris Stirewalt 10/22/09 9:04 AM
Devastating drop in job approval numbers for Obama in new Gallup survey By: Mark Tapscott 10/21/09 10:45 PM
Obama's 'National Resource Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Elders' By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 6:10 PM
President Obama has something important in common with Edward I, aka "Longshanks" By: Mark Tapscott 10/21/09 5:52 PM
Millions of federal employees might be exempt from health benefits tax By: Susan Ferrechio 10/21/09 5:43 PM
"W" is for winners! By: Julie Mason 10/21/09 5:31 PM
Another Obama administration czar agrees - 'kind of' - with Mao By: Mark Tapscott 10/21/09 3:19 PM
First, it was White House communications chief Anita Dunn telling a high school commencement audience that the murderous Chairman Mao was one of her "two favorite philosophers." Now, it's manufacturing czar Ron Bloom who it turns out "kinda" agrees with modern history's most prolific genocidal murderer that "power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
Leave it to the irrepressible Glenn Beck to dig up the video of Bloom speaking to a labor audience in 2008 and explaining what they had learned in the recent past. Here's the relevant passage:
"Generally speaking we get the joke. We know that the free market is nonsense. We know that the whole point is to game the system, to beat the market, or at least find someone who will pay you a lot of money because they're convinced that there is a free lunch. We know this is largely about power, that it's an adults only, no limit game. We kind of agree with Mao that political power comes largely from the barrel of a gun. And we get it that if you want a friend, you should get a dog." Bloom is a Harvard grad and former SEIU official with close ties to ACORN who also happens to have spent some years at an investment banking firm. He has lots of experience negotiating deals with big corporations that favor unionized workforces. So is it really possible for somebody with that kind of background to not...
Read More 1 comments Beltway Confidential
Exxon edges out General Electric for Q3 lobbying crown By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 2:35 PM
Exxon Mobil spent $7.16 million on lobbying in July, August, and September of this year, just edging out second-quarter lobbying king General Electric ($6.94 million) as the company spending the most on 3rd quarter lobbying.
The single biggest Q3 lobbying entity was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which shelled out a record $34.7 million, more than any entity has ever spent.
Here are the top ten lobbying entities for the quarter:
- U.S Chamber of Commerce: $34.69 million - American Beverage Association: $7.33 million - Exxon Mobil: $7.16 million - General Electric: $6.94 million - Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America: $6.79 million - Nat'l Association of Manufacturers: $5.75 million - AARP: $5.68 million - FedEx: $5.61 million - Pfizer: $5.42 million - UPS: $4.41 million
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Soda tax spurs lobbying explosion By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 2:18 PM The American Beverage Association spent $7.33 million on lobbying last quarter, according to a new filing, more than the group had spent in 2001 through 2008 combined. Representing soda makers, the lobby ramped up its spending in reaction to proposals for a "fat tax" or "soda tax" to finance health-care reform.
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Read the bill, stupid By: Barbara Hollingsworth 10/21/09 1:49 PM
Organizers of a “Read the Bill” petition (http://readthebill.org) were up on Capitol Hill today to hand over more than 21,000 signatures to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, demanding that Congress post bills online for at least 72 hours before voting.
The group supports bipartisan legislation sponsored by Rep. Brian Baird, D-WA, and Rep. John Culberson, R-TX, but House Resolution 554 – which would require a 72-hour posting of the 1,502-page Baucus health care bill before a vote – has stalled in Congress.
“The Finance Committee’s original, plain language bill version did a decent job covering the major parts of the legislation,” said Paul Blumenthal, senior writer at the Sunlight Foundation. “What should be most concerning are the provisions that no one is talking about, the enticements inserted for specific states or specific industries that fly under the radar.”
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How Dede got the nod By: Michael Barone 10/21/09 1:48 PM
How did the hapless Dede Scozzafava, whose travails my Examiner colleague Mark Tapscott has chronicled, get the Republican nomination in the special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district? Blogger and tea party activist Michael Patrick Leahy has the scoop. It’s an interesting example of how local political stumbling can affect a race of some national significance. Any of the other eight candidates would apparently have received the Conservative party nomination and probably would have won the special without too much trouble. But in a district narrowly carried 51%-47% by George W. Bush in 2004 and 52%-47% by Barack Obama in 2008, Democrat Bill Owens now has a strong chance to capture the district for his party since many Republican voters, turned off by Scozzafava’s support of the Democratic stimulus package and the unions’ card check bill, will vote for Conservative nominee Doug Hoffman.
Read More 2 comments Beltway Confidential
Obama is good for K Street By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 1:46 PM
From lobbying firm K&L Gates:
Washington, D.C.— Law firm K&L Gates LLP has launched a Global Government Solutions initiative to assist clients in managing the threats and opportunities presented by government authorities around the world.
“The economic crisis has transformed the relationship between business and government,” said Peter J. Kalis, K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner. “Governments around the world are stimulating their economies, reforming areas such as health care, financial services, taxation, and employment, and attempting to prevent future crises through aggressive new regulations and enforcement actions. In the current environment, K&L Gates’ clients are faced with significant challenges – and unprecedented opportunities.”
“K&L Gates has one of the largest global government-related practices of any law firm,” said Michael J. Missal, co-leader of K&L Gates’ policy and regulatory practice area. “Our Global Government Solutions resources offer a uniquely effective set of capabilities, combining a broad range of legal and industry experience with a geographic reach extending across three continents.”
Missal continued: “More than 400 of K&L Gates’ lawyers have served in government, many in senior policymaking roles. This enables us to provide clie...
Read More 0 comments Beltway Confidential
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20091024 sdsom Beltway Confidential digest
From the people who brought us the swine flu vaccine shortage - Government-run health care! UPDATED
President Obama's late-night declaration of a nationwide public health emergency last night shouldn't be allowed to obscure the most important lesson of the developing swine flu... —Mark Tapscott
Millions watching Rep. Mike Rogers' opening statement on health care reform
It's not often that something said by a congressman anywhere but on C-SPAN is heard by millions of people, but more than 5.6 million people have viewed the opening statement on... —Mark Tapscott
NPR analyst compares Obama to Nixon, issues full apology
It's pretty unremarkable to describe the Obama White House's growing enemies list -- the insurance companies, Chamber of Commerce, Fox News -- as "Nixonian." But... —Byron York
Who's really reading the McChrystal report?
Forget about reading legislation, how about a top general's report on Afghanistan? Gen. Stanley McChrystal's classified report on the war in Afghanistan supposedly includes his... —Susan Ferrechio
Joe Biden avoids stepping in it By: Julie Mason 10/23/09 5:26 PM
Bill Burton: Who does number two work for? By: Julie Mason 10/23/09 3:44 PM
Michelle Obama turns Breast Cancer Awareness Month into attack on insurance companies By: Byron York 10/23/09 3:35 PM
House subcommittee plans Honolulu junket to check on stimulus spending By: Mark Tapscott 10/23/09 2:26 PM
Americans increasingly skeptical of global warming alarmism By: Michael Barone 10/23/09 12:47 PM
Could Health Care Slip to Next Year? By: Susan Ferrechio 10/23/09 12:15 PM
Morning Must Reads -- Confusing movement with progress on health care By: Chris Stirewalt 10/23/09 8:50 AM
Ghost Sighting! Bob Michel - Voice from GOP's losing past UPDATED! By: Mark Tapscott 10/22/09 10:10 PM
Palin endorses Hoffman in hot NY-23 congressional special election By: Mark Tapscott 10/22/09 9:15 PM
WH drops Fox thing, goes after Cheney By: Julie Mason 10/22/09 4:25 PM
A word-cloud downpour of taxes. By: Susan Ferrechio 10/22/09 3:42 PM
On politics and testosterone By: Julie Mason 10/22/09 2:49 PM
Senate Democrats wary of health care deficit spending By: Michael Barone 10/22/09 11:55 AM
Few believe health care will improve if reform passes By: Byron York 10/22/09 11:33 AM
Morning Must Reads -- Deficit worries nix key health proposal By: Chris Stirewalt 10/22/09 9:04 AM
Devastating drop in job approval numbers for Obama in new Gallup survey By: Mark Tapscott 10/21/09 10:45 PM
Obama's 'National Resource Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Elders' By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 6:10 PM
President Obama has something important in common with Edward I, aka "Longshanks" By: Mark Tapscott 10/21/09 5:52 PM
Millions of federal employees might be exempt from health benefits tax By: Susan Ferrechio 10/21/09 5:43 PM
"W" is for winners! By: Julie Mason 10/21/09 5:31 PM
Another Obama administration czar agrees - 'kind of' - with Mao By: Mark Tapscott 10/21/09 3:19 PM
First, it was White House communications chief Anita Dunn telling a high school commencement audience that the murderous Chairman Mao was one of her "two favorite philosophers." Now, it's manufacturing czar Ron Bloom who it turns out "kinda" agrees with modern history's most prolific genocidal murderer that "power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
Leave it to the irrepressible Glenn Beck to dig up the video of Bloom speaking to a labor audience in 2008 and explaining what they had learned in the recent past. Here's the relevant passage:
"Generally speaking we get the joke. We know that the free market is nonsense. We know that the whole point is to game the system, to beat the market, or at least find someone who will pay you a lot of money because they're convinced that there is a free lunch. We know this is largely about power, that it's an adults only, no limit game. We kind of agree with Mao that political power comes largely from the barrel of a gun. And we get it that if you want a friend, you should get a dog." Bloom is a Harvard grad and former SEIU official with close ties to ACORN who also happens to have spent some years at an investment banking firm. He has lots of experience negotiating deals with big corporations that favor unionized workforces. So is it really possible for somebody with that kind of background to not...
Read More 1 comments Beltway Confidential
Exxon edges out General Electric for Q3 lobbying crown By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 2:35 PM
Exxon Mobil spent $7.16 million on lobbying in July, August, and September of this year, just edging out second-quarter lobbying king General Electric ($6.94 million) as the company spending the most on 3rd quarter lobbying.
The single biggest Q3 lobbying entity was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which shelled out a record $34.7 million, more than any entity has ever spent.
Here are the top ten lobbying entities for the quarter:
- U.S Chamber of Commerce: $34.69 million - American Beverage Association: $7.33 million - Exxon Mobil: $7.16 million - General Electric: $6.94 million - Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America: $6.79 million - Nat'l Association of Manufacturers: $5.75 million - AARP: $5.68 million - FedEx: $5.61 million - Pfizer: $5.42 million - UPS: $4.41 million
Read More 1 comments Beltway Confidential
Soda tax spurs lobbying explosion By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 2:18 PM The American Beverage Association spent $7.33 million on lobbying last quarter, according to a new filing, more than the group had spent in 2001 through 2008 combined. Representing soda makers, the lobby ramped up its spending in reaction to proposals for a "fat tax" or "soda tax" to finance health-care reform.
Read More 1 comments Beltway Confidential
Read the bill, stupid By: Barbara Hollingsworth 10/21/09 1:49 PM
Organizers of a “Read the Bill” petition (http://readthebill.org) were up on Capitol Hill today to hand over more than 21,000 signatures to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, demanding that Congress post bills online for at least 72 hours before voting.
The group supports bipartisan legislation sponsored by Rep. Brian Baird, D-WA, and Rep. John Culberson, R-TX, but House Resolution 554 – which would require a 72-hour posting of the 1,502-page Baucus health care bill before a vote – has stalled in Congress.
“The Finance Committee’s original, plain language bill version did a decent job covering the major parts of the legislation,” said Paul Blumenthal, senior writer at the Sunlight Foundation. “What should be most concerning are the provisions that no one is talking about, the enticements inserted for specific states or specific industries that fly under the radar.”
Read More 1 comments Beltway Confidential
How Dede got the nod By: Michael Barone 10/21/09 1:48 PM
How did the hapless Dede Scozzafava, whose travails my Examiner colleague Mark Tapscott has chronicled, get the Republican nomination in the special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district? Blogger and tea party activist Michael Patrick Leahy has the scoop. It’s an interesting example of how local political stumbling can affect a race of some national significance. Any of the other eight candidates would apparently have received the Conservative party nomination and probably would have won the special without too much trouble. But in a district narrowly carried 51%-47% by George W. Bush in 2004 and 52%-47% by Barack Obama in 2008, Democrat Bill Owens now has a strong chance to capture the district for his party since many Republican voters, turned off by Scozzafava’s support of the Democratic stimulus package and the unions’ card check bill, will vote for Conservative nominee Doug Hoffman.
Read More 2 comments Beltway Confidential
Obama is good for K Street By: Timothy P. Carney 10/21/09 1:46 PM
From lobbying firm K&L Gates:
Washington, D.C.— Law firm K&L Gates LLP has launched a Global Government Solutions initiative to assist clients in managing the threats and opportunities presented by government authorities around the world.
“The economic crisis has transformed the relationship between business and government,” said Peter J. Kalis, K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner. “Governments around the world are stimulating their economies, reforming areas such as health care, financial services, taxation, and employment, and attempting to prevent future crises through aggressive new regulations and enforcement actions. In the current environment, K&L Gates’ clients are faced with significant challenges – and unprecedented opportunities.”
“K&L Gates has one of the largest global government-related practices of any law firm,” said Michael J. Missal, co-leader of K&L Gates’ policy and regulatory practice area. “Our Global Government Solutions resources offer a uniquely effective set of capabilities, combining a broad range of legal and industry experience with a geographic reach extending across three continents.”
Missal continued: “More than 400 of K&L Gates’ lawyers have served in government, many in senior policymaking roles. This enables us to provide clie...
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20091024 sdsom Beltway Confidential digest
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