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Published on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 by Politico.com
Democrats Haunted by Corporate Ties
by Jonathan Allen and Eamon Javers

President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are promising a climactic clash with Wall Street, but there's a complication in their battle plan: The Democratic Party is closer to corporate America - and to Wall Street in particular - than many Democrats would care to admit.

Wall Street connections could hurt Democrats as the White House pushes for regulatory reform. (AP photo composite by POLITICO)
Former White House counsel Greg Craig has just signed on as an institutional Sherpa for Goldman Sachs, the iconic financial firm facing fraud charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Former House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt lobbies for Goldman Sachs, Visa and the coal industry. Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle - Obama's first choice to head Health and Human Services - is an adviser for a lobbying firm that represents Charles Schwab, Comcast, Lockheed Martin, Verizon and a host of other corporate interests.

Attorney General Eric Holder once lobbied for Global Crossing - sometimes described as the Democratic Enron - and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel made eight figures in a little more than two years as the Chicago-based managing director at Wasserstein Perella & Co. between jobs as a senior aide in President Bill Clinton's White House and as the congressman representing Illinois's 5th District.

And the Democrats rode to their majorities in the House and the Senate on a wave of cash Emanuel and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer helped them raise from Wall Street. Earlier this month, a hedge fund manager at the center of the Goldman Sachs fraud case held a fundraiser for Schumer in New York.

"It's pathetic," Sen. Bernie Sanders, a liberal Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said of news that Goldman Sachs has hired Craig. "But it's what goes on around here."

death dealer wrote: You need look no further than the USDA and FDA. How can you properly police an industry that you are a stakeholder in?

death dealer wrote:It would be funny if it weren't so sad and disgusting. The reality is that our reprsentative democracy is truly neither any longer. Unless you mean representative of those with the deepest pockets. Every elected official, appointee, etc., etc. is in bed with large corporations in some way. You need look no further than the USDA and FDA. How can you properly police an industry that you are a stakeholder in? Any person that believes or claims that one party or faction in the govt. is somehow less corrupt and wrapped up in this mess than another is either a fool, delusional, or has a vested interest in keeping the status quo in place.

Chizzang wrote:

death dealer wrote:It would be funny if it weren't so sad and disgusting. The reality is that our reprsentative democracy is truly neither any longer. Unless you mean representative of those with the deepest pockets. Every elected official, appointee, etc., etc. is in bed with large corporations in some way. You need look no further than the USDA and FDA. How can you properly police an industry that you are a stakeholder in? Any person that believes or claims that one party or faction in the govt. is somehow less corrupt and wrapped up in this mess than another is either a fool, delusional, or has a vested interest in keeping the status quo in place.

Agreed,
But every time I say "big business" runs our government guys like AZ and Baldy get all defensive, like I'm suggesting that business is evil... all I'm suggesting is that large corporations are smart enough to team up with politicians...

Big Business Runs our Government..!!!
and has for a long long time

Ralph Nader has been saying that since 1975

Grizalltheway wrote: Cut those guys some slack, they're just saying what the pretty ladies on Fox News tell them to say...

Baldy wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote: Cut those guys some slack, they're just saying what the pretty ladies on Fox News tell them to say...

Says the guy who gets his news from Jon Leibowitz and The Daily Show.

Chizzang wrote:

death dealer wrote:It would be funny if it weren't so sad and disgusting. The reality is that our reprsentative democracy is truly neither any longer. Unless you mean representative of those with the deepest pockets. Every elected official, appointee, etc., etc. is in bed with large corporations in some way. You need look no further than the USDA and FDA. How can you properly police an industry that you are a stakeholder in? Any person that believes or claims that one party or faction in the govt. is somehow less corrupt and wrapped up in this mess than another is either a fool, delusional, or has a vested interest in keeping the status quo in place.

Agreed,
But every time I say "big business" runs our government guys like AZ and Baldy get all defensive, like I'm suggesting that business is evil... all I'm suggesting is that large corporations are smart enough to team up with politicians...

Big Business Runs our Government..!!!
and has for a long long time

Ralph Nader has been saying that since 1975

AZGrizFan wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
Agreed,
But every time I say "big business" runs our government guys like AZ and Baldy get all defensive, like I'm suggesting that business is evil... all I'm suggesting is that large corporations are smart enough to team up with politicians...

Big Business Runs our Government..!!!
and has for a long long time

Ralph Nader has been saying that since 1975

I don't get defensive. But I think you've got it backwards. Government runs big business.

Chizzang wrote:

death dealer wrote:It would be funny if it weren't so sad and disgusting. The reality is that our reprsentative democracy is truly neither any longer. Unless you mean representative of those with the deepest pockets. Every elected official, appointee, etc., etc. is in bed with large corporations in some way. You need look no further than the USDA and FDA. How can you properly police an industry that you are a stakeholder in? Any person that believes or claims that one party or faction in the govt. is somehow less corrupt and wrapped up in this mess than another is either a fool, delusional, or has a vested interest in keeping the status quo in place.

Agreed,
But every time I say "big business" runs our government guys like AZ and Baldy get all defensive, like I'm suggesting that business is evil... all I'm suggesting is that large corporations are smart enough to team up with politicians...

Big Business Runs our Government..!!!
and has for a long long time

Ralph Nader has been saying that since 1975

Chizzang wrote:

Baldy wrote:
Says the guy who gets his news from Jon Leibowitz and The Daily Show.

At least the daily show knows it's full of sh!t...

AZGrizFan wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
Agreed,
But every time I say "big business" runs our government guys like AZ and Baldy get all defensive, like I'm suggesting that business is evil... all I'm suggesting is that large corporations are smart enough to team up with politicians...

Big Business Runs our Government..!!!
and has for a long long time

Ralph Nader has been saying that since 1975

I don't get defensive. But I think you've got it backwards. Government runs big business.

Chizzang wrote:

death dealer wrote:It would be funny if it weren't so sad and disgusting. The reality is that our reprsentative democracy is truly neither any longer. Unless you mean representative of those with the deepest pockets. Every elected official, appointee, etc., etc. is in bed with large corporations in some way. You need look no further than the USDA and FDA. How can you properly police an industry that you are a stakeholder in? Any person that believes or claims that one party or faction in the govt. is somehow less corrupt and wrapped up in this mess than another is either a fool, delusional, or has a vested interest in keeping the status quo in place.

Agreed,
But every time I say "big business" runs our government guys like AZ and Baldy get all defensive, like I'm suggesting that business is evil... all I'm suggesting is that large corporations are smart enough to team up with politicians...

Big Business Runs our Government..!!!
and has for a long long time

Ralph Nader has been saying that since 1975

oldsloguy wrote:

Chizzang wrote:
Agreed,
But every time I say "big business" runs our government guys like AZ and Baldy get all defensive, like I'm suggesting that business is evil... all I'm suggesting is that large corporations are smart enough to team up with politicians...

Big Business Runs our Government..!!!
and has for a long long time

Ralph Nader has been saying that since 1975

Well Chizzang, AZ and Baldy may get all defensive, but part of it is that you seem to overlook Unions, ethnic groups, Gays, Indians who want casino monopolies, AARP, foreign countries, ideologues who want control etc. and only demonize business. Bottom line, if you are a business you better be in there to protect your interest at the very least. It’s a matter of survival.

BTW, if you review your own post, you will see the emergent idea of why so many conservatives believe in small government. A small, limited government as described in the constitution is much more immune to the type of corruption you describe since it doesn’t have the power to pick winner and losers. Under this limited government America grew from a backwater into the worlds preeminent power with the worlds highest standard of living.

death dealer wrote:It is so hilarious how this thread takes the same old tired route as every other one. The libs dog on the conservatives. The conservatives come right back at the libs. They both end up throwing mud at their respective parties, etc. Meanwhile, the truth remains undisputed. They are all evil SOB's and all need to go. If Hell existed there'd be a special really bad section reserved for anyone in politics. They are the worst kind of evil, all of them.

kalm wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
I don't get defensive. But I think you've got it backwards. Government runs big business.

AZGrizFan wrote:

kalm wrote:

I give you Government Motors, AIG, etc., etc., etc. We're moving from a "Big Business running the government" model to "government running big business" model at a frightening pace.