Subscribe to Receive the Daily Report

Sunday, January 24th, 2016

How Obama failed to shut Washington’s revolving door

Author:     Josh Gerstein
Source:     Politico
Publication Date:     12/31/15 06:00 AM EST
 Link: How Obama failed to shut Washington’s revolving door
Stephan:   Obama like all the Presidents before him has had virtually no impact on the Great Washington Gravy Train. Having once been part of that world I can tell you that once you are in it, entering either from the business door going into government, or the government door going into business, it's a sweet ride if integrity is not of much concern to you. Watergate drove me away. Here is a good assessment of the Washington reality.
Credit: Politico

Credit: Politico

“When I’m president of the United States, if you want to work for my administration, you can’t leave my administration and then go lobby.” — Barack Obama, campaigning in Iowa in August 2007

“The revolving door — the pattern of people going from industry to agency, back to industry — that will be closed in the Obama White House.” — Obama, in Iowa in December 2007

The vow of a novice Chicago senator to freeze out lobbyists and nail shut the revolving door was no throwaway line in Barack Obama’s stump speech. It was central to the narrative animating his 2008 campaign: a promise of wholesale change to business as usual in Washington. His presidency would be different.

Eight years later, here’s how different it looks: The top lobbyist for the private health insurance industry that continues to battle aspects of Obamacare is a former Health and Human Services official who played a powerful role in implementing the legislation. The head of the software industry’s lobbying group is a former Obama White House […]

Read the Full Article