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The new Rules for Lobbyists. $50.00 per Meal (Little Rant)

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BlueJazz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:04 PM
Original message
The new Rules for Lobbyists. $50.00 per Meal (Little Rant)
I see that the new rules for lobbyists is truly restrictive..Not..

I mean, They can only spend $50.00 per meal per congress-person.

Sweet Jesus..That's $150.00 a day...$1050.00 per week
and $54,600.00 per year

Can you imagine ONLY being allowed to spend $54,600.00 on your favorite Senator per Year?

...And this is supposed to curtail Bribes?..Give me a F*cking Break...
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DUHandle Donating Member (580 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:07 PM
Response to Original message
1. Is the weight of our elected officials published anywhere?
Most of them look pretty heavy: deep set eyes, florid complexions, enlarged pores sweating bacon grease...
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BlackHeart Donating Member (294 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:09 PM
Response to Original message
2. Is there more to the rule?
You seem to be saying that the lobbyist can just give the politician $54,000 and tell him it's for meals. Is that how it works?
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BlueJazz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:12 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. No..But any Lobbyist who works for the same Company...
..could (Theoretically) buy ANY Congress-Person All of their meals for a year or longer.
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BlackHeart Donating Member (294 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:17 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. Does he have to eat it with him?
I ask cause I don't know.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:28 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. Would YOU want to watch Sensenbrenner eat?
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BlackHeart Donating Member (294 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 07:32 PM
Response to Reply #8
14. I can see how it might be dangerous...
...he might mistake me for a pork chop.
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BlueEyedSon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:13 PM
Response to Original message
4. what happened to the "pizza rule" ($5 meals)?
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beyurslf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:17 PM
Response to Original message
5. I think I could spend 50 bucks on lunch if I tried.
But surely I would get tired of that and just want a chesseburger one day.
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BlueEyedSon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:48 PM
Response to Reply #5
10. i bet in DC it's easy
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NYCGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:52 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. You have a couple of drinks and it's very easy to run up a $50 tab. NT
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Catchawave Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 06:00 PM
Response to Reply #5
13. I could too....order better wine :)
:rofl:
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snowbear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:27 PM
Response to Original message
7. I watched a little of that debate on C-span, the deal has a big LOOPhole
Any lobbyist will be able to bring along a secretary or any other employee who is not a registered lobbyist, and THAT PERSON will be able to use the company credit card to pick up the tab.

Senator Feingold was pleading with them to not vote in that version, saying that it would do nothing to remedy the problem.

They wouldn't listen to him..
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:30 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. So Abramoff could bring a tobacco executive with him to meet with Santorum
and the tobacco executive could buy Ricky champaigne and caviar and single-malt scotch?
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seaglass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 05:48 PM
Response to Reply #7
11. Did you hear Lott whining about how he wouldn't be able to
Edited on Wed Mar-29-06 05:49 PM by HopeLives
eat with his friend the lobbyist at McDonalds to see the issues of "small" businesses and restaurants? It is really sad when one of our Senators can't afford to pay for his own meal at McDonalds.:eyes:
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Neil Lisst Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-29-06 10:48 PM
Response to Original message
15. If you can buy a Senator by buying his meals, you need to be a lobbyist
Edited on Wed Mar-29-06 10:49 PM by Neil Lisst
$50 won't buy much of a meal in Washington, DC, and I'm pretty sure even lobbyists don't take someone out to eat at every meal, and I know they don't take the same person out repeatedly the same day, or even week.

I personally feel politicians, even appointees, shouldn't be able to take anything from lobbyists - not meals, not gifts, not flights, nothing. Let the lobbies give them money on the record, and let the pols pay for their own damn meals.
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