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Corporate Democrats
by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman

If you wonder why things never change in Washington, look no further than a report released yesterday by Russ Baker's Real News Project (www.realnews.org).

The report documents 25 corporate Democrats -- corporate consultants with strong ties to the Democratic Party leadership inside the beltway.

"Although establishment Democrats are, by and large, still more skeptical of the corporate agenda than Republicans, they have become strikingly less so," Baker writes. "This has led to the creation of a kind of permanent corporate governance structure that is truly bipartisan. Many of the firms employing Democratic operatives have them working side-by-side with Republicans -- often the same Republicans they go up against in political campaigns. In some cases, a so-called conservative Republican and a so-called liberal Democrat are full partners in the same firm."

Case in point: Jack Quinn.

Jack Quinn served as Vice President Gore's Chief of Staff, and later as Counsel to President Clinton. Now he is a partner in a political consulting and lobbying firm with Republican insider Ed Gillespie -- Quinn Gillespie -- and together, "they have represented clients who want to drill in fragile areas of Alaska, put the screws to already beleaguered American creditors, and prevent the introduction of more healthy dairy substitutes in school lunches," Baker writes.

Democratic consultants know no bounds when it comes to the corporate feeding trough. They work for companies pushing genetically modified organisms, for Big Pharma, for credit card companies and for gambling companies.

Here are the 25 Corporate Democrats profiled in Baker's report.


http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0616-27.htm
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The US has a history of politicians of both parities being controlled by the wealthy, Land Owners, big business and corporations. Some times the greed and corruption was overwhelming and other times more constrained. But our history of wars, expansionism and exploitation had all been developed through the influence, and for the benefit of, wealth and business.

How bad it is and to what extent it controlled policies in the past varied from administrations. Some administrations drew from universities and scholars as advisors also but in general politicians, cabinet and various agency members went from Wall Street Firms, or business, frequently "regulating" the industry they came from, lobbying for and administrating policies that effect these industries, then returning to the industry. Or some lobby firm. It is called "the Revolving Door." Many are corporate lawyers, or "Guns for Hire." It was just as bad under Clinton and will conintue under Hillary or Obama.

(I actually think that Chris Dodd with be "Blessed" with carrying on the democratic torch to the White House but we will see. I think Hillary and Obama are distractions and it's really between Dodd and Biden, they both have been around a long time and have the right established connections. But I think Biden has made too many enemies and Dodd is more personable. I think they would like to pick Hillary but cabn't win. The primaires will be her test)

Sometimes in history the people were able to organize and effect policies. In the past we sometimes had a more independent and livelier press that kept people more informed, but not always. The people are usually "asleep at the wheel."

I think today is one of the worst periods in our history. The problem is that they are removing those vehicles and safeguards the people used to bring about change and protect our interests, like voting, dismantling the constitution and concentrating ownership of the media. They have used these techniques in the past and the people usually were able to eventually rise up and put a stop to it. Like the great Labor strikes and unrest of the 20th century. Sometimes the policies out ran themselves, kind of like what happened to Delay and the right wing republicans.

The other point that I have read is that these polices of the past, although based on greed, exploitation, war, etc, usually worked for the benefit of the country. Although some people died and suffered and were excluded, the country as a whole benefited. Like building the railroads or the exploitation of workers and environment during the Robber Barons and the industrial revolution. Happened throughout our history. Of course this is a very cold analysis for those who suffered in developing countries of starvation, repression and cruelty under the crimes of wars and imperialism of the 19th and 20th centuries, which continue today.

Today these Robber Baron Corporate Raiders have been compared to "Pirates" who are looting and destroying the country for their own profits. Taking and leaving an empty shell of a destroyed America. Decaying cities and environment. Taking our jobs and industry and shipping them overseas to sweatshops, repression and murder. Wait until they start buying up and owning all the food and water and begin shipping it over seas for greater profits while we starve here. That's what these corporations do in developing countries, and have for decades.

Corporations have become so powerful they are global entities and Nations onto themselves. They show no allegiance to any country but their own corporation. And even then workers. especailly at the bottom are overworked, exploited, with no rights or protections, then tossed aide when they out live their usefulness. Happens to executives also as they downsize for greater profits. Meanwhile the corporation continues to roam, plunder and destroy country after country and the planet in search of greater profits.

I though this was a revealing quote from the article about the state of politics in the US today.

"The friendliness with big business has escalated under the reign of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who has assembled his own so-called 'K Street Cabinet' -- named after the street where the lobbying hordes are headquartered."

They have us arguing over abortion and school prayer and such and dividing us up with labels as they are signing our lives away. Although Reid is anti abortion he is perceived as a liberal and is now the Majority Leader.

Mokhiber and Weissman have been around for a while and I am familiar with them They have continually "kept their eye on the ball." We have an independent media and the net to get the message out. We have the tools to stop this plundering and we had better get out there and inform and organize the people. Liberal or conservative we are all working people and Americans. Our enemies are greater then our differences

This is a much greater threat to us then al Qaeda, who are actually a result and reacting to these policies that they have suffered under for generations.
quote:
Originally posted by pba:
Corporate Democrats
by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman

If you wonder why things never change in Washington, look no further than a report released yesterday by Russ Baker's Real News Project (www.realnews.org).

The report documents 25 corporate Democrats -- corporate consultants with strong ties to the Democratic Party leadership inside the beltway.

"Although establishment Democrats are, by and large, still more skeptical of the corporate agenda than Republicans, they have become strikingly less so," Baker writes. "This has led to the creation of a kind of permanent corporate governance structure that is truly bipartisan. Many of the firms employing Democratic operatives have them working side-by-side with Republicans -- often the same Republicans they go up against in political campaigns. In some cases, a so-called conservative Republican and a so-called liberal Democrat are full partners in the same firm."

Case in point: Jack Quinn.

Jack Quinn served as Vice President Gore's Chief of Staff, and later as Counsel to President Clinton. Now he is a partner in a political consulting and lobbying firm with Republican insider Ed Gillespie -- Quinn Gillespie -- and together, "they have represented clients who want to drill in fragile areas of Alaska, put the screws to already beleaguered American creditors, and prevent the introduction of more healthy dairy substitutes in school lunches," Baker writes.

Democratic consultants know no bounds when it comes to the corporate feeding trough. They work for companies pushing genetically modified organisms, for Big Pharma, for credit card companies and for gambling companies.

Here are the 25 Corporate Democrats profiled in Baker's report.


http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0616-27.htm


There isn't ANY body MORE Corporate than Bush and Cheney!!!!! Last I heard, they weren't Democrats.....

Do you really think that Democrats hold the market for Corporations? Heck NO, I would venture to guess that even more Republicans are Corporate.

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