At Newsweek, Michael Isikoff has a small piece on ASK Public Strategies – a “consulting” firm that specializes in lobbying via “astroturfing” run by Barack Obama’s top strategist, David Axelrod.
However, true to Newsweek’s general left-wing, pro-Obama stance, the piece buries any link between ASK’s corporate clients, like the utility company Exelon, and Obama near the very bottom of the inverted pyramid, noting in passing:
One of them, Exelon, lobbied Obama two years ago on a nuclear bill; the firm’s executives and employees have also been a top source of cash for Obama’s campaign, contributing $236,211. Axelrod says he’s never talked to Obama about Exelon matters.
Isikoff leaves out that two top Exelon officials are among Obama’s largest fund-raisers. Also omitted is the full story of the bill. When Obama’s constituents in Illinois were outraged over Exelon’s failure to disclose radioactive leaks at one of its nuclear plants, Obama introduced a bill on the issue… then watered it down to next-to-nothing:
The new bill removed language mandating prompt reporting and simply offered guidance to regulators, whom it charged with addressing the issue of unreported leaks.
Even then, the bill died in the full Senate, a testament to Obama’s ability to produce “change we can believe in.”
Axelrod is just one of many such connections. NRO’s Jim Geraghty listed a number of them on May 22nd, while I detailed Obama’s connections to lobbyists and people hip deep in the subprime mortgage problem on May 20th.
(h/t Ed Morrissey.)
Well, see, the radiation’s liable to stimulate mutation with provides the variation which drives evolution. Presto Changey-O!
This is all just a distraction from the real issues – ie, how racist you all are.
O?
Aha. I was wondering why O had broken ranks with the left on nuclear power.
fixed BO’08
“Axelrod says he’s never talked to Obama about Exelon matters.”
He didn’t have to. As they say, money talks. Hell, in this case it screams.
Let’s see – Obama is buddies with Ayers. Ayers is the son of the former chairman of Commonwealth Edison. Commonwealth Edison is now Exelon. Exelon and Obama collaborate on a bill.
There is an alternate explanation. That leak of radioactive materials was indeed trivial – but it made a great narrative. Looks to me that it was an excellent lever for political extortion.
Obama’s lobby? Chicago work? S. Africa legislation? Land issues for FARC for drugs?
http://www.wfsb.com/news/16389467/detail.html
He’s taking over for Kennedy and it seems he is the same. He should be great for Americans.
As I said in a prior post, Obama is nothing new, different or better. It’s all just rhetoric. Even if the candidates rid their ranks of lobbyist, they’ll make up for it with proxies while pleading ignorance. Obamination will claim that it’s just a coincidence. We all know there are no coincidences in politics, there are just secrets that are uncovered. Obamarama will say that his opponents are cynics distorting his relationships with past acquaintances, but we continually hear the same sad song. Maybe Hillary isn’t that bad compared to Obamalamadingdong, but she’s still a liberal quasi-socialist. What’s a Democrat to do? Riot in Denver! Mile High Gift Shop, eco-freindly Molotov Cocktails, two for the price of one!
More on Obama’s hypocrisy regarding lobbyists
Barack Obama wants people to think he’s the anti-lobbyist candidate, and runs around the country dissing both Hillary Clinton and John McCain for supposedly being “beholden” to lobbyists. However, as with most things he says, the rhe…