the corporate oligarchy that has become our shadow government

Although I begin this post by pointing you to a list of fifty-one former corporate lobbyists (including four cabinet-level officers) holding senior positions in the Obama administration and recalling the vast array of lobbyists called in for "consultation" about healthcare reform, this is about process rather than partisanship (Bush certainly did the same, or worse).

Simple fact:  highly paid corporate positions are where senior government folks go to spend their "out" years when the other party is in power.

When they come back in, they know it is a time-limited gig, and they naturally represent the interests of their once and future employers as much if not moreso than the interests of the general public.



Consider defense giant Raytheon, which has been prospering based not just on Pentagon acquisitions contracts, but also on overseas sales (from CNN Money):

Until recently, executives say, the defense industry shrugged at globalization. "[During] my first few years here, you could hardly get a senior person to go international," says Tom Culligan, head of Raytheon's international business. "People would say, 'I don't want to give up my weekend to go to Riyadh.'" (The workweek in Saudi Arabia begins on Saturday.)

Raytheon now derives 23% of its sales from other countries, the most of any big contractor. Analysts say that's because it sells affordable gear -- missiles, upgrades, and radar -- as opposed to jets that cost $100 million apiece. Raytheon does sell one large program, the Patriot, a radar-guided firing system that shoots down ballistic missiles. Two years ago, Culligan says, a $3.3 billion order from the United Arab Emirates enabled the company to restart the Patriot production line and add new features like radar digital processors, which, in turn, lure more international customers. The strategy is working: Raytheon's domestic revenue was up just 1% last quarter, according to its CFO, but its international sales grew 11% to 12%.

Of course this amazing growth might just be attributable (at least in part) to the fact that the Deputy Secretary of Defense in charges of weapons procurement is William Lynn--a former Raytheon lobbyist.  Raytheon, by the way, also hauled down $6.2 billion in US government contracts last year, making it the fourth largest Federal contractor.

Perhaps if one is wondering why our government cannot seem to take a rational approach to issues of agricultural subsidies to big corporations, the answer could be that Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Krysta Harden (formerly of Gordley Associates) used represent the National Barley Growers Association; National Sunflower Association; American Soybean Association; and the U.S. Canola Association.

Or maybe you just wanted to know why corporations rather than ordinary Americans have an apparent revolving door entry into the White House when new laws are being mooted.  Could part of that answer be that Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Dana Singsler (formerly of Akin Gump Strauss Haller and Feld) previously represented AT&T; Motion Picture Association of America; Apollo Advisors; American Express; Mortgage Insurance Companies of America; Pfizer; and the Bank of New York.

I sat in a room with Senator Tom Carper last year and had the opportunity to ask him about the Obama administration going back on its promise to reduce the impact of lobbyists in Washington.  He flat out responded that there should be no blanket prohibition of former lobbyists in government because they were knowledgeable people about their industries and we couldn't afford to lose access to their expertise.  No kidding.  And he looked peeved to have to explain for the umpteenth time to John Q Public why having lobbyists in government was a good idea.

Nor is it exactly news that CBS unearthed at least forty-nine Goldmann Sachs alums holding down key government policy-making positions under Dems and GOPers alike over the past twenty years.  Not content with simply acquiring the US Treasury Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, and other government agencies, GS now seems headed into foreign policy.

From Raw Replay:

Journalist, entrepreneur and Russia Today opinion host Max Keiser traveled to Greece recently for a film project that looks at how the country came to be on the verge of default.

The conclusion of his interview subjects, and indeed a large portion of the Greek population, is that Goldman Sachs, perhaps the most powerful financial firm in the world, has engaged in an economic coup against the nation, taking advantage of rife tax fraud to force Greek lawmakers to hand over the country’s public assets.

Not to worry, however, because with two parties there is always a choice of which lobbyists and which corporations will be running America's government.  Isn't there?

Face it:  camping out is a wonderful means of highly visible protest, but corporate interests no longer influence the government--they ARE the government.

Good luck with that reform thing.