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[Rentahamster]

As they saying goes, if you can't beat 'em...

video analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCHlD_YfR5w

more video analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMtDmkt6rhA

(article 1) https://theintercept.com/2017/06/23...nald-trump-mottur-podesta-comcast-prudential/

AFTER PRESIDENT DONALD Trump’s upset election victory, Democratic insiders who worked on Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential bid weren’t necessarily relegated to the sidelines. Many, in fact, are cashing in as lobbyists — by working to advance Trump’s agenda.

Lobbying records show that some Democratic fundraisers, who raised record amounts of campaign cash for Clinton, are now retained by top telecom interests to help repeal the strong net neutrality protections established during the Obama administration.

Others are working on behalf of for-profit prisons on detention issues, while others still are paid to help corporate interests pushing alongside Trump to weaken financial regulations. At least one prominent Clinton backer is working for a health insurance company on a provision that was included in the House Republican bill to gut the Affordable Care Act.

While Republican lobbyists are more in demand, liberal lobbyists are doing brisk business that has them reaching out to fellow Democrats to endorse — or at least tamp down vocal opposition to — Trump agenda items.

The net neutrality debate is a case in point. The biggest fundraisers for the Clinton campaign — Democratic lobbyists such as Ingrid Duran, Vincent Roberti, Steve Elmendorf, Al Mottur, and Arshi Siddiqui — are now lobbying on behalf of AT&T, Verizon, or Comcast on net neutrality. These companies dominate the telecom industry, which is working with the Trump administration to unwind one of President Barack Obama’s biggest accomplishments.

A well-known lobbyist who runs in powerful Democratic circles, Heather Podesta, volunteered for Clinton during the New Hampshire primaries. She collected at least $407,000 for the campaign. In recent months, Podesta has tweeted from the Center for American Progress Ideas Conference, an event billed as a platform for the “Resist movement,” and has continued to give cash to congressional Democrats.

Podesta, however, whose New Years Resolution was to “Make Lobbying Great Again,” has adapted to Republican rule by rebranding her lobbying firm from “Heather Podesta + Partners” to “Invariant,” a name change to reflect “an expanding bipartisan team” with ties to the Trump administration.

Trump’s election has been called a “bonanza” for Washington lobbyists, as K Street seeks to enrich itself by harnessing the administration’s zeal for rewarding corporate allies. For many Democratic insiders, there is fortune to made even in electoral defeat.

The Intercept spoke to several progressive activists who expressed outrage that leading Democratic Party officials are now advancing the Trump agenda, but were reluctant to comment on the record, for fear of angering powerful Democrats.

“Destroying the internet and maximizing the profitability of mass incarceration,” she added, “is not what I would call a winning strategy for Democrats who want to take back power in 2018.”

But maybe it'll work this time.

(article 2) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...eges-in-the-trump_us_5953cef6e4b0c85b96c65e53

And now, the disgraceful for-profit college industry is gearing up to spend more money ― to spend your tax dollars, since many industry players get 80 to 90 percent of their revenue from federal aid ― not on teaching, but on lobbying to make sure it gets everything it wants from the Trump years. Of course, high-priced Washington lobbyists, Republicans and, to the extent they are needed, Democrats, are ready to answer the call. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) once said that the for-profit colleges “own every lobbyist in town,” and it appears this industry still strives for that goal.

Last week a new lobbying firm registered to represent CECU: the powerhouse Podesta Group. Started by Democrats, Podesta is now heavily stocked with Republicans, including Lauren Maddox, who formerly lobbied for CECU and for-profit Career Education Corp. and this year helped shepherd DeVos through her shaky confirmation hearing. But now it appears that CECU has re-engaged Podesta to try to deliver some Democrats back into the for-profit fold. The Podesta lobbyists hired this time include Dana Thompson, former chief counsel to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Oscar Ramirez, former top aide to Obama Secretary of Labor, and before that congresswoman, Hilda Solis (D-CA).

Republican influence in this sphere is a given, but the Democratic influence is disappointing. Money talks. Is it no surprise that D.C. is one of the richest cities in the USA?

 

[Trojita]

The Intercept spoke to several progressive activists who expressed outrage that leading Democratic Party officials are now advancing the Trump agenda, but were reluctant to comment on the record, for fear of angering powerful Democrats.

But your examples aren't "leading Democratic Party officials".

The net neutrality debate is a case in point. The biggest fundraisers for the Clinton campaign — Democratic lobbyists such as Ingrid Duran, Vincent Roberti, Steve Elmendorf, Al Mottur, and Arshi Siddiqui — are now lobbying on behalf of AT&T, Verizon, or Comcast on net neutrality. These companies dominate the telecom industry, which is working with the Trump administration to unwind one of President Barack Obama's biggest accomplishments.

A well-known lobbyist who runs in powerful Democratic circles, Heather Podesta, volunteered for Clinton during the New Hampshire primaries. She collected at least $407,000 for the campaign. In recent months, Podesta has tweeted from the Center for American Progress Ideas Conference, an event billed as a platform for the ”Resist movement," and has continued to give cash to congressional Democrats.

The fuck are they talking about?

 

[Toxi]

They're opportunists and it ain't Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office.

 

[BitStyle]

They're opportunists and it ain't Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office.

Pretty much. Out to make the quick exploitative buck. Such is the call of many lobbying arms in this country

 

[Toxi]

Pretty much. Out to make the quick exploitative buck. Such is the call of many lobbying arms in this country

One could say they switched sides out of economic anxiety.

 

[gamz]

No surprise, but not sure how these people sleep at night.

 

[TheOctodad]