Social Trumps promise to Ban lobbyist. How is it holding up?

[MikeMcMann]

We all remember Trump's 'drain the swamp' talk. It was a key plank of his for the people agenda.

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Last June on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” host John Dickerson asked Donald Trump: Given the candidate’s drumbeat of criticism of the Washington lobbyist class, “Will you say ‘No lobbyists will work for me and no big donors?’”

“I would have no problem with it, honestly,” Trump responded.

After the exchange, a “Face the Nation” producer followed up with campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, who confirmed that, yes, Trump was referring to banning lobbyists from his administration.

The sentiment is in line with what Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in another interview a year earlier, when he called banning lobbyists from working in his administration “a pretty good idea.” cite

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So what has happened since:

4 Top Key Department Heads have now been replaced with Top lobbiest who used to Lobby in the Industries they now head.

- Mark Esper - Secretary of Defense - Former Raytheon top lobbyist
- Andrew Wheeler - EPA Head - Former head of Coal Lobby
- David Bernhardt - Interior Secretary - Former top Oil lobbyist
- Alex Azar - Health and Human Services - Former top lobbyist for big Pharma

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1. At the same time, “the administration has not been shy about hiring individuals who were once registered as lobbyists with the federal government. Data provided to The Washington Post by the liberal PAC American Bridge details the extent to which former lobbyists have made their way into the administration. Twenty work for the executive office of the president itself, including four ‘super-lobbyists’—ones who represented at least 10 different companies or organizations before coming to work for the government. What’s more, of the 74 lobbyists identified … 49 now work for agencies they used to lobby.” cite

I've mentioned in another thread that we've seen the start of how some of these new department heads are taking steps to gut the departments they now head of all the accumulated decades of knowledge and policies and people by announcing complete relocations of the offices to new States and all employees being offered a take it or leave it package with the expectation that they make their decision to move within 30 days. No extensions. Estimates are that some 70% of most departments, and most of the senior staff, will take the packages and leave, allowing the new former lobbyist heads to re-populate the departments with people they choose who do not have the pesky history of issues that have been reviewed and fought and turned down prior. Long term brain trust that has had to deal with and rebuff prior administration goals whether Republican or Democrat.

Are new junior staffers likely to go to the wall fighting for prior principle, to uphold the under lying precepts of the laws?

This is all taking place under the cover of all the other noise Trump generates each day and IMO is one of the most long term dangerous things his administration is doing.

He was right to identify a 'swamp' in Washington that needed draining. But instead Trump is not only not draining the Swamp but under his auspices they are gutting all the mechanisms that might have challenged that swamp prior.

Discuss?

 

[AndroidRage]

We all remember Trump's 'drain the swamp' talk. It was a key plank of his for the people agenda.

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So what has happened since:

4 Top Key Department Heads have now been replaced with Top lobbiest who used to Lobby in the Industries they now head.

- Mark Esper - Secretary of Defense - Former Raytheon top lobbyist
- Andrew Wheeler - EPA Head - Former head of Coal Lobby
- David Bernhardt - Interior Secretary - Former top Oil lobbyist
- Alex Azar - Health and Human Services - Former top lobbyist for big Pharma

--------------------

I've mentioned in another thread that we've seen the start of how some of these new department heads are taking steps to gut the departments they now head of all the accumulated decades of knowledge and policies and people by announcing complete relocations of the offices to new States and all employees being offered a take it or leave it package with the expectation that they make their decision to move within 30 days. No extensions. Estimates are that some 70% of most departments, and most of the senior staff, will take the packages and leave, allowing the new former lobbyist heads to re-populate the departments with people they choose who do not have the pesky history of issues that have been reviewed and fought and turned down prior. Long term brain trust that has had to deal with and rebuff prior administration goals whether Republican or Democrat.

Are new junior staffers likely to go to the wall fighting for prior principle, to uphold the under lying precepts of the laws?

This is all taking place under the cover of all the other noise Trump generates each day and IMO is one of the most long term dangerous things his administration is doing.

He was right to identify a 'swamp' in Washington that needed draining. But instead Trump is not only not draining the Swamp but under his auspices they are gutting all the mechanisms that might have challenged that swamp prior.

Discuss?

I mean he kinda got rid of lobbyists. He just gave them all positions of power, eliminating the need for lobbyists. Now big money doesn't need a middle man.... they are the man.

 

[D 1 Wrestler]

@Happy Man ??

Why has he filled the swamp instead of drained it?

 

[Happy Man]

@Happy Man ??

Why has he filled the swamp instead of drained it?

His foreign policy team is indeed full of swamp creatures. And it’s sad.

The MIC deep state is a tough nut to crack. Trump keeps complaining about it, but that doesn’t cut the mustard

 

[HomeCheese]

It can't be surprising to anybody that the drain the swamp talk and crap about getting rid of lobbyists was just campaign BS. No one I know even expects Trump to keep his word about anything.

 

[MikeMcMann]

It can't be surprising to anybody that the drain the swamp talk and crap about getting rid of lobbyists was just campaign BS. No one I know even expects Trump to keep his word about anything.

This is insidious though. It's one thing to plop in a friendly at the top as they get shuffled every few years and any damage done can be reversed.

This effort is targeted at gutting the department's of all their collected knowledge and most experienced people. Without expertise the arguments and defenses and sense of right and wrong is gone.

 

[HOLA]

He never even liked the term "drain the swamp." He thought it was hokey. But his idiot cult loved it, so he just kept saying. It means nothing, I think Miller told him to just say it.

 

[Ophydian]

We all remember Trump's 'drain the swamp' talk. It was a key plank of his for the people agenda.

-------



--------------


So what has happened since:

4 Top Key Department Heads have now been replaced with Top lobbiest who used to Lobby in the Industries they now head.

- Mark Esper - Secretary of Defense - Former Raytheon top lobbyist
- Andrew Wheeler - EPA Head - Former head of Coal Lobby
- David Bernhardt - Interior Secretary - Former top Oil lobbyist
- Alex Azar - Health and Human Services - Former top lobbyist for big Pharma

--------------------

I've mentioned in another thread that we've seen the start of how some of these new department heads are taking steps to gut the departments they now head of all the accumulated decades of knowledge and policies and people by announcing complete relocations of the offices to new States and all employees being offered a take it or leave it package with the expectation that they make their decision to move within 30 days. No extensions. Estimates are that some 70% of most departments, and most of the senior staff, will take the packages and leave, allowing the new former lobbyist heads to re-populate the departments with people they choose who do not have the pesky history of issues that have been reviewed and fought and turned down prior. Long term brain trust that has had to deal with and rebuff prior administration goals whether Republican or Democrat.

Are new junior staffers likely to go to the wall fighting for prior principle, to uphold the under lying precepts of the laws?

This is all taking place under the cover of all the other noise Trump generates each day and IMO is one of the most long term dangerous things his administration is doing.

He was right to identify a 'swamp' in Washington that needed draining. But instead Trump is not only not draining the Swamp but under his auspices they are gutting all the mechanisms that might have challenged that swamp prior.

Discuss?

As one conservative on this forum said in regards to detention facilities amassing huge profits off human life, “As long as Americans are being employed, who gives a fuck.”

 

[Ophydian]

His foreign policy team is indeed full of swamp creatures. And it’s sad.

The MIC deep state is a tough but to crack. Trump keeps complaining about it, but that doesn’t cut the mustard

Do you honestly think he’s sincere in his complaints?

 

[Happy Man]

Do you honestly think he’s sincere in his complaints?

Oh yeah. He hates what he calls the “deep state” that runs our foreign policy.

He went to pull out of Syrian and every liberal and media outlet skewered him alive Along with our MIC.

That was a low moment in American history.

 

[7437]

Which Presidents have banned lobbyist?

Which presidents made it a main focus of their campaign?

 

[7437]

Oh yeah. He hates what he calls the “deep state” that runs our foreign policy.

He went to pull out of Syrian and every liberal and media outlet skewered him alive Along with our MIC.

That was a low moment in American history.

He doesnt hate the deep state, he just says that on TV to excite morons. That's why he finds the deepest of deep state people to hire. No one is making him do that.

 

[Happy Man]

He doesnt hate the deep state, he just says that on TV to excite morons. That's why he finds the deepest of deep state people to hire. No one is making him do that.

The heat dies down when he does that. Funny how that works.

There are powerful organs of our state that demand militaristic foreign policy. The media is one of those organs. And it commands both parties.

He certainly hates the deep state. Wanted to make the JFK files public. First week in office he is TOLD he can’t do that, even though he can. He should of just done it.

The deep state HATES HATES HATES trump. And he hates them back. He makes a mockery of their entire system. It’s a joke.

 

[curryjunkie]

swamp that drain.

 

[44nutman]

Pro tip if Trumps lips are moving he is lying

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

About as good as he did fixing healthcare overnight

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

The heat dies down when he does that. Funny how that works.

There are powerful organs of our state that demand militaristic foreign policy. The media is one of those organs. And it commands both parties.

He certainly hates the deep state. Wanted to make the JFK files public. First week in office he is TOLD he can’t do that, even though he can. He should of just done it.

The deep state HATES HATES HATES trump. And he hates them back. He makes a mockery of their entire system. It’s a joke.

^
^
Imagine being this mentally insane in real life.

 

[Javelina]

about as well as obama closing gitmo

 

[Happy Man]

^
^
Imagine being this mentally insane in real life.

Dude.

You guys are trying to act like trump didn’t try to unanimously get us out of Syria?

Remember what happened.

Everyone gets tired of leftist lies and gaslighting.

Trumps approval rating is as high as it’s ever been because people are fed up with your ignorance.

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

Dude.

You guys are trying to act like trump didn’t try to unanimously get us out of Syria?

Remember what happened.

Everyone gets tired of leftist lies and gaslighting.

Trumps approval rating is as high as it’s ever been because people are fed up with your ignorance.

Yes the average American who doesn’t know the difference between the ACA and OBAMACARE are really focused on the nuances of Syria.

The level of constant mental decay you live in is quite frightening.

Can you imagine a man who gave the biggest tax breaks to the “deep state” is also trying to take out the “deep state.” Isnt it time you focus on a new buzz word.