Darrell Issa - It used to be called bribery!
By louisehartmann
Chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee Darrell Issa finally released the responses he received from private industry on what government regulations he should go after now that he's in charge of a congressional committee. Issa asked businesses what regulations they wanted to get rid of. But surprise, surprise – over half of the responses didn’t come from businesses at all – they came from lobbying organizations.
The Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Business Roundtable were among 106 other lobbying organizations that informed Congressman Issa on how to move forward with deregulation – mostly aimed at weakening the EPA and the new Wall Street reform law. Of course – lobbying organizations don’t create jobs – they try to maximize profits for their clients which usually leads to fewer American jobs. For example lobbyists protect tax loopholes that allow corporations to continue shipping American jobs overseas for higher profits. In other words – most of the responses Issa received were from people who are interested in screwing over American workers. In fact – none of the Top 30 job-creating companies responded to Issa inquiry – and zero of the top 10 biggest publicly owned companies responded.
Issa is only interested in hearing from high paid lobbyists and millionaire and billionaires transnational corporate CEOs who can fund his re-election efforts. It used to be called bribery, back when we called things what they were. And, irony of ironies, this is the one House committee in charge of investigating corruption.
How far they've fallen.
Comments
#2
Issa is a Joe McCarthy wanna-be who saw Communists and American Traitors in every closet and wanted Big Government to eradicate them all! What is frieghtening is that Issa may very well succeed!
This has to be stopped before Issa becomes another out of control Grand Inquisitor of American Democracy!
#3
Call it what it is, bribery.
Attach it as a title to Issa's name at every turn: Darrell Issa, Leader of Bribery
#4
You should make it clear that you are talking about the National Chamber of Commerce, not the local Chamber of Commerce folks see in their communities.
#5
Consumer boycotts organized on a grand scale can really mess them up. Why not have a real Tea Party? If they are going to lobby, there is nothing wrong with counter-lobbying by targeting and laying under seige the cash flow of offenders.
We have the power to not buy anything they sell, things which we have become hypnotized into believing are necessities.
It's your money, and they need it now because the pyramided debt of the inner circle has reached its peak.
#6
The acceptance of bribes identifies us as TRUE Americans.
#7
"You should make it clear that
You should make it clear that you are talking about the National Chamber of Commerce, not the local Chamber of Commerce folks see in their communities."
True - but the National CoC speaks for the local chapters. Otherwise why have a National CoC?
Also, if that is the case, why don't the local chapters speak out? And what amazes me, and I've seen this play out in many communities, when Big Corporate chains, Wal-Mart in particular, move into communities and literally 'Kill" local businesses, where is the outrage from the National and local CoCs? The 'Wal-Mart’s', the 'Lowes' and the 'Home Depots' and many others have done more in the way of destroying 'Small Businesses’ than any Government, Regulations or Taxes have done! And yet, not a whimper from the local CoCs! After all, they have the Democrats, Taxes and Regulations to kick around, while their businesses get swallowed up by the big conglomerates, and once proud small business owners then have to work for these 'job killing' Big Business for yeoman's wages and minimal benefits.
The Obama administration has done “More” than any Republican to save, bolster and create small businesses than any Republican or Republican administration has. And yet the local CoCs are still anti-Obama and fully support the Republican administration and its voodoo economics.
I used this analogy lately to depict this: You are saved from drowning by a Democrat, but on hearing that the person who saved you is a Democrat, you jump back into the water because you just do not like who saved you.
This is the status of the American Right at the moment – they just do Not like Obama, the Democrats and Liberal ideals; even to the detriment of there own lives and livelihoods.
If the Local CoCs want to save their businesses, looking to the National CoCs, the Republicans and corporate conglomerates to save them will not help them – in fact just the opposite, as the main agenda of the Big Corporations is to swallow the small businesses, period. This leads me just using Common Sense, forget logic, that the Local CoCs would do better to support the Democratic agenda so as to save their small businesses in their communities, then to rail against the very people that are literally trying to save small business and create jobs!.
And what is the Republican party doing right now - Abortion Bills! Nothing about jobs, nothing! And I can predict with almost 99% certainty that they will NOT do anything to create jobs or save small businesses in the next 2 years. Reason - they simply do not have any solutions; None!
#8
"...back when we called things what they were..."
I'd call Issa what he really is, but I understand you prefer the commentary here to be "PG", so...
;-)
#9
How about this, LET'S HAVE OUR OWN REVOLUTION RIGHT HERE AT HOME! I have a list of greivances that dates back to before the FED was illegally created in 1910. It is long past time to demand radical change in this country, and I don't mean in the Tea Party way! Quite the opposite! The world is waiting for the American people to act and demand accountability from our own government. There was a lot of energy during the Civil Right's Movement, The Vietnam War and even right up into the 80's when Regan came into office. Now, everyone is so busy working 3 jobs so that their family can scrape together basic survival needs that there are few bodies available for a mass demonstration. Egypt is a wonderful example of what happens when business as usual stops- people can work together and help each other survive and change their destiny. What is our destiny if we don't act now? How much more can we, the American People take? Isn't your backside sore yet?
#10
Where is the Executive and his Department of Justice? They have been conspicuously absent for two years. Rather than looking ahead they should look left, right and immediately behind.
#11
A bribe is payment for illegal activity. Thats why it's called a bribe. Business men use it quietly to insure a contract by excluding competitive bidders. Organized crime uses bribes to buy protection.
compliance, and omission. Lobbyist use it to boycott and subvert the law. If indeed it is the American way, then it is the criminal American way.
#12
Issa should be investigated. Last year, when the SEC's investigation into Goldman Sachs led to a fraud suit against the company, Mr. Issa decided to investigate....the SEC! Let's look a little closer. Goldman Sachs pays a $550 million fine for selling a mortgage investment that was established to fail, thereby misleading the American people, and the people's representative Mr. Issa decides to investigate the investigators? But wait, it gets better. Also last year, Mr. Issa was among the lawmakers involved in negotiating the financial reform legislation. At that time Mr. Issa reported that "he and his wife had $5 million to $25 million invested in a Goldman Sachs high yield fund and a similar range invested in a JPMorgan Chase & Co. high yield fund." Even after disclosing his industry ties, Mr. Issa still did not step away from the negotiating. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Case & Co. are both members of the Business Roundtable, so we can be assured Mr. Issa is all ears when their lobbyists come calling. He ended up voting against the financial reform bill, which would have given regulators more authority over corporations like Goldman Sachs. And he is investigating corruption? Go figure.
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Accepting bribes has always been the American way. What is different today is that the acceptance of a bribe is good and not wrong. Bribes are part of the American psyche and part of the mainstream in America.