It’s time to slam shut the revolving door on Capitol Hill – and bolt it closed...
By louisehartmann
Who did House Oversight Committee Chairman – and richest man in Congress Darrell Issa - hire to spearhead his efforts to block government regulations on big banks like Goldman Sachs? None other than the Vice President of Goldman Sachs! In one of the most egregious cases of the revolving door on Capitol Hill – the former Vice President of Goldman Sachs – Peter Simonyi – left his job as a bankster – then changed his name to Peter Haller – and took a job working for Republican Congressman Darrell Issa to stop new Wall Street regulations.
In July – Haller wrote a letter to government regulators urging them to drop new regulations against his old employer Goldman Sachs. As investigative reporter at ThinkProgress Lee Fang notes – it appears Issa has turned the House Oversight Committee into a bank-lobbying firm with the power to subpoena government regulators. Not only that – Back in 2005 – Haller used to work for the SEC – then he left to go work for Goldman Sachs so that he could lobby his former co-workers at the SEC to water down regulations. And now – he’s back working for the government trying to get rid of regulations altogether.
It’s time to slam shut the revolving door on Capitol Hill – and bolt it closed. And call out corrupt Congressmen like Issa.
Comments
#2
There are many criminals in Congress. Some just haven't been convicted ... yet.
#3
The frightening thing about a lie detector is the belief that it actually works. More frightening is that someone may develop one that does work. Who gets to use it?
#4
I'd like to argue that, not only are corporations not people, they are legally constrained from acting as people. My view comes, to some extent, from Robert Reich's "Supercapitalism". He talks about corporations in his book, and about how it's somewhat meaningless to demonize Walmart, because Walmart is simply acting as corporations are supposed to act. Central to their purpose is their
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fiduciary role toward the financial interests of their stockholders. Corporations can be sued for deviating from their
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fiduciary responsibilities. This says to me that corporations are restricted, legally, from considering various alturistic, humanistic, or other such values that any ordinary individual can consider. As such, corporations can't really act as persons and shouldn't be given all the rights and responsibilities of persons. They can't exercise the same judgment as people can.
#5
The need to lower the number of lobbyists is never more apparent and there should be laws written to prevent things like this from actually occuring. Until then, the American people can never win their fair right to the pursuit of happiness.
#6
Tag, we're it... Another problem that can only be handled after we get corporate money out of politics...we have a way...
#7
Elizabeth Warren should not be a person to "Beat" a Republican. She is expected to be a a strong, honest woman who keeps the interests of the powerless in her mission. She has a right to the job that does not benefit her.
#8
I think that thousands of people should stand outside his house and stare at him as he gets into his car to go to work. And thousands more should be waiting at his office, and stare at him there, too. And when he leaves for lunch, thousands of people should follow him and stare at him while he eats lunch. And when he goes home at the end of the day, thousands of people should be there, staring at him as he exits his car and goes into his house. And thousands of people should stand there and stare at his house all night long, in shifts. If he wants to go out in public, he should not be able to do so without being faced with the people who do not approve of the mental illness that he obeys every time he screws the little people out of money.
#9
Foxes guarding the chicken coop. And the next time you go get a vaccination...wonder what is it you are getting besides just a vaccination...are they collecting dna on you and putting it into a data base? There are all kinds of "conspiracy theories" which many people still tend to reject...until many years later when more knowledge comes out that despoils the official government-controlling version of truth...and even then many people have been brainwashed to go along with the official stories. Here's one more that you may, or may not, have heard of:
CIA organised fake vaccination drive to get Osama bin Laden's family DNA
Senior Pakistani doctor who organised vaccine programme in Abbottabad arrested by ISI for working with US agents
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccinations-osama-...
I won't even go into the conspiracy theory about AIDS and the Hepatitis B vaccine connection.
#10
End the revolving door. Bring an end to corrupt politicians by showing up to the ballot box and bringing all your friends. We can educate ourselves so that the billionaires do not push every American into poverty.
#11
Showing up at the ballot box will only add to the fallacy that we have an honest and workable system of democracy. We don't have a honest and workable system of democracy. Obama proves this...as he is a Wall Street Democrat or a Republican faking it as a Democrat. He is very far to the right of center politically and sides with Wall Street and the banksters against the people. He is not our friend and he will just do more of the same if reelected...and the same is a dismantling of the social safety network like social security and medicare. His actions have proven this to be so...no matter what he has said...his actions speak louder than words. We need to primary Obama out and put in a real Democrat...a progressive one that does not kiss Wall Street and bankster's behinds. We need someone who can and will stand up to them....for a change!!!
#12
Have you cosidered collaborating with Change.org or FreePress.net or any other popular nonprofits that publish and disseminate this kind of news, create petitions for us to sign, and connect us to our representatives in Congress demanding transparancy and change? They do a lot of good work. I'm new to you so I don't yet know exactly what you may do similarly...
#13
Is it, or is it not, a crime in itself to change your name like this? Did he go through a legal process, or is this just another acceptable policy for those "in control"? This is sickening, and I believe every American who has been insulted or destroyed by this corrupt US government should simple REFUSE TO PAY TAXES!!! What are we paying for? Cuts in social programs; illegal and immoral wars; torture, rendition, and no-bid contracts. Meanwhile, roads are crumbling; bridges are collapsing; freedoms are being trampled on; tent cities are springing up all over the country. We spend BILLION$$$ to defend this country. With what is going on, what the hell is there to defend? DO NOT PAY TAXES!!!
#14
Its really time that this type of action be prosecuted if possible. There is no way that Issa should be able to retain any position in government after this revelation and the one earlier this week pertaining to earmarks.
#15
As Thom has so ably demonstrated in his books, we are screwed and it is continually growing worse. We are now living in a managed democracy with systematized bribery and the blurring of government and business. Our only thriving populist movement is a reworked, billionaire-supported John Birch Society clone that bears no resemblance to the Boston Tea Party (legends in their own minds). The original tea party dumped the monopoly tea in the harbor: this tea party is drinking the monopoly tea.
One thing tea partiers that I talk to agree with me on is what they call "crony capitalism." Yet, their movement is itself a crony with certain corporatists (denial?). What we need is a populist movement akin to the late 19th century that will now demand a constitutional amendment to ban money from politics. Nothing short of that will fix this country or set the standard for the world that will be trying to develop both democracies (Arab Spring?) and healthy capitalist markets (sans monopolies).
Otherwise, we are surely headed for some kind of global fascism and/or feudalism like the world has never witnessed. To have the kind of populist movement we need, we must surely cross political boundaries and unite in claiming our government for citizen-taxpayer control. If we don't rise up as a people, our taxation without representation (deja vu) government will become but a fading dream of democracy unrealized. Cause for alarm? I would say.
#16
Revolving Dooritis is a chronic symptom of all agencies, departments, branches,{ congress, courts, etc.} in effect the foxes are guarding the hen house.Corporations and Government are now one Big GMO. FDA is infiltrated by Monsanto, FCC infiltrated by Corporate media, EPA by big oil and big coal, Maybe the EPA should stand for the Energy Protection Agency, When I sit back and look at the depth of influence and control I get chills done my spine. The reason we have GMO's { Genetically Modified Organisms} in agriculture is due to Monsanto and the FDA having exchanged personnel, thus GMO's were allowed to be introduced as safe and the regulation process was by passed. The corporations have infected every crevice of Government. The American Legislative Exchange Council {Alec} conceives the Laws, the corporate sponsored Congress inacts the Laws, the corporate sponsored Judiciary protects the Laws. The Corporate media supports the entire process with propaganda and created news to promote the corporate agendas. The entire balance of our existing system has been shifted to an unsustainable entity"The Corporation." I doubt ALEC will write any legislation that would act as a door stop to this revolving door. One nation undivided with liberty and justice for the Corporation.
#17
When the banks are begging to socialize massive losses again in a year or so due to the continued success of thwarting regulations, coupled with huge spending cuts, and the whole damn world is in a severe depression, we all need to ask Darrell & Peter, how proud they are of their efforts.
#18
I think a movement to change the face of Congress is possible by employing something akin to peer pressure. We need to make people feel bad about not doing their civic duty by not voting. The key is that we are not asking for a lot of time or effort - just to vote. That simple. We shouldn't let people complain about anything wrong with our government without challenging them about their participation in the election process. Because complaining is what most people do these days, the point of voting as a responsibility is driven home. Again and again. Like Bush said, "Sometimes you gotta catapult the propaganda" in order for people to get the message. Isn't that what the Republicans do so well? It worked for smoking cessation and smoking bans. Let's try it out. No one gets past their first sentence of complaint without the question being asked.
#19
At least Congressman Darrell Issa has done one good thing. He is exposing the highups in the obama administration that are involved in the "fast and furious" program. eric holder's refusal to comment on this topic will hopefully cost him his job. Thank you Darryl Issa.
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