The Truth About Lobbying

Whether you call it "pulling favors" or "illegal bribery," it's happening all over Washington, D.C... Lobbying! Jesse Ventura gets to the bottom of the lobbyists' business as he follows the Money Trail right to their doors on K Street. Without their dirty money would anything ever get done in government?

Check out the episode below or watch on Ora.tv

a reply to: OFFTHEGRID

GAAAAAH!

I damned well hate lobbyists! It's not just the US that gets ruined by the ability of a monied few, to affect the flow of legislation and the direction of "the big discussions".

We actually had a cash for votes scandal here in the UK a while back, and do you know, I do not think that any of the players in that sorry mess even received any jail time. Heck, I am pretty sure one of the individuals involved is still a face around Westminster!

What drives me up the wall about lobby groups, is that they are never there to represent the interests of the man in the street. All us street level guys really want, is to have a government that is there to fight our corner, to argue for our needs, to be the voice that speaks for us. But it seems, increasingly as the years progress, that the voice of the common person is being snowed under, has been drowned by the crushing weight of all the money that changes hands in order to get various balls rolling. Balls which, by the way have nothing what so ever to do with the attitudes and needs of the people, and everything to do with the necessity for money to move through a system for the sake of moving it.

As a voter in the UK, I feel utterly surplus to requirement, in so far as the way my government views me, and people like me. I can only imagine how it must feel to be a voter in the US. America is so much larger, and full of so many more different view points, that between the lobbyists, and the heavily polarised voting blocs, it is a wonder that any politician even knows who to aim his or her next campaign toward.

But there again, we come back to the crux of the whole question of government, that being, if those who seek power are prone to misuse it, then why seek to elect someone who actually wants the job of running the country? You see,to my mind, whether you live in the UK, the US, France, Germany, India, Australia, or a small island inhabited only by monkeys, rare birds, giant iguana, and a fellow named Dale who just sits there drinking fermented coconut juice all day and scratching his buttocks, if any person amongst all the residents of those lands turns to themselves and thinks " I think I would like to govern this place" that should AUTOMATICALLY remove them from ever having a chance to do it.

Because all this money, this lobby money which is ruining the representation of the people by the government in, well, all the nations which have similar practices, all it does, is serve the purpose of increasing the power of the person who receives it, and the person who delivers it. And power corrupts. It is so effective at corrupting people, that in order to become president, or Prime Minister, it seems as if one has already had to take the bribe, take the dirty money, steal a vote from individuals and turn it into liquid assets, one has to become the scum.

That makes me angry as all hell. The people who make law in the US, and for that matter in my own nation, should be held to a HIGHER standard than those they allegedly serve. That is to say, that the every day person, if caught behaving badly with money, is penalised heavily, and depending on the level of their stupidity, put in prison for a very long time. People in government and lobby groups should be held to a higher standard, but they are often let off from doing any real penance for their outrageous treatment of their positions.

They are the most morally defunct people imaginable, and yet these are the people who get elected more often than not. It makes me physically sick to think about it. It actually makes me want to push my fist through my elected representatives sternum, and pull his spine out through his chest, just to see if he might react in an honest fashion without being paid to do so.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Its sad but you are so right. Its always the worst people of all who make it to the top. Look at that disgusting landlord who's been in the news, Fergus Wilson, a truly disgusting man who evicted people from 200 of his properties just because they were poor and needed to claim housing benefit. He's one of the elite. He's been in the running for, and is planning on re-applying for the police commissioner post. He has not made his money by being a nice guy and doing the right thing.

Our society is based on greed. Playing fair and doing right by your fellow man gets you nowhere any more. It wont even help you sleep better at night because you will be wondering how you are going to pay next month's bills as you did not take the opportunity to screw someone over.

a reply to: Firefly_

This is exactly what I mean. The fellow you describe should be unable to run for public office, simply by having all the moral solidity of a sack of pig faeces. What is worse is, that kind of attitude will get this fellow places, bigger places than Police Commissioner.

Frankly, I think the balance of power between the poor many, and the rich few, needs to be altered. There should be a law preventing people from holding BOTH money AND power at one time. If things carry on as they are, where an aloof and clueless legislative process totally ignores the person on the street, all that can result is chaos, anger, hatred, monuments on fire, and nations sundered at their very foundation point.

For all that I love heavy metal, and could use the exercise involved in surviving a political apocalypse in my country, I also love my country, and the people of my country. I do not want to see the people of this land divided against one another, but bought together to solve our many problems as a single unit.

Hell, I want that to be possible in every nation, for every nations people. We all work hard, or live hard, or both, and we do it to stay afloat. It would be better for all of us, if the people had the power to make and unmake law by majority vote, rather than rely on a legislative process which seeks to remove the people from the process of lawmaking.

It terrifies me how similar the UK and the US are becoming in this regard, or rather, how much more obvious the similarities are.

Change the word used from lobbyist to influencer. what do you think happens when you have a global culture based on the want of control.

Going out on a limb here but...Not all Lobbying is bad. I have a family member who is a lobbyist and who has actually done some GOOD in the world by lobbying for improved mass transit, or helping the environment, and that sort of thing. See, when a Lobbyist is doing something good, they are practically heroes. When they are supporting the interests of The Dark Side like, say, the tobacco industry in their "cancer? what cancer? never heard of it!" days or Wall Street Greed...then they appear to be Agents of Evil... Lobbying is a tool.

Granted, lobbying gives great power to those who have the most money and leaves the little guy out of the equation. Big Money wins first, or at least has a LOT more say in what laws are made, what regulations are set or tabled, and who gets elected, etc. Is this fair? No. What you end up with are a bunch of competing interests, and it seems the most cut-throat and sociopathic of them triumph...

I would like my vote and my voice to count for something, but that really isn't how the system works. Money. For good or ill, that is the grease for the wheels.

- AB

This is the word you are looking for in regards to the political system.

Oligarchy

if the goddamned politicians would simply TRY to listen to their constituents - you know, the folks that put them there, Lobbying wouldn't be an issue.

(and for anyone who says "but they do! lol", I beg you to go to DC, knock on their door and ask to have a chat with them. Meanwhile, you'll see lobbyist after lobbyist go right on by for a sit-down with YOUR representative)

Bankers are best when it comes to "Lobbying" and if the bribes don't work then blackmail and threats are used and this allows AIRPAC to rule the world by controlling all the international banks.

Hang a few politicains and see how quick they move back to the side of the people they should be working for.

a reply to: AboveBoard

Not all Lobbying is bad

Lobbying is not the problem its the process that is the problem. We have a system designed to benefit the highest bidder.

The problem is people are more concerned and distracted by putting blame on the opposing political party than even talking about the real issue: The lobbying and unlimited CPAC contributions .

100 percent PURE BRIBERY ! That's it in a nutshell. Simple .

a reply to: AboveBoard

AB

It is true that lobby groups can be used by all manner of causes, not just the oil industry, or big tobacco.

But the problem is, that the entire idea of lobby groups, is that THEY have the ear of representatives. The job of government is to listen to the PEOPLE, and do their bidding. While I appreciate that some lobby groups operate on behalf of good causes, the actual existence of lobby groups places a serious block between the people and their government.

The access that lobby groups enjoy, should only be enjoyed by voters, by people who are directly effected by the issues they want to raise, by people who have no motivation other than making the voices of themselves, and others in their situation, heard by the people whose job it is to enact the will of the people. Such an enterprise is not something for which a person should be paid, nor is it acceptable that there is a business model for making money doing it!

If politicians paid as much attention to the words of regular voters, as they do the words of lobby groups, then the United States government would no longer monitor its citizens, would not decide that it may kill its citizens on foriegn soil, without trial or due process, using drones, and it would not allow the party politics to get in the way of enacting the will of the people, because polticians on all sides, from all parties, would be forced to actually obey the word of the people, which oddly enough, would UNITE the states in an even stronger and firmer manner, rather than divide them.

If we rid my nation of lobby power, we in Britain would also see an improvement in the responsiveness, and behaviour of our government, including on the methodology applied by our intelligence agencies, the operation of our government itself, and a whole host of other improvements. The reason I say that, is that in my nation many people are perfectly aware that their opinion does not matter to their government, and it makes it very hard for some people to continue to care about their contribution to the country, to their communities, to living in some cases. If government ONLY heard the voice of the people, rather than the voice of organisations paid to represent a position, it would make the entire business of government more pure, more trust worthy, and make our politicians more accountable, and THAT would make a very real difference to people in my country. It would energise them, allow them the chance to believe that their opinion matters, that their voice will not be lost amongst that of the money men.

People deserve an equal say, and no organisation or group should have more or less than any one else. But they do at the moment.

Ha! Didn't the supreme court rule that lobbying is legal and part of the American dream or some such.

The whole idea of elected representatives is an illogical fallacy, off course it will deviate into this mess you all see today, its practically creating the gangsters paradise. Just like the whole idea of one man speaking for million and millions of people and calling that person president is complete insanity. You cant even have 5 people agree on what they will have for breakfast, or agree on who gets the top bunk, much less speak for the whole world. And one man in a group cant even speak for the man next to him, much less the whole group or millions of them.

The magic is in getting people to actually believe that it will work or was going to work. Keeping them all going in circles because if they all or any of them actually came out on top and grasped the reigns, well the whole thing would crash and burn faster then the Zeppelin and sink faster then the Titanic. Its just human nature, always has, always will. The most important thing you can learn from history, is that people do not learn from history, at which point you just build fail safes into the whole thing. And even then resets in society now and then are a requisite. The only question is, will they be violent, or will they be something else.

Shouldn’t elected officials be able to do the right thing, without having people influencing them and bribing them? I was the Governor of Minnesota for four years and I never met with one lobbyist. I was able to govern exceptionally well. And I never, in four years, met with a lobbyist. So I don’t care if [your] relative is a lobbyist. That’s a job that should be eliminated. Lobbyist should be put in the unemployment line. They claim they did good? So bribery can lead to good, that’s what they’re saying. That, if the end result is ok, then the bribery is ok. They’re heroes? Ha! They’re parasites.

a reply to: AboveBoard

A smaller, more limited government would be of less use to lobbyists. All government power is wielded by individuals who will make honest mistakes from time to time.

The government will be taken by the worst people in the world someday, either by bad luck or design.

The government would, hopefully, be as small and weak as possible by then.

In my opinion, smaller government leads to more freedom, and thereby prosperity, for everyone.

Our Enemy the State by Albert J. Nock. Free Audio Book

Our Enemy the State by Albert Jay Nock Free Text Page

a reply to: JesseVentura

First, thank you for responding to my post. I really didn’t think you would! Though my head is still ringing from the body-slam!!

I see you as someone who has a strong sense of integrity, as well as strong opinions. I want to thank you for the challenge your response presents, as it has resulted in making me think more deeply on the subject.

In respect for your time, I'll do my best to bullet-point this…though I’m long-winded no matter how I edit…

1. Lobbying is inherent to power structures - as long as there have been organized groups of people, people will attempt to influence the powerful among them to wield it to their benefit. Lobbying itself is what an elected representative does when they use their influence and connections in Congress to benefit their constituents. From the School Board up to the Presidency, people will attempt to lobby those in power and influence outcomes. "Lobbying" itself ain't going away no matter what happens to professional Lobbyists. Lobbying is a neutral tool - i.e. the tobacco lobby can be countered by a lobby for Physicians against tobacco.

2. Point of Agreement: Paid or Professional Lobbyists are currently allowed to use methods of obtaining "audience" with powerful people, or to influence them, via "perks" that do border dangerously on "bribery." They are allowed to do this by the government, which regulates their activities through laws. Corruption is a massive temptation for both people in power and those attempting to influence them – it should be stamped out without question.

3. If paid Lobbyists are eliminated altogether, then there is the risk that ONLY the "natural networks" of legislatures and regulators will be able to put influence to power. "Natural networks" are defined as their own personal connections: family, friends, school mates, community, church, Lion's Club, Rotary, etc. This isn't to say that people couldn't protest, or make phone calls, or organize, but they may not be heard if they are a minority (i.e. families with special needs kids). It is human nature to choose people we know and are connected to over strangers. (This is one of the reasons that Lobbyists exist in a professional capacity - to break into the "inner circle" we non-connected people are naturally excluded from, the other is that big business/already connected people use them to grease the wheels to get what they want when they can, which is where the 'bribery issue' comes into play - this is the corruptive element that needs to be fixed.)

4. "Natural networks" are already in play, and will always be in play, and paid Lobbyists may very well be part of a Legislator or Regulator's natural network. Yet, because they are professionals and hired to represent a business or organization, people who are NOT a part of the legislator's or regulator's "natural network" CAN be heard. So, in this light, Lobbyists are a bridge for people who lack connections or even the skills required to network, so that they too may be heard.

6. The real problems with Lobbyists are twofold, imo: The first is regulatory - what Lobbyists are allowed to do to gain influence that benefits their client creates a system too easily corrupted. Lobbying itself, or trying to influence power, is just what humans do – how they are allowed to do it, however, can be regulated. Laws regulating Lobbyists should ideally be based on what has integrity – corruption eliminated via law and strict adherence with swift punishment for infractions.

The second is that it requires a lot of money to hire a good, well-connected Lobbyist, just like it requires a lot of money to hire a good lawyer or excellent marketing company (Lobbyists are a lot like Sales Reps). This disenfranchises people who do not have that kind of money. It would be interesting to think of solutions to this, like, for instance, Public Lobbyists, or enforced Pro Bono requirements for Lobbying firms. Or perhaps another means of being heard, especially for minority interests. I’m sure others can think of better solutions than I can. And still others would be horrified at the idea of creating something like this that might even the playing field.

In an ideal world, we would all have an equal voice with our legislators, but to think that could happen with or without Lobbyists would be naive. (That is not directed at you - you don't strike me as being naive! lol!)

My two cents. (Or 6 cents, technically speaking…)

Thank you again for your previous response, as it did make me research this and think it through on a much deeper level. You may of course, still think I'm wrong, but be that as it may, I've at least clarified it for myself. If you made it all the way through this post – then I also seriously appreciate your time.

- AB

The whole point of political influence is to ensure a sense of certainty in regards to your own wants or needs. Access to those who can either make you or brake your business is fundamental to success which is why lobbyists exist to lobby the cause of those who pay them.

Nice post. Political influence is really powerful.