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Democracy Now! reports via AlterNet
Ken Salazar is a former U.S. Senator from Colorado who now works at WilmerHale, one of the most influential lobbying firms in Washington. Some groups have criticized Salazar's selection due to his vocal support of fracking, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Keystone XL pipeline.
In addition to Ken Salazar, other leaders of the transition team include former Obama National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Center for American Progress head Neera Tanden, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, and Maggie Williams, the director of Harvard's Institute of Politics.
[...] WilmerHale [represents] corporate clients across the board--Cigna, for instance. Cigna is a healthcare giant that is fighting for a merger with Anthem. WilmerHale represents them, Delta Airlines, Verizon, investment firms, a mining company. So, WilmerHale is a major law and lobbying firm.
Ken Salazar is not a registered lobbyist at WilmerHale; he is a partner there. Interestingly enough, Hillary Clinton had published a year ago an op-ed deriding the revolving door where lawmakers leave office and become lobbyists or help special interests. And she had specifically said that she was concerned about lawmakers who go into that line of work, public policy work, for corporate clients, but do not register as a lobbyist, which seems to fit the description of Ken Salazar.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Gravis on Friday August 19 2016, @03:36AM
She broke the law, lies to get support, clearly takes part in the corruption that is plaguing our political system and still she's the lesser of two evils. I'm pretty sure the devil himself would have a fair chance against Drumpf at this point.
(Score: 1) by Linatux on Friday August 19 2016, @03:50AM
Evil vs. Inept. Glad I'm not there - couldn't vote for evil & would choke on the alternative
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Friday August 19 2016, @04:19AM
The alternatives are Johnson/Weld (16 years combined gubernatorial experience—the ticket with the most^wonly executive experience on the ballot in all 50 states unless one counts HRC's time as Secretary of State and First Lady, which may be a valid counter) or Stein/Baraka. I really don't have anything against Dr. Stein other than being L team where she's G team, and I was surprised to learn how many positions we share. Johnson/Weld is simply the logical choice.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 19 2016, @11:33AM
Stein supports homeopathy, thinks wi-fi waves hurt people, and claims nuclear power plants are bombs. She is pandering to crazies, not a serious candidate.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Friday August 19 2016, @05:17PM
I didn't believe you so i looked it up. Now i know you are just lying: https://www.reddit.com/r/jillstein/comments/4axxxz/is_it_true_the_green_partyjill_stein_supports/ [reddit.com]
It looked like there was a lot of BS smear campaign calling her anti-science. Then punctuated with the declaration that a vote for Jill Stein is throwing away your vote. It looks like homeopathy is to be removed from the green's platform. I'd like ask if you think medical marijuana is homeopathic or fda approved? I have the feeling the "herbal" language is to just give people the freedom to do whatever they want. Not suggesting that medical science is inferior to tree-bark and dried up frogs (or whatever, i have no idea how that stuff works).
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JeanCroix on Friday August 19 2016, @02:26PM
(Score: 4, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Friday August 19 2016, @03:50AM
It has got to the point where those of you who live in the US and aren't billionaires should just admit to yourselves that you're superfluous to the political process.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 19 2016, @04:58AM
The year was 1853. [wikipedia.org]
Democrat Franklin Pierce becomes President and Millard Fillmore becomes the last Whig to have occupied the White House.
(It had been a D or a W since 1841.)
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican President.
Less than 5 years later, slavery in the USA was ended and we had the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
Don't tell people their votes don't count.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 19 2016, @06:30AM
15 years later, the country celebrated its centennial anniversary. 155 years later, and we still have had nothing but D's and R's in the White House. In the meantime, a central bank has been put into place, sovereignty has eroded, and private interests have more power than ever when it comes to ensuring that their gravy train continues to run on schedule. We have no formal nobility, but in practice, it may as well have been reinstated.
Your vote matters. Unfortunately, the vast majority still refuse to acknowledge just how much more powerful their vote would be if they weren't so paralyzed by the fear of wasting it.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 19 2016, @04:31PM
Your vote would matter in a plebiscite, or referendum. But when your only choices are representatives Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, not so much. And don't tell me I should vote third party. Unless a party is a real contender to win, you are just throwing your vote away. Third parties will have to do the hard, drawn out work of becoming relevant at the local level first so they can build a strong party. Until that has been accomplished, their running in national elections is just a fantasy catering to their egos and escapism for those who vote for them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 25 2016, @12:52AM
Unless a party is a real contender to win, you are just throwing your vote away.
So first you say that your vote would matter if our system weren't garbage, but then you say that voting third party is throwing your vote away. How can you waste something that doesn't matter?
Also. how can you decide for others whether or not they're throwing their votes away? They decide whether or not their vote was wasted, not you. If you feel your vote is better used to promote evil, that's your choice; I won't follow your example - I'll vote third party, and no, it won't be a waste of my vote.
Finally, you're short-sighted, because you have not realized that third parties don't have to win to make a difference. The perception of the spoiler effect, if it is large enough, has the potential to scare the main parties (and the voters who vote for evil in the primaries) into putting forth better candidates.
I don't know why the 'You're throwing your vote away!' argument is so common, given how easily debunked it is. You're less likely to see change by always voting for evil than you are if you use the perception of the spoiler effect to your advantage, even if the latter will take a long time. Do people even think, or do they just repeat propaganda?
Third parties will have to do the hard, drawn out work of becoming relevant at the local level first so they can build a strong party.
This, however, is not a bad idea.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by cubancigar11 on Friday August 19 2016, @04:23AM
The system was rigged from the beginning. The difference is that people have decided to work within the rigged system instead of fighting it. So, is the system really rigged or people just had lofty ideals and little understanding of the system to begin with?
I think it is the latter. The system has never been left or right or center. System is system and it has always been about rich controlling poor to maintain stability. People who dwell too much into left-right debate and people who think choosing the 'lesser' evil is the right thing to do are the poor. Just admit it - no one who did these was a billionaire.
This is why Trump was an ideal candidate. When the stick is about beating you up, better to have it in a monkey's hand.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 19 2016, @02:55PM
Have you ever broken the law?
Does that make you a criminal who should be put in prison for the rest of your life? Before you answer, suppose Fox News and other media outlets cover that story on TV and online 24x7x365.