Obama Picks Lobbyist as Pentagon No. 2

[Courtesy Flush]

Source: NBC News New York

WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama appointed a defense contractor's lobbyist Thursday to become the No. 2 official at the Defense Department, a choice that appeared to break with his self-imposed rules to keep lobbyists at arm's length.

Read more: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/us_world/NATL-Obama-Picks-Lobbyist-as-Pentagon-No-2.html

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This was posted on another messageboard by a gleeful freeper. Somebody please talk me down!

[waiting for hope]

1. The lobby part doesn't bother me as much as this:

Barack Obama, who during his campaign promised to lessen the influence of lobbyists in Washington, chose William J. Lynn III as his deputy secretary of defense at the Pentagon. Lynn just happens to be a senior vice president in charge of lobbying with Raytheon. Raytheon in turn just happens to have billions of dollars in Pentagon contracts and is the maker of the Army’s Patriot Missile system and the Navy Tomahawk missile. Raytheon is also developing a global positioning satellite communication system for the Air Force. Lynn’s new post would involve him in the process of budgeting and acquisitions.

In just the first three months of 2008, Lynn’s Raytheon lobbying team spent at least $1.15 million to influence issues regarding missiles, sensors and radar, advanced technology programs and intelligence funding.

http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5294:this-is-change&catid=129:obama-watch&Itemid=305

[KingOfLostSouls]

2. worked for ted kennedy previously as well

and as a comptroller.



I'm not altogether happy that someone else wasn't picked for SecDef (coughcoughanthonyzinnicoughcough) but oh well.


looks like he hung up his lobbyist spurs for some time as well.

[deadmessengers]

5. Zinni couldn't be picked.

He hasn't been out of the military for ten years. Same goes for Wesley Clark - by law, you have to be ten years separated from the US military to be SecDef. I still think Gates is keeping the seat warm for Wesley Clark, who can take over in about 18 months.

A reference, if you're interested: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/113.html

[KittyWampus]

12. Congress could vote to waive that restriction.

[slipslidingaway]

3. Lynn Confirmation Stalled by Levin’s Ethics Questions

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=amBnm2NB6AnM&refer=us

"Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Raytheon Co. executive William J. Lynn’s confirmation to be deputy defense secretary will be delayed until the White House explains what steps will be taken to avoid conflicts of interest, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said.

Lynn is senior vice president in Washington for the nation’s fourth-largest defense contractor, responsible for overseeing overall government lobbying. He was a registered lobbyist until March 2008. The Pentagon role would include reviewing major weapons programs and setting defense-spending priorities.

President Barack Obama yesterday issued new rules which forbid a lobbyist who joins his administration from working on issues they were previously involved with.

“Given the president’s new stricter rules,” the committee needs “further information before proceeding with the nomination,” Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said today..."

[ghurley]

4. This is a contradiction to his own rule...

and even though this doesn't change my mind about the contradiction, Gates does want Lynn...

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, who interviewed Lynn for the job, also defended him yesterday.

"I asked that an exception be made," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon, saying that he believed Lynn could do the job better "than anybody else I saw."

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2009/01/23/lobbying_issue_dogs_pentagon_nominee/

[newtothegame]

6. Yeah but he looks different than past Presidents, and we got to sing "Hey,Goodbye" at his inaug.n/t

[bvar22]

7. Where is that Web Site....

...that keeps track of Obama's Promises?

Chalk one up in the Broken Promises column.


"Centrism"...for those who are Half-Republican.

[nichomachus]

8. Whatever

I don't think being a lobbyist means you should have to live under a bridge and carry a bell, for crying out loud.

As long as a person has good credentials, I don't think that having been a lobbyist should disqualify them from working for the government. However, it shouldn't be their sole qualification, as it was with Bush.

Remember, when the GOP took over Congress in 1995, the lobbyists were given office space in the Capitol and actually wrote the legislation that was submitted to Congress.

I just find it amazing that the media has turned itself completely around in just three days. After eight years of giving Bush a pass on everything and ignoring crimes and atrocities, theft and corruption, and even treason, they are now putting Obama's every act under a microscope. Fuck them.

[Belial]

9. The problem is this.. there is a big damn deal about

how this is a NEW washington.. change.. etc.. then we have to make an exception to a rule that was a big deal.. it was heralded as change.. so what the fuck has changed?

[Zhade]

10. "Whatever" to a broken promise?

This isn't about qualifications. This is about Obama breaking the rule HE imposed. Just more of the same political bullshit.

DAMN it, Obama. Every time you make me happy, you then go and piss me off.

[indep_kidd]

11. DICK MOVE

I like Obama but this is retarded.

They are going to use this to try and destroy his credibility--which is fair game with something like this since it seems like they didn't try to explain that this lobbyists was some exception to the rule.