The President's Counselor In-House Lobbyist

by emptywheel

I noted last week that, by replacing Dan Bartlett with Ed Gillespie, Bush has added a proven firewall to the White House staff.

Via ThinkProgress, CNN/Money points out another benefit of Ed Gillespie (depending on your perspective). Bringing Gillespie on board brings big lobbyist clients right into the oval office. Companies like Sirius, Qualcomm, Amgen, and Genentech that have pending business before the Administration. And, Gillespie won't have to recuse himself from any discussions of this pending business:

Despite the potential for conflicts of interest, Gillespie won't be forced in his new role to recuse himself from all matters related to the companies he has lobbied for, said Ken Gross, a Washington-based attorney and former associate general counsel with the Federal Election Commission.

Instead, Gillespie will have to decide on a case-by-case basis if his activities could violate federal ethics standards.

In addition, there are companies like AT&T (NSA wiretap program), Nelnet and College Loan Corporation (both implicated in the Student Loan Scandal), and State Farm (Katrina settlements) that have an inappropriate coziness with the Administration. Oh, and PHRMA, because you wouldn't be a lobbyist worth your salt if you didn't shill for big Pharma. Just as troubling as those named corporations with pending business before Bush's "regulators," though, are the obvious front groups Quinn Gillespie lobbies for. Such as:

Coalition to Advance Healthcare Reform: An industry-funded front group pushing to move individuals to carry their own health insurance.

Association for Information Protection: This organization appears to combine IP protection and shredding certification. (Dick will be so happy to have moved the shredding service in-house, I'm sure.)

Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism: An big business group hoping to make terror insurance guarantees permanent.

These front groups may well be innocent or laudable. But it feels pretty creepy to have them in the oval office. Which after all is, with all the other corporations with a seat at Bush's desk, getting pretty crowded.

Comments

[Ishmael]

The K Street Project has now become the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Project. Of course, I'm sure that there is no potential for information going the other way from the Oval Office to these corporations via Mr. Gillespie. Is there no "cooling off" period mandated by the lobbying regulations for lobbyists going into government requiring them to be an ex-lobbyist for a certain time before taking office, as opposed to leaving government? If there isn't there ought to be. I'm sure everyone here at TNH is tired of me giving examples of how things work in Canada as opposed to the US, we are far from perfect here but we do have some things that work up here that don't mean we are turning into Soviet Canuckistan. I worked in a law firm where one of the senior partners was elected to Parliament and became a cabinet minister in charge of Public Works. Because he was a partner in the firm, the firm was shut out from doing any work with this branch of the government, and had to withdraw from any ongoing stuff.

[orionATL]

when is anybody going to comment on von spakovsky's hearing yesterday.

his efforts guiding the bush admin's suppression of minority voting rank right up there with the refusal to grant habeas to padilla

as activities fundamental to generating an authoritarian american government.

any word from ---- on von spakovsky's testimony?

think progress - no

talking points memo -- no

the carpetbagger - yes, but not analytical

the next hurrah - no

fire dog lake - no

left coaster - can't get thru to them

political animal - yes but not analytical

we learned yesterday, there's the juicy aspect that this character is descended from parents who escaped from nazi germany.

can you wrap your brain around that?

the son of nazi refugees is engaged in voter suppression efforts in the united states.

nice touch, hans.

[orionATL]

left coaster -- no.

[Redshift]

One local silver lining, though -- this leaves the Virginia Republican Party (where Gillespie had been chair for five or six months) scrambling for new leadership in the middle of elections for the legislature.

[emptywheel]

orion,

I need to set up a separate computer to watch the hearing, but I've also got a deadline I'm working on.

So not yet, not from me.

Redshift

Frankly, I suspect teh VA GOP is better off w/o Gillespie, given his recent record.