|
Lott Resigns To Enter ‘Lucrative’
World Of Lobbying That He Worked In The Senate To Protect
Think
Progress
Monday November 26, 2007
Earlier today, news broke that Senate Minority Whip
Trent Lott (R-MS) intends “to resign his seat before the
end of the year.” Lott will explain his plans in two news
conferences in his home state of Mississippi later today.
Though the reasons for Lott’s resignation are still unknown,
a “congressional official” told the AP that “there
is nothing amiss with Lott’s health” and that “the
senator has ‘other opportunities‘ he plans to pursue.”
NBC News reports that Lott’s “other opportunities”
involve joining the “lucrative world of lobbying Congress”
before “tougher restrictions in a new lobbying law”
take effect:
While the exactly reason Lott is stepping down before he finishes
his term is unknown, the general speculation is that a quick
departure immunizes Lott against tougher restrictions in a new
lobbying law that takes effect at the end of the year. That
law would require Senators to wait two-years before entering
the lucrative world of lobbying Congress.
“A Lott friend” confirmed to the Politico
that the new lobbying law is “a factor in the timing”
of his resignation.
(Article continues below)
Lott, whose son is a lobbyist, was part of a small bloc of conservatives
who voted against the ethics reform bill in August that included
the two-year revolving door ban. His vote reflected his longtime
position as an opponent of lobbying reform. Here are a few more
examples of Lott’s defense of his potential, soon-to-be
job:
- In Jan. 2006, Lott praised “the practice of secretly
inserting special projects into spending bills at the behest
of lobbyists,” calling it “an effective way for
Congress to address a problem or need back home.”
- In Feb. 2006, Lott derided the effort to fix lobbying loopholes
after the Jack Abramoff scandal as “the usual over reaction
that we see happen quite often in Washington.”
- In March 2006, Lott voted against establishing a Senate Office
of Public Integrity.
- In March 2006, when Congress sought to ban free meals from
lobbyists, Lott defended the free meals, saying a ban would
imply “that we can be had for the price of a lunch or
dinner.”
Lott’s defense of lobbyists should come as no surprise
considering how well they treated him while in office. Earlier
this year, the Washington Post reported that Lott topped “the
list of current lawmakers who have most frequently been jetted
around the country aboard the luxurious private jets of Corporate
America.”
Now, with tougher restrictions looming, Lott appears likely to
pass through the revolving door to take the type of “lucrative”
lobbying job that he fought so hard in the Senate to protect.
UPDATE: In a press conference today, Lott denied that the upcoming
ban played “a big role” in his decision.
|
INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
|
|
