Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter defended the advisory board, saying it ``was selected based on the skill and experience of each member, and they are providing critical advice to ensure a smooth transition process.''
Sure it was. On Nov 12, 8:53 am, Kamakazee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Obama, the ultimate fluffer: > > Obama's Ethics Rules Won't Ban Big Fundraisers From Transition > > Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama is barring > lobbyists from participating in the transition that will help install > his administration. He will still leave room on his team for the rich > and powerful. > > Top fundraisers and other well-connected supporters will serve in an > advisory capacity before the Democrat takes office on Jan. 20. > > Five of the 12 members of Obama's transition advisory board raised at > least $50,000 for his presidential campaign, and eight contributed the > maximum individual donation of $4,600. Other transition team members > include a partner in a lobbying firm and two executives of financial > companies whose employees were among his biggest donors. > > ``If an Obama administration is going to sell influence, these are the > ones who have bought it,'' said Craig Holman of Public Citizen, a > Washington-based advocacy group that favors stronger campaign-finance > and lobbying laws. > > Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter defended the advisory board, saying > it ``was selected based on the skill and experience of each member, > and they are providing critical advice to ensure a smooth transition > process.'' > > Transition co-Chairman John Podesta yesterday released rules banning > registered lobbyists from raising money for the transition or working > for the new administration in areas on which they represented > clients. > > The new rules also prohibit members of the transition team who become > lobbyists from trying to influence the administration on any issues > that they worked on. Podesta called them ``the strictest, the most far- > reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history.'' > > Bundlers Exempt > > The rules, however, won't prevent campaign fundraisers known as > bundlers from serving. > > Valerie Jarrett, a transition co-chairwoman, raised between $100,000 > and $200,000 for Obama, according to his campaign Web site. Two > advisory board members, Julius Genachowski, managing director of Rock > Creek Ventures, a Washington firm that invests in online companies, > and Donald Gips, a vice president of Broomfield, Colorado-based Level > 3 Communications Inc., each raised at least $500,000 for > Obama.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=a2w3IGUcTI5Q --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
