Pajiba

Oooooooo, I'm SCARED!

Corporate capitalism rules.

Lobbyists are people too.

Now whatcha gonna do, Mr. Big Talker?

*loads MurderMusket*

'any sort of defense for lobbying or corporate capitalism'

As a leftwing person from Holland* I actually never understood the lobbying..

*(a red-socialist-commybastard-hippie type)

Haha, MurderMusket! You really embrace being the oldest Pajiban and I like that.

Posted by: becks at April 6, 2010 10:47 AM
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Age has little to do with it. In West Virginia, 3-year-olds are taught to use the MurderMusket.* In fact, getting to be the Mountaineer and shoot the nonmurdermusket at ballgames is a huge honor and a full-time job, so much that there's a backup mascot for when events conflict.

Also, there's this: West Virginia University, 14-time NCAA rifle champion.

Suck on THAT, Duke!

*--Only a slight exaggeration. I have in fact run in my newspaper photos of 6-year-olds proudly holding rifles, accompanied by captions like "Mary's first 12-point."

Considering the money he's made, the money he still has and, more importantly, the money he's going to make once he's released, four years of moderate discomfort doesn't seem like a bad trade. Sure, Abramoff isn't likely to so obviously wield that kind of political power again, but his Rolodex hasn't gone anywhere. He'll get out in a couple of years, one of his CEO buddies will quietly make him a senior executive VP of purple nurples or some shit and he'll go right back to getting congressmen laid. The players change. The game never does.

I used to run those self-same photos , , and it begins to desensitize you to the idea of the little monsters running around, locked and loaded.

I used to run those self-same photos , , and it begins to desensitize you to the idea of the little monsters running around, locked and loaded.

Posted by: Smokin at April 6, 2010 11:43 AM
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Heh. Actually, for teen girls, knowing how to use a rifle might come in handy when the boys get a little too "handy."

I should note that while I don't hunt and never have, I have no problem with people who do, and who teach their children respect for both nature and firearms. There's a notable decline over the past 20 years of people learning to hunt. And there's been an explosion in the deer population, as a drive along most any interstate highway will remind.

Coincidence? I think not.

Mrs. , clipped one this winter, was VERY fortunate she only broke an $80 parking light. I think we ought to be able to machine gun herds of the fuckers from the road, and I'm only slightly joking.

I'm a meatie and I agree with comma daddy and Drake.

All this lobbyist hate is misdirected. You have a problem with the behavior of some lobbyists, not the concept of lobbying. Here's some organizations that have used, or are currently using lobbyists, and/or host fundraisers for Members of Congress:

Human Rights Caucus
World Wildlife Fund
Planned Parenthood
The Creative Coalition (1st Amendment Free Speech Group)
ASPCA
Susan G Komen Race For The Cure

Moreover, the right to petition Congress is guaranteed in the Constitution. Here's the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The vast majority of lobbyists spend their time writing white papers and meeting with 25 year-old Congressional staffers who cover issues as broad as "Agriculture" and "Health". These staffers have no possible way to sort out all the various groups/populations that might be affected by the legislation they write.

Don't get me wrong, those under-30 staffers aren't stupid or lazy, there just isn't enough time in the day for them to know everything about everything.

Regular shlub lobbyists don't go on golf outings, they don't live in strip clubs or pay people off with wads of cash. They spend their days with a one page bullet point memo in hand, trying to get 15 minutes of time from 435 offices to explain how a comma in paragraph 17 of a Bill will alter an entire industry.

Your right to lobby the government is essential to making Congress aware of the impact of their actions. Reject impotent rage at "lobbyists" and focus on "actions".

Abramoff was a bad man doing bad things that were and are illegal. Why did it take so long for the Judicial system to haul his butt into court? That's the real question.

I'm a deer and I don't like any of the recent comments above.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat.

Oops, sorry, got Thumper too.

Hmmm, rabbit stew.