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Comments

• [1] eCAHNomics November 27, 2007 - 10:11AM

  And even funnier, if Lott leaves before yearend 07, MS governor must declare a special election within 90 days, as opposed to Barbour's announced plan to appoint an interim until Nov 08 & schedule the special election to coordinate with the national. The latter plan would both give the R interim more time to gain popular support, plus give the R interim the tailwinds of greater voter turnout in a R state for a prez election year. Tsk, tsk, that low is a persnickety thing.

  
  
• [2] hjs from 11211 November 27, 2007 - 10:12AM

  what about any ted stevens connection

  
  
• [3] eCAHNomics November 27, 2007 - 10:14AM

  Make that "law" at the end of my comment, not "low."

  
  
• [4] Brian Hasbrouck from New York, NY November 27, 2007 - 10:17AM

  how much do lobbyists typically make? how much money are we talking? an increase of what?

  
  
• [5] David Latham from NYC November 27, 2007 - 10:24AM

  A voice on behalf of those leaving public service. If you've been in government for a substantial period of time your professional skills and contacts erode. What do you expect someone leaving government to do? They must capitalize on the skills and contacts they've developed over the past several years in order to earn a decent living. You can't accumulate enough money while in government to start up a new business that is unrelated to your public service. The public interest must be protected, but the departing government worker must be allowed to utilize the skills and contacts he/she has developed in order to earn a living.

  
  
• [6] eCAHNomics November 27, 2007 - 10:25AM

  Brian Hasbrouck

  Lobbiests, themselves, make 100s of thousands/year. But that's only the tip 'o iceberg. It's how they pollute the political process that's the real rot. If you want a really good book on how the national Rs have done this, read Follow the Money by John Anderson. Besides being really revealing, it's a page turner.

  Brian Lehrer,

  Please have John on as a guest. Here's a link to a book salon he did:

  http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/11/25/fdl-book-salon-follow-the-money/

  
  
• [7] David Latham from NYC November 27, 2007 - 10:27AM

  What is a departing government worker to do after leaving government if not utilize the contacts and skills you've developed while in government? You can't accumulate enough money while in public service to start up a business unless it's utilizing the skills/contacts you've developed while in public service. There are two sides to this coin.

  
  
• [8] RC November 27, 2007 - 10:28AM

  The reason why there isn't much outrage is because people do not think that this issue affects them. As long as the average Joe/Jill can fill his/her belly, buy beer, afford to fill up the SUV, have low stress on the job and take the family out to dinner on Sunday night, he/she doesn't care.

  You are asking people with very little education or who have forgotten their education to think beyond their own self interest. Politicians understand this very well. They are not going to waste their time on issues that the average person can't understand in 30 seconds.

  Now gov't corruption does affect the average american, but unless the average american can connect the dots, he or she will not care.

  It's sad, I know, but that is reality.

  
  
• [9] TW in queens from queens November 27, 2007 - 10:28AM

  Does it say something about the press coverage, specifically of Mark Halpern, that he DID NOT mention the lobbying connexion with Trent Lot on yesterdays's LLopate Show -- that it was a WNYC listener who brought it up!? He actually said that this is the rare case where Lott actually does want to spend time w/ family! Mr Halpern has a broad command of the topics -- but he always seems to emphasize the shortcomings of Democrats and minimize those of Republicans: I remember he was alone in judging George Bush winner of the debates with Kerry... And while he was political coverage cheif at ABC they ran a crawl under John Edwards' convention speech that was hugely distracting.

  
  
• [10] Johnny S from Cranford, NJ November 27, 2007 - 10:37AM

  So your guests offer, without challenge, the rumor that Lott is kanoodling with a gay prostitute. And they're justifying their use of this rumor on its appearance on political websites. I expect a lot more from you.

  
  
• [11] eCAHNomics November 27, 2007 - 10:47AM

  Johnny S

  I agree with you. The rumor was all over the blogs yesterday, but that's an enitrely different medium than the Brian Lehrer show. The blog most sensitive to NOT perpetrating such rumors was americablog, a lefty one that's political in general, but also focuses on gay issues.

  
  
• [12] hjs from 11211 November 27, 2007 - 10:50AM

  johnny, guess u were happy with the NJ press ingnoring 'rumors' about a former governor who was hiring his 'friends'