And now for our monthly report on lobbyist (and first brother) Andrew Blunt's continuing streak. While other lobbyists have to wine and dine (or pop and whop if it's non-alcoholic) legislators, Blunt filed another no-expenditure report with the Missouri Ethics Commission for June.
Commission records show Blunt has not spent a cent to lobby for his powerful clients since his brother became governor. Nice work if you can get it.
3 comments:
Two questions:
1--Can you lobby without spending money? Of course you can. The Turner Report is just a bit condescending in its easy acceptance of the media mantra that money buys elections, influence, whatever. Talking to legislators on behalf of clients doesn't cost a cent; that's how MOST lobbying gets done.
2--The legislature is not in session, and our elected folks are back at home doing what they do when they are not being legislators. This surely dries up the opportunities to wine and dine (I have no idea what "pop and whop" means).
The entire purpose of your ... what would we call it? A news story? An article? An accusation? A provocation? ... is to libel someone related to the governor through reckless implication. This demeans your blog and diminishes the quality of public discussion.
It would seem that legislative advocates just can't win under the Turner Report rules: if you spend money, you're a sleaze; if you don't, you're smeared. It's very convenient to have opinions that you don't have to back up with facts, but we might expect something more substantial, honest, relevant and meaningful from an educator.
Obviously you can lobby without spending money, if your brother is the governor and your father in a powerful Congressman. There is no accusation here. I have said over and over again that lobbyists already have a built-in advantage in getting what their clients want, whether it be legislation or killing or changing legislation, because of their ready access to politicians, the friendships they develop (many times over these dinners and trips), and most of all, their ability to come through with political donations. Andrew Blunt has the twin advantages of his last name and the client list he has developed through that last name. As for this business of "our elected folks are back at home doing what they do when they are not being legislators" that is true for some, but the records just posted on the Missouri Ethics Commission website indicate that many of them are going to ballgames and concerts courtesy of their friendly lobbyists, and are still joining them for meals, with the lobbyists picking up the tab.
If you think lobbyists aren't working legislators on behalf of their clients in the months when the legislature is not in session, you are either fooling yourself, or trying to fool everyone else.
When they are not in session, they might be found going to the movies for free, ridiculing the disabled and making them cry or counting the monies obtained while in office. That would just be what one senator does, I'm not sure about the rest.
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