ACTION

Right from the get-go the rhetoric was direct and passionate…yet still only rhetoric.

obama told a crowd in Iowa during a December 2007 speech that “I’m running to tell lobbyists in Washington thattheir days of setting the agenda are over.”

As an Illinois Senator, 40% of obama’s campaign cash came from political action committees,corporations, and unions.

In May of 2008 obama and his party criticized Presidential opponent John McCain for being “less than sincere” onlobbying reform while talking tough but then hiring former lobbyists to work onhis campaign.

As President-elect, November, 2008, obama brings on board to his transition team and eventual WhiteHouse staff at least 9 former lobbyists.

June 6, 2008, obama tells a crowd in Bristol, Virginia: “We (the DNC and democrat party) will not take a dime from Washington lobbyists orspecial interest PACs. We’re going tochange how Washington works. They willnot fund my party. They will not run myWhite House. And they will not drown outthe voice of the American people when I’m president of the United States ofAmerica.”

And the crowd cheered wildly. Are they cheering now?

During a March 2009 radio address, obama told the nation that was listening of the looming battle between lobbyists and federal budgetwriting efforts: “…they’re gearing up for a fight…My message to them, so am I.”

Direct, passionate...yet merely rhetoric.

On February 12, 2010, OpenSecrets.org releases a report that shows lobbyists spent a record setting historic amountof cash lobbying obama’s government in 2009.

The OpenSecrets.org report stated that in 2009 lobbyists spend $3.5 billion attempting to influence obama’s government.

$3.5 BILLION.

Not bad during tough economic times and with unemployment at 25 year highs.

Influence peddling has reached historic heights during the obama administration.

The top agencies in the federal government that were targeted by lobbyists in 2009 were the obama led and democrat controlled House ofRepresentatives; the obama led and democrat controlled US Senate; theDepartment of Defense; and obama’s White House Office.

Of the total monies lobbyists spent that went directly to campaign donations for members of obama’s Congress, 68% of that total went todemocrats with Senate leader harry reid being the number one benefactor.

obama told his biographer in the book “Hopes and Dreams: The Story of barack obama”that following a speech in college: “I really wanted to stay up there, to hearmy voice.”

Aside from a few people in Bristol, VA. And on MySpace.com, nobody else is as thrilled to hear obama’s voice.

The government that he leads hasn’t been listening.

The Congress that his party leads hasn’t been listening.

His party hasn’t been listening.

Direct, passionate…yet merely rhetoric.