Under Obama, Crony Capitalism Again Rules The Day

by Michael Barone - February 14th, 2010 - Washington Examiner

Lobbyists, reports the Center for Responsive Politics, had a record 2009 in Barack Obama's Washington. Despite candidate Obama's promises to shun them, they raked in $3,470,000,000. [For those not quick with numbers that is three and one half BILLION DOLLARS] Somewhere up there, Tommy Corcoran is chuckling

You have to read the article to understand who Tommy Corcoran was, but the short story is - he was a lobbyist who helped industrialist Henry J. Kaiser get the contracts to help build war material that significantly aided winning World War II.

What is ironic is that the American form of government, has at key times in our history, had to rely on the ability of government leaders to pick industrialists who were most effective to help us fight our wars. No better example exists than World War II and Henry J. Kaiser. You have to wonder if Corcoran had not introduced Kaiser to Roosevelt if Kaiser, along with numerous other industrialists who were conscientious in building the machines that won that war, would have been allowed to help. The key to this process being good or bad is whether they pay bribes to get the contract purely for profits or conversely pay for access to argue their case to help the nation. Lobbyists can be effective for either motivation.

Few Democrats can tell the difference between these motivations because they would never consider that some of our best industrialists are as patriotic as anyone you will find.

That is the problem with Obama. He does not appear to pick those he rewards based on what they can do for our nation (if he can even tell what that is), but on what they are doing for the Democrat Party. It is the Chicago way.