The Exceptions To Obama's Ethics Rules

Oops...
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Well at least the exceptions to the rules are being made in daylight, more or less.
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So do the Republicans who released this have actual objections to the nominees or is it the rules that they oppose?

michael, were these rules generally known for a while and this is just the official announcement?
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I sure hope so, because while most appointees probably won't have a problem, they have been building their own teams for weeks (if not months) and with 7000 plus Plum Book jobs available, a whole lot of people who were told they had jobs (and had been making the necessary arrangements) are going to be in trouble.

Here is the thing, we knew about these "new" prohibitions on lobbyists for weeks if not months and we also knew about at least one exception to the rule with Corr for awhile too. How is this now "new" news? To be honest with you I am more happy with the rule about people who leave office not being able to lobby the White House after they leave while Obama is still in office than I am about not hiring former lobbyists to begin with.

Good for McKaskill and the Republicans. The new rules have meaning, and they should kick up some dust over these appointments. As Gibbs notes, there is room for reasonable exceptions in this first year, but not without meaningful debate. I'm tired of Show Rules. Messy is good.

You've correctly captured the reality by saying the RNC "gleefully" emailed reporters. This is schoolboy tactics, and it's the reason Obama quoted scripture: "when I became a man I put away childish things." Time for some members of the Republican Party to grow up fast.
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So how do you guys feel about Barack not letting the broadcast media into the second oath? They're crying foul on "transparency," but I don't think transparency is the same thing as having the video cameras running. Nothing was hidden. I'm thinking it's reasonable that Obama didn't want a youtube of the second oath to supplant the Inauguration ceremony.
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I also think it was a dubious decision to accommodate the crazies who thought he wasn't really president, though if they were going to, the sooner the better. But are they implicitly acknowledging he wasn't president? What about the orders he signed Tuesday - are they going to go back and redo those?

@kathy,
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It nevertheless IS a legitimate beef. Besides, the fact that Obama has a zit or two is helpful in getting past the 'messiah' BS that represents their second most effective attack.

I'm I the only that sees a slight difference with a lobbyist for an organization like Smoke Free Kids and a lobbyist for a major weapons company? It seems to me that we taken the word "lobbyist" put it in a negative context and now we can think our way of a wet paper bag because of the negative association. This is the same thing that was done with the term "special interest."

You've correctly captured the reality by saying the RNC "gleefully" emailed reporters. This is schoolboy tactics...
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you say this as if Team Obama didn't "gleefully" exploit every flub by Hillary Clinton and McCain/Palin....

kathy
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Nothing about redoing the ceremony implicitly acknowledges anything. It was a CYA move to head off any of what I am sure were going to be a flurry of frivilous lawsuits over this like the ones over his birth certificate. Think of it this way, in order for anyone to prove he wasn't really president when he signed those initial orders they would have to take it to the court where the Chief Justice is the guy who lead him through the oath. Somehow I doubt Roberts will impugn his own reputation that way by admitting he phucked it up.

Good God, Lukasiak, give it up! Hillary lost.
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Most people understand the difference between a politics of elections and the politics of governance. Hint: In a political campaign, Hillary took an off-the-cuff remark at a private fundraiser that contained the word "cling" and "gleefully" made it the centerpiece of her campaign for a month. In the politics of governance, Hillary "gleefully" gave up a Senate seat to join Obama's cabinet.
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When the GOP and the PUMAs learn the difference between the two they will deserve to be listened to...but not a moment before.

OMG! Obama's letting someone in his administration who lobbied against kids smoking!
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Lynn, so far the only former lobbyist for a for-profit interest, is a classic "exception that proves the rule." As long as we can count those on the number of fingers we used to wave goodbye to Bush I see no threat to the republic. We might even be able to survive a few more, if they're so qualified as to merit a spotlighted "waiver."
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Meanwhile, anything the Republicans say about this should be annotated with a list of all the Bush administration's industry tools who couldn't have met the Obama standard.

As for the merits of lobbyists and political appointees, I disagree that rules are made to be broken. I'm not saying that Lynn shouldn't be appointed, just that the "rule" should incorporate the exception and that the exception should be clearly articulable.
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In addition, the confirmation language should state exactly what the waiver is for or that no waiver is required. OOH, it might make it slightly harder to confirm some appointees because the opposition would have to not only confirm the appointee but expressly ratify the waiver. OTOH, it would remove the "gotcha" factor and make the debate about the merits.

I be thinkin' th'"Smoke-Free Kids" organization be a CYA smokescreen tossed up by th' tobacco industry? Me memory be not wha' it were afore th' dreaded menopause struck me right blank-headed, but I be thinkin' I heered tha' somewhere...

Michael. Thanks for utilizing your finely honed stenography skills to convey the RNC's message.

As for the issue, I am not expecting perfection from Obama. It would be great if he could have 100% compliance - Given the nature of our political system, it's a difficult task. I will give him points for at least trying and compared to what we have had over the last eight years. I think it's a good start.

So is this post about actual conflict of interest issues or the republicans pushing the story to reporters like MS?

Of course, Obama never mentioned this in his announcement.
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Here's the other problem. You can't blame the GOP for playing "gotcha" if Obama invites them to do so. It is always dangerous to promise more than you can deliver. Bill Clinton's administration put the past 5 GOP administrations to shame. But "the most ethical administration in history"? A dumb promise that invited the GOP to punch holes in it.

The step after "1. Set standard" is "2. Apply standard." Lynn lobbied for Raytheon and is set to be #2 at Defense? That's relevant. Must we love Obama so much that we ignore his own new rule? No. Let the rule have its intended effect.

Kathy, I think Roberts would have cracked under the pressure of the cameras. That's why cameras are not allowed in the SCOTUS. It was in front of the press pool. It was reported. Electronic journos, get an effing life.

What is really cool about all of this is the fact that the media will now discuss how Obama is not living up to his own rules much more than the past administration's breaking of the law.

Aye gunny, let's be keepin' our lights on th' prize...an' th' prize be th' trappin' o' President Obama. Don't be lookin' o'er there where th' Constitution be a shredded - th' press (an' th' addlepated republicans) be havin' a double-standard t' be a playin'.

Hint: In a political campaign, Hillary took an off-the-cuff remark at a private fundraiser that contained the word "cling" and "gleefully" made it the centerpiece of her campaign for a month. In the politics of governance, Hillary "gleefully" gave up a Senate seat to join Obama's cabinet.
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The Obamacult sure thrives, doesn't it.
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Hint -- its not about Clinton, its about the false assumption (heard last when Bush II was inaugurated) that "the adults are in charge now". The people behind Obama are just as childish and vindictive as the GOP -- nothing has "changed" in that regard, and nothing will ever change when it comes to politicians "gleefully" pointing out obvious hypocrisy in their opponents.
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(I mean, lets not forget what Team Obama just did to Howard Dean -- now that was childish....)

It's nice to see that the MSM are back after an eight year vacation.

This is already the 2nd day of the Obama Administration and we are need deep in a faux scandel. He has 98 days left to right the ship.