Levin and Stabenow: "working hard to clean up the mess"

[Mikeg]

On Jan. 27, 2010, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee [[DSCC), issued a press release that included the following statement:

"In the upcoming elections, voters will face a choice between Republicans who are standing with Wall Street fat cats, bankers and insurance companies - or Democrats who are working hard to clean up the mess we inherited by putting the people's interests ahead of the special interests.”

Fast forward two days to Jan. 29-31, 2010 and let's observe how he and Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow were hard at work "putting the people's interests ahead of the special interests".

Along with eight other US Senators, they spent those three days at the Ritz Carlton South Beach Resort with more than 100 special interest lobbyists [[a.k.a."guests"). The official Itinerary of the "DSCC Winter Retreat" shows that the Senators only spent a total of 2 hours in meetings with their "guests" in addition to attending one breakfast, two receptions and two dinners.

Here is a sample list of the organizations that forked out $30,000 each to attend the "Winter Retreat":

• American Bankers Association
• AFLAC
• American Income Life
• Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers
• USAA Insurance and Banking
• Visa
• Lockheed Martin
• Northrop Grumman
• Ford Motor Company [[unfortunately, there's no justification for GM and Chrysler to send any "guests")
• AT&T [[source of executive talent for the new GM)
• Microsoft [[source of executive talent for the new GM)
• Hewlett-Packard
• Eli Lilly & Company
• Merck
• American Hospital Association
• American Health Care Association
• McDonalds
• Fedex
• UPS
• Time Warner
• Comcast
• Disney/ESPN
• Discovery Channel
• Union Pacific
• BNSF Railway
• Marathon Oil
• Edison Electric Institute
• Heather Podesta + Partners

Pot - meet kettle!

[lilpup]

To make your case you'll need to detail instances of any of the 'guests' getting favors or undue consideration from Stabenow or Levin.

[Mikeg]

To make your case you'll need to detail instances of any of the 'guests' getting favors or undue consideration from Stabenow or Levin.

I made my case, which was show that
a) despite the DSCC rhetoric about "Republicans who are standing with Wall Street fat cats, bankers and insurance companies", the Democrats wallow with them, too.
b) our two US Senators are working hard for us all right, in Miami Beach. Since they constituted almost one-fifth of the participating Senators, perhaps they could have insisted that their "Winter Retreat" be held in a location that has winter weather, like Michigan?

[gibran]

I have to agree with M...even on the surface if this is standard operating procedures...it smacks of influence peddling ...unless they are there to create jobs for us...

we have to change a system that protects big business over our interests, unless of course big business makes a pledge not to outsource their jobs and helps rebuild our econonmy...waiting to exhale on that one.

[East Detroit]

we have to change a system that protects big business over our interests, unless of course big business makes a pledge not to outsource their jobs and helps rebuild our econonmy...waiting to exhale on that one.

Maybe we should stop playing into the football mentality of the bipartisan system and start paying attention to real issues.

[Det_ard]

Levin and Stabenow, working hard to stay in office.

[Mikeg]

Maybe we should stop playing into the football mentality of the bipartisan system

Maybe we Michiganders should do some term-limiting in 2012 and 2014 and stop playing along with the notion that we send US Senators to Washington just to debate and sit on committees and hold fundraisers with lobbyists to fund war chests so they can reclaim a filibuster-proof majority .........

[gibran]

yes sir..that would generally be great...but I do find it interesting that the party of "no" has acted as if the blood in the water was an excuse to push their own agenda...but that is typical...for all parties...

[Detroitej72]

Maybe we Michiganders should do some term-limiting in 2012 and 2014.

We have term limits, its called voting the people out. When you vote for term limits, your basically saying "I'm too stupid to vote an incumbent out, so I need a term limit law to save me from myself".

As far as Re-pubs go, well they don't have a monopoly on being bought and paid for by special interests.

[Mikeg]

We have term limits, its called voting the people out.

I guess my comment went right over your head. Let me repeat it again with explanations, just for the "slow" readers among us:

Maybe we Michiganders [[registered Michigan voters) should do some term-limiting in 2012 [[the election in Nov. 2012 when Sen. Stabenow will presumably be running for re-election) and 2014 [[the election in Nov. 2012 when Sen. Levin will presumably be running for re-election).

"Do some term-limiting" means something entirely different from voting for term limits through a ballot proposal. Personally, I think the enactment of term limits has been a disaster for the state of Michigan.

[barnesfoto]

"Do some term-limiting" means something entirely different from voting for term limits through a ballot proposal. Personally, I think the enactment of term limits has been a disaster for the state of Michigan.[/QUOTE]

Holy Smokes, I agree with Mike G.
and maybe it's time for public funding of campaigns...

Too bad that the supreme court just authorized unlimited funding of campaigns by corporations...

[Papasito]

Newsflash:

Both parties are power hungry and rich.


Dem and Rep politicians are not hurting to pay their bills.

[ghettopalmetto]

Mikeg, Senators Levin and Stabenow eagerly await your $2000 donation to their campaigns, so that they can do without staging as many fundraisers.

[Gumbi5]

To make your case you'll need to detail instances of any of the 'guests' getting favors or undue consideration from Stabenow or Levin.

Attendees:
Menendez Robert [[D-NJ)
Stabenow, Debbie [[D-MI)
Carper, Tom [[D-DE)
Lautenberg, Frank [[D-NJ)
Cardin, Benjamin L. [[D-MD)
Sanders, Bernie [[D-VT)
Casey, Robert P. [[D-PA)
McCaskill, Claire [[D-MO)
Klobuchar, Amy [[D-MN)
Hagan, Kay [[D-NC)
Begich, Mark [[D-AK)

Partial listing of Campaign contributions by lobbyists who attended to Senators who also attended:
• AFLAC - Stabenow [[D-MI)=$1,000, Carper [[D-DE)=$2,000, Klobuchar [[D-MN)=$1,000, McCaskill [[D-MO)=$1,000
• Lockheed Martin - Carper [[D-DE)=$2,000
• AT&T [[source of executive talent for the new GM) - Begich [[D-AK)=$2,500
• Microsoft - Menendez [[D-NJ)=$1,000, McCaskill [[D-MO)=$1,000
• American Hospital Association - Stabenow [[D-MI)=$2,500, Carper [[DDE)=$1,000, Lautenberg [[D-NJ)=$1,000, Menendez [[D-NJ)=$1,000, Casey [[D-PA)=$250
• Fedex - McCaskill [[D-MO)=$2,500, Begich [[D-AK)=$1,000, Carper [[D-DE)=$1,000
• UPS - McCaskill [[D-MO)=$500, Stabenow [[D-MI)=$500, Menendez [[D-NJ)=$2,000, Carper [[D-DE)=$1,400, Hagan [[D-NC)=$1,500
• Disney/ESPN - Klobuchar [[D-MN)=$1,000

Of course what isn't said above is that almost every company on the list gave to Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Chris Dodd, and all the other professional politicians in the Democratic majority... and as far as votes for $$$ didn't every democrat just vote for healthcare, TARP, Stimulous one... and in the case of Disney they'll be getting the FL Sunrail paid for by all of us to bring toursists from Busch Gardens [[Blackstone) to Disney/GE [[Immelt on Pres Obama's board)....

[punky1]

How about asking Debbie and Carl for a detailed accounting of their time at the event, who they met with, why, and the outcome, whether immediate or down the road? Say if they were hustling for jobs for Michigan, did it happen. Would be interesting to see if they would even answer such a request, and if they did what fables might they tell. It certainly might make for good reading while standing in line to vote next election.

[Gumbi5]

Debbie attended, but I don't believe Carl did.... however, Ford has handed our buddy Carl over $45,000... and he's received over $40,000 from GM... so far. But didn't we just bail them out? Where the heck did they get the $$? Oh, that's right - THEY BORROWED IT FROM US! Oh and don't forget Chryler's $10,000... and Lincoln Mercury's $9,000+. Big three = a hundred grand WOW !!

Let's see who else:
GE, who owns Disney/ESPN has given dear Carl over 12 thousand buckeroos...
Comcast = $9.500

We don't need term limits, we need to keep an eye on the weasels in D. C. and refuse to allow them to become professional politicians on our dime. They're up there lecturing about corruption? I guess they should know, but it's time for 'em to be sent home to have to earn a living like the rest of us - they have long ago forgotten how - and far too many think we owe it to them to live like royalty... We get strip searched to fly anywhere and they take their whole office and family on exotic junkets on private jets or military jets at our expense..

[punky1]

Gumbi5, is there a way to find out how much the two bail out car companies gave in total to all the congresspeople and senators after they received the bail out $$$? How much to local politicians also?

[Gumbi5]

Gumbi5, is there a way to find out how much the two bail out car companies gave in total to all the congresspeople and senators after they received the bail out $$$? How much to local politicians also?

You just have to look it up - I use OpenSecrets.org to see where they get their money...

When you get to OpenSecrets.org click on the Politiicans & Elections tab at the top left. When it drops down choose Congress. In bold and above the leader's photos you will see:

111th Congress Member lists [[by name, by state) Choose the by state link. Then select the M in the alphabet and the list of Michigan Politicians will come up.... Choose one and then look for the tab at the top that says Donors. A list of the top 20 contributors will come up. At the top of the list on the right side will say top 100 - click it..

[Gumbi5]

There is another way to find out who gets what for their Congressional vote.... look up who gave money, then look up who got it... For example we all know about TARP... but did you realize that all those companies who our beloved politicians bailed out spent part of the money they received in lobbying and campaign contributions?

TARP the 2009 cycle:
AIG spent $929,774 on campaign contributions + $9,690,000 on lobbying and got $40,000,000,000 from TARP for a 376556% return on their investment in our Congress.

JP Morgan spent $4,77,638 on capaign contributions + $5,390,000 on lobbying. They got $25,000,000m,000 for a 245754% return on their investment in Congress

Goldman Sachs spent $5,690,351 on campaign contributions + $3,280,000 on lobbying. Their TARP payment was $10,000,000,000 for a return of 111378%. [[And all their has-beens are running the FED - what a deal!)

Bank of America gave $5,752,630 in capaign contributions + $8,790,000 in lobbying. They received $45,000,000,000 from TARP for a return of 309335% on their investment in Congress.

GM spent $916,142 in campaign contributions + $14,071,000 in lobbying for their TARP payment of $10,400,000,000, a return of 69293%

GMAC [[who is now changing their name...to Allie I think??) spent $72,207 in campaigning + $4,620,000 in lobbying. They got $5,000,000,000 for a return of 106460% on their investment.

Chrysler spent $1,075,350 in campaigns + $7,927,782 in lobbying. TARP payment = $5,500,000,000 for a return of 60990%


The reason I did these is that you will almost always find at least one of these among the campaign contributions to members of Congress...
Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow Campaign Contributions for the 2010 cycle:
Dear Carl = $10,000 from Crysler and 40,650 from GM..
Dear Debbie = $38,650 from JP Morgan, $25,350 from Merrill Lynch, $23,300 from GM, $16,750 from Goldman Sachs, $13,000 from Bank of America, $11,000 from Capital One
Remember, these are all campaign contributions for the 2010 cycle... you decide with whom's money..

Here's a link to the whole listing of TARP money and rate of return:
TARP Recipients Paid Out $114 Million for Politicking Last Year
And here's another one Campaign Cash From Wall Street Favored Representatives Who Opposed Finance Reform Bill

[Retroit]

"Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other." ~Oscar Ameringer

[Big Dog]

Levin has done much for working class men and women over the years. Thats why he keeps winning. The jury is still out on Stabenow.

[Detroitej72]

What the people who complain about corporate contributions fail to comprehend is that this is how the system is set up. In theory, it was designed to allow people who were not rich to run for office instead of the wealthy elite.

The system is by no means perfect, but its interesting to note that the folks complaining about it now are, more than likely, the same ones who had no problem with it during the Republican controlled Senate under Bush's Reign.

[Gumbi5]

but its interesting to note that the folks complaining about it now are, more than likely, the same ones who had no problem with it during the Republican controlled Senate under Bush's Reign.

My dearest Detroitej72, your argument is invalid on a couple of counts....
First and foremost is that CONGRESS holds the purse strings and spends the money - not the President... Folks who like to make it a Democrat or Republican issue always make this mistake. Secondly, our friend Debbie has been a Senator since 2000, the same year George Bush became president. Do you not realize that he's gone and she isn't? She also has far more to do with the money that was spent under Bush than he did [[refer to the first mistake above - CONGRESS spends the money).... and then there's our other friend in Congress, Carl. He's been serving for over 30 years - which means that he was elected during the CARTER years.... so he has served longer than Carter, Reagan, GHW Bush, Clinton, GW Bush and Obama combined [[Obama will be up for re-election in 2012, but Carl won't be up until 2014). So much for your not complaining about GWB theory - anyone who was isn't very well informed.... and if I'm not mistaken the Republican majority was VOTED OUT OF OFFICE in 2006... for spending too much and not listening to their constituents.... being crooks and generally ticking off the public with their b.s.???

Your second error is that the system may well work that way now, but it was never intended to be a glorified vote-buying scheme. It was set up to have citizen legislators, not Senators-for-life who act like they own their seat and are entitled to live like kings on the backs of their constituents. Nor was it intended for these legislators to be above the laws which they make for the rest of us... and it certainly wasn't intended for Congress to wheel-n-deal away our basic right to be treated equally in their attempt to consolidate their power over us. Michigan should not have to pay for the Medicade of people in Nebraska and the people on the East Coast of Florida should not keep Medicare Advantage if the rest of the nation can't.... Nor should Louisiana get another big fat check for their vote one way or the other on top of all the $$$ we sent to them for Katrina... That is NOT the way the system was supposed to work, it is the way people who stay in Congress until the take their last breath treat us - as the unwashed masses....

Next, I gave you the source to look up every single politician and use the same method whether or not they have a [[D) or [[R) after their name. Doesn't matter - if they're serving themselves and their lobbyists instead of their constituents they need to go... down to the last one. If they sold their vote, they need to go.

[Hermod]

Your second error is that the system may well work that way now, but it was never intended to be a glorified vote-buying scheme. It was set up to have citizen legislators, not Senators-for-life who act like they own their seat and are entitled to live like kings on the backs of their constituents. Nor was it intended for these legislators to be above the laws which they make for the rest of us... and it certainly wasn't intended for Congress to wheel-n-deal away our basic right to be treated equally in their attempt to consolidate their power over us. Michigan should not have to pay for the Medicade of people in Nebraska and the people on the East Coast of Florida should not keep Medicare Advantage if the rest of the nation can't.... Nor should Louisiana get another big fat check for their vote one way or the other on top of all the $$$ we sent to them for Katrina... That is NOT the way the system was supposed to work, it is the way people who stay in Congress until the take their last breath treat us - as the unwashed masses....
.

Anytime you have a large legislative body and you have a measure for which there is not an overwhelming majority or consensus, you will have this kind of "vote buying". In some cases [[as noted by your NE, LA, and FL examples above) the senator is working for his constituents at the expense of the rest of the country. That is probably not as great a sin as when they are doing in for a campaign contributor or, worse, an outright bribe.

Do Senators Levin and Stabenow owe more allegiance to bringing the bacon home for Michigan or for the "general welfare" of the US? If they get a bill going to bail out Detroit, is Senator Schmidlap from Podunk eeevulll if he withholds his vote until money is added in to bail out Podunk as well?

[Detroitej72]

My dearest Detroitej72, your argument is invalid on a couple of counts....

If they sold their vote, they need to go.

I pointed out that the tea baggers and all their ilk sat silently on their hands during Bush's spending, including when Republicans had control off both the Senate and House. Now that Democrats have all three branches, they are all up in arms, up in arms because the Repubs have been shown the door, thus the hypocrisy. If the Republicans win control of one or both chambers of congress, they will once again fall into silence.


Now, as far as voting out politicians who "sell" their votes, we'd have about an 80% turnover in congress. Not such a bad idea on the surface, however, let's take a closer look at high turnovers. In Michigan, with term limits, our representatives are not as experienced and it has been shown that they are more prone to lobbyist's influences. I don't think this is an improvement over the status quo.