Sirotablog
David Sirota is a political journalist and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist at Creators Syndicate. David writes about political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties.
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June 8, 2007 10:10 AM
What Else Should We Expect From a Lifelong K Street Lobbyist?
USA Today finally breaks the national media silence about the one-third of Fred Thompson's life that he spent as a high-paid corporate lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Thompson's campaign, which is being run by his fellow K Street lobbyists, responded by saying only that being a K Street lobbyist "is an honorable endeavor that goes back to the beginnings of this republic." I love this pathetic attempt to liken corporate lobbying right up there on the "honorable" scale with George Washington heroically crossing the Delaware. What's funny is that you could say a lot of things "go back to the beginning of this republic." Prostitution, as just one example, "goes back to the beginning of this republic." But that doesn't mean you want a prostitute - sexual or corporate - running the nation.
Not surprisingly, the National Association of Manufacturers has a post on its blog trumpeting Thompson's first major policy declaration: His decision to make enacting new corporate tax breaks the centerpiece of his campaign.
Here's what he declared on CNBC:
"We have, you know—if you include state taxes—the highest corporate tax rate in the world. That makes us less competitive. All those things have to be looked at. And all those—especially as far as the corporate tax rate is concerned, need to be clearly reduced."
The claim that America has "the highest corporate tax rate in the world," of course, is a lie handed to Thompson from corporate-backed front groups like the Cato Institute. Here's what I documented in Hostile Takeover:
"Groups like the Cato Institute and Americans for Tax Reform, which are funded by some of America's wealthiest corporations, have for years pushed to eliminate all corporate taxes. They claim 'the federal government takes 35 percent' of corporate income for taxes, that such a rate is the fourth highest in the industrialized world, and therefore oppresses U.S. companies and hurts the economy. Yes, it is true, the official corporate tax rate in America is 35 percent. It is also true, however, that because of lax enforcement, loopholes and evasion, most corporations never come close to paying that rate. As the Government Accountability Office reported in 2004, 94 percent of corporations pay less than 5 percent of their income in taxes, and corporate tax payments are at their second lowest level in 60 years – lower than in every other industrialized country other than Iceland."
But then, why should we expect a lifelong corporate lobbyist like Thompson to push anything other than more corporate tax breaks? That's what he's been getting paid a nice fat paycheck to do most of his life. And no record-setting deficit or lack of funds for protective equipment for our soldiers in harms way is going to stop him from pushing to get his corporate cronies as many giveaways as possible.
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About David Sirota
David Sirota is a political journalist and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist at Creators Syndicate. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Hostile Takeover. He lives in Denver, Colorado. His daily blog can be found at CREDO Action. He contributes regularly to the Denver Post's Web site, is a senior editor at In These Times magazine and is working on his second book. He has been profiled in Newsweek and the Rocky Mountain News and is widely known for his reporting on political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties. Sirota serves as co-chair of the Progressive States Network, a 501(c)3 organization that supports state legislators and that is a partner of CREDO.
You can subscribe to Sirota's e-mail newsletter by going to davidsirota.com and signing up in the lefthand corner. To find out more about Sirota, download his official biography or see his recent media appearances. You can e-mail him at sirota@credoaction.com.
The views expressed on this blog are his own, and do not necessarily represent the views of Working Assets (publisher of CREDO Action) or the institutions Sirota works for.
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Discussion
Let's remember that Money$$$ is Free Speech and Corporations are the only Individuals..!
Ron Paul in the debate on CNN stated how most of us have no standing as "individuals" under the current perversion of the Constitution by our corrupted Justice Dept. you must be currently part of a select favored group for any hope of standing in a Constitutional issue..
We are nothing more than a corporate oligarchy masquerading as a nation..QED..!
Now the corporate oligarch's know we don't need a president we just need or they just need someone from central casting who can play a president and hit the mark and read from their script..as we see now with their Immigration/ illegal Invasion bill..!
Thompson is perfect for this purpose and why should the corporations pay any taxes at all..?
It's unAmerican and if we try and make them share any of their profits huge obscene profits in the service of our nation these patriots will go to Dubai..!
Now I for one can't resist this opportunity to once again tell you that We Must Nationalize Our Oil Industry, and create a Single Payer Health Care System for our path in the future..!
Remember it was J.S.Mill himself who said at the end of his life he was a socialist a Democratic Socialist..!
What is the purpose of government..?
TO SERVE THE PEOPLE..!
How does this Corporate Oligarchy unbridled capitalism, run a-muck Serve The People..?
Right, it doesn't..!
Ok Class dismissed..!
"[H]onorable endeavor that goes back to the beginnings of this republic"? Give me a break! Lobbying at the beginning of this republic bore no resemblance to the money-chasing form that is practiced today. As for whether it's honorable, well, remember what Shakespeare said about he who protesteth too much.
You summed up Thompson pretty darn well.
That said, I think the reason the GOP is even looking at Thompson is because the party has no one that is even remotely appealing to moderates and independents any more. They hope Thompson has enough charisma to overcome his obvious whorishness unlike the other GOP candidates(the exception being Ron Paul).
Except Thompson has no real appeal to anyone who isn't a dittohead. Basically he's a pig in a dress and the GOP doesn't know it yet.
Mr. Colatrella said pretty much it all except I would go one step further and say we are a fascist dictatorship (Corporations + government = fascism quoth Mussolini)in the guise of pseudo democracy. (Sham democracy) Fred Thompson would make a perfect President. (Read king or dictator pretending to be a republican) Tom Payne warned us what to expect from kings running a republic with checks and balances and admonished us to choose enumerated rights as the bases for a democratic government instead. His description of a bad king perfectly describes the Bush administration. This basic fallacy of our constitution should be addressed. Checks and balances are a joke that don't work. We need enumerated rights well beyond the Bill of Rights if we want a real democracy. (See FDR's ideas)See "Parity Democracy" at Amazon.com or BN.com for more information. This is a movement in Europe. Goggle it to see.
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