Hillary Clinton Super-Lobbyist Says “We’re Not Paid Enough,” Pans Obama Lobbying Reforms
Hillary Clinton Super-Lobbyist Says “We’re Not Paid Enough,” Pans Obama Lobbying Reforms
Lee Fang and Zaid Milani
The Intercept
Leading Democratic super-lobbyist and Hillary Clinton bundler Heather Podesta derided President Obama’s lobbying reforms Wednesday, while laughing off concerns about her own sky-high compensation.
“I think Obama hurt himself by taking such an arms-length posture with the Washington community,” Podesta, a multi-millionaire who has represented chemical companies, health insurers, and for profit-colleges, told Vox.com’s Ezra Klein. “By attacking Washington in that way, there was a bit of a brain drain. And a lost opportunity.”
As for the idea of taking money out of politics, “I just find it preposterous,” she said. It is “not the lobbying class that keeps people from taking hard votes, it’s the member themselves,” Podesta claimed.
“I think we’re not paid enough,” Podesta replied with a smile, as she and Klein shared a laugh.
The Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign apparently agree with Podesta that Obama went too far on ethics reforms. The former ended all of Obama’s restrictions on lobbyist donations earlier this year, while the latter never restricted them at all.
Ugh.
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