What was the lobbyist doing there when Scalise was shot?

[Anonymous]

This has been bugging me. One of the people who was shot along with Scalise was apparently a big ag lobbyist.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/06/14/reports-congressman-others-shot-baseball-practice/102838314/

Why was this lobbyist at an extracurricular event at 7AM with a bunch of members of the House and Senate? And how many other lobbyists were there?
Seems to me that this is exactly what's wrong with American politics: The constant presence of lobbyists everywhere, pitching their corporate agenda, wining and dining and buying our elected officials' votes and support, to the detriment of everyone else.

The shooter was clearly disturbed and one cannot condone or defend shooting people but there's a certain dystopian irony in all of it.

By all accounts the guy apparently posted rants on social media about this kind of corrupting influence in US politics.

It looks like he was right about that.

[Anonymous]

From what I read it's no big deal - he is an ex-baseball player and ex-staffer who loves the Congressional baseball game so continues to help coach the team. Sure we need to be careful about undue influence by lobbyists, but I don't think that's what's going on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I read it's no big deal - he is an ex-baseball player and ex-staffer who loves the Congressional baseball game so continues to help coach the team. Sure we need to be careful about undue influence by lobbyists, but I don't think that's what's going on here.

And you know this because ... . Influence isn't always in the form of quid pro quo and galas and sweet boondoggle getaways. It's based on relationships, it's insidious, and a good lobbyist knows that friendship is far more powerful this any other form of influence.

[Anonymous]

Lobbyists are not illegal. It is their job to promote their representative's agenda. That does not always mean the agenda is bad.

[Anonymous]

Lobbying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been bugging me. One of the people who was shot along with Scalise was apparently a big ag lobbyist.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/06/14/reports-congressman-others-shot-baseball-practice/102838314/

Why was this lobbyist at an extracurricular event at 7AM with a bunch of members of the House and Senate? And how many other lobbyists were there?
Seems to me that this is exactly what's wrong with American politics: The constant presence of lobbyists everywhere, pitching their corporate agenda, wining and dining and buying our elected officials' votes and support, to the detriment of everyone else.

The shooter was clearly disturbed and one cannot condone or defend shooting people but there's a certain dystopian irony in all of it.

By all accounts the guy apparently posted rants on social media about this kind of corrupting influence in US politics.

It looks like he was right about that.
E

You're a pathetic sick sob.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of people lobby for really great causes. So, no, lobbyists are not all bad.

I used to work for an education membership association (similar to NEA). I had to file the lobbying reports for my department. We worked on behalf of our members, but we saw our work as working for public schools and the students in them.

[Anonymous]

I wondered about that too, OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I read it's no big deal - he is an ex-baseball player and ex-staffer who loves the Congressional baseball game so continues to help coach the team. Sure we need to be careful about undue influence by lobbyists, but I don't think that's what's going on here.

And you know this because ... . Influence isn't always in the form of quid pro quo and galas and sweet boondoggle getaways. It's based on relationships, it's insidious, and a good lobbyist knows that friendship is far more powerful this any other form of influence.

Because I'm a human being with friends who used to be staffers and are now lobbyists.

Look - I get it - life is networking and relationships and we need to be careful at the intersection of government and business, it's an area where we should certainly be extra cautious. But we also need to leave room for the fact that everyone involved is a real person with real relationships. Lets start with giving folks the benefit of the doubt before we launch into outrage.

[Anonymous]

All of the congressional games include members and lobbyists. They are for charity. They also have a congressional hockey game that is members and lobbyists.

[Anonymous]

Former baseball player = ringer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lobbying?

Coaching and helping the team? Geeze, you folks make up all sorts of crazy shit in your mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lobbyists are not illegal. It is their job to promote their representative's agenda. That does not always mean the agenda is bad.

If their agenda were actually any good then they wouldn't have to spend millions trying to buy Congressmen.

And the agenda they push DOES NOT align to what Americans actually want. That's been proven through statistical analysis.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lobbyists are not illegal. It is their job to promote their representative's agenda. That does not always mean the agenda is bad.

If their agenda were actually any good then they wouldn't have to spend millions trying to buy Congressmen.

And the agenda they push DOES NOT align to what Americans actually want. That's been proven through statistical analysis.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B

Did you move here yesterday? I used to be a lobbyist. It's not all bad. It's they way our democracy works. Listen, I am liberal and hate alot of the oil and gas lobbyists, etc, but I understand how the game is played. There were times that we told the Members what was in the bills.

[Anonymous]

Contact between lobbyists and members of Congress and their staffers should be strictly controlled and limited. And those contacts should probably also be made public.

The problem is that regular Americans can barely even get a word in or 5 minutes of face time because members of Congress only care about lobbyists and donors bearing checks with 5 figures on them. That is not democracy.