Yee-haw & wow..... unbelievable

[AmBlue]

Yee-haw
October 18, 2007 10:06 AM
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2007/10/yee-haw.html

So later this month, according to THIS INVITATION, the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, is holding a "Rural Americans for Hillary" lunch and campaign briefing at the end of this month….

http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/clinton_invitation.pdf

..but she's holding it in Washington, DC….

…at a lobbying firm…

… and specifically, though it's not mentioned in the invitation, at the lobbying firm Troutman Sanders Public Affairs…

…which just so happens to lobby for the controversial multinational agri-biotech Monsanto.

You read that right: Monsanto, about which there are serious questions about its culpability regarding 56 Superfund Sites, wanton and "outrageous" pollution, and the decidedly unkosher (and quite metaphoric) genetically-bred "Superpig."

http://www.publicintegrity.org/Superfund/report.aspx?aid=854
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54914-2002Feb22?language=printer
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/monsanto-pig-patent-111

…A company that the website "Ethical Investing" labels "the world's most unethical and harmful investment."
http://www.ethicalinvesting.com/monsanto/

Holding an agri-summit in the plush halls of the lobbyists for Monsanto doesn't sound like the kind of "rural Americans" a presidential candidate would necessarily want to be photographed with.

Particularly if Clinton's two primary opponents -- former Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. -- don't take money from lobbyists and are trying to depict the frontrunner as too much a part of the corrupt Washington system, lobbyists, corporate America, et al….

But then again, it doesn't say Clinton will attend this luncheon -- just senior staffers and congressional endorsers! (Is that better or worse?)

Response from the Clinton campaign to come….

But what do you think?

-- jpt

UPDATE: An Edwards supporter sends along this cover of the Raleigh News & Observer showing the Carolinian -- by contrast -- "Get(ting) his Boots Dirty as he Woos Rural Voters," per the headline. http://www.newsobserver.com/content/print/front_pdf/1-A-Thu-October-18-07.pdf

[hedgehog]

1. I can't imagine why Monsanto would prefer Ms. Clinton over Mr. Obama

(Obama's) " proposal included:

_ A $250,000 limit on subsidy payments to farmers as well as strict environmental rules and enforcement for large livestock operations. He would also put strict limits on the size of operations eligible for assistance in cleaning pollution, "so the largest polluters have to pay for their own environmental cleanup."

_ Creation of new cost-sharing programs to help farmers get certification as organic farmers, and revamping crop insurance programs to avoid penalizing organic producers.


http://www.barackobama.com/2007/10/16/obama_outlines_policies_for_ru.php

[AmBlue]

2. Maybe

They are just courting her so that they've got a dog in the race either way.

[me b zola]

11. Thank you for showing that contrast

Obama cares about actual farmers, Clinton supports huge corporate industry that is anything but family farms.

[monktonman]

3. Unbelievable yet not surprising.

Seems to be normal operating proceedure for Hill inc.

"rural Americans for Hillary" sounds about right.
These lobbyists and Monsanto execs built their Mcmansions on the farms they put out of business
so it makes sense to have a party for them rather than the farmers.

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. Is that the same company that brought us aspartame under Rumsfeld?

[Whisp]

13. I think that was Searle (sp?), not sure tho. nt

[flyarm]

5. K&R..nothing hillary does surprises me..like her $1000.00 breakfasts i have been invited to

..i said ..no thanks...i don't do breakfast..........


with war mongers..

fly

[Javaman]

6. Mmmm, genetically modified political candidates. nt

[knitter4democracy]

7. Completely wrong move.

You want to deal with rural issues and meet rural voters? You have to actually get out here. Rural poverty is a huge issue, and no, they can't fly to DC and pay that much to eat Monsanto's food and not actually meet you. Jeez. :eyes:

[Stephanie]

8. That's emblematic of everything she's about.

It's deceptive and misleading, and she's nothing but a bought and sold corporatist without a core belief or principle, just ambition.

[stranger81]

9. HRC not a corporatist -- my ass. K&R [n/t]

[Elidor]

10. "I'll have another ear of that hot, buttered GMO corn, please!"

Mmmmm, yummy!

[zazzle]

12. DC corporate lobbyi$ts are Hillary's friends!

[flyarm]

14. ok i need help here..serious help...

i sent this out to everyone on my dem internet groups..and i got this email back..

how do i respond to this ..without flamebait but politely...i am serious..i work with this person within the dem party and i love the person..but i just don't know politely how to respond..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx,

Here is the list of clients of Troutman. Monsanto is one of them. General Motors, GE, Microsoft, Aetna and .. the rest of the US is in that list.

I fail to see what the big deal is about Hillary having an event at the premises of a law firm that represents half of US.

I am sending you this information because I consider our communication a two-way street. I hope I am not wrong.

xxxxxxxxxname removed

TSPAG representative client list:

Aetna
AFLAC
American Insurance Association
American Lawyer Media, Inc.
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Assurant Health
BellSouth Corporation
Branded Pharmaceutical Association
Camp, Dresser & McKee, Inc
CarMax
Cerner
CIGNA Healthcare
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
City of Atlanta
City of Forsyth, Georgia
City of Sacramento City Manager's Office
City of Sacramento Department of Utilities
City of Watsonville
Coastal Heritage Society
The Coca-Cola Company
Columbus Community Services
County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
Digimarc ID Systems
Entertainment Software Association
First United Ethanol, LLC
General Electric Company
General Motors Corporation
Georgia Crown Distributing Company
Georgia Southern University
Gilbane Building Company
Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority
Home Builders Association of Georgia
Lewis & Clark Rural Water System, Inc.
Long Fence
L. R. Wechsler, Ltd.
Medco Health Solutions, Inc.
Merck & Company
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Microsoft Corporation
Mid-Dakota Rural Water System, Inc.
Monterey County Administrative Office
Monterey County Water Resources Agency
Monsanto
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Outfitters Association
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency
Paulding County Airport Authority
Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America
Press Ganey Associates
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Recording Industry Association of America
Schwan's Global Supply Chain, Inc.
Southern Company
Synovus Financial Corp.
USA Rice Federation
University of Arkansas, School of Agriculture
Verizon Wireless
Virginia Bar Association
Virginia Economic Developers Association
Vitech
Walter Industries

[Senator]

15. Ask them to check the list...

...for "people vs. profit."

There are very few entities on that list that even arguably represent human beings. Sure, the lawyers, but are they really people? (just kidding, yes they actually are).

There are no unions, or many (if any real) trade associations. Even the "cities" on that list are not there to represent the people in those cities, but rather the business the city does with the federal gov't.

The problem was revealed by Hillary herself when she said that "corporations that employ" are the same as "real Americans." They are not. Their purpose is profit, at the expense of people -- no, you can't "have both." That is the big lie.

---

[flyarm]

16. thank you for your reply!!! ..fly..

[druidity33]

17. this seems weird

did you notice this name on the client list?

"University of Arkansas, School of Agriculture"

the Clinton connection may be here, no?