Trump campaigned against lobbyists now they are on his transition team?

Guys this is my first thread ever.. so bear with me.

Although I have not picked sides in this battle; I have been following the presidential race closely.

It looks like Trump is picking lobbyists for some of his team's highest decision making positions.

Multiple of the left leaning media outlets are claiming Trump has hired these individuals for his transition team:

— Cindy Hayden of tobacco company Altria is in charge of Homeland Security.
— Steve Hart, the chairman of Williams & Jensen, is in charge of Labor. His clients include Visa, the American Council of Life Insurers, Anthem, Cheniere Energy, Coca-Cola, General Electric, HSBC, Pfixer, PhRMA and United Airlines. He worked at the Labor Department in the Pension Welfare Benefits Program and on the Office of Management and Budget's ERISA Reorganization Task Force under Ronald Reagan.
— For the Energy Department, Michael McKenna of MWR Strategies lobbies for Engie (formerly GDF Suez), Southern Company and Dow Chemical.
— For Interior, David Bernhardt of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck lobbies for the Westlands Water District and used to represent Freeport LNG Expansion and Rosemont Copper Company. He was the Interior Department's solicitor, deputy solicitor, deputy chief of staff, counselor to the secretary of the Interior and director of the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs under George W. Bush.
— Michael Torrey, who has the Agriculture portfolio, has his own firm representing the American Beverage Association and the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau.
— Mira Ricardel, tasked with defense, isn't a registered lobbyist but is a consultant for Federal Budget IQ, a government research firm. Until recently she worked for Boeing.
— Dan DiMicco, overseeing the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, serves on Duke Energy's board and represents steel company Nucor (of which he used to be CEO) on the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and the Coalition for a Prosperous America.
— Paul Atkins, though not a lobbyist, is CEO of advisory firm Patomak Global Partners and charged with independent financial agencies.
— Ken Blackwell, in charge of domestic issues, isn't a lobbyist but is a senior fellow of the Family Research Council, which does lobbying.

Source: www.nytimes.com...
Source: www.politico.com...
Source: www.cnn.com...


I really don't know what to think about this news at the moment. What does ATS think?

a reply to: waggz

I am just waiting for the names to appear here:

www.greatagain.gov...

Also here:

twitter.com...

That's the transition website, and so far.. there have been ZERO selections, although I suspect some to be named later this afternoon..

As far as believing ANYTHING that the hoaxing media is pushing, I think they have earned a spot in the LOL forum considering their absolute collusion with the DNC this election season...

a reply to: waggz

One of the first things Obama said he was going to do was kick the lobbyists out.

8 years later they're still there.

If Obama had done what he said he was going to do you wouldn't be here making a thread bashing a guy that's still 2 months away from office.

What about the Fed, DOJ, FBI, CIA, and the DOD?

Every pres picks his team, lets see what he does with balancing budgets, decreasing debt and trimming fat for say, 'Defense'.

What direction will the gubment take under him? Cutting back, the same, full $team ahead?

So, here's the thing, just because someone is or has been a lobbyist doesn't mean that they are not qualified to work in another capacity. Many lobbyists are former politicians or staff members for politicians.

A conflict of interest would arise if someone who had been a lobbyist was hired by the Administration and continued to work also for, and for the interests of, their former firm/cause.

I see no issue so long as Trump's picks are not pushing for their prior chosen cause.

So, here's the thing, just because someone is or has been a lobbyist doesn't mean that they are not qualified to work in another capacity. Many lobbyists are former politicians or staff members for politicians.

A conflict of interest would arise if someone who had been a lobbyist was hired by the Administration and continued to work also for, and for the interests of, their former firm/cause.

I see no issue so long as Trump's picks are not pushing for their prior chosen cause.

a reply to: abe froman

To the contrary I am not bashing anyone. I am just stating what I am seeing on the news and asking for opinions.

Thank you for yours.

Dude used the gop machine to win the election, he will use the same insiders that obama, bush jr and the past presidents used, good times ahead.

a reply to: waggz

That's the great hypocrisy of Trump and conservatives in general. Trump claimed to be self funded but never was. He said early on he didn't want Super PAC support but later not only accepted their support but put one of the creators of Citizens United on his campaign staff. He begged billionaire after billionaire for money and finally struck gold with Wall Street Hedge Fund Billonaire Robert Mercer who also funnels millions of dollars to right wing nutter Breitbart. So you see, if anyone was foolish enough to think Trump wanted money out of politics they're in a rude awakening. Same goes for fighting corruption.

originally posted by: JacKatMtn
a reply to: waggz

I am just waiting for the names to appear here:

www.greatagain.gov...

Also here:

twitter.com...

That's the transition website, and so far.. there have been ZERO selections, although I suspect some to be named later this afternoon..

As far as believing ANYTHING that the hoaxing media is pushing, I think they have earned a spot in the LOL forum considering their absolute collusion with the DNC this election season...

Agreed!

Not for nothing, but I despise lobbying government officials. It should be banned! With that being said, I can't blame the lobbyists! It's the corrupt elected officials whom accept their money and gifts who then turn their back on the people who elected them that is the ROOT of the problem!

Hate lobbyists all you want, the real cancer is the government officials who sell out to the lobbyists! Treating the symptom, won't cure the disease.....

Not looking good. He had his plans, but is already submitting to the vultures.

The whole system is controlled by such a large network. It's insane. It's become blatantly obvious that our political system is far beyond what the definition of a government is. People have made fortunes keeping this system alive. It has to be dismantled.