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Front Page: Iran Claims to Test Missile Within Israel's Reach

CitizenSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0800

Iran announced today that it tested a new surface-to-surface air missile, adding that it is ready to defend itself against an attack. — Reuters
John McCain will go to Georgia tomorrow to push for Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, who is stuck in a tight race there with a Democratic challenger. Three Senate races, in Georgia, Minnesota, and Alaska, have yet to be called. If they go Democrat, the party will significantly widen its majority in Senate. — USA Today

Lobbyists will be restricted from participating in President-elect Barack Obama's transition to the White House. Under self-imposed ethics restrictions, Obama will not allow lobbyists to work in areas in which they have worked for clients in the last year.— New York Times
The US and Russia will begin talks on nuclear proliferation tomorrow, working toward a new treaty to replace the expiring Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). The Bush administration also is planning to minimize Russian objections to a US missile defense program in Europe. — Associated Press

Shot Through the Heart! Spy Gives Gun Control a Bad Name

LibertySugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:00:02 -0700

Get this: a gun-control activist, who sat on the board of two anti-violence groups, might have been a spy for the NRA all along! Mary Lou McFate (or Mary Lou Sapone) has worked for gun control for over a decade, but her organizations have just kicked her out so they can start checking her offices for bugs. Using her maiden name "McFare," Mary allegedly posed as a gun-control activist at the behest of the National Rifle Association. As an alleged mole for the NRA, McFate met with members of Congress, attended rallies, and participated in strategy sessions on behalf of gun control.

This isn't the first time McFate has acted as a freelance spy. During the 1980s she infiltrated an animal-rights group for US Surgical, a company accused of using dogs for research and training. She has also worked as a flight attendant and a sex therapist.

Even though McFate had access to every major legislative strategy of the gun-control lobby, some say they have nothing to hide from the NRA. In fact, a few gun-control activists feel flattered that the gun lobby sees them as a threat.

Source

Undercover Tape Shows Meetings With Cheney, Bush For Sale

CitizenSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:00:30 -0700

What's an ex-president without a fancy presidential library? And the good ones don't come cheap — the Clinton Library cost $165 million. So it stands to reason, George W. Bush might be looking to fundraise for his — by selling time with senior officials of the Bush Administration — and maybe an endorsement from Bush himself.

According to an undercover tape of Stephen Payne, a top fundraiser and member of the homeland security advisory council, all you need is $750,000 and you’ve got a meeting with Dick Cheney. But that’s not all. If you really ante up, you can meet with George W. Bush himself and walk away with an endorsement in your pocket where your money used to be.

This pay-to-play plot was revealed in an undercover investigation by the London Sunday Times. To see how the Bush endorsement is for sale,

New Jewish Lobby Group Wants Two State Solution

LibertySugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:00:48 -0700

J Street, a new Jewish lobbying organization, plans to campaign for a two state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Frustrated because, in their opinion, the term "pro-Israel" has been seized by a conservative minority of Jews and Americans alike, J Street hopes to be a voice for left-leaning Jewish Americans.

Currently, the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is "the most important organization affecting America's relationship with Israel," enjoying a $100 million endowment. Some academics have criticized AIPAC for pressuring the US to set aside its own security to advance the interests of Israel. Others counter that such a characterization serves anti-Semitic causes.

J Street's founders are somewhere in the middle. They want to counter right wingers, whose positions they believe go against Israeli and American interests. The group will raise money and donate it to politicians who will help bring about a two state solution and comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and Palestine.

Are you happy to see views that don't fit the typical dichotomy infusing the discussion? Is it essential that both sides come to the center, or should Jewish Americans not be expected to give up loyalty to a single Jewish state?

Source

Lighten Up: Colbert Gets the Munchies With Pot Lobbyist

LibertySugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:00:09 -0700

Celebrities glamorize them. Marxist rebels tax them. Vending machines sell them. And we all disagree about whether or not the government should legalize them. I'm talking about illegal drugs!

Check out this side-splitting video of Stephen Colbert masterfully smoking a top illegal-drug lobbyist.

Definition: Lobbyist

LibertySugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:02:21 -0800

A lobbyist is a person paid to petition political representatives on a particular issue. Corporations, labor unions, and other special interests lobby Congress and federal agencies, hoping to secure favorable policies. Lobbyists might not be mentioned in the US Constitution, but those in the persuasion business wield extraordinary power.

So where does the influence come from? Special interest groups often endorse and raise money for candidates. Once a candidate is elected, the group (or lobby) calls on the official to oppose or support legislation. Lobbyists will educate representatives, circulating favorable policy research.

Special interest groups spend billions of dollars each year to retain lobbying firms located on Washington's infamous K Street. Other groups employ in-house lobbyists. OpenSecrets.org keeps a database of all the money spent on lobbyists. Just one example—since 1998, the pharmaceutical and health product industry has spent $1.2 billion on lobbyists.

Lobbyists also raise public attention on behalf of a cause, as opposed to a corporation or individual. For example, an organization committed to AIDS research can use collective action to draw attention to issues individuals would not raise on their own.