NO to K Street really means Yes Yes Yes

Occupy photo courtesy SEIU

It only seems like yesterday it was 2006 and Senator Jon “No Ear Marks Ever” Tester was running around the state pounding his chest and bellowing about the “Culture of Corruption” in Washington D. C. Jon never missed a chance to clamor on about the corruption found on K Street where most of the lobbyists have offices. He promised on more than one occasion to make the ending of ear marks and the cleaning up of the cesspool known as K Street his number one priority. How did he do you might ask?

Well good old Jon-boy slid right into the bed of corruption his very first week in D. C. and was connected with disgraced lobbyist and democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu. Surely no one has forgotten that little unfortunate incident? Of course in the past 6 years there hasn’t been an earmark Jon didn’t like especially when it came to trading votes for pork projects and he counts some of the K-Street bunch amongst his strongest supporters.

Interestingly the POLITICO ran a story last night about underhanded Democrats like Baucus, Tester and the rest of the good ole boys threatening to withhold critical votes from tax bills favoring corporate clients of K Street lobbyists if they even get a sniff in the wind that they are helping Denny Rehberg in his challenge race against Senator “No Ear Marks Ever” Tester. POLITICO had this to say;

One K-Streeter close to the Baucus operation said the senator considers a gift to Rehberg a contribution against him. Another Democratic lobbyist told a client to take his name off a Rehberg fundraising event because it would be hurtful to his company, according to sources. ………………….. “We all know how this particular game is played: A chairman of a committee has his allies downtown quietly put out the word that folks with business before that committee may want to think twice about contributing to a candidate opposing one favored by the chairman,” said a Democratic oil industry executive. “Getting the message out this way provides deniability to the chairman yet ensures that everyone in the lobbying community gets the joke.”

Wow! We now know why Senator Tester didn’t want to take Rehberg up on his offer to only accept campaign donations from Montanans this election cycle. Tester has gone from “Just say no to lobbyists and the Culture of Corruption” 6 years ago to being the number one recipient of lobbyist donations in the nation this election cycle. Isn’t this the very thing the Occupy protesters were against?

Keep threatening them Senator Tester – You are the best money can buy