Lobbyists getting bad rap from candidates

According to Obama, McCain’s advisers are &#@*% lobbyists.
According to McCain, Obama’s advisers are &%^$# lobbyists.
Lobbyists are like &%$@# politicians pushing products and ideas for the sole purpose of getting reelected.
In that way the two are alike. We can bad mouth both, and we can thank both.
Lobbyists are the best informed people about a subject or product. They are also best informed about the competition’s subject or product.
It is from them our electeds get their information. Come on now, you don’t really believe our representatives and senators read all those bills that are introduced each year in Washington, DC? And, understand them?
These electeds are busy reading their constituents? minds, trying to decide which decision will bring the most popular response . . . (number of reelection votes).
Besides, our electeds have aides to read proposed laws. And, they too are lobbyed toward or against a position. Without lobbyists our representatives would be uninformed.
If McCain and Obama have lobbyists running their campaigns, as each accuses the other of having, they shouldn’t be condemned. They should be congratulated for selecting people with such background and knowledge.
The (quote) BIG OIL (unquote) companies, the energy producers, chemical companies, automakers, Farm Bureau, Blue Cross, AARP, etc. aren’t going to hire dummies to represent them on the Hill or in Lansing.
They are going to hire Dale Carnegie types, those who can convince, not upset; are smooth not harsh; listen, not over talk; pick up tabs, entertain and just be nice to be around. And, intelligent.
Lobbyist are paid big bucks to do their job. Big bucks aren’t paid to the mediocre.
So, hiring lobbyists to work for you, as McCain and Obama are doing, seems (to me) to be good hires.
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Quick hits
? Remember the school playground chant, ‘Liar, liar, pants on fire?? Yell that in Washington, D.C. and there would be a stampede to alarm boxes.
? I think managers of professional ball teams should insist on players being clean-shaven, getting normal haircuts and behaving like their mother is the coach.
? I enjoy mowing our lawn, but hate picking up grass clippings. My three tomato plants produced plenty of tomatoes that weren’t pretty. My geraniums were more spectacular than ever. And, my pontoon boat never left the dock this summer. Bummer.
? Shayna never remembers where I left my glasses.
? My final limerick – forever.
There was a young lady from Eton,
Whose figure had plenty of meat on.
She said, ‘Marry me, dear
And you’ll find that my rear
Is a nice place to warm your feet on.
? Kyle Melinn and Angela Vasquez-Giroux have written a piece, ‘The Incredible Shrinking Lansing State Journal.? It can probably be applied to many daily newspaper and some weeklies.
They predict by the year 2014, daily newspapers will have Web editions only. One Silicon Valley guy, Paul Safo, says print newspapers will end by 2014.
He also says by then people will be happy with the change because ‘the quality will have become so diminished, especially when compared to on-line offerings.?
However, the predictions are less dire for this newspaper. Readers want community news, and we’re where that’s at (in the community).