Another example of Republicans trying to corner the market, from today’s Washington Post:
Rep. Michael G. Oxley (R-Ohio) and members of his staff are pressuring mutual fund companies to hire a prominent Republican to represent them in Washington, according to congressional and industry sources.
The push is part of a broader campaign by Republicans to place party loyalists in top jobs at corporate lobbying offices and trade associations, Republican lobbyists involved in the effort said.
Oxley, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, wants the Investment Company Institute (ICI), a consortium of mutual fund companies, to push aside Democrat Julie Domenick as its top lobbyist, officials at fund companies said after participating in the trade group’s internal discussions on the matter.
Oxley wants the institute either to replace Domenick with a prominent Republican or to hire a big-name GOP lobbyist to work with her, the sources said.
The pressure comes as Oxley and Rep. Richard H. Baker (R-La.), who also serves on the committee, are ramping up an investigation of mutual fund companies. They are examining whether funds overcharge customers and provide enough information to investors, among other issues.
Six sources, both Republicans and Democrats who all declined to be identified, said certain members of Oxley’s staff have suggested the congressional probe might ease up if the mutual fund trade group complies with their wishes.
The Republicans have for several years been telling companies that they will only allow access to lobbyists who are members of the party; they also refuse to speak to companies that have donated to the Democrats. Imagine, for a moment, that you replace ‘Republican” with, say, “Communist.” Wacky, I know. But how does this sound: “The Communists only allow access to lobbyists who are members of the party.” So, companies must hire only Republican lobbyists. Of course, I could write a lot more about the whole corporate-Congress love fest at the expense of we, the citizens that Congress purports to represent, but…
It seems as if every day the conservatives are doing something that flies in the face of our democratic, open, equal access form of government… and no one seems to be seeing what is happening!
