Posted on 10/29/2008 10:21:42 PM PDT by BIOCHEMKY
As reported by Ed Morrissey (2008), two years ago when the large nuclear utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) wanted Illinois state lawmakers to back a large rate hike two years ago, it took a creative lobbying approach. Its parent company, Exelon Corporation, contracted with ASK Public Strategies, a consulting firm, to a build a fake "front company" that appeared to be devoted to the public interest called Consumers Organized for Reliable Electricity (CORE). Then the "front company" (CORE) ran TV ads warning of a “California-style energy crisis” if the rate increase wasn’t approved. The CORE ads, however, failed to disclose in the commercials that CORE, the supposed citizen's action group, was actually being funded by the ComEd utility itself.
When the truth about CORE and ComEd came out, Illinois Leutenent Governor Pat Quinn was quoted as saying, “It’s corporate money trying to hoodwink the public."
What is of interest today about this story is the senior partner of the ASK Public Strategies consulting (lobbying) firm is David Axelrod, yes the same David Axelrod who is now chief strategist for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign. (Ask Public strategies is located in the same office as Axelrod's political firm.)
Ah, but the story gets better. A proposal ASK developed last year proposed a “political campaign style approach” to help Illinois hospitals block a state proposal that would have forced them to provide more medical care to the indigent. One part of this plan was to create a “grassroots” group of medical experts “capable of contacting policymakers to advocate for our position,” according to a copy of the proposal.
As Ed Morrissey reported (2008), "Obama has run on health-care issues to create universal health-insurance coverage to do exactly the opposite of what ASK proposed. Axelrod’s firm wanted to set up another phony front group to oppose that same policy, attempting to fake the public into thinking that the “grassroots” effort had nothing to do with the hospitals themselves. Axelrod’s firm had so much success with their front group for the energy company that they planned to duplicate the same dishonest structure in health care — and in both cases, on behalf of opponents of Obama’s professed policies today."
Ah, but the story gets better still. Exelon Corp. executives have pumped almost a quarter-million dollars into Obama’s Presidential campaign. The state of Illinois and the state of New York both consider ASK to be a lobbying firm. So, is Obama serious in his campaign promises, or as Ed Morrisey (2008) put it, "Is Obama's Presidential Campaign merely another Axelrod public-relations Trojan Horse?"
Ah, but the story gets even better again.
Who became president of ComEd in 1964, served as chairman and CEO from 1973 to 1980, was the architect of ComEd's nuclear power program in the 1960s and 1970s, and continued to exert his influence over the large utility until his death in 2007 (Napolitano, 2007)?
Who served on the boards of Sears, G.D. Searle, Chicago Pacific Corp., Zenith Corp., Northwest Industries, General Dynamics Corp. of St. Louis, First National Bank of Chicago, the Chicago Cubs and the Tribune (newspaper) Co. (Napolitano, 2007)?
Who was Chairman of the Board for the Chicago Urban League, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Erikson Institute, Bank Street College of Education in New York, Community Renewal Society, the Chicago Community Trust, and Northwestern University Board of Trustees (Napolitano, 2007)?
Who was described by his heirs as an "Agent of Change" and someone who 'believed in change' (Napolitano, 2007)?
This very powerful individual who was very well known in Chicago's sociopolitical cirles for the last three quarters of a century was none other than Thomas G. Ayers, Sr., father of radical unrepentent domestic terrorist, Bill Ayers, just a guy Barack Obama says he "knows from his neighborhood".
Morrissey, Ed. (2008). "Obama's lobbyist problem: David Axelrod." Retrieved on October 29 from hotair.com/archives/2008/05/25/obamas-lobbyist-problem-david-axelrod/.
Napolitano, Jo. (2007). "Utility exec. led civic, racial initiatives." retrieved on October 29, 2008 from http://kimallen.sheepdogdesign.net/cinnamon/2007/06/thomas-g-ayers-1915-2007.html.
I’ll make those links clickable:
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/05/25/obamas-lobbyist-problem-david-axelrod/.
http://kimallen.sheepdogdesign.net/cinnamon/2007/06/thomas-g-ayers-1915-2007.html
I think this should go to Drudge - is there any sort of a link?
Well Done!
Incredible!
Makes one long for the “simpler” days of Al Capone!
I think Thomas G. Ayers, Sr., should have spent more time at home with his son. Was his wife a lunatic? Who, pray tell, managed to produce, nurture and tolerate an evil sh*t like little Billy?
Talk about riding dirty.
just words, just speeches
“I think this should go to Drudge - is there any sort of a link?”
I could email it to Drudge. Do you think I should?
.....and I heard on the news today, Sarah Palin is guilty of taking her children on business trips with her
.....and I heard on the news today, Sarah Palin is guilty of taking her children on business trips with her
YES! I already sent the first link but you should send it also.
VERY interesting - shows Obama as the liar he is and Axelrod as the smoke and mirrors he is.
Here’s another article that really fleshes out the relationship between Barack Obama and Exelon Corp. (has controling interest of ComEd).
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/obamas-exelon-ties-ayers-connection/8/
< sarcasm>That can’t be true because in the last debate 0 said “uhh Mr. Ayers is not involved in this campaign, He uhh has never been involved in this campaign.” </sarcasm >
< sarcasm>That can’t be true because in the last debate 0 said “uhh Mr. Ayers is not involved in this campaign, He uhh has never been involved in this campaign.” </sarcasm >
sorry for the double post
Thomas G. Ayers, Sr was an amazing man and a self made man. He was an uber liberal who enabled his anarchist son Bill Ayers
Thomas G. Ayers paid the expensive lawyers who got Bill Ayers and Dohern acquitted on loopholes from their Weathermen domestic terrorism and explosives charges
Thomas Ayers (Bill’s father) has been referred to as the Godfather of Chicago/Illinois politics and power.
Jim Lehrer (disgraced PBS, Democrat operative):
"Not gonna cover this. ACORN, Rezko, Odinga, treason in Iraq, Ayers, Wright, and the rest
are of no interest to us or anyone else in the media.
We do not care that they plan to exterminate a quarter of the US population.
Now, how many of Gwen Ifill's book on Obama's 2009 Coronation would you like to order?"
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