Obama Assails Tax Lobbyists - and Hires One

[wyldwolf]

Senator Obama of Illinois is blaming Washington lobbyists for stalling a proposed tax hike on private equity firms, but he can look no further than his own campaign team for one of the culprits.

The Democratic presidential candidate recently hired a top executive at the lobbying firm retained by the Blackstone Group to urge lawmakers against raising its taxes. The executive, Moses Mercado, is not yet on the campaign payroll as an adviser, but he took a leave from his job as a senior vice president at Ogilvy Government Relations late last month.

Federal records show that Mr. Mercado is registered to lobby on behalf of Blackstone regarding private equity legislation, although a spokesman for Ogilvy would not discuss his work on the issue.

His ties to the Obama campaign are drawing added scrutiny after the Illinois senator released a statement yesterday specifically assailing lobbyists for their role in the private equity tax debate on Capitol Hill. His missive followed the publication Tuesday of a front-page article in the Washington Post reporting that the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, had assured industry executives that a proposed tax hike would not pass before the end of the year.

http://www.nysun.com/article/64267

[frazzled]

1. Moses Mercado--Howard Dean's guy

Who is this Moses Mercado Obama has hired? From his bio on the Olgivy site:

Prior to joining Ogilvy Government Relations, Moses Mercado served as the Deputy Executive Director, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Governor Howard Dean at the Democratic National Committee. He was responsible for all outreach and communications to the U.S. House and Senate, Governors, Mayor's and local elected officials. He also advised the Governor on Congressional Leadership and elected officials policies and activities. He has been appointed by the National Democratic Chairman Governor Howard Dean as a DNC-At-Large member serving on the Resolutions Committee.
Mr. Mercado served as Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt for six years. As second in command to the House's top-ranking Democrat, Mr. Mercado's diverse responsibilities included assisting in the day-to-day management of Leader's Office operations. He wore both political and policy hats, coordinating decisions, and acting as liaison to the Democrat Caucus (e.g., working to design and implement short- and long-term legislative policy positions), in addition to effectively communicating Democrat leadership views to interested parties off of Capitol Hill. Mr. Mercado was the chief advisor to the Democratic Leader with respect to legislative issues affecting the Latino community.
Before joining the Democratic Leader's office, Mr. Mercado served as Chief of Staff for Congressman Gene Green (D-TX). In that capacity, Mercado was responsible for the management and administration of office operations in the Congressman's Capitol Hill office. He coordinated the Member's legislative agenda, as well as all political and policy decisions.
Before coming to Washington, Mr. Mercado had been an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas, assigned to the Eminent Domain Division.
Mr. Mercado received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the University of Texas in 1986, and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from the South Texas College of Law. He has been admitted to Texas bar.
A native of south Texas, Mercado currently resides on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

I hope you're aware what a right-wing rag the New York Sun is. Which doesn't mean this can't be a true story. But the point is this: because a large firm has someone as a client doesn't mean that the person in question has that person, or that interest, as a client. If you're going to push this story, then you have to push the John Edwards predatory lending via Greentree story, because of his own direct association as an employee of the hedge fund of which it is a subsidiary. In fact, that is a more damning story than this.

Moses Mercado appears to be a long-time public sector servant, working for Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt, and others. Now he's working for Obama. Big whoop.

[wyldwolf]

4. Of course I'm aware of what the NYSun is. Does it matter, though?

Since right wing sources are continuously used against Sen. Clinton, usually by Obama supporters, there should be no problem here.

[NYCGirl]

2. Wyldwolf assails using right wing sources on DU — and then uses one. NT

[wyldwolf]

3. EXACTLY! Since Obama supporter have no problem using them against Hillary...

...they should have no problem with them being used against Obama.

Right?

[NYCGirl]

5. Remember that "two wrongs don't make a right" saying? NT

[wyldwolf]

7. ..and then they always expect Clinton supporters to take the high road. Why?

[NYCGirl]

8. Why don't you take responsibility for yourself? NT

[wyldwolf]

10. I do. I take full responsibility for this thread.

[frazzled]

6. I have no idea who is a supporter of whom when they post this stuff

I am leaning toward supporting Obama (if only because I reside in his state), but I am pretty okay with Hillary too. Not all Obama supporters dis Hillary, nor vice versa. That is just wrong to suggest that Obama supporters use slimy tactics against Hillary. One or two idiot posters, perhaps ... but I've seen Kucinich and Edwards supporters sliming Hillary, too ... and vice versa (Hillary supporters sliming them). So I think you maybe need to step back and cool down.

No one has an excuse to post anything that (a) is from a right-wing rag and (b) that you haven't fully vetted through at least 2 minutes of research.
It's wrong no matter who you are supporting.

And by the way ... as your mother probably taught you: two wrongs do not make a right.

P.S. This Moses Mercado fellow was also New Mexico State Director for Kerry for President: evil son of a bitch, isn't he.

Edited for misplaced pronoun.

[wyldwolf]

9. I would be perfectly willing to adhere to a mutually agreed upon list of sources...

... that are off limits to use that are realistically arrived at. For example, we know FOX News has an agenda. But just because MSNBC or CNN said something to piss you off you can't realistically call them "rightwing."

NRO - bad.
TIME - Good.

But I really don't see people wanting to do this because often the only source of negative information against Hillary is right wing sources (or far left sources.)

[frazzled]

11. It has nothing to do with the source; it's about the content

If a story is factually incorrect or wildly slanted, no matter WHAT the source, then you are behaving irresponsibly if you post it, unanalyzed, as if the facts were true.

If you are doing this as some kind of tit for tat, then my opinion is you are behaving childishly.

If someone posts something untrue or biased about your candidate, then counter it with a post stating the true facts. That is responsible behavior. What is irresponsible is to post something else that is just as biased or untrue.

You know, candidates are big boys and girls. They know they will be slimed, made to look guilty by association, be misrepresented ... it is their responsibility to fight back against those kinds of attacks with the correct version of events. It's how they become strong candidates. Supporters should do the same: defend your candidate against false or scurrilous attacks: don't start false and scurrilous attacks about others. (It's what I tried to do above; whether anyone believes your post or my post is entirely up to them.) It does no good for your own candidate.

[wyldwolf]

12. ok. Let's run with your point...

Which part is factually incorrect or wildly slanted?

[denem]

13. OK - I'll take this on.

Mercado (an somewhat unfortunate name) is one of 14 lobbyists comprising Ogilvy Government Relations. Ogilvy have 24 registered clients of which Blackstone ishardly prominent. And private equity is only one of Blackstone's businesses.

So - "Mr. Mercado is registered to lobby on behalf of Blackstone regarding private equity legislation" is flat out false. Not only is there no evidence that Mercado personally did any lobbying for Blackstone but the statement that someone is registered regarding specific legislation is pure nonsense.

The article is a hit piece. Misleading? Mercado has impeccable Democratic credentials.

Rather more interesting are some of Ogilvy's other clients : Carlyle, NRA, Pfizer and the RIAA.

http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/lobbyist.asp?year=2007&txtname=Mercado%2C+Moses&txttype=l

"No one has an excuse to post anything that (a) is from a right-wing rag and (b) that you haven't fully vetted through at least 2 minutes of research." AMEN

[wyldwolf]

14. ok

Mercado (an somewhat unfortunate name) is one of 14 lobbyists comprising Ogilvy Government Relations. Ogilvy have 24 registered clients of which Blackstone ishardly prominent. And private equity is only one of Blackstone's businesses.

How, exactly, does the disprove the article's statement that he is a top executive at the lobbying firm retained by the Blackstone Group? You just admitted Mercado is a lobbyist. The article says so, to. You just admitted Blackstone is a client of the lobbying firm Mercado is employed by. So did the article. The (supposed) fact that Blackstone is "hardly prominent" and that "private equity is only one of Blackstone's businesses" does not in any way alter the fact that Mercado is a registered lobbyist for a firm that counts Blackstone as a client.

You're trying to minimize the importance of it (though you haven't made that case with evidence) but you have in no way showed the piece is "factually incorrect or wildly slanted."

[denem]

16. dokay

"Senator Obama of Illinois is blaming Washington lobbyists for stalling a proposed tax hike on private equity firms, but he can look no further than his own campaign team for one of the culprits."

There is more than a clear implication here that Mercado PERSONALLY lobbied on behalf of Blackstone without any evidence that Mercado handled Blackstone's account. You wyld are usually a stickler for evidence.

[wyldwolf]

17. nope

The passage is 100% accurate. It would be like Obama being against hamburgers then hiring a lobbyist whose firm counted McDonald's as a client.

[denem]

18. 200% maybe.

Lets see. Mercado the culprit lobbied on behalf of a private equity firms. He is the culprit. Except that we don't know that he handled an account for a private equity firm. Do you have any experience of how a advocate company works? A law firm? A broker? Have you ever heard of a Chinese Wall?

[Hippo_Tron]

15. Wyldwolf, I would definitely support such an agreement