Obama Hires Former Keystone XL Lobbyist as Senate Liaison Because It's 'In the Public Interest'

[rhett o rick]

Once again Pres Obama hires someone that is in tight with the 1%.

The Obama administration has appointed as new Senate liaison a former lobbyist whose job included pushing for construction of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline—an appointment that required the waiving of an ethics rule.

As deputy assistant for legislative affairs, Marty Paone "will be the White House’s main staffer responsible for outreach to the Senate," the Wall Street Journal reports.

Paone worked from 2010-2014 as Executive Vice President at the Prime Policy Group, whose clients included a group "dedicated to the development of Canada's vast oil sands," according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.

A 2009 executive order from President Obama states than an appointee for an executive agency cannot have "lobbied that agency within the 2 years before the appointment date.

Because of his lobbying history, therefore, Paone required an exception. From the Washington Post:

To justify the Paone hire, White House counsel Neil Eggleston wrote that Obama “requires a candidate who possesses deep and long-standing relationships in both parties in order to facilitate productive dialogue between the Senate and the White House …” Therefore, Eggleston reasoned that it was in “the public interest” to grant Paone the waiver.

Those that are quick to give the President props for executive orders like the one mentioned above are suddenly silent when the President waives his own order.

See the rest of the story: http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/12/23/obama-hires-former-keystone-xl-lobbyist-senate-liaison-because-its-public-interest

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all in DU