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About This Page: This is a discussion on Politics within the LetsGoKings.com forums, at Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum. Biden's Son and Brother Named in Two Suits
washingtonpost.com
A son and a brother of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) are accused in two lawsuits of defrauding a former
A son and a brother of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) are accused in two lawsuits of defrauding a former business partner and an investor of millions of dollars in a hedge fund deal that went sour, court records show.
The Democratic vice presidential candidate's son Hunter, 38, and brother James, 59, assert instead that their former partner defrauded them by misrepresenting his experience in the hedge fund industry and recommending that they hire a lawyer with felony convictions.
The legal actions have been playing out in New York State Supreme Court since 2007, and they focus on Hunter and James Biden's involvement in Paradigm Companies LLC, a hedge fund group. Hunter Biden, a Washington lobbyist, briefly served as president of the firm.
A lawsuit filed by their former partner Anthony Lotito Jr. asserts in court papers that the deal was crafted to get Hunter Biden out of lobbying because his father was concerned about the impact it would have on his bid for the White House. Biden was running for the Democratic nomination at the time the suit was filed.
Hunter Biden was made president with an annual salary of $1.2 million, despite his inexperience in the hedge fund industry, the lawsuit said. Before that, he had been part of the Washington law firm Oldaker, Biden & Belair, which earned $1.76 million in lobbying revenue in the first half of 2006, according to Congressional Quarterly's CQ MoneyLine. One of its biggest clients is the National Association of Shareholder and Consumer Attorneys, a District-based group representing law firms specializing in investment and corporate law.
Gee, how do you suppose a 38 year old person with little experience in the hedge fund industry was able to land such a cushy job?
He had to get a new job because Dad couldn't run for President if he continued as a lobbyist:
Now we can have an honest discussion about how McCain is a dirt bag for having former lobbyists on his campaign staff and how he is in the pocket of Wall Street, while the Dems of course are clean.
__________________ Hockey's original bad boy. The "Cowboy" Howie Young
Now we can have an honest discussion about how McCain is a dirt bag for having former lobbyists on his campaign staff and how he is in the pocket of Wall Street, while the Dems of course are clean.
That's ok. The last thing I would expect is an "honest" discussion from you. I'll be satisfied if a few folks that actually think read the information and form an unbiased opinion.
Uh, oh don't look now, but here comes Joe, OMR, irisher and the rest of the cheerleaders.
__________________ Hockey's original bad boy. The "Cowboy" Howie Young
I'm kinda lost here...his son and brother doing something wrong makes Biden "Old School Washington"?
Doesn't it just make them wrong?
Don't you think Joe used just a little influence in getting his son a $1.2M a year job that he wasn't qualified for? And why did he need a new job? Because his son was making a living as a lobbyist and Dad couldn't have that since he was going to make a run for President.
The Dems have no problem criticizing McCain for any association with lobbyists. They don't even have to be members of his family. Of course McCain's sons wouldn't know much about lobbying since one is in the Naval Academy and the other is a U.S. Marine that has been stationed in Iraq.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OddManRush
When I think of "Old School Washington" the first thing that pops into my mind is the Keating 5. I don't know about you guys.
After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, and Donald Riegle had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings. Senators John Glenn and John McCain were cleared of having acted improperly but were criticized for having exercised "poor judgment".
All five of the senators involved served out their terms. Only Glenn and McCain ran for re-election, and they were both re-elected.
__________________ Hockey's original bad boy. The "Cowboy" Howie Young
Last edited by KINGS17; August 25th, 2008 at 02:18 PM.
Fair enough K17, I'll say this much. I read every article you posted and I congratulate you for posting some articles and trying to make a case for once instead of just asserting a charge. So I checked your evidence and what I found is that.
1) Democrats and their children are capitalists who are trying to get rich. Why does this bother you? Would you rather they were socialists as the wingnut Republicans always charge? Doesn't it put your mind at ease that they share these basic values you respect with Republicans? I think it's scummy, but why do you?
2) There is no evidence that Biden's son has done anything but work as a lobbyist. There is no evidence whatsoever in the articles that Biden himself has done anything wrong. If you think what's said in an unresolved lawsuit is evidence of anything then you've never been sued. I'm glad for you. It sucks. There is tons of evidence that McCain has been under the direction of lobbyists who are working for him and for their clients who McCain is making major policy statements about. See my post on McCain and Randy Schuenemann and Georgia/Russia for the evidence.
3) The articles on Obama do not show that he has raised money from lobbyists or PACS during the presidential campaign so no contradictions in his behavior there.
__________________
"For if once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." Thomas DeQuincey, 1700's
This tid bit on Joe Biden's net worth is interesting. Doesn't look like he's been trying to use his office to enrich himself to those who've done the math. Does this count as some sort of "old school" thing too?
The word is that he and Russ Feingold have a friendly contest to see which one can be the poorest member of the US Senate.
Ladies and gentlemen I give you the starting line up for the Lobbyist All-Star Team!
Starting at Left Wing: Doug Goodyear (actual postion: McCain's choice to manage this year's Republican National Convention)
Notables: Representing the Burmese Junta.
Quote:
The campaign recently tapped Doug Goodyear for the job, a veteran operative and Arizonan who was chosen for his "management experience and expertise," according to McCain press secretary Jill Hazelbaker. But some allies worry that Goodyear's selection could fuel perceptions that McCain—who has portrayed himself as a crusader against special interests—is surrounded by lobbyists. Goodyear is CEO of DCI Group, a consulting firm that earned $3 million last year lobbying for ExxonMobil, General Motors and other clients.
Potentially more problematic: the firm was paid $348,000 in 2002 to represent Burma's military junta, which had been strongly condemned by the State Department for its human-rights record and remains in power today. Justice Department lobbying records show DCI pushed to "begin a dialogue of political reconciliation" with the regime. It also led a PR campaign to burnish the junta's image, drafting releases praising Burma's efforts to curb the drug trade and denouncing "falsehoods" by the Bush administration that the regime engaged in rape and other abuses. "It was our only foreign representation, it was for a short tenure, and it was six years ago," Goodyear told NEWSWEEK, adding the junta's record in the current cyclone crisis is "reprehensible."
Starting at Center: Vicki Iseman! (Actual position: McCain's mistress (allegedly))
Notables: Bribing John McCain through a combination of money and sex (allegedly).
Quote:
In 2004, as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, McCain reversed a position and took “crucial legislative action” that saved Paxson Communications from “financial ruin.” Drew Clark reports:
McCain initially supported legislation that would have forced Paxson and handful of broadcasters — but not the great bulk of television stations — off the air by December 31, 2006. Bud Paxson himself personally testified about this bill with “fear and trepidation” at a hearing on September 8, 2004.
Two weeks later, McCain had reversed himself. He now supported legislation that would grant two-year reprieve for Paxson — and instead force all broadcasters to stop transmitting analog television by December 31, 2008. Paxson and his lobbyists, including Iseman, were working at this time for just such a change.
Vicki Iseman has represented Paxson since 1998, longer than any of her other clients. The Washington Post reports that Iseman’s clients have given nearly $85,000 to McCain campaigns since 2000, according to records at the Federal Election Commission.
Starting at Right Wing: Rick Davis! (Actual position: top presidential campaign advisor to McCain)
Notables: Representing buisinesses which outsource jobs along with Russian Prime Minister Putin.
Quote:
When McCain started the Reform Institute in 2001 to promote campaign finance reform, he turned to Davis. Though still actively lobbying, Davis pulled in $120,000 as an institute consultant in 2002.
Davis brought with him other McCain insiders, and fundraising took off. In 2003, tax filings show, Davis earned $110,000 in fees, and in 2004 and 2005, while he served as president of the institute, his salary totaled $165,000. Tax forms said he worked five hours a week or "as needed."
But critics questioned whether a nonprofit closely tied to McCain should collect donations from companies with business before the Senate commerce committee, which McCain chaired.
While running the institute, Davis added several lobbying clients who needed McCain's help.
In 2003, for instance, DHL Holdings (USA) and Airborne hired Davis to lobby the Senate to facilitate a merger. Hotly opposed by shipping giants FedEx and United Parcel Service, the merger encountered opposition from Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) on the commerce committee. McCain took steps that helped Davis's clients. He thwarted Stevens's effort to insert language into legislation that would prohibit foreign-controlled companies such as DHL from holding certain military contracts.
Davis's firm earned $125,000 from Airborne in 2003 and $465,000 from DHL parent company Deutsche Post World Net (USA) from 2003 to 2005, records show.
Starting at Left Defense: Charlie Black! (Actual position: Chief political advisor to McCain)
Notables: Conducting his lobbying business with his cell phone from on board the Straight Talk Express.
Quote:
But even as Black provides a private voice and a public face for McCain, he also leads his lobbying firm, which offers corporate interests and foreign governments the promise of access to the most powerful lawmakers. Some of those companies have interests before the Senate and, in particular, the Commerce Committee, of which McCain is a member.
Black said he does a lot of his work by telephone from McCain's Straight Talk Express bus.
He said, however, the combination now requires that he work on weekends, which means 80- or even 90-hour weeks. If McCain were to ask him to step up his commitment to the campaign during the general-election battle, Black said he would take a leave or a reduced salary from BKSH and devote himself to electing McCain president.
McCain has long sought to defend his associations with lobbyists, stressing that friendships with them do not influence his independent judgment when it comes to legislative action. In comments to reporters yesterday, he acknowledged those friendships.
Starting at Right Defense: Randy Scheunemann! (Actual position: McCain's chief foreign policy advisor)
Notables: Advising Jack Abramoff while McCain was "investigating" him. Lobbying for the Iranian spy Chalabi. Lobbying for the current government of Georgia and allowing McCain reignite Cold War tensions.
See Leonidas' recent posts for more.
Starting in Goal: Phil Gramm! (Actual position: McCain's campaign general co-chair)
Notables: Advising McCain on his economic policy while lobbying for Swiss bank UBS which has millions at stake in US mortgage backed securities.... in the midst of the mortgage crisis.
Quote:
After Gramm passed a law easing regulation of energy-commodity trading, California experienced a sharp run-up in energy costs. The energy-trading company Enron was blamed and soon collapsed.
In 1999, Gramm successfully undid the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act, removing the decades-old wall between commercial banking, which was heavily regulated, and investment banking, which was not. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act did not extend significant new regulation to investment banking.
McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said that Gramm is "not benefitting from John McCain's plan." He also said that McCain preferred to focus on homeowners "truly in need" and opposed bailouts for affected banks, an aspect of the crisis that was not addressed in "Countdown"'s report.
Some economists fault Gramm’s deregulatory successes, as well as lax enforcement of remaining oversight powers, not just for the subprime mortgage crisis, but for its spread to other sectors of finance. Even Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has expressed interest in toughening regulations.
Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute told the Washington Post, “McCain is counting on people having very short memories and not connecting some pretty obvious dots here.”
The final UBS form listing Gramm’s work as a lobbyist says he was lobbying the Senate in the second half of 2007 regarding the Helping Families Save Their Homes in Bankruptcy Act. The bill would have let bankruptcy judges rewrite mortgage terms for Americans facing foreclosure so they could repay their loans and keep their homes.
The banking industry opposed this measure. The bill failed.
Ladies and gentlemen, your starting line-up for the Lobbyist All-Star Team!
Fair enough K17, I'll say this much. I read every article you posted and I congratulate you for posting some articles and trying to make a case for once instead of just asserting a charge. So I checked your evidence and what I found is that.
Once again you start off with more of your condescending bull****. Sorry I can't congratulate you on that.
I always post links and evidence to back my opinions. I posted one when Obama gave his non-answer at the Rick Warren forum, but you chose to ignore the evidence because it showed Obama in a bad light and went with the it's a nuanced position and difficult to understand angle when it was nothing of the kind.
Here's another well thought out piece on that little bit of Obama obfiscation:
1) Democrats and their children are capitalists who are trying to get rich. Why does this bother you? Would you rather they were socialists as the wingnut Republicans always charge? Doesn't it put your mind at ease that they share these basic values you respect with Republicans? I think it's scummy, but why do you?
This one doesn't even rate a response.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonidas
2) There is no evidence that Biden's son has done anything but work as a lobbyist. There is no evidence whatsoever in the articles that Biden himself has done anything wrong. If you think what's said in an unresolved lawsuit is evidence of anything then you've never been sued. I'm glad for you. It sucks. There is tons of evidence that McCain has been under the direction of lobbyists who are working for him and for their clients who McCain is making major policy statements about. See my post on McCain and Randy Schuenemann and Georgia/Russia for the evidence.
What a shock!!! McCain hired someone as a policy advisor that shares his views. Sounds like McCain got this idea of Georgian sovereignty on his own over 10 years ago, long before the advisor got his lobbying contract.
That same day, McCain issued a statement saying he had spoken by phone with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili "about Russian moves to undermine Georgian sovereignty."
McCain, an advocate for Georgia democracy for more than a decade, has advocated Georgia's "territorial integrity" since the invasion.
Georgia's internationally recognized borders include the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, now occupied by Russia.
On Sunday, McCain said there are a number of steps the international community can take short of military force to produce "pressures that will change the Russians' behavior."
They include rejecting Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization, canceling Russia-NATO military exercises, and possibly speeding up the admission of Georgia and Ukraine into NATO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonidas
3) The articles on Obama do not show that he has raised money from lobbyists or PACS during the presidential campaign so no contradictions in his behavior there.
But the Illinois Democrat's policy of shunning money from lobbyists registered to do business on Capitol Hill does not extend to lawyers whose partners lobby there.
Nor does the ban apply to corporations that have major lobbying operations in Washington. And the prohibition does not extend to lobbyists who ply their trade in such state capitals as Springfield, Ill.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Sacramento, though some deal with national clients and issues.
"Clearly, the distinction is not that significant," said Stephen Weissman of the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on campaign issues.
Quote:
Some of the most influential players, lawyers and consultants among them, skirt disclosure requirements by merely advising clients and associates who do actual lobbying, and avoiding regular contact with policymakers. Obama's ban does not cover such individuals.
For example, partners from the Atlanta-based law firm Alston & Bird donated $33,000 to Obama in the first 90 days of 2007.
Alston & Bird has a large lobbying division in Washington. It billed its clients nearly $3.9 million in 2006, ranking 35th among Washington lobbyists. Alston boasts on its website that it offers clients "unique experience with how policy is made" and knows "the people who make it: government and agency officials; members of Congress and their staff."
Quote:
Obama's biggest single source of corporate money - $160,000 - came from executives at Exelon Corp., the nation's largest nuclear power provider, and its subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison, an Illinois utility.
Exelon spent $500,000 to influence policy in Washington last year. Although Obama took no money from Exelon's Washington lobbyists, he accepted $1,000 checks from lobbyists John P. Novak and James Monk of Springfield. In Springfield, Novak represents Exelon., and Monk is president of the Illinois Energy Assn., a trade group that represents Commonwealth Edison.
__________________ Hockey's original bad boy. The "Cowboy" Howie Young
Last edited by KINGS17; August 25th, 2008 at 04:29 PM.
KINGS17
O'Biden is as Old School Washington as it gets 
