Who Really runs our country?

Some of the largest key players in this presidential election campaigns are people in the business of buying and selling influence. These people are on both sides of the institutional fence. In this post will start to show how deep these people have rooted themselves in to our political process to a point were they are creating agendas which have turned in to terrible policy decisions made for the American people.

The question is, Who really runs our country?

The first thing we have to know who the players in this election.

Mark Penn - Chief Hillary Clinton strategist, and the CEO of Burson-Marsteller[1].

Burson - Marsteller is a lobbyist firm. Their client list includes CountryWide Financial[2], Black Water [3], Abu Dhabi Investment Authority[4], Saudi Arabia after 9-11[5], Exelon[6], Columbia [7], as well as Phillip Morris, Occidental Petroleum, Bristol-Meyers, Entergy (nuclear power), Lockheed Martin, Texaco, AT&T, Allergen (makers of Botox), Greece, Taiwan, Cyprus, Virginia Tech, Doha16. Qatar (to try to get the 2016 Olympics there), Comcast, Sony Ericcson, Ikea, the National Fisheries Institute, Visa International and many, many others.[8]

Charilie Black - One of John Mccains top Strategists - Chariman of BKSH & Associates [9]

BKSH & Associates is also a lobbyist firm. Now what makes BKSH & Associates so odd, is that is is a subsidary of Burson-Marsteller.[10][11][12]The company that Mark Penn is the CEO of.



Now what does Burson - Marsteller do? Well I will let their own website tell us that.

BKSH & Associates Worldwide provides the Burson-Marsteller family with elite government consulting, public affairs, and strategic lobbying capabilities. The firm's professionals design and execute government strategies on the federal and state levels, which affect public policy and enhance business development and practices around the world.
The firm uses a bipartisan approach, led by Charlie Black, one of the country's leading Republican political strategists and Scott Pastrick, a senior Democratic strategist, former Treasury Department official, and former Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee. BKSH team members have managed "front-page" issues and have worked quietly on behind-the-scenes projects for clients including Fortune 100 companies, multinationals, trade and industry associations, foreign governments, state governments, and municipalities.
Through integrated efforts with Burson-Marsteller; Marsteller; PSB; and DI, BKSH is able to meet specific government relations needs for its clients, including public affairs counsel from the local to federal level, strategic campaign leadership, and widespread, long-term relationships with political decision-makers.

This is the most amazing thing to me. This company is not even trying to cover up this up, but actually is proud of this. Wonder how long or how deep it goes? Well let me quote their website for that.

A Bipartisan Team
BKSH uses a bipartisan approach. Our team includes Democrats and Republicans who have had distinguished careers as senior staff in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the Executive Branch. The company’s professionals have been involved in most of the significant legislative issues in the past 20 years.
Our team also includes senior strategists from the Democratic and Republican parties who are veterans of many political campaigns, including:
The 2004 and 2000 campaigns of President George W. Bush
The 2004 Presidential campaign of Senator John Kerry
The 2000 Presidential campaign of Vice President Al Gore
The 1992 and 1996 campaigns of President Bill Clinton
The 1996 Presidential campaign of Senator Bob Dole
The 1992 and 1988 campaigns of President George Bush
The 1980 and 1984 campaigns of President Ronald Reagan [14]

The about us page goes on further to tell us the their Big Picture.

The Big Picture
BKSH comprehensively views a client’s concern. Even the most basic objective is potentially impacted by a multitude of constituencies and factors – some within the government, some in the media, others throughout the private sector. Therefore, it is the firm’s practice to develop an integrated approach that incorporates government relations, communications and public relations. BKSH can also help the client form coalitions with allied associations, companies, and interest groups to impact a common government relations goal.

and the bottom line

The Bottom Line
In today’s world, characterized by tight budgets and corporate downsizing, BKSH & Associates Worldwide understands that it must show real value for the client’s bottom line. The company encourages the client to view its fee not as an expenditure, but as an investment. BKSH is able to become an invaluable part of the client’s long-term strategy rather than an ancillary. We set specific goals upon which our performance may be measured. The company becomes an invaluable part of the client’s long-term strategic planning. [14]

This company not only acknowledges this is occurring, but also talks about how hiring them will improve your financial status, or push your agenda. The company also brags about how it has been in involved in the Republican party since Regan campaign, and start having people on both sides of the fence from when Bill Clinton started running. The company goes far to say that they have top Republican Strategist Charlie Black, and Top Democratic Strategist Scott Pastrick and will use a bipartisan approach on "Front Page Issues" or working quietly behind the scene.

The question is, Who really runs our Country? Vote for the Candidate that has said No to lobbyist money.

Please go through my citations. Check for the Accuracy of what I am saying. If you see any mistakes, or have any questions, or comments please e-mail me or post a comment. I only want the truth in this blog.

1. Burson-Marsteller, "Abous Us Mark Penn http://www.burson-marsteller.com/About_Us/Global_Leadership/Lists/GlobalLeadership/DispForm.aspx?ID=1&nodeName=Global%20Leadership&SubTitle=Mark%20J.%20Penn (accessed March 30, 2008).

2. CNN, "Countrywide to launch PR campaign(2007), http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/03/news/companies/countrywide_pr/index.htm (accessed March 30, 2008).

3.Border, J, & Risen, J "Blackwater Mounts a Defense With Top Talent(2007), http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/washington/01blackwater-sub.html?pagewanted=print (accessed March 30, 2008).

4. Burson-Marsteller, "B-M in the News(2007), http://www.burson-marsteller.com/Newsroom/Lists/BMNews/DispForm.aspx?ID=3627&nodename=B-M%20in%20the%20News&subTitle=ADIA%20Hires%20Burson%20for%20Global%20Work (accessed March 30, 2008).

5. Guardian UK, "Fur flies as Greenpeace grandee takes PR shilling(2002), http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4334181,00.html (accessed March 30, 2008).

6. Stein, S. "Mark Penn Tied To Controversial Nuclear Firm http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/14/mark-penn-tied-to-controv_n_86722.html (accessed March 30, 2008).

7. US Department of Justice, "Pursuant to the Foreign Agents Regisitration Form OMB NO. 1105-0003, http://www.fara.gov/docs/2469-Exhibit-AB-20070503-5.pdf (accessed March 30, 2008).

8. Shear , M & Birnbaum, J "The Anti-Lobbyist, Advised by Lobbyists(2008), http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022101131_pf.html (accessed March 30, 2008).

9. BKSH & Associates, "Charles R. Black, Jr http://www.bksh.com/charlie-black.html (accessed March 30, 2008).

10. USA today, "Blackwater aided by PR giant(2007), http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-05-blackwater-pr_N.htm (accessed March 30, 2008).

11. Burson-Marsteller, "Intergrated Solutions http://www.burson-marsteller.com/INTEGRATED_SOLUTIONS/Pages/BKSH.aspx (accessed March 30, 2008).

12. Birnbaum, J. "A Few Degrees of Separation From Hillary Clinton's Top Adviser(2007), http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/19/AR2007021900972.html (accessed March 30, 2008).

13. BKSH & Associates, "Integration with the Burson-Marsteller Family http://www.bksh.com/integration-with-the-burson-marsteller.html (accessed March 30, 2008)

14. BKSH & Associates, "About Us http://www.bksh.com/about-us.html (accessed March 30, 2008).