Lobbyists and other Crooks.

I have never had much respect for the Kennedy family----I don't even like the way the family fortune was made. For those of you who don't know, here it is. FDR appointed Ted and Jack's father to be the ambassador to England. He knew Prohibition was going to be repealed. So he had several boat loads of liquor waiting just outside the 3 mile boundary and they docked as soon as the announcment was made. In addition he had set it up so that he got a royalty on every bottle of scotch that was (and maybe still does) imported into the USA. DAMN it I like scotch.
Then there is Ted Kennedy Sr.---the one who drove off the bridge. A FBI friend of mine told me Ted didn't know Kopeckne was asleep in the back seat. But Ted was more interested in the woman in the passenger seat. They both swam to safety across the bay. (Why didn't they just swim back to the island). He waited several hours to report the accident---no doubt he wanted to become sober.
Ted Kennedy Jr. has no problem using his father's position to make a lot of money. He started a
"health advisory" firm called "Marwood Group". They offer info and advice on what to expect from D.C. on issues that relate to health care changes and and to the health care industry. Marwood hung out it's shingle to lobby from 2001 to 2004. Ted Sr. was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health,Education,Labor & Pensions. Marwood was contacted by Bristol-Myers Squibb who made Glucophage ( a diabetic drug on which the patent was about to expire and they wanted to extend the patent, if successful they would make billions of dollars). So BMS wanted to meet with Ted Sr. Ted Jr. set the meeting up and was paid $20,000 by BMS in 2001.They had already spent $4.9million on other lobbyists. Marwood never reported the contact with Ted Sr. as they were required to do. In 2003 BMS paid Marwood $80,000 to help get an appropriation to permit Medicare to pay for myocardial perfusi9on imaging. Guess what Senator was called first. Advanced Medical gave Marwood about $160,000 over a 3 year period.
Ted Jr. started another lobbying firm---WayPoint Advisors and Advanced Medical paid this firm $80,000 in the first two years. In 2004 it came out that Ted Jr. had commissions of millions
from labor unions and the city of Boston. WayPoint shut down in 2006 after Congress made lobbying by family members and spouses illegal. (McCain & Obama pushed this bill).
There is more on lobbyists but not room enough---so expect more later!!