Michelle Malkin » Corporate Shills for Hope and Change

Corporate Shills for Hope and Change

By Michelle Malkin • August 21, 2009 09:05 AM

My syndicated column today spotlights Lecturer-on-Integrity-in-Public-Service David Axelrod. Background on other Obama corporate shilling for hope and change here, here, here, and here.

It’s enough to get you all wee-weed up over the Culture of Corruption!

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Corporate Shills for Hope and Change
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009

Money from pharmaceutical firms and health care companies is dirty, evil, and corrupting – except when key members of Team Obama are pocketing it. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs derides grass-roots opponents of socialized health care as industry-funded lackeys with questionable motives and conflicts of interest. But what about the corporate shills at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Two weeks ago, the White House embraced $150 million in drug industry ads supporting Obamacare. This week, Bloomberg News reported that White House senior adviser and chief campaign strategist David Axelrod’s former public relations firm, AKPD Message and Media, has raked in some $24 million in ad contracts supporting Obamacare – along with another p.r. firm, GMMB, run by other Obama strategists.

The ads are funded by Big Pharma, the AARP, AMA, and the powerhouse Services Employees International Union (whose Purple Shirts dumped $80 million in independent expenditures to get Obama and the Democrat majority elected). In trademark Axelrod-ian style, the special interest coalition adopted faux grass-roots names – first under the banner of “Healthy Economy Now” and more recently as “Americans for Stable Quality Care.”

Because, well, “Corporate Shills for Hope and Change” doesn’t have quite the same ring of authenticity.

Astroturf master Axelrod was president and sole shareholder of AKPD from 1985 until last December, when he resigned to take his White House position. His son, Michael, works there. So does former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. Axelrod is prominently featured on AKPD’s website, from a founder’s quote on the front page (“CHANGE IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR”) to the glamorous election night photos of Plouffe and Axelrod with the Obamas. AKPD still consults with Axelrod on “strategy and research” for the Democratic National Committee. The firm owes Axelrod $2 million, due in annual installments of $350,000, $650,000, $400,000 and $600,000.

That Axelrod and his old firm benefit mutually from their respective roles selling Obamacare should be gobsmackingly obvious. Axelrod pushes the White House plan on TV news shows. AKPD derives mega-income from ad contracts selling the White House-endorsed plan. The windfall allows AKPD to settle its debts with Axelrod, whose name, face, and high-powered ties are critical to future wheel-greasing for AKPD — and future salary-earning for Axelrod’s son and close associates.

White House flack Gibbs called any suggestion that Axelrod benefits from the relationship “ridiculous.” Retorted Gibbs: “David has left his firm to join public service.” So when Republicans trade power and access, Team Obama calls that being “in cahoots” with business. But when noble servants like Axelrod do it, it’s called “public service.”

What else is Axelrod keeping from full public view? AKPD is just one of his influence-peddling operations. Housed in the same office as AKPD is Axelrod’s secretive former p.r. shop, ASK Public Strategies. The firm also owes Axelrod money from a buy-out deal — five annual installments of $200,000 each. Axelrod has remained notoriously tight-lipped about ASK’s corporate business.

One client that came to light: utility company Commonwealth Edison in Chicago. Axelrod ran a fear-mongering campaign in Illinois for ComEd in support of a huge utility rate hike—and failed to disclose that his bogus grass-roots ads (under the guise of a public-interest group, “Consumers Organized for Reliable Electricity”) were actually funded by the utility. ComEd employees also pitched in nearly $182,000 in contributions to the Obama presidential campaign, by the way – more than any other company in the state, according to Business Week.

What other corporate clients have hired ASK that may be benefiting from their ties to Axelrod right now? Axelrod has grown accustomed to subverting sunlight while claiming to serve “progressive” values. It’s time for Obama’s corporate-funded hypocrites to pay more than lip service to transparency. But as the sanctimonious Axelrod lectures on AKPD’s website:

“Change is never easy.”

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#101

On August 22nd, 2009 at 8:29 pm, conservative in europe said:

You know, I hate to weigh in late on these things but I noted the back and forth between Detolbert and some of the regulars..

It seems fishy because, A. Saying stuff like, “I understand MM taking my stuff down” and B. Attacking some of the most staunchly conservative posters on this sight simply doesn’t pass the smell test.

If MM puts up with half the foolishness Chapoutier, LGM and Red State post here, Detolbert, whatever you may have been immature enough to post pales in comparison (guys, that’s a compliment – please take it as such).

When I first started posting here, I made the mistake of taking one of Joy’s comments and thinking she was a RINO. It was out of context and I was decidedly wrong. I’m hoping that, Detolbert, instead of being a slimy, cheese eating, DemoCommie Rat, is simply naive and new to this.
#102

On August 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 pm, happyscrapper said:

Anyone remember when Pasadena Phil called me a Troll? Seriously, he did. I had just asked an innocent question about Micheal Steele. Like, what was wrong with Michael Steele, or something like that. I really wanted to know what he didn’t like about Michael Steele! He wrote back and called me a troll for daring to “defend” Michael Steele. I was floored. Since then, I have appreciated most of his posts, and he does make a lot of sense to me, most of the time. I just don’t know what sets some people off sometimes. I guess we all have our little quirks.
#104

On August 23rd, 2009 at 7:48 am, Danceswithdachshunds said:

“Too big to fail” is beginning to show its true colors and, excepting a few brave columnists, the deafening silence of the liberal left is puzzling to me. It seems like the very worst of what they accused Bush of doing that could never be substantiated, (Haliburton for example), really IS the cozy relationship Obama is establishing with big business. The government owns GM outright, dictates the financial marketeers, has GE in its back pocket, and attempting to keep under the radar other stuff that ought to outrage liberals such as loaning $2 billion (that we do not have) to Brazil for … oil exploration.

When will the throngs who put Obama into the WH begin to wake up?
#105

On August 23rd, 2009 at 8:08 am, Danceswithdachshunds said:

Well, maybe I was over the top a little bit – though they don’t enjoy much of an audience size-wise, when I hear Air America referring to Obama as a “charming liar it gives me some ‘hope’.” WHAT SAY YOU LGM AND RSS ??
#106

On August 23rd, 2009 at 11:12 am, sbw999 said:

And once again it is a story like this that illustrates vividly the damage to a democracy that a corrupt press causes. Normally conflicts of interest like this would be investigated and explored. Now that takes place only if a Republican is the target.

Our corrupt press is one of the biggest threats to our democracy, meriting Congressional investigation, but that will never happen. Dems wont allow it, and Repubs, even while in power, were and are too weak-kneed to push for it.
#111

On August 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm, tiredofit08 said:

this should bring a tear to your eye…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXP0Mh44ycQ&feature=channel_page
#112

On August 23rd, 2009 at 11:42 pm, NJ-Aviator said:

David Axelrod is going to look good in a prison jumpsuit. Seems inevitable.
#113

On August 24th, 2009 at 12:00 am, detolbert said:

On August 22nd, 2009 at 8:29 pm, conservative in europe said:
You know, I hate to weigh in late on these things but I noted the back and forth between Detolbert and some of the regulars..

It seems fishy because, A. Saying stuff like, “I understand MM taking my stuff down” and B. Attacking some of the most staunchly conservative posters on this sight simply doesn’t pass the smell test.

Ya know, I really don’t care what you fake conservatives with “lilly-white hands” believe or think of me.

I know that when push comes to shove, I will shove back….

All of you who think we can’t “stoop to the level of the Democrats”, HEY IDIOTS-WE’RE LOSING. THE ONLY REASON WE HAVE HAD ANY GAINS IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ON OBAMA-CARE IS THAT WE (NOT YOU) HAVE BEEN IN THE FACES OF OUR CONGRESS AT TOWNHALLS.

Those that “won’t get dirty” remind me of the commercial of the guy that is choking and the 4 people at his table sit around talking about how to save him, when a stranger comes from across the room to do it.

Yes, you’ll be saved from Obama by someone else because you can’t stomach doing it yourselves….. Other bloggers will help take up the right way (including Michelle Malkin), but you guys will just be along for the ride, and claim you did more than you really did. Or, I am sure some of you “lilly-whites” would rat out the REAL Patriots to Obama’s folks to save yourselves in the future…….

It is time for you members here to really examine who you are, who the “lilly-whites” are, and see if they would stab you in the back sometime in the future.

As for me, I know that I am true to America, but not sure of several here!!!!
#114

On August 24th, 2009 at 12:11 am, detolbert said:

PS for to conservative in europe, I know that I am a lot more conservative than you….

On thing to think of, the Founding Fathers would have destroyed the democrats 15-20 years ago. There would have never been a Clinton Administration if Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Patrick Henry and all were here. In fact, they would have already done the “dirty work” probably even before Carter came to office.

They had the WILL TO WIN, and save the Country.
#115

On August 24th, 2009 at 12:32 am, detolbert said:

And before Blog Administrator gets his panties in a wad, “dirty work” refers to the shutting down of loyalist newspapers and such, and imprisoning “for the duration of the Revolutionary War” many loyalists, rabble-rousing and treasonous soldiers, etc. Yes, many were executed by Washinton and others. Even Ben Franklin’s son (a loyalist) was considered a traitor to the Americans and held in prison.

Just think, the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center would not exist, and liberal-democrat operations of NAACP would have been stopped. No ACORN, LaRaza, and very little power to Rainbow and Nation of Islam (and certainly NO Muslim bunch called CAIR and there never would have been 9/11 attacks). As well as most liberal college faculty and bad public school teachers since anti-American and “politically-correct” teaching would never have happened.