Culture of Corruption: a Plan to Take Lobbying Shops Public

Another of an infrequent series to document the increasing irrelevance 'of the people, by the people, for the people' to these United States. Originally posted to ePluribusMedia

Commitment Levels: Co-Chair ($25,000 per PAC) 5 Photo Opportunity Tickets/10 Reception Tickets Vice Chair ($10,000 per PAC) 2 Photo Opportunity Tickets/4 Reception Tickets Individual ($2,500 per Individual/PAC) 1 Reception Ticket

Venture Capitalist Has a Plan to Take Lobbying Shops Public

-- Where there's an ill, there's a play.

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum

Monday, December 12, 2005; D01

Kenneth P. Ducey Jr. is the mystery man of K Street.

Downtown D.C. has been buzzing for weeks about a venture capitalist who's been secretly trying to buy a bunch of lobbying shops, tie them together and take them public. Well, the gossip is true, and the 41-year-old, Connecticut-based Ducey is that man.

I don't know whether he can pull it off; he won't identify his financial backer and the history of such ventures is abysmal. But investors have been digging deep lately in the belief that so much money can be won in Washington that lobbying companies are no-lose propositions.

"They're excellnt businesses," the gregarious Ducey effused in a telephone interview. "At least the lobbying firms I've been talking to have been growing substantially over the past five to 10 years, are earning money and have a very loyal clientele."

In other words, manipulating government has developed into a reliably high-margin -- and thus high-rate-of-success -- enterprise.

...

jump ....

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into the abyss

National Republican Congressional Committee Calendar of Events

If you would like to submit an event for the Member Calendar of Events, please call 202-479-7000.

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December 12, 2005
6:00p.m-7:00p.m

Hon. Rudolph W. Giuliani & House Majority Whip Roy Blunt Cordially invite you to An Reception Honoring Charles Boustany, Tim Murphy, Mike Fitzpatrick, Chris Shays, Jim Gerlach, Rob Simmons & Mike Sodrel

The Grand Havana Room 666 5th Avenue New York City

Commitment Levels: Co-Chair ($25,000 per PAC) 5 Photo Opportunity Tickets/10 Reception Tickets Vice Chair ($10,000 per PAC) 2 Photo Opportunity Tickets/4 Reception Tickets Individual ($2,500 per Individual/PAC) 1 Reception Ticket

For More Information, contact Amanda Mayer at The Bellwether Consulting Group (703) xxxxxxx or RSVP@...

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December 13, 2005
8:00 9:00 a.m.

Graves for Congress cordially invites you to an Agriculture breakfast with CONGRESSMAN SAM GRAVES

Capitol Hill Club 75 Room 300 First Street, S.E. Washington, DC 20003

Suggested Contribution: PAC $1,000 Individual $500

R.S.V.P to Mike Britt at (202) xxxxxxx or e-mail, brxxx@...

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December 13, 2005
8:30 am

Steve Perry ~ Dutko Worldwide & Stephen Sayle ~ Dutko Worldwide Cordially invite you to an End of the Year Round Table Breakfast in honor of Congressman John Shimkus

Dutko Worldwide 412 First St, SE ~ First Floor

Breakfast: $1,000 per PAC or $1,000 per Individual

Please RSVP to: Mike Gula at 703-xxxxxxx or email info@...

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December 14, 2005
12:00 PM

*NEW DATE * Please join Ashley Basquin - BNSF Railway & Tom Jensen - UPS In Honor of Congressman Jim Gerlach for his Last Luncheon of the Year

AGC Townhouse 53 D St, SE

Suggested Contribution: $1,000 per PAC or $500 per Individual

Please RSVP to Mike Gula at 703-xxxxxxx or email info@...

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December 14, 2005
12:00 PM

*LAST 2005 EVENT* Please join Congressman Tim Murphy For his End of the Year LUNCHEON

NRA Conference Room ~410 First, SE Second Floor

Suggested Contribution: $1,000 per PAC or $500 per Individual

Please RSVP to Mike Gula at 703-xxxxxxx or email info@...

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Executive Summary of the Report

Over the past year, the issue of Congressional ethics has taken on new resonance. Where questionable conduct was once shrugged off as "business as usual," now both the public and the press are demanding greater accountability from Members of Congress. At a time when a recent Gallup Poll reports only that 36% of those polled express approval of Congress, people are taking a harder look at the actions of their representatives.

The ethics issues surrounding House Majority Leader Tom DeLay are well documented and frequently reported. In fact, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has been one of Rep. DeLay's harshest critics. Nonetheless, we recognize that Rep. DeLay is not the only Member of Congress whose behavior merits scrutiny. There are a significant number of other members who have engaged in similarly egregious conduct, thus the name of the report: Beyond DeLay.

...

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Beyond Delay: Report Summaries

* Executive Summary of the Report

* Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

* Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA)

* Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)

* Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)

* Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)

* Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH)

* Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)

* Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)

* Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC)

* Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

* Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)

* Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)

* Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

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