Obama’s CIA Nominee Has Ties to National Security Lobbyists

 It seems so long ago now that President Obama claimed that he would not hire lobbyists. Of course he waived that rule within hours and he has kept on waiving it ever since. According to this article it looks to me as if he is waiving the no lobbyist rule once again. This time for Leon Panetta, the man who will be the CIA director.

with some of the payments coming from troubled financial firms and from a firm that invests in contractors for federal national security agencies

Mr. Panetta’s forms show that he performed government affairs consulting last year and also sat on the board of a public affairs firm that lobbies Congress.

 The article goes on to say that this nominee doesn’t violate his ban on hiring lobbyists. To paraphrase President Clinton, it depends on what your definition of is is.

Mr. Panetta also received a $28,000 honorarium from the Carlyle Group, a private-equity firm that owns companies doing business with national-security agencies of the U.S. government. Carlyle holds a majority stake in the government consulting arm of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., which works for the CIA and other agencies.

 And:

Mr. Panetta also reported receiving a $60,000 “Governmental Advisor Fee” from the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the shipping industry. The group lobbies the federal government regarding terrorism laws that affect shipping

 Doesn’t this sound like a conflict of interest to anyone? Is anyone else already tired of the president asying one thing while doing another at the same time?