Jean Schmidt’s Smoke Filled Room
Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives continued its work long into the evening, so that important legislative business could be conducted before the long spring break Congress takes every year. Representative Jean Schmidt couldn’t be there for much of the evening work, however. She had more important things to do. She had to go have dinner with lobbyists.
The term “smoke filled room” has become a political cliche for a place in which secret arrangements are made between power brokers connected with big business interests. In the case of Jean Schmidt’s meeting with lobbyists last night, however, “smoke filled” is an especially apt term.
It was a dinner meeting among a special sort of friend – the kind of friend who will pay $1,000 in exchange for access to a member of Congress. That’s what Jean Schmidt suggested as a payment to her in the email invitation she sent out, telling a select influential few about last night’s event.
The pay-to-play event was hosted by lobbyist John Milne, who works for the firm mCapitol Management. The biggest category of clients John Milne works for are war profiteers – companies that turn a big profit whenever nations gear up to fight.
However, Milne also does a great deal of work on behalf of tobacco companies. Big Tobacco is Milne’s second-biggest line of lobbying work. When he comes to an event like Jean Schmidt’s dinner last night, he brings in a certain level of smoke with him.
Jean Schmidt’s re-election campaign hasn’t publicly announced her tobacco lobbyist-sponsored fundraising dinner last night. Is Schmidt concerned that her constituents might not regard the event with approval if they were to find out about it?
