Mike Rogers Breakfasts With Lobbyists
Michigan’s Mike Rogers doesn’t live like you and I do. While we get up and pour ourselves a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast, Congressman Rogers goes out to eat his breakfast. Rogers doesn’t go to just any old place for his bacon and eggs either.
This morning at 8:15, Representative Rogers is going to a very exclusive club for breakfast: The Stanton Park Group, at 1325 Pennsylvania Ave NW – Suite 700. The Stanton Park Group sounds like it’s a jazz band of some kind, but that’s not really what this group is up to.
The Stanton Park Group is a lobbying firm. Last year, the Stanton Park Group was paid over a million dollars to persuade members of Congress to comply with corporate demands. Their client list includes health care industry groups, telecommunications giants, car companies, and even Microsoft.
Why are the lobbyists of the Stanton Park Group being so generous to invite Mike Rogers over for breakfast this morning? They’re helping Congressman Rogers meet with corporate executives, or their paid representatives, in order to hand Rogers money.
No kidding. An invitation sent out by the Mike Rogers re-election campaign asks individuals attending the breakfast to come with at between 500 and 1,000 dollars to give to Rogers. Political Action Committees seeking some attention from Rogers are being charged between 1,000 and 2,000 dollars.
Where I come from, we don’t charge people thousands of dollars for the privilege of sitting at our breakfast table. Of course, where I come from, no one sits on a powerful congressional committee that has influence over government regulations. Mike Rogers does have that kind of position, and it seems that he’s willing to take a good deal of money from lobbyists in order to keep his hold on power secure.
Thanks for this post. Here in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, we’re sadly familiar with his love of pay-to-nosh! Luncheons, breakfasts, happy hours… call him anything but late to the table.
Even when he’s home (which isn’t often), Mr. Rogers only talks to people who are willing to pay for the privilege.