when a lobbyist calls you out on ethics.

outside the blogosphere? Wonder if any of the usual WaPo faces that populate the talking head shows will be asked about it? I guess we can expect to see the Michale Jackson coverage go to an even higher level to make sure no one has to mention it. Well, I bet the good folks at Fox might have something to say.

This is clearly unethical, but it is also unbelievably dumb.

Honestly, why would anyone want to pay for this allegeed access when the WaPo already has intrepid health care reporter Ceci Connolly doing it for them for free?

And am I wrong that the lobbyists are also already getting plenty of access to "important people" courtesy of the cash they keep pouring into campaigns and PACs.

I would love to hear the Obama administration's response to this, given the president's loud and frequent promises to change the way things are done in Washington.

as completing the wealth transfer from the lower and middle classes to the upper classes. I think he was picked to make sure the health care industry, and the banks got to gouge the American tax payer for every dime they possibly could. And I'm sure there will be other inustries that want in on the money. What has the past eight years been other than outright theft in too many cases?

I don't think they have ever had any intention of creating a plan that is good for Americans Like the war in Iraq, like the out of control mortgage industry, like the rebuilding of the Gulf coast, the sky scraper cost of a barrel of oil, I think this about finding ways to drain even more money than they do now from Americans. Someone over at The Agonist posted an article about eating the seed corn. He said that Bush burned through our bank accounts and now Obama is burning through our remaining credit and when Obama leaves office, we'll have virtually nothing to work with. The nation will be broke and the middle class clobbbered.

I'll write my letters and make my phone calls, but I think Obama knows exactly what he intends to do and whatever it is, is going to completely fuck average Americans over and make the health insurance corporations even more fantastically wealthy than they are now.

This is certainly getting plenty of attention within blogosphere

Ezra Klein posts an e-mail sent by Marcus Brauchli, the editor of the Washington Post, to the Post's newsroom staff which reads, "The flier circulated this morning came out of a business division for conferences and events, and the newsroom was unaware of such communication. It went out before it was properly vetted, and this draft does not represent what the company’s vision for these dinners are, which is meant to be an independent, policy-oriented event for newsmakers. As written, the newsroom could not participate in an event like this."

Things that make you go, "hmmmm." The vetting was the problem. Sure.

with this little gambit.

Post Draws Criticism For Bid To Sell Access -- audio at link.

"Salons" now cancelled.

Didn't courtesans hold salons?

From the use of the term 'salon' to the very act of what they were planning to do. You can't even make this stuff up. They may as well formally start calling themselves Versailles. This is, quite frankly, media prostitution.