5/26/2009

More fallout from Sen. Roland Burris

From Fox News:

Sen. Roland Burris promised to "personally do something" for Rod Blagojevich's campaign fund while pressing for the then-Illinois governor to appoint him to President Obama's former Senate seat, according to a wiretap transcript released Tuesday.


The Hill newspaper reports what seems to be another broken campaign promise.

The Obama administration is opposing an Illinois law that helped ensnare Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) in a federal indictment for corruption.

Ethics watchdogs charge that in opposing a law intended to prevent politically connected companies from unfairly winning government contracts, President Obama has gone against promises he made during the presidential race.

“When his administration stepped in, I assumed [Transportation Secretary] Ray LaHood would change the Bush administration policy that says pay-to-play is fine by them,” said Craig Holman, a campaign finance lobbyist with Public Citizen, a public interest group.

“Now that he didn’t, I am astounded,” said Holman, who noted Obama’s support during the campaign for the Illinois law.

Administration officials say federal law prohibits any state or local requirement inhibiting competition for federal contracts, which covers pay-to-play laws meant to root out corruption by preventing contractors from paying for contracts through political contributions. They also argue the state laws have the effect of limiting competition for federal contracts, and could slow federal stimulus worth hundreds of millions of dollars that are intended to create jobs. . . . . . .

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