Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Obama's Mideast Peace Magician - A Lobbyist for Dubai

Obama claims no lobbyists in his government... lies.

I wonder if being employed by Dubai will in any way impact his impartiality. Naaa, that would mean that Obama's skills in picking his men are questionable, and we shouldn't question dear Leader. (or he might name names and mark his targets - like the good old Marxist book says)

H/T To Drudge

Bloomberg: Mitchell’s Firm Lobbied for Dubai’s Ruler in Camel Jockey Case
George Mitchell, President Barack Obama’s special Middle East troubleshooter, was chairman of a law firm that was paid about $8 million representing Dubai’s ruler in connection with a child-trafficking lawsuit.

The DLA Piper law firm did legal and lobbying work on the case, which alleged that Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al- Maktoum and another official used children kidnapped from other countries to ride as jockeys in camel races. The firm lobbied federal agencies, members of the U.S. House and about two dozen Senate offices, including those of Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2006 and 2007, according to Justice Department foreign-agent disclosures.

Mitchell, 75, who isn’t a registered lobbyist, didn’t lobby either on this issue or for Dubai generally. DLA Piper partner Bill Minor said in an e-mail that Mitchell, a former Democratic senator from Maine, mainly focused on growth and management at the firm of almost 4,000 attorneys and 65 offices worldwide, and high-profile projects such as an investigation of steroid use in Major League Baseball.

Mitchell’s firm had extensive lobbying clients and offices in the Middle East ranging from the leader of Dubai to a Kuwait construction firm contracting in Iraq. The firm also has offices in Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Abu Dhabi and has an affiliation with a law firm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mitchell traveled to Dubai and spoke to the press there about the issue.


He's not registered, so it doesn't count. In your dreams. Much like you can be a plumber even if municipal Ohio "big brother" didn't issue a license.

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