Livestrong lobbyist working for Lance the doper

[MacRoadie]

The WSJ article is just a minor case of bad PR.

I would respectfully disagree.

Yes, the article itself is relatively minor. However, the fact that the Congressman immediately made public the visit by this lobbyist is quite significant.

Disclosing visits by lobbyists is not how the quid pro quo system on Capitol Hill works. These are relationships built on confidentiality, anonymity, and back room handshakes. For a Congressman to not only make public a visit by a lobbyist, but to also disclose the nature of the visit and imply that the topic of discussion was of a questionable nature is very significant.

For "wink, wink, whisper, whisper hey can you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" to turn immediately into "Hey this lobbyist for Livestrong wanted to talk to me about USADA funding" in an official press release is profound.

 

[Oldman]

I would respectfully disagree.

Yes, the article itself is relatively minor. However, the fact that the Congressman immediately made public the visit by this lobbyist is quite significant.

Disclosing visits by lobbyists is not how the quid pro quo system on Capitol Hill works. These are relationships built on confidentiality, anonymity, and back room handshakes. For a Congressman to not only make public a visit by a lobbyist, but to also disclose the nature of the visit and imply that the topic of discussion was of a questionable nature is very significant.

For "wink, wink, whisper, whisper hey can you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" to turn immediately into "Hey this lobbyist for Livestrong wanted to talk to me about USADA funding" in an official press release is profound.

That was the pivot point. It may even signal the counter pressure to look at prior Fed interest that was dismissed but at the very least will assure no one of political stature is lining up to be the prime defender. Many here thought that the Tour was the "photo op" USADA was searching for but for my money it is the Olympics. USOC cannot risk their endorsing testing agency just in time for the 4 year payoff and the USADA guys timed it right.
Clemens got off because the witnesses were scummy gym rats. USADA already sanctioned those trainers and doctors and now they can reveal the testimony of real athletes. It's not a syringe in a beer can that they'll be talking about.

 

[MarkvW]

How did notice of this improper contact escape into the wild?

Maybe somebody in power was offended by the misuse of a charity . . .?

 

[Cobber]

Here's the kicker...

Arthur Rieman, an attorney who advises nonprofit organizations, said nonprofits generally aren't supposed to use their funds to benefit their board members. However, he said Livestrong could legitimately argue that protecting Mr. Armstrong's reputation ultimately benefits their mission.

Soon Fabiani et al. will be arguing that more people will die of cancer if Lance is found guilty by USADA!

 

[DirtyWorks]

There has GOT to be a limit of how many favors he can ask of people..
You would think that he would have used a lot of them up if, in fact, he got the DOJ case dropped through politics. Has Lance crossed the threshold from political asset to political liability yet ????

Not really. Money talks and it seems Wonderboy still has enough to book the joker in the article. I don't know why he hasn't stuck with Fabiani though. That's a big mistake and too late to change course now.
Congress critters are exactly the right people to visit. They can make good on budget chopping threats. Even if it's $100,000 less for USADA, that's not small money.

the stench of fraud/criminality tends to fade after a while. Wonderboy's probably got a few more deserved bad news episodes coming before he's gone long enough for people to forget him.

It amazes me that the .com/.org scam went pretty much untouched. Again. It's worse than the UCI's hiding positives.

 

[PedalPusher]

I would respectfully disagree.

Yes, the article itself is relatively minor. However, the fact that the Congressman immediately made public the visit by this lobbyist is quite significant.

Disclosing visits by lobbyists is not how the quid pro quo system on Capitol Hill works. These are relationships built on confidentiality, anonymity, and back room handshakes. For a Congressman to not only make public a visit by a lobbyist, but to also disclose the nature of the visit and imply that the topic of discussion was of a questionable nature is very significant.

For "wink, wink, whisper, whisper hey can you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" to turn immediately into "Hey this lobbyist for Livestrong wanted to talk to me about USADA funding" in an official press release is profound.

Not really and yes.

Lobbyist visits are calendered or recorded, and are accessible under FOIA. So not backroom that we can't find out, nobody really checks unless they smell something, but there are groups tha troutinely check on these matters.

 

[auscyclefan94]

So Lance is now using Cancer to again help support his mission of evading the truth? Low act.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think we need to be above reproach if we are to critisize Armstrong for shameless behavior, otherwise we are no different to what we complain about. Livestrong do directly help people with cancer and their families. They may not have helped a relative of ours, but they do help cancer victims nonetheless. It's understandable that people in those charities are grateful, even though we see doping in the tour de france as a much more important.

You do realise that Livestrong wouldn't exist let alone be able to help Cancer victims if it wasn't for Lance's lie? People would simply donate their money to another charity if Livestrong didn't exist. Livestrong needs to be shut down because it's own existance and success is based on corruption and lies.

 

[python]

so far, every move armstrong made against usada was from get-go designed to wage war of public relations in the media...he simply does not have other weapons.

the lobbyist's visit 'inaccurately' reported is just another one. what most underestimate is that usada is ready. no, they don't blunder into playing his spinning games. they simply count on their own considerable support and my hunch is that it was lined up beforehand in anticipation...i can see mc cane's response to Senselessbrain in that light and more will be coming.

what the arrogant texan is incapable of seeing is that self-respecting people can see through the bs and will lean in the opposite direction when fed merdi..see my sig if in doubt.

 

[sniper]

It is no secret what I think of Juan Pelota, but this is the single scummiest thing I have ever seen him do in the name of cancer. It was bad enough to be subjected to images of suffering cancer patients in a commercial that promoted him and his sponsors, and was almost solely about saying that he didn't dope because people have cancer, but this is something more. This is the most truly disgusting use of people's suffering, and MONEY donated to help cancer patients I have ever seen. The contempt I feel is beyond words. Lance, you just undertook a personal war you have with the USADA, and did it on the backs of people suffering and dying from cancer. Unbelievable. Honestly unbelievable.

+1

It's now official: the whole LAF was founded with the sole purpose of covering LA's back.

 

[Benotti69]

Um, what were you doing for the previous 10 years?

"For the last two years, we've focused on the mission that Lance laid out for us," a spokeswoman for the foundation said. "That's serving cancer survivors,"

i think the S on the end of survivor was an error!

 

[Cimacoppi49]

I would respectfully disagree.

Yes, the article itself is relatively minor. However, the fact that the Congressman immediately made public the visit by this lobbyist is quite significant.

Disclosing visits by lobbyists is not how the quid pro quo system on Capitol Hill works. These are relationships built on confidentiality, anonymity, and back room handshakes. For a Congressman to not only make public a visit by a lobbyist, but to also disclose the nature of the visit and imply that the topic of discussion was of a questionable nature is very significant.

For "wink, wink, whisper, whisper hey can you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" to turn immediately into "Hey this lobbyist for Livestrong wanted to talk to me about USADA funding" in an official press release is profound.

This revelation by Serrano coming on the heels of McCain's statement tells me that Armstrong has finally become toxic on the Hill.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Didn't LA have ambitions to go into politics himself at one point - I guess that might be difficult now - but perhaps those who courted him in the GOP are still hopeful of a Schwarzenegger effect.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

You do realise that Livestrong wouldn't exist let alone be able to help Cancer victims if it wasn't for Lance's lie? People would simply donate their money to another charity if Livestrong didn't exist. Livestrong needs to be shut down because it's own existence and success is based on corruption and lies.

Don't throw out the good wheat with the weeds (Matthew 13:30) - there may be some genuine good done by the foundation - who are we to tell - wait until the harvest

 

[ManInFull]

Didn't LA have ambitions to go into politics himself at one point - I guess that might be difficult now - but perhaps those who courted him in the GOP are still hopeful of a Schwarzenegger effect.

Lance is too liberal to win a GOP race. He'd have to run as a Democrat.

 

[HL2037]

So Lance is going to drag Livestrong down with him. Wasting tons of cancer patients' money in the process. Classy!

 

[Cimacoppi49]

Lance is too liberal to win a GOP race. He'd have to run as a Democrat.

Not certain Sheryl would agree with that appraisal.

 

[thehog]

I would think many on Capital Hill would believe the man has run out of favors.

Skipping on the Federal charges is a act not even Congressmen benefit from.

 

[Benotti69]

Don't throw out the good wheat with the weeds (Matthew 13:30) - there may be some genuine good done by the foundation - who are we to tell - wait until the harvest

I dont think the USA lacks in cancer charities and cancer charities that actually do the proper work as a charity not acting as a front for a charlatan!

 

[rickshaw]

Classic

What we have here is a classic strategy of going after the messenger in order to confuse / obscure / divert attention away from the message. it has worked pretty well since 1999....

 

[rickshaw]

Sorry for two in a row but:

I wrote this in the USADA thread but is sunk into the quicksand fast.

I appologize for repeating

This Congressman Sensenbrenner "represents" the 5th District, which happens to include much or Milwaukee. Remember the Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun and his little doping case. He got off on a technicality. It also looks like the arbiter may have been corrupt. I'm not sure what if any role USADA had in the Braun case, but they did make comment about Braun getting off,

"Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency ("USADA", the official anti-doping agency for Olympic sport in the United States), said the ruling was "unreal" and "insulting" to clean athletes. He confirmed that what occurred was standard. "This stuff happens around the world all the time. They're collected at people's homes after the UPS or FedEx or DHL is closed. The DCO (doping control officer) keeps it with them. These are well-trained people whose job it is to maintain it. I'm stunned."

Also of interest, just West of District 5 is the town of Waterloo, home of Trek, whose owners actually live in Milwaukee. LA owns part of Trek, Trek doesn not want any more LA dirt rubbing off in Trek.

The Congressman represents The Brewers. He is just earning his pay, I mean Campaign contributions. This could also be payback for going after Braun?

 

[ChewbaccaD]

They were implying, no inferring...but anyway...

mostly, I'm just anxious to see the spin from the speedo crowd, among some of whom Cancer Jesus truly does walk on water. I'm sure the owner of that goofy website devoted to speedos will have an article out soon explaining that this either all made up, or for the greater good of a free society....all while desperately trying to keep the cash cow of Our Lord Lance alive.

The one big worry from this is that politicians like to look like they actually are doing stuff, and if they few Armstrong's stock as dropping they'll see an opportunity to make themselves look good by looking deeper. All of a sudden, they start wondering why you're flying all these cute girls around to hold "Livestrong" signs up at the Tour of Cali, and why they're staying in $1,200 hotel rooms. allegedly. Then it snowballs, and all of a sudden every paperclip spent at Livestrong starts to fall under scrutiny.

This is a serious move of brazen desperation.

Interestingly, we can ask one of the members at the speedo site if the lobbyist visited their office considering he works for Congressman Sensenbrenner...oh wait, Sensenbrenner insisted that he hadn't been visited by a lobbyist working for the LAF even though they just happened (with no prompting from Trek or anyone) go have come out with a statement questioning this horrible witch hunt being undertaken by the USADA...

I hadn't heard about the bimbo plane, but nothing surprises me with Cancer Jesus.

 

[thehog]

The biggest issue with what’s occurred is that the members of Congress may be more than willing to discussing cancer related issues with a non-profit. What they won’t want to be discussing or involving themselves with an active arbitration and federal law process.

If a lobbyist made appointments under the guise to discuss cancer related issues and brought up a active legal case then that’s a serious breach of trust and probably law.

We shouldn’t’ forget that there are proceeding in progress in front of a Federal Judge. If its concluded that a lobbyist is attempting to “influence” congress to infiltrate and derail the legal process then that’s a very serious issue. Even more so if they’re gaining entry into the appointment books of Congressmen under the Livestrong banner.

 

[tofino]

Meeting on all fronts

From LA twitter feed;

Twitter
Great dinner tonight with @caseywasserman. Good discussion about @LIVESTRONG, sports in general, and the #TdF.

Lance Armstrong @lancearmstrong
July 17


Keeping the pressure up on all fronts.

TAKEN FROM WASSERMAN WEBSITE-note last client

Our approach to facilitating lasting partnerships is to identify the world’s best teams, venues, and athletes, then position them to meet the specific objectives of the world’s leading corporate brands. Current and former clients include Arsenal Football Club, Wembley Stadium, the New York Jets and Giants, Tottenham Hotspur FC, the Philadelphia Phillies and USA Cycling.

 

[MD FACG FACP]

They do have joint programs with governmnents around the world where they match each other's funding. Maybe this could be something to do with it?


A few examples please.