Wake-Up Call: the sins of former senators

It's not quite the million-buck-a-year consulting job that Tom Daschle got working with former Tele-Communication Inc. honcho Leo Hindery's InterMedia Advisors, and it may not come with a private car. But former Senator Wayne Allard just took a job with The Livingston Group, a D.C. lobbying firm. Apparently the dog-eat-dog world...

By Patricia Calhoun

February 4, 2009

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It's not quite the million-buck-a-year consulting job that Tom Daschle got working with former Tele-Communication Inc. honcho Leo Hindery's InterMedia Advisors, and it may not come with a private car. But former Senator Wayne Allard just took a job with The Livingston Group, a D.C. lobbying firm. Apparently the dog-eat-dog world of influence-peddling really needed an out-of-work vet.

As for Daschle, his failure to pay taxes on the private car provided by Hindery finally drove him out of consideration for Secretary of Health and Human Services -- but not before he lobbied the Obama administration to give a senior post to his buddy Hindery.

Heel!

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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