Obama Cozies Up with CEOs to Lobby Congress for Amnesty

Obama Cozies Up with CEOs to Lobby Congress for Amnesty

by Matthew Boyle 5 Nov 2013, 3:56 PM PDT

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/11/05/Obama-cozies-up-with-CEOs-to-lobby-Congress-for-amnesty

Special interest groups and corporate CEOs met with President Barack Obama at the White House on Tuesday to craft a strategy by which they hope to make granting amnesty to America’s at least 11 million illegal aliens “easy” for House Speaker John Boehner.

“The politics are challenging for the Speaker and others, and we want to make it as easy for him as possible,” Obama said according to The Hill. “This is not an issue where we’re looking for a political win.”

“There’s no reason why we can’t get this done before the end of the year,” Obama added. "And I continue to be hopeful that with the leadership of many who are around this table who represent hundreds of thousands of employees and billions of dollars of assets, who are important in their communities all across the country, them joining up with law enforcement, clergy, citizens, to make the case that ultimately folks up on Capitol Hill will do the right thing."

Corporate executives Obama met with include McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson, Blackstone co-founder Stephen Schwarzman, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson, State Farm CEO Edward Rust, Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson, Deloitte CEO Joe Echevarria, Motorola Solutions CEO Greg Brown, and Evercore Partners founder Roger Altman.

According to The Hill, White House advisers Valerie Jarrett, Cecilia Munoz, Gene Sperling, and Miguel Rodriguez “sat in on the meeting” as well.

Obama also claimed during the meeting that there was “strong bipartisan support” for amnesty because former President George W. Bush “supported the undertaking.”

"We have a fascinating cross-section of people — some unlikely bedfellows, some very liberal folks, some very conservative folks — who all believe that now is the time to get this done," Obama said.

Stephen Miller, a spokesman for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), said it is unseemly what Obama is doing on behalf of special interests. “How can the White House justify a plan to double the number of guest workers, and triple the number of green cards, when a record number of Americans are out of work?” Miller said. “This plan will lower wages at a time when millions are barely able to get by. It is special interest politics at its worst."

Immigration

Lee H. Hamilton is a co-chair for the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future, a director at BAE Systems Inc., a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Note: Michael Chertoff is the chairman for BAE Systems Inc., and the founder for the Chertoff Group.

 Michael V. Hayden is a principal for the Chertoff Group, and a director at Motorola Solutions.

William J. Bratton is a director at Motorola Solutions, and a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Richard C. Blum is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), married to Senator Dianne Feinstein, and the chairman for the CBRE Group, Inc.

Dianne Feinstein is married to Richard C. Blum, a member of the Alfalfa Club, and a U.S. Senate senator.

Frederic V. Malek is a director at the CBRE Group, Inc, a member of the Alfalfa Club, a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and was the president of Marriott hotels & resorts for the Marriott Corporation.

Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was lobbyist for the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Michael L. Tipsord is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the vice chairman & COO for the State Farm Insurance Companies.

Glenn H. Hutchins is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and was a general partner at the Blackstone Group.

Roger C. Altman was the vice chairman for the Blackstone Group, and is the chairman for Evercore Partners Inc.

Austin M. Beutner was a partner at the Blackstone Group, and the president for Evercore Partners Inc.

G. Richard Thoman was a senior adviser for Evercore Partners Inc., and is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Peter G. Peterson was the chairman & co-founder for the Blackstone Group, and is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Roger W. Stone is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and a director at the McDonald's Corporation.

Andrew J. McKenna Sr. is the chairman for the McDonald's Corporation, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Miles D. White is a director at the McDonald's Corporation, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Commercial Club of Chicago, Members Directory

http://commercialclubchicago.org/members/e.html

Please note: This link for the members of the Commercial Club of Chicago can no longer be found.

Valerie B. Jarrett is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

W. James McNerney Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the chairman & president & CEO for the Boeing Company.

Barbara G. Fast was a VP for the Boeing Company, and a VP for the CGI Group Inc.

CGI Group Inc. was the Obamacare contractor that developed Healthcare.gov web site.

Donna S. Morea was the EVP for the CGI Group Inc., and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Edward B. Rust Jr. is a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and the chairman & CEO for the State Farm Insurance Companies.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank), the Committee for Economic Development, the Center for American Progress, and Amnesty International.

George Soros is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, and was a supporter for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), and Amnesty International.

Melody C. Barnes was the SVP for the Center for American Progress, the domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration, and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.

Cecilia Munoz is a director at the Domestic Policy Council, and was the SVP for the National Council of La Raza.

Gene B. Sperling was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and is the director at the National Economic Council for the Barack Obama administration.

Ralph Scott Lilly is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and was the lobby firm for the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Brian D. Dailey was the SVP for the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Joseph W. Ralston is a director at the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Charles F. Wald is a senior adviser for Deloitte LLP, and a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Wesley K. Clark is a senior adviser for the Blackstone Group, and a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

John J. Studzinski is a senior managing director for the Blackstone Group, and a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).