White House downplays golf outing with lobbyist
The White House is dismissing criticism that President Obama's weekend golf outing included a prominent Washington lobbyist.
"I think he played a game of golf," said White House spokesman Jay Carney when asked if the Saturday foursome that included Joe O'Neill violates Obama's pledge to limit the access of lobbyists to the White House.
O'Neill is president and CEO of the firm Public Strategies Washington.
Among his clients: Bain Capital, the Mitt Romney private equity firm that Obama and aides criticized so heavily during the 2012 presidential campaign.
Obama and O'Neill played Saturday with former U.S. Trade representative Ron Kirk and CenterPoint Energy Chairman Milton Carroll at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va.
"O'Neill is a veteran Democratic lobbyist who represents clients like Bain Capital, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Edison Electric Institute, Lockheed Martin and many others.
"The Obama White House has repeatedly touted its lobbying ban as a major tool in fighting corruption and influence peddling. The self-imposed ban largely keeps former registered lobbyists from working in the administration, though the administration has granted a number of waivers. ...
"O'Neill lobbies on tax reform issues for Bain."