Bloom reports: "Monsanto has been particularly talented at vacuuming up well connected ex-Congressmen, Senators and other government officials to go back and lobby the government, using their connections for the company's benefit. And it also has been great at placing its own people into the agencies that are supposed to be regulating it."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, 02/07/12. (photo: AP)

Monsanto Employees in the Halls of Government

By Jeremy Bloom, Red Green and Blue

16 February 12

ow bad is the revolving door between Monsanto and government? This handy chart (from geke.us) pretty much sums it up.

Monsanto has been particularly talented at vacuuming up well connected ex-Congressmen, Senators and other government officials to go back and lobby the government, using their connections for the company's benefit. And it also has been great at placing its own people into the agencies that are supposed to be regulating it.

One of the worst examples isn't even on the chart - Michael R Taylor:

Taylor started off as a partner at the law firm that represented Monsanto on GBH issues (artificial growth hormones that make cows give more milk).
Then, as the FDA's deputy commissioner for policy, he wrote the FDA's rBGH labelling guidelines – the ones that insisted there was no difference between rGBH and regular milk.
He also deleted references to problems with GMO foods, over the objection of staff scientists.
Then he spent a few years working directly for Monsanto.
And now? Barak Obama brought him back to the FDA to oversee Monsanto again, as his food safety issues czar!

More background: See our earlier story, Monsanto employees in the halls of government.

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+22 # Tippitc 2012-02-16 15:19

The lunatics are running the asylum - and it shows!!! The sorry excuse for a government in DC is as corrupt as any big bank. The big banks issue the orders and the PUPPETS in DC do what they are told! god help us

+4 # Richard Raznikov 2012-02-16 21:55

Monsanto is truly a corporation with designs on monopolizing (and adulterating) food in America. See http://lookingglass.blog.co.uk/2012/02/17/the-face-of-evil-12807395/
for a partial history of this company and its friends in government.

-4 # Jmac 2012-02-16 22:36

Stupid is as stupid does, so funny to hear Democrats cying about the same crap they're pulling to forward thier own agenda.
we need to stop recycling idiots.

+4 # RLF 2012-02-17 04:19

Six from Clinton and five from Obama...only one from Bush...WTF!!!

+3 # RLF 2012-02-17 04:22

Now...after a Chinese scientist (the study would never get funded here) has shown that RNA from the things you eat can be found directly in the blood, they had better lobby like hell because their science is dropping from beneath their feet.

+6 # walt 2012-02-17 04:53

Another perfect example (among thousands) of how the government is owned by the money powers.

Until we ban lobbying and overturn Citizens United, we will continue to have government of, by, and for the profiteers. The USA, Inc!

+5 # reiverpacific 2012-02-17 11:20

Well, like their GM products, Monsanto will infect and corrupt everything they touch.
It's what they do best!

+3 # Innocent Victim 2012-02-17 17:11

There is no country on the fact of the earth that has been responsible for more unnecessary killing since WWII and human misery in the world than the US of A. The world includes our 50 states, the D of C, territories and possessions.

+9 # RMDC 2012-02-18 05:51

Monsanto was one of the main corporations that brought the world asbestos. It was bailed out by congress when the asbestos bubble burst into lung disease. Then Monsanto sold Agent Orange to the Pentagon for use in Vietnam and elsewhere. Again it was bailed out when Agent Orange proved to cause cancer and birth defects. Now Monsanto is the king of genetically modified plants and very dangerous herbicides.

Why isn't this company considered an organized crime syndicate. Its products have killed tens of millions of people around the world. It is now threatening the world's food supply.

In India, Monsanto's BT cotton turned out to be more vulnerable to a certain insect and tens of thousands of farmers who borrowed money to buy the seeds were destroyed. Many committed suicide. They were bankrupt and lost their farms.

Monsanto is an organize crime syndicate. It places its agents in government to immunize it from criminal investigation. There's no hope for the US, but many other independent and sane nations around the world are beginning to ban Monsanto. They face trade sanctions and retaliation from the US, but they are trying to keep the criminals off their streets. In the US, the criminals are in the halls of government -- and welcomed in their by Obama, Hillary, Biden. The US government is the stupidest institution on earth for allowing these criminals into its operations.

+2 # reiverpacific 2012-02-18 08:57

Quoting RMDC:

Then Monsanto sold Agent Orange to the Pentagon for use in Vietnam and elsewhere. Again it was bailed out when Agent Orange proved to cause cancer and birth defects. Now Monsanto is the king of genetically modified plants and very dangerous herbicides.

Why isn't this company considered an organized crime syndicate. Its products have killed tens of millions of people around the world. It is now threatening the world's food supply.

Monsanto is an organize crime syndicate. It places its agents in government to immunize it from criminal investigation. There's no hope for the US, but many other independent and sane nations around the world are beginning to ban Monsanto. They face trade sanctions and retaliation from the US, but they are trying to keep the criminals off their streets. In the US, the criminals are in the halls of government -- and welcomed in their by Obama, Hillary, Biden. The US government is the stupidest institution on earth for allowing these criminals into its operations.

Didn't know they supplied agent orange but not surprised; thanks for that info' as an addition to their unparalleled and appalling list of crimes in cahoots with the US Military Death-Machine.!

+3 # WFO 2012-02-18 21:10

Clarence Thomas was a Monsanto lawyer and has ruled on cases favorable to Monsanto. Control food and you control people, including their health.

0 # JadeQueen 2012-02-22 21:53

Adding to Obama's appointments of infamy: Vilsack, Agriculture, and Kagan, Supreme Court.

I wonder if there is a way to tell who was responsible for the vicious attack of Rawsome Foods? There are so many contestants.

0 # daryl 2012-11-19 18:44

Nobody has made the connection between Monsantos altered corn and our government spending huge amounts of taxpayer dollars to push for ethonol. Which is a fools game by any standard. What little savings there are at the pump are engineered to be that way. We are being manipulated and sold by our elected officials.

0 # debrill 2013-04-07 17:09

Monsanto is more lethal than Phillip Morris could ever dream of being!

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