Senator Obstruction’s protege profits from selling Senate filibusters

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Senator Obstruction, Jon Kyl, has been prolific in his abuse of Senate procedure to obstruct the people's business in Congress. This Jedi master of abuse of procedure trained his former aide, Steven Duffield, in the dark side of the force. 

Senator Obstruction's protege is now the president of Endgame Strategies LLC, a D.C. lobbying firm which profits from helping its clients find just the right Republican Senator to use the Senate rules for secret holds and filibusters to hold up legislation in the Senate. No doubt, his former boss and Jedi master is on speed dial, always willing to take his call.

Think Progress reports, Defending Senate Filibuster, Heritage Hosts Corporate Lobbyists Who Specialize In Holding Up Legislation:

For today’s event, Heritage has invited lobbyists who personify the very problems of Senate obstruction to speak in support of the current Senate rules. Steven Duffield, one of Heritage’s experts for the event, is a GOP operative and the president of Endgame Strategies LLC, a lobbying firm he founded. According to Roll Call, Duffield, a former aide to Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the Republican whip in the Senate, created his firm to help his clients work with Senate Republicans to “use their power to filibuster to hold up legislation.” Duffield’s lobbying website advertises that he can help his clients find just the right “backbench Senate Republicans” to “exercise their prerogatives to delay or obstruct” controversial legislation:

Managing Holds and Filibusters. Your organization has an interest in a bill that has proven controversial and you require advocacy before those legislators – often backbench Senate Republicans – who may exercise their prerogatives to delay or obstruct. Endgame Strategies will give you new ways to manage your interests in a legislative environment that gives great power to individual senators.

Although Duffield does not disclose his full client list, Duffield’s LinkedIn profile says he serves “corporate” clients.

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While he helps corporations place secret holds for his corporate clients, Duffield has elected a new crew of Republican senators to boost his business. In addition to his lobbying gig, Duffield serves as “Policy Director” of Crossroads GPS, the undisclosed [Karl Rove] corporate front group that helped elect Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and other freshmen Republican senators. By granting Duffield and Wichterman a platform to promote Senate obstruction, Heritage is doing a service for corporate lobbyists.

The revolving door and selling access at work.