“Apple has hired Amber Cottle as its new chief lobbyist, reports Politico,” Mike Beasley reports for 9to5Mac.
“Before joining the Cupertino company, Cottle spent time as the Democratic Staff Director on the Senate Finance Committee,” Beasley reports. “Prior to serving the Finance Committee, Cottle was the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Investment.”
Read more in the full article here.
“Apple has been increasingly active in Washington DC in recent years, with Apple executives meeting with President Obama over NSA surveillance and appearing in front of a Senate committee to discuss Apple’s tax strategies,” Jordan Golson reports for MacRumors. “The company has repeatedly asked Congress for a discount on taxes for repatriating cash earned overseas to the United States.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Like always, Apple champions user privacy protection.
Ooh! Former Senate Finance Committee Democratic Staff Director! Buy! Buy! Buy!
Lobbying is evil, but until it is not banned by the law Apple has no other way than to use it. Otherwise bogus cases like on iBooks will happen again.
The act of lobbying is not evil. It is a core part of the democratic process. Should you or anyone else be prohibited from visiting your congressman to talk about a concern you have? I think not. The same holds for any business that has a vital interest in the laws of the land.
Lobbying is a problem where an implicit deal is struck that a congressman/woman modifies a law in exchange for future campaign donations from private or business concerns.
“Secular Green is babies!!!”
I hate to see this shit, but I guess Apple has to play hardball with the rest of big business. Recent history has demonstrated that in Washington DC if you’re not out tooting your own horn, somebody will come by and hit you over the head with it.
Shit it is. This is what’s happening to my US government. Apple hung onto the right way to do things bravely and for a long time. But the Carl Levins ad nauseam of the DC Power and Cash Agency made it quite clear that PERSECUTION was the cost of not feeding them graft and worship.
I’ve thought about whether ‘graft’ is the right term. I think it fits. What’s an alternative term?
As for worship: Total sarcasm. Little red tie wearing worms.
Probably the most appropriate. Perhaps corruption, although it is too broad, but more easily understandable.
When in Rome.
Oops! Apple picked someone from the wrong party. The pendulum has swung. Republicans will own 2/3rds of DC after this November and all of it come January 2017.
The Republicans have won a majority of the vote in a Presidential race exactly once since 1988, so stick to measuring the drapes in the Senate.
More to the point, the outside lobbying firm Apple retains is solidly Republican. Companies try to have ins with both parties, and Apple already has their in with the GOP with Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock.
You might be correct Registered Voter. My cynicism about the stupidity of the US electorate is at an all time high.
And if you’re wrong, of course we’re still thoroughly FRACKED.
Shot By Both Sides.
Agreed. I believe we will see a titanic shift in power.
Delaying AHCA employer mandate is pure politics designed to minimize the damage until after the election. It won’t work. The majority understands it is a political ploy that does not help the average citizen.
That said, the party in power needs to immediately address steps to fix the mess at the federal level.
I find it quite regrettable that any company needs to employ lobbyists at all.
-jcr
amen.
Well nothing right but still people are sometime true ay but who wait for iPhone 6 Becase I would have a go
Please don’t use Google Translate to convert from your language into English. It doesn’t make sense at all.
I wonder what the original language was! I sometimes use Google translate to read Chinese and the English it produces is horrible. I never to write. My wife is Chinese. Every time I use Google translate to do anything from English to Chinese my wife just says “stop it, will you just stop… Let me write it”
So please, to James, don’t even think that Google translate can produce anything that is even reasonably correct.
Stop it. Just Stop it.
I wonder what the original language was! I sometimes use Google translate to read Chinese and the English it produces is horrible. I never to write. My wife is Chinese. Every time I use Google translate to do anything from English to Chinese my wife just says “stop it, will you just stop… Let me write it”
So please, James, don’t even think that Google translate can produce anything that is even reasonably correct.
Stop it. Just Stop it.
Lobbying is much the same as paying bribes to corrupt politicians. Lobbying is a sanitised name for the procedure, but the end result is the same – if you pay enough to the right people, you get what you want.
Apple no doubt was told by Obama who to hire. Apple has gone against the grain in the past and avoided excessive lobbying preferring to speak with their product. Now, under the “pay to play” regime of Barack Obama Apple is targeted every day for not “paying”. That is now changing. The hiring of this Democrat hack, under orders of Obama, signals Apple surrendering to the Obama pay to play machine. Expect to see Apple do more overtly to support the Obama regime as its payment for a more hands off policy from Obama.