This lot couldnt even organise a spark in a sea of gasoline
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/16955As ABC News put it, “big entertainment companies pulled out all the stops Wednesday night (that was August 27) with a free concert for about 600 select attendees by one of the country’s biggest hip hop stars, Kanye West.”
That was because the RIAA, ” sought to use the ‘widely attended event’ exemption,” explained the Wall Street Journal.
“This allows lawmakers and aides to attend parties thrown by lobbying organizations if two conditions are met. First, there must be at least 25 non-congressional types at the event. Second, there must be some sort of ‘official duty’ component to the event that makes it necessary for the lawmaker or aide to attend. So, to “satisfy the official duty component,” they suborned The One Campaign whch describes itself as an “advocacy and campaigning organization” acting against “extreme poverty”.
“Sponsors planned to make several speeches on the issue, show a promotional video and distribute literature on global poverty,” says the WSJ. “That was enough to satisfy the Senate Ethics Committee, which long ago cleared the party.”
But shortly before the Big 4 schmoozing event began, the House Ethics Committee told RIAA lawyers the party didn’t count as a “widely attended event”. That, in turn, meant tickets handed out for free to to House members and their aides were considered gifts, which are banned.
So the RIAA had email its ‘guests’ with the bad news. They’d have to pay $90 each to see West do his thing on behalf of the RIAA —- oops, sorry, needy of the world —- to satisfy the rules.
Talk about having friends in low places
The RIAA cant even bend the rules correctly, how many of you would pay $90 after being given a "free" ticket ?
To be honest anyone working for the government should be wary of such flagrant lobbying tactics by the RIAA who employ lawbreaking groups with near impunity, I,m sure most of those offered the "free" tickets decided in the end they didnt like the smell that came with them.
