Rick Berman

Rick Berman is one of the most prominent lobbyists in America. His Washington based pr firm Berman & Co aggressively targets groups seeking to promote controls relating to alcohol, tobacco, food safety, animal rights or the environment. Berman is behind numerous front groups that seek to prevent regulation and promote individual freedoms. He works in a range of controversial areas including defending products including caffeine, salt, fast food, alcohol. He's against Mothers Against Drunk Driving, animal rights activists, food watchdog groups and unions. In an interview Berman said "The businesses themselves don't find it convenient to take on causes that might seem politically incorrect, and I'm not afraid to do that," When called a hired gun by the interviewer Berman responds ""Well, I go out to people and I say, 'Look, if you believe in what I believe, will you help fund it?' Now, I don't know if that's a hired gun or not. But, the point is, yes, I do get paid for educating people. If that's my biggest crime, I stand accused,"

According to Berman, 'Our offensive strategy is to shoot the messenger... Given the activists' plans to alarm beyond all reason, we've got to attack their credibility as spokepersons.'

Berman & Co. are behind the Center for Consumer Freedom, formerly known as the Guest Choice Network, known to have received a $200,000 donation from Monsanto. The Consumer Freedom campaign smears organic food as dangerous and promotes what t calls 'genetically improved food'. Berman and his firm paint GM opponents as terrorists, asserting that 'anti-biotech extremists' are part of a 'growing wave of domestic terrorism'. They say the people we need to worry about are not just al-Qa'ida but 'the middle-class kids down the street.' (Terrorists On The March -- In America, USA Today)

Berman & Co. have even declared the charity of the British and Irish churches, Christian Aid, a 'far-left leaning' group that 'flat-out lies about GE foods', hiding 'behind a religious facade to more easily malign farmers, scientists, food companies, and even PR people who deal with GE foods.'.

Berman & Co's internet PR campaign also includes ActivistCash.com which claims to 'root out the funding sources' of 'the most notorious and extreme groups that conspire to restrict the public's food and beverage choices'. However, the Center for Media and Democracy says ActivistCash.com draws on information already largely public and mixes it with distortions and misinformation. Curiously, Monsanto's $200,000 donation to Berman's PR activities only became public as a result of information from a whistle-blower. And Berman appears to take great exception to attempts to root out his own financial relationship with the various lobby organisations run by Berman & Co. He even threatened a lawsuit for defamation after attention was drawn to his 'funneling millions of corporate dollars - donated to non-profit organizations he runs - right into his own bank accounts. Berman pays himself the cash both directly and personally in the form of salary and benefits for his role as 'Executive Director,' as well as through payments he makes from the non-profits to his own corporation, Berman & Company, Inc., for 'consulting.' ' http://www.vegsource.com/articles/berman_release.htm http://www.parentalfreedom.com/response2berman.htm Berman was also implicated in a cash-for-favors scandal involving Newt Gingrich.

He's a Lawyer , his adgenda is big corporate money in his pockets , and he wants you to give up your union . Some of his other campaigns that he made BIG bucks on were....

Campaigns

• Fish Scam This campaign accuses some scientists and government agencies of scare mongering over the effects of consuming mercury through fish. According to their website:

Approximately 4.4 million U.S. households earning $30,000 or less completely eliminated their purchases of canned tuna between 2000 and 2006. During those years, women in those households gave birth to nearly 260,000 children. And canned tuna was the only source of omega-3 fatty acids their mothers could afford to buy. These children are victims of public-health malpractice by green groups and the federal government, which have been issuing dire but exaggerated warnings about harmless levels of mercury that have always been present in ocean fish

• PETA Kills Animals This campaign attacks the animal rights group PETA and claims they kill defencelesss animals. One quote from PetaKillsanimals.com states:

Animal rights nuts live in a world where the line between fact and fiction is blurry, at best. On Planet PETA, for instance, circus elephants aren't a source of family entertainment, or a fantastic mechanism to prevent the extinction of a vulnerable species

• Hands Off the Internet a campaign group with some very high profile corporate members dedicated to preventing any internet regulation. It is co-chaired by Mike McCurry a principal consultant at Public Strategies Washington, and Christopher Wolf a "pioneer in internet law"
• CSPLscam a group dedicated to undermining the Center For Science in the Public Interest describing them as "food police" or "nutrition nannies". It undermines any efforts to challenge the food industry and promotes individual choice over all else.
• Responsible Drinker this campaign seeks to change the message "don't drink and drive" to "Drink Responsibly. Drive Responsibly." because "some anti-alcohol activists are seeking to eliminate any drinking before driving through harsh restrictions and extreme policies. These groups are trying to change behavior - even though more than 40 million Americans drink responsibly before driving each year"
• The Employment Policies Institute this group campaigns against the minimum wage, among its claims are that the minimum wage and plans to increase it are causing a "teen unemployment crisis". According to American trade unions the campaign against the minimum wage is part of a wider campaign to erode workers rights.
• Union Facts is another Berman operation that campaigns against Americas trade unions, they publich anti-union propaganda.