A new ad from the Roskam for Congress campaign released today highlights Sean Casten’s previously unreported work as a federal lobbyist who sought taxpayer funded subsidies and attempted to sway members on Capitol Hill to grant him special tax incentives for his own company.
“Sean Casten takes every opportunity to talk about his ‘resume,’ but he conveniently leaves out that he was also a registered federal lobbyist who pleaded with congressional leaders for special tax breaks to benefit his own business,” said Roskam for Congress Spokesman Veronica Vera. “Casten’s hypocrisy in calling for raising taxes for 6th District residents, all the while lining his own pockets with taxpayer money through special interest tax breaks, is breathtaking. Casten’s history continues to reveal shady business dealings, cover-ups and contradictions—and now, Sixth District residents are getting to know the real Sean Casten.”
Roskam can’t run on his record so he has to make Casten un-electable.
When you’ve voted to eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions and to give the top 1% an enormous tax break, you have to make your opponent the focus.
Just to be clear, Roskam is now down on corporate special interests lining up at the trough for tax breaks?
The dude who QBed the GOP-donor Christmas Tree tax cut bill through Ways and Means, exploding the deficit in a growth economy?
He must have had some Road to Damascus epiphany. Quite the zealous newly converted. When does he return all that corporate campaign cash?
Roskam can change his spots on a moment’s notice when he perceives it’s in his interest. He snuggled up to Obama in 2008 (Obama Voters for Roskam) then turned on him in 2010.
Pay no attention to what he says, see what he’s done.
Roskam has worked government job or held an elected office since 1985 (33 years). The Chicago Tribune noted that Roskam earned over $615,000 in 2005 as a personal injury trial lawyer. people in glass houses…
==Roskam has worked government job or held an elected office since 1985 (33 years). The Chicago Tribune noted that Roskam earned over $615,000 in 2005 as a personal injury trial lawyer. people in glass houses… ==
Don’t forget part he’s a Denny Hastert understudy. - Though some still consider that a conservative credential.
==Just to be clear, Roskam is now down on corporate special interests lining up at the trough for tax breaks?==
I think the point here is that Casten constantly rails against a new competitive corporate tax rate that we’re seeing positive effects and calls them handouts from but when it came to him and his business, he lobbied to not only get those tax breaks, but to get special tax breaks just for his business.
So it’s fine for him to get special dispensation but not for any other business to benefit from more favorable tax rates? Come on… That’s what I call hypocrisy. It’s disingenuous and dishonest. And, yes, more than a little shady.
=a new competitive corporate tax rate that we’re seeing positive effects=
And at the same time those new tax rates have negative effects namely in the cap on SALT and the hole they blow in the deficit. Maybe the good outweighs the bad but its hard to tell since Roskam won’t have a conversation with his constituents on the topic.
Well apparently Sean Casten believes that better tax rates and breaks benefit businesses because he had no problem begging for them for his own business.
Also, SALT being capped is only one part of the equation. Child tax credit - doubled; qualifying income limit for that credit - more than doubled; Alternative minimum tax - DRASTICALLY fewer folks affected by that; and lower tax rates for every income bracket. Roll all those together and it’s definitely a net positive for taxpayers.
And Roskam has conversations *all the time* with constituents that both agree with and don’t agree with him. Anyone who says he doesn’t meet with or talk to constituents is intentionally lying (or unfortunately believes someone else who was intentionally lying). Either way, it’s not true.
Think Smart - Sounds like you have compelling arguments for the tax cut. Maybe you could provide your talking points to Roskam so he could overcome his fear of meeting with his constituents. To suggest that Roskam is doing this is to completely ignore reality. It’s one of the main reasons that Roskam finds himself in the vulnerable position he’s in and chooses to run ads like this.
Peter Roskam. His signature accomplishment, the hallmark of his career in Congress, the deficit-ballooning tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, is also his biggest political liability.
He’ll talk about anything other than his own record. He won’t be missed when he’s gone, but I’ll wager $1 that he stays in DC instead of moving back “home.”
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 9:32 am:
Eliminating SALT deductions raised taxes on 6th district residents. Roskam voted for that.
- GOP Truth Squad - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 9:40 am:
“Shady Sean Casten” has a nice ring to it.
- slow down - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 9:43 am:
Roskam can’t run on his record so he has to make Casten un-electable.
When you’ve voted to eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions and to give the top 1% an enormous tax break, you have to make your opponent the focus.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 9:51 am:
Just to be clear, Roskam is now down on corporate special interests lining up at the trough for tax breaks?
The dude who QBed the GOP-donor Christmas Tree tax cut bill through Ways and Means, exploding the deficit in a growth economy?
He must have had some Road to Damascus epiphany. Quite the zealous newly converted. When does he return all that corporate campaign cash?
Roskam can change his spots on a moment’s notice when he perceives it’s in his interest. He snuggled up to Obama in 2008 (Obama Voters for Roskam) then turned on him in 2010.
Pay no attention to what he says, see what he’s done.
- Last Bull Moose gg - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 9:59 am:
I have been a registered lobbyist ad worked in green energy. Tax breaks have always been part of the business model.
- Capitalist Avenger - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:02 am:
Roskam has worked government job or held an elected office since 1985 (33 years). The Chicago Tribune noted that Roskam earned over $615,000 in 2005 as a personal injury trial lawyer. people in glass houses…
- Jibba - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:04 am:
“Lobbyist begging Congress” is Roskam’s future job description.
- Slugger O'Toole - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:06 am:
==“Shady Sean Casten” has a nice ring to it.==
Sounds an awful lot like the guy who quipped “Lyin’ Ted Cruz” and so many others.
Roskam is running scared.
- Duopoly - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:15 am:
==Roskam has worked government job or held an elected office since 1985 (33 years). The Chicago Tribune noted that Roskam earned over $615,000 in 2005 as a personal injury trial lawyer. people in glass houses… ==
Don’t forget part he’s a Denny Hastert understudy. - Though some still consider that a conservative credential.
- Jocko - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:26 am:
==Casten’s hypocrisy in calling for raising taxes for 6th District residents==
Someone should tell Peter to meet with his constituents or…at the very least, hold up a mirror.
- Think Smart - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:32 am:
==Just to be clear, Roskam is now down on corporate special interests lining up at the trough for tax breaks?==
I think the point here is that Casten constantly rails against a new competitive corporate tax rate that we’re seeing positive effects and calls them handouts from but when it came to him and his business, he lobbied to not only get those tax breaks, but to get special tax breaks just for his business.
So it’s fine for him to get special dispensation but not for any other business to benefit from more favorable tax rates? Come on… That’s what I call hypocrisy. It’s disingenuous and dishonest. And, yes, more than a little shady.
- Pundent - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:44 am:
=a new competitive corporate tax rate that we’re seeing positive effects=
And at the same time those new tax rates have negative effects namely in the cap on SALT and the hole they blow in the deficit. Maybe the good outweighs the bad but its hard to tell since Roskam won’t have a conversation with his constituents on the topic.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:48 am:
–And, yes, more than a little shady.–
LOL, and yet somehow, you don’t see Roskam’s hypocrisy.
Presiding over special interest tax cuts is what he does.
https://www.epi.org/publication/the-likely-economic-effects-of-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-tcja-higher-incomes-for-the-top-no-discernible-effect-on-wage-growth-for-typical-american-workers/
- Think Smart - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 10:55 am:
=Pundent=
Well apparently Sean Casten believes that better tax rates and breaks benefit businesses because he had no problem begging for them for his own business.
Also, SALT being capped is only one part of the equation. Child tax credit - doubled; qualifying income limit for that credit - more than doubled; Alternative minimum tax - DRASTICALLY fewer folks affected by that; and lower tax rates for every income bracket. Roll all those together and it’s definitely a net positive for taxpayers.
And Roskam has conversations *all the time* with constituents that both agree with and don’t agree with him. Anyone who says he doesn’t meet with or talk to constituents is intentionally lying (or unfortunately believes someone else who was intentionally lying). Either way, it’s not true.
- Pundent - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 11:05 am:
Think Smart - Sounds like you have compelling arguments for the tax cut. Maybe you could provide your talking points to Roskam so he could overcome his fear of meeting with his constituents. To suggest that Roskam is doing this is to completely ignore reality. It’s one of the main reasons that Roskam finds himself in the vulnerable position he’s in and chooses to run ads like this.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 11:20 am:
Peter Roskam. His signature accomplishment, the hallmark of his career in Congress, the deficit-ballooning tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, is also his biggest political liability.
He’ll talk about anything other than his own record. He won’t be missed when he’s gone, but I’ll wager $1 that he stays in DC instead of moving back “home.”
Good riddance.
- A guy - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 11:59 am:
If you measure an ad by how many nerves it touches, this one is pretty effective.
- Capitalist Avenger - Thursday, Sep 13, 18 @ 2:40 pm:
==Roskam won’t have a conversation with his constituents on the topic.==
At least he’s treating lobbyists, citizen lobbyists and voters with equal contempt. I wonder if he’s recently met with NRA lobbyists?