A Man of the People. Really?

Source: Houston Chronicle, October 17, 2009

Dick Armey, who was the Republican Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives between 1995 to 2002, has been doing well for himself as the Chairman of FreedomWorks, a conservative lobby group. Meredith Simons reports that, according to the group's tax filings for 2008, Armey was paid $550,000. “I don't apologize for my paycheck. I'd like to think I'm worth it," he said. FreedomWorks has been one of the leading groups opposing proposals for healthcare reform. Up until August, Armey had also been a consultant for the Washington D.C. lobbying firm, DLA Piper. He resigned following controversy over his role with Freedomworks as well as with a lobbying firm which represented, among other clients, drug companies supporting health care reform and companies opposing tough action on global warming. Armey told Simons that resigning from the lobbying firm "cost me $750,000 a year for the next 10 years. That's not an easy thing to walk away from.”