Was Billy Long's National Auctioneer Day Political Payback for the National Auctioneers Association PAC?

Billy Long made Southwest Missouri residents this promise:



He wasn't going to Washington to scratch anyone's back. As well, those high profile endorsments of Long's promised us Billy Long was above politics as usual and would not be influenced by lobbyists and special interests. Remember what Sarah Steelman said of Long?

I hope you will consider voting for Billy Long for Congress. The way I see it is we need someone who is not part of the political establishment. We need someone who loves his country and is willing to put his country before himself; before his party; before politics as usual; before special interest groups; before lobbyists; and before his colleagues in Congress. We need someone who will put YOU before money and power and influence.--Sarah Steelman July 28, 2010

While last week's speech to promote National Auctioneers Day may seem innocent on the surface, if not self-promoting, it may give insight to how Billy Long really operated in Washington, DC. Let's look at the speech:



There is more here than meets the eye. While on the surface this looks like a Congressman with another silly proposal eating up government dollars, it appears Long may have been paid to promote the idea of National Auctioneers Day.

Billy Long has accepted $5000, in the form of two campaign donations, from the National Auctioneers Political Action Committee before coming Congressman, as did the co-sponsor of this bill Jeffrey Duncan. It appears $10,000 may have bought the National Auctioneers Association some early recognition in Congress.

It will be interesting to see if Billy Long gets a donation from any golf companies or PACs in the coming year. In case you missed it, after Long got in front of Congress to push National Auctioneers Day, he followed it up by pushing National Golf Day. It just so happens to be Big Golf was in Washington DC looking to woo Congressmen. Something got Billy Long's attention, because Long can barely breathe after walking up to the podium in the House chamber. I can't imagine him walking nine-holes.



NBC Sports reports on Big Golf's day in Washington, which Long obviously learned enough talking points to possibly earn some campaign cash:

Back in 2008, golf was used as a political crutch while this country faced much bigger problems. As financial institutions were paying the piper for their risktaking and American consumers were realizing they had borrowed trillions on paper profits, the game of golf became a politically convenient culprit.

Companies shouldn’t sponsor golf – particularly those in the financial sector. It was a needless expenditure compared to saving liquidity, politicians said, especially for a sport not for the bourgeois.

The sport collectively knew it had to combat its ill-formed, long existing reputation. It came up with an organization called We Are Golf, and deemed 4/13 as National Golf Day. On Wednesday, it was celebrated for the fourth time.

The idea is to storm the nation’s capital, meet with members and shakers on the Hill and prove that golf had mass appeal and massive economic impact worthy of attention, not rancor.

Some fun stuff was also fun, particularly the day long exhibit in the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer. There was a miniature golf course, which included a hole with the Washington Monument as an obstacle.

“We’re not asking for special treatment,” PGA of America President Joe Steranka told members of Congress. “We’re asking for fair and equitable treatment. Our industry employs nearly 2 million Americans who want to help lawmakers do the difficult job they were elected to do. We want to be a resource, and we want a seat at the table.”

I am sure Randy Turner at the Turner Report will clue us in on whether or not Big Golf influenced Billy Long's one-minute speech on the House floor with something besides the tale of a disabled American veteran.