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Former Bush aide now top private equity lobbyist

By Lawrence Delevingne

Kenneth Mehlman, the public affairs chief at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. who was previously a leading Republican operative in Washington, is now the top lobbyist for the private equity industry.

Mehlman was elected Thursday as the chairman of The Private Equity Growth Capital Council, the most prominent industry advocacy group for firms like TPG Capital, Silver Lake, Apollo Global Management, Carlyle Group and Blackstone Group.

He will continue several long-running fights in Washington, including higher taxes for PE firms from a potential change in the treatment of carried interest and increased registration and disclosure rules from the Dodd-Frank Act.

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Mehlman succeeds Mark Tresnowski, the top lawyer for Madison Dearborn Partners. PEGCC, launched in 2007, is also led day-to-day by president and chief executive officer Steve Judge.

Mehlman joined KKR in 2008 from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he was a partner in the law firm's legislative and regulatory counseling practice. He is best known for his work on behalf of conservative politicians before: chairing the Republican National Committee and running George W. Bush's presidential reelection campaign in 2004.

Mehlman is also a prominent gay rights advocate and serves as a director of the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Mehlman's primary responsibilities will be to "help expand the PEGCC's outreach efforts to educate and engage a broad set of stakeholders about the value of a vibrant and dynamic private equity industry," according to a statement from the association.

"I have enormous respect for the PEGCC's important work engaging with public policy makers to encourage more economic growth and retirement security for millions of Americans," Mehlman said. "I also share the PEGCC's goal of building a community of investors who seek superior returns while also emphasizing active, responsible governance, long term investment and measuring success in years not quarters."

Mehlman also credited Tresnowski for his work in helping block changes to carried interest taxes as yet and countering negative views of the private equity industry that emerged during former Bain Capital executive Mitt Romney's failed presidential bid.

Tesla runs out of juice again

Tesla cars are so fricken cool!!! Prices for the cult stock Tesla tanked again this week. Tesla this week reported a better than expected Q3 earnings report, so why did the stock tank? Essentially Tesla has become so hyped that anything better than perfect will cause turmoil for this stock. So much performance is expected form the company that to not perform to that expectation will effect the stock price. In this quarter Tesla outperformed their own goals of selling 5000 new model S cars, however investors were expecting no less than 5850 cars. Tesla delivered around 5500 new models. Now the problem is not that there is not demand for the car. Tesla actually can not keep up with their demand, and this is not their fault. Currently they are having shortage of batteries which is slowing down sales. Even though this set back is not Tesla's fault it still had a negative affect on stock price because of the unreasonable expectation set for the company. The result of this set back send stocks plunging yesterday dropping  from $176 to $142 where it sits today. The fall was so rapid yesterday it triggered the exchanges short sale circuit breaker (this does not happen often). This breaker temporarily stops sales of borrowed shares. Analysts estimate the stocks actual value is somewhere around 141$. However with the amount of hype and attention the company is getting, this stock will likely still see a lot of dynamic change. Rising on minor achievements and crashing on small setbacks.

There’s a war raging between establishment and movement conservatives for the soul of the Republican Party. The next battlefield is at the ballot box in less than two weeks in a rural South Alabama district.

The proxy fight is a special primary runoff in the state’s 1st Congressional District, where establishment-backed Bradley Byrne and Tea Party insurgent Dean Young are vying to succeed former GOP Rep. Jo Bonner, who resigned from Congress in August to take a job with the University of Alabama. 

(Photo by Mike Kittrell/AP)

DOMA Ruling Prompts Change in Federal Student Aid Rules

By Philip Elliott Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Students in same-sex marriages will be treated the same as their straight married classmates when it comes to federal college loan applications, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Friday in a shift that reflects this year’s Supreme Court ruling that broadened gay rights.

“We must continue to ensure that every single American is treated equally in the eyes of the law, and this important guidance for students is another step forward in that effort,” Duncan said in a statement.

The Education Department also revised its required Free Application for Federal Student Aid to reflect more inclusive language about students and their parents. The department said it would recognize a student — and parents — as legally married if the couple was legally married in a state that permits same-sex marriages.

The new application forms do not distinguish between gay or straight marriages.

The department also said students’ eligibility for federal aid would be the same in all 50 states, regardless of where the student attends school.

For instance, a same-sex couple from Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal, would be treated the same as a straight couple if one or both applied for a federal student loan to attend a school in one of the 34 states that do not permit gay marriage. The same standards would apply to parents in same-sex marriages.

“As students fill out their FAFSA this coming year, I’m thrilled they’ll be able to do so in a way that is more fair and just,” Duncan said, using the financial aid application’s acronym.

Before the Supreme Court ruled this summer, the Education Department was bound by the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited all federal agencies from recognizing same-sex marriages. The Clinton-era law defined marriage as between one and one woman and hurt many applicants in same-sex marriages.

Friday’s move is the latest from the Education Department to be more helpful to students in same-sex marriages or with married gay parents.

Even before the ruling, Duncan instructed the department to collect information on both of the student’s legal parents, regardless of marital status. That meant children being raised by unmarried couples — regardless of sexual orientation — would have both adults’ incomes factored into financial aid eligibility.

That was an effort to reflect that same-sex couples share financial responsibilities for children, even if their state does not sanction gay marriages.

Kenneth Mehlman also talks about progress after DOMA

Silver and gold have sold off recently but still hover quite a bit above their 2013 lows. Investors are wondering if the metal should be bought as the…

Silver and gold have sold off recently but still hover quite a bit above their 2013 lows. Investors are wondering if the metal should be bought as the Federal Reserve signals no stop to their bond buying program known as quantitative easing (QE). The charts probably give us the most unbiased view of where these metals are going. Neither chart looks healthy. Looking at the charts of the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:GLD) and the iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA:SLV) shows the ugly reality. Recently both charts have broken to the downside below major trend line support. The 2013 lows are all but a lock at this point and gold still has a chance over the next year to hit $1,000 an ounce. Gareth Soloway InTheMoneyStocks.com