Here they come--America's Drill Team! Out front are the two high-strutting leaders, John McCain and George W, thrusting their drum-major batons and chanting "Drill! Drill! Drill!" Right behind them are the famous Marching Lobbyists of Big Oil, and--look!--prancing alongside are House minority leader John Boehner and the Merry Pranksters of the Republican caucus, doing a precision routine of call and response
Sign up for email alerts, from breaking news to weekly commentary:
Visit Hightower's General Store, to buy high-power Hightower books and other goodies like that.
Home | Contact | RSS | Privacy policy | Copyright Public Intelligence, Inc., all rights reserved 2003-2007
Hogs at the trough
No sooner had Dennis Hastert become Speaker of the House than he got an invitation from Haley Barbour, the former Head Hog of the Republican Party, to have a cozy dinner with several people eager to be his pal. They were lobbyists for such outfits as Bell Atlantic, Microsoft and GTE. To make their new buddy feel welcome, they pitched $100,000 into the trough of Hastert's political action committee.
Then the lobbying firm of Fierce & Isakowitz held a breakfast for Hastert, inviting 100 people to feed $2,000 each to Hastert. The firm just happens to represent HMOs that want Dennis to kill the "Patients' Bill of Rights."
Shortly after, the firm of Clark & Weinstock set up yet another breakfast for Dennis with lobbyists putting another $2,000 each into his PAC. This spring, Hastert has 20 of these coffee and cash gatherings set up. As an aide says, Dennis "likes to do breakfast." I'll bet.