Hogs at the trough

Cowboy hat By Jim Hightower - Wed., 3/31/99

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.