http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25661-2004Oct11.html

Payback on K Street

Tuesday, October 12, 2004; Page A22

THE CORPORATE tax bill that Congress has sent to the White House rewards
just about every special interest that retains a lobbyist in Washington.
Makers of sonar fish finders stand to gain, as do importers of Chinese
ceiling fans, dog-track operators who cater to foreign gamblers, and Native
Alaskan whaling captains. But one lobby did not do so well, and its identity
is revealing. The Motion Picture Association of America, Hollywood's trade
group, had been hoping for $350 million a year in subsidies, which were
written into the Senate version of the bill as partial compensation for the
loss of a bigger export subsidy that the bill repeals. But the Senate's
largesse was cut back to around $100 million in the final bill that emerged
from the House-Senate conference, leaving the movie industry as the biggest
net loser from the legislation.

Why did the movie studios, which usually lobby with the best of them, lose
out? Perhaps because three months ago they had the temerity to choose Dan
Glickman, a Democrat, to head their trade association. The congressional
Republican leadership, which had the final say on the tax bill, made no
secret of its fury that a plum lobbying job had not gone to a Republican:
Grover Norquist, a close ally of House Republicans, called Mr. Glickman's
appointment "a studied insult," adding that the movie industry's "ability to
work with the House and Senate is greatly reduced." Commenting on the movie
moguls' comeuppance last week, Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.) told Brody Mullins
of Roll Call that "it's a good idea to have someone who can communicate with
those who are in power," and that "[i]t's a consideration that any
organization hiring a lobbyist should take into account."

This suggests that Congress is corrupt not only in the manner in which it
awards prizes to favorite lobbyists, but also in the manner in which it
denies such prizes. By punishing the movie industry for giving its plushest
Washington job to the opposite party, the Republicans are saying that they
want such jobs reserved for their own side, partly so that they can vacuum
up the campaign donations that trade associations make and partly so that
members of their own party can spin through the revolving door into
millionaire nirvana. A few years ago, congressional Republicans claimed to
stand for free-market principles -- for the idea that government should get
out of the way and allow the economy to reward the innovators and
entrepreneurs who fuel progress. But power has corrupted the party. Now that
they are the incumbents, they skew the economic playing field so as to
reward their friends and fill their campaign treasuries.

The bill that Congress has produced is monstrous in just about every way.
Designed to close a $5 billion-a-year export subsidy that violated
international trade law, it ended by spraying out $140 billion in business
breaks over 10 years. It absurdly rewards tobacco farmers, and absentee
tobacco landlords, without imposing even the minimal regulation on tobacco
that the nation's biggest cigarette maker had agreed to. In Friday's debate,
President Bush said he would discipline Congress in order to reduce the
budget deficit. If Mr. Bush cannot bring himself to veto this terrible bill,
it will be hard to take him seriously.

" This suggests that Congress is corrupt not only in the manner in which it
awards prizes to favorite lobbyists, but also in the manner in which it
denies such prizes. "

You mean some other business got their legal rights trampled on and so noticed what we have been talking about for some time now?

At least some others are seeing it and so begins the long road to reducing the majority that is now in power. Question remains, just how much damage can they do before they are thrown out of power? I suspect this comes to late and won't have enough coverage to effect the elections. Main point is, we are not the only ones seeing this sort of behaviour from our lawmakers as not representing us.

We have a majority in both house and senate and they have conspired to do what they wish without need of checks from the opposite side. As long as it brings in the dough, butters up the party, and helps the majority membership; it seems to be veiwed as ok.

Boy do I long for the days of grid lock when I see the likes of Induce, The Piracy Act, and the like coming down the pipes.

comming down the pipes seems benign..

i think more like "spewing up the pipes".. like the vitriol that it is.

What is this? You give people money and power and put them in charge of others and they will be corrupt? No way..... I don't believe it, what cutting edge journalism we have on the Washington post. May send out my congrads to you amazing team for finding this out.
Ok, enough of that. Is this news? I don't think so. Our political system has been corrupt for a long long time. When greed and power combine, corruption is their bastard child. Why else do you have little children growing up to be in goverment. Because its good money, and if you don't have a conscience, its great money.

The opposite of pro is con. So the opposite of Progress is congress.

I mean there are so many poeple in congress who declare bankrupcy and have records. Please, these people are making our decision. Anyway, thanks for listen to the rank.

they shouldn't be giving monney to anyone so it really doesn't matter... why do the multimillionaire movie studios need money?.. just to further pad their platinum pockets?..

"The congressional
Republican leadership, which had the final say on the tax bill, made no
secret of its fury that a plum lobbying job had not gone to a Republican"

Again, this shows the problem with our two-party system. If one party gets pissed at THE second party, decisions are made solely to GET EVEN. It doesn't matter whom might be adversely affected.

Don't get me wrong. As far as the MPAA is concerned, they don't NEED any subsidies from Congress, they make enough BILLIONS of dollars. Yet, we continue to put up with this bullshit as Americans. We need another RESPONSIBLE party.

Wow, gee, the Washington Post is quick. The rest of the country knew this a long time ago.

But now it's official, ShadowMom. The Post says so. Reality doesn't matter until the media agree.

1. Duh

2. We don't have the money for ten-thousand dollar-a-plate dinners like corporations do, so we can't influence any law, unless it's a bone to throw us to get our vote

3. As much as the Republicans like to talk about fiscal responsibility, all it amounts to is slashing funds for social services. Poor people can't fund an election campaign.

4. When an election comes around, they manage to get re-elected because people actually fall for their spiel.

When does our sun go supernova?

Not before we suffer the loss of our basic freedoms and fascism takes over.

well no duuhhhhhh
the whole induce and pdea controversy tells a small part of how fucked up and crooked congress really is
tehy favor criminal lobbying and bribes in order to get socialist and anti freedom laws, yes congress is corrupt
and why they never go to jail is past me
welcome to he united states of socialist replublic

The two party system is inherently corrupt - to the point of being unconstitutional. They have broken the framer's carefully crafted separation of powers, and made the Congress and the Supreme Court mere extensions of the President's re-election committee.

Congress is corrupt? Not that this is anything new and/or surprising.

I agree. What WOULD be new, boggie.. is if people actually VOTED the GARBAGE OUT!!!

One interesting fact is that many of these people run unopposed because many normal everyday people lack the money to run for such a position.