The Call of K Street, Lobbyists rush to push through rule changes before Bush leaves the White House

http://www.slate.com/id/2179009/fr/rss/

The Call of K Street
By Ben Whitford
Posted Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007, at 5:20 AM ET

The New York Times leads on news that business lobbyists are racing to win approval for a wide range of health, safety, labor, and economic measures before the end of George Bush's presidency, spurred by concerns that the next tenant of the Oval Office will be less sympathetic to their causes. The Los Angeles Times leads with an investigation into a major lobbying drive that persuaded officials to nix plans for an improved anthrax vaccine. The Washington Post leads local, reporting that the D.C. government issued more than $44 million in questionable property tax refunds over the past nine years.

Fearing that Democrats could sweep the board in next year's elections, business groups are rushing to persuade the Bush administration to pass rules covering everything from mountaintop mining to medical leave. "There's a growing sense, a growing probability, that the next administration could be Democratic," says one senior lobbyist. "Lobbying firms have begun to recalibrate their strategies." The so-called "midnight regulations" passed by outgoing administrations can prove difficult to reverse; the Supreme Court has ruled that new presidents cannot arbitrarily revoke rules that have passed into law.

Scientists have long warned that America needs a better anthrax vaccine: The existing version can cause adverse reactions, requires a series of six injections over a period of 18 months, and has a shelf life of just three years. Officials awarded a massive contract to a company that appeared set to deliver a superior product—but pulled funding for the project after intensive lobbying by the old vaccine's producer. "National security took a back seat to politics and the power of lawyers and lobbyists," says one former biodefense official.

The NYT off-leads on reports that corruption has reached epidemic proportions in Iraq: Bribery and petty crime are a way of life, and virtually everything the government buys or sells can now be found on the black market. Meanwhile, U.S. officials say one-third of what they spend on Iraqi contracts and grants goes unaccounted for; an estimated $18 billion has gone missing from Iraqi government coffers since 2004. "Everyone is stealing from the state," says one Shiite leader. "It's a very large meal, and everyone wants to eat."

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lately the democrats have proven they do not need to be feared by K street. :(

The difference is that k Street democrats are still competing with traditional democrats even though they have gained operating control. With the republicans, they don't compete against any other thinking.

they know this one is already spoiled so they want to throw as much shit as they can at them cause like I said they are already rotten to the core;-)