Category Archives: legislation and legislatures
“Unregistered Lobbyists Keep Business Humming”
Roll Call: “The tepid recovery and a dysfunctional Congress do bear blame [for the K Street business downturn], but a third, much overlooked factor exists: A lot of the work influencing government takes place in the shadows, outside of the… Continue reading
“Lobbying Again on Downward Slide in 2012”
“Senate Democracy Is Dead’ Or at least seriously wounded by the failure of filibuster reform and the court ruling against the president’s recess appointments”.
Akhil Amar writes for Slate.
“No Pay? Little Sacrifice for Many in Congress”
“Why Congress Can’t Seem to Get Anything Done”
Wonkblog talks to my former Professor George Tsebelis about veto players.
Charles Lane on Mancur Olson, Barack Obama, Collective Action, and the Rise and Decline of Nations
Interesting column:
The problem is not, as the president implied, the opposition of an implacable few to the manifest general interest.
Rather, it is that Washington is besieged by mutually offsetting lobbies representing almost every conceivable segment of society.… Continue reading
“Biotech Firms, Billions at Risk, Lobby States to Limit Generics”
“‘Hello, quid. Where’s the pro quo?'”
With all the focus on today’s DC Circuit recess appointment decision, it is easy to miss its other decision today in the Abramoff-related U.S. v Kevin Ring case. As BLT reports, it raises interesting questions about campaign contributions a… Continue reading
Why Did the Democrats Cave on Filibuster Reform?
“Senate leaders reach deal modifying filibuster rules, keep 60-vote hurdle”
WaPo reports.
The Fix: Why Filibuster Reform Didn’t Happen
Senator Reid tells Ezra Klein: “I’m not personally, at this stage, ready to get rid of the 60-vote threshold,” Reid (D-Nev.) told me this morning, referring to the number of… Continue reading
“Amgen Earns 9,900% Return on Investment (ROI) in Political Contributions; Taxpayer ROI Hits New Low”
Weak Tea
Cha-ching!
Ben Nelson earns $1 million (plus!) payday.