There are few corporations that have worked as hard over the years to cultivate a family-friendly image as The Walt Disney Company. Disney operates a television channel, theme park, releases movies, manufactures toys, and in general tries to court American families with its advertising and public relations campaigns. But being pro-family isn’t just about releasing
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The Supreme Court’s string of decisions to open up our elections to corporate control will have vast consequences this year. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a private lobbying association made up of member companies like Wal-Mart and Prudential Financial, intends to use this new campaign finance landscape to elect many more pro-big business lawmakers to
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David Koch, co-owner of the Koch Industries petrochemical, manufacturing and commodity speculation fortune, hasn’t been shy about supporting Governor Scott Walker (R-WI), whose controversial union-busting agenda has forced a recall election this summer. Earlier this year, Koch told the Palm Beach Post: “We’re helping him, as we should. We’ve gotten pretty good at this over
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Today on Meet the Press, David Gregory spoke to Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD), seen as many as a likely contender for the presidency in the not so distant future, and Newt Gingrich. Asked what advice he would give O’Malley on becoming president, Gingrich was quite blunt: GREGORY: Newt Gingrich, what advice do you give Gov.
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When lobbyists ask them to jump, lawmakers often ask how high. We’ve documented many examples of how corporate interests manipulate members of Congress like marionette dolls. But a recent letter from Congressman Mike Pompeo (R-KS), signed by 55 of his colleagues, takes the cake. At issue is a pitched lobbying battle between makers of toxic
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While much of the buzz around Facebook has been geographically centered on Wall Street, perhaps just as lucrative for the company are the ties it’s creating in Washington. The social media giant has upped its lobbying game, spending a record amount on federal lobbying in the first quarter of 2012. But everyone knows that the
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When oil companies need help in Washington, they call Jack Gerard. But in January of next year, assuming he wins the presidency, Mitt Romney may be dialing Gerard for political support. According to media reports in his native Idaho, Gerard is on the shortlist to become Romney’s White House chief of staff. Gerard is the
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Here’s a great catch from the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Chicago. A coal group posted a Craigslist ad offering people $50 to wear pro-coal t-shirts at an upcoming EPA meeting in Illinois. The posting has been deleted, but here’s a screenshot: A local Sierra Club blog took pictures of people wearing the shirt
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