The Doors of Perception of Conflicts of Interest

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The Denver Post reports that one "hallmark" of the Bush administration is a rapidly spinning revolving door. There are "more than 100 high-level officials ... who [now] govern industries they once represented as lobbyists, lawyers or company advocates. ... In at least 20 cases, those former industry advocates have helped their agencies write, shape or push for policy shifts that benefit their former industries." These include "a former meat-industry lobbyist who helps decide how meat is labeled; a former drug-company lobbyist who influences prescription-drug policies; a former energy lobbyist who, while still accepting payments for bringing clients into his old lobbying firm, helps determine how much of the West those former clients can use for oil and gas drilling."