Lobbying

In the past, the lobbyists who populate Washington's K Street were about as likely to be Democrats as Republicans, a practice that ensured lobby firms would have clout no matter which party was in power. But as Republican-dominated national politics have created an increasingly one-party system, the GOP has made a determined effort to undermine the bipartisan complexion of K Street.

While lobbyists and their employers in 39 states spent more than $715 million wining, dining and generally influencing state lawmakers in 2002, many details about how those dollars were spent remain hidden from public view, according to a comprehensive analysis by the Center for Public Integrity.

While the giant US media networks are covering the US's invasion of Iraq, they are also heavily lobbying to get rid of restriction on the number of TV and radio stations they can own in one market.The Guardian reports media critics are alarmed by what they see as a "serious conflict of interest" concerning how the broadcast industry covers the Bush administration.

"In an unusual mix of investor relations and grassroots political outreach, several corporate giants have sent letters to shareholders asking them to contact members of Congress to support President Bush's proposed dividend tax cut," PR Week writes. "[S]everal large dividend-paying companies, including GM, Citigroup, Southern Company, ChevronTexaco, and Verizon, have sent such letters to shareholders. 'We think this proposal makes good economic sense, and is good for our stockholders and General Motors,' read a recent letter to GM shareholders from president and CEO Rick Wagoner.