Corruptie in Washington 5

In deze straat worden democratische politici en regeringen gekocht en verkocht. De International Herald Tribune bericht: 'Embattled Lobbyists Face Their Watergate. Washington - In the parlance of Washington they call it K Street, almost as if it were a separate branch of government. Capitol Hill is where Congress sits. The West Wing of the White House is where the president works. And K Street is where the lobbyists are - at least 30,000 of them. Literally it is a street filled with modern office buildings that house the law firms and other companies that try to influence the outcome of decisions on Capitol Hill, at the White House and in scores of federal agencies. Sixteen big lobbying firms have more lobbyists than the Senate's 100 members; this white-collar industry takes in more than $2 billion a year. No other country has anything of this magnitude. But now K Street is at the center of a scandal that some Washington observers feel could be to the lobbying business what Watergate was to campaign finance and Enron was to corporate oversight. "This scandal has the potential to have a huge effect on K Street for decades," said Alex Knott, who monitors lobbying for the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity. "It will not only further shape people's opinions about lobbying but could also lead to reform."' Lees verder: http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/12/news/lobby.php Of:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/011206Q.shtml