Same Ole Bought, Bossed, Bad — seating the 112th

Excerpting, editing, comment by Carolyn Bennett

Thirteen corporations, unions or special interest groups that lobby the federal government bought a full-page advertisement in Wednesday’s print editions of Washington-based Roll Call, The Hill and Politico. Ten of these 13 groups in the first nine months of 2010 spent at least one million dollars on federal lobbying efforts.

Here is some of what the Center for Responsive Politics (Open Secrets) reports on this same ole buying and selling of a place “the people” don’t have at tables — in board rooms and bar rooms, on floors (of House and Senate) and in temples — of entrenched power and influence:

Chevron in the first nine months of 2010 spent an even ten million dollars lobbying the federal government — second behind ConocoPhillips among oil and gas industry interests.  In its mission, Chevron employed more than 40 individual lobbyists. Additionally, during the 2010 election cycle, Chevron’s political action committee “gave” more than $582,000 to congressional candidates.

General Electric and Rolls-Royce in the first three quarters of 2010 spent a cool thirty-two million dollars on federal lobbying efforts, while Rolls Royce-North America chipped in $1.27 million. Additionally, in the past election cycle, General Electric’s political action committee “gave” $1.46 million to congressional candidates. Rolls Royce’s political action committee “gave” $317,500.

Communications Workers of America through September 2010 spent $650,000 on lobbying. Additionally, in last election cycle, Communications Workers of America’s political action committee filled the coffers of congressional candidates with an estimated $1.63 million.

Coca-Cola in 2010 stepped up its lobbying, employing more than 40 registered lobbyists to “work with” members of U.S. Congress and others in the federal government. Coca-Cola in the first nine months of 2010 spent an estimated $4.9 million (before 2008, its federal lobbying had never exceeded $2 million).  In 2009, Coca-Cola spent an estimated $9.4 million on federal lobbying efforts. Additionally Coca Cola’s political action committee in the 2010 election cycle “gave” $385,500 to congressional candidates. Increased lobbying expenditures during the past two years aimed “in part to defend against a hypothetical soda tax and other food-related proposals.”

Companies, organizations placing Wednesday adverts
Buying and retaining place, influence, entrenched power:

Company / Organization	Politico	Roll Call	The Hill	Lobbying $	PAC $
Boeing	1 page			13,180,000	2,094,000
Motorola	1 page			2,600,000	294,000
GE / Rolls-Royce +	1 page	1 page	1 page	33,320,000	1,784450
Heritage Group *	1 page			N/A	N/A
Coca-Cola	2 pages			4,890,000	385,500
Communications Workers of America	1 page			650,000	1,629,550
Chevron	2 pages		2 pages	10,000,000	582,500
Lockheed Martin	1 page			9,918,390	1,875,250
SNR Denton **	1 page			2,170,000	N/A
American Gas Association	1 page			770,000	309,500
Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America	1 page			1,250,000	1,061,750
Goldman Sachs	1 page			3,510,000	595,900
National Beer Wholesalers Association		1 page	1 page	620,000	2,708,000
Pfizer			1 page	10,740,000	1,049,367
World Wildlife Fund		1/4 page		760,000	N/A

Sources and notes

“Major Influence Peddlers Fill Capitol Hill Newspapers with Advertisements on Congress’ Inauguration Day” (Dave Levinthal), January 5, 2011, Open Secrets, http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/01/major-influence-peddlers-fill-newspapers.html

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