TPMCafe
« Lobbying in Washington: Is There a Cure? | Home | Krauthammer: Barack Is Better For America, I'm Voting For McCain »

A Passive Press

user-pic


Well, it seems like we are all agreed that lobbying is under-regulated and does not receive enough scrutiny in the media. Ted, you specifically point to the dangers posed by a passive press. And of course, the big fallout from Ken's Harper's piece was not the story itself but the media reaction to it, and specifically the controversy over his use of under-cover techniques. So maybe that can lead us in an interesting direction. I had no problem with it, and in fact found it all quite thrilling and often hilarious (an under-appreciated aspect of Silverstein's work...). On the other hand, that is more or less a one-shot story. You can't cover lobbying regularly by going undercover or in any way misleading your sources - just like any other beat. So while it was an enlightening and entertaining to get into what can be a tired subject, it is not really sustainable. And when the press does cover lobbying, it is usually these odd scandals that are way off the norm and don't really tell you much at all - Abramoff's frauds (which really had nothing to do with lobbying, per se) and John McCain's indiscretions.

There is all sorts of sleazy stuff that goes on every day and is accepted as normal on Capitol Hill - but why does the press accept it as normal? In all of these big policy debates - the financial bailout, health care, the energy crisis - most reporters write about lobbying as a given, and don't question the tactics by which these corporations wield their power over lawmakers. And the politicians are all pretty blaise about it as well. I remember talking to Sen. Patrick Leahy as he was walking into a massive corporate sponsored faux-Mardi Gras put on by Sen. John Breaux at the 2000 Convention, the whole thing paid for by hundreds of thousands of unaccountable dollars from coal and nuclear and oil companies, and Leahy said "hey, it's just a party with friends" or something like that. And that's from a pretty stolid liberal.


8 Comments

| Leave a comment
user-pic

A Passive press? Heed these words, "The press will hang when the truth comes to light".

Facebook

This is a smart blog. I mean it. You have so much knowledge about this issue, and so much passion. You also know how to make people rally behind it, obviously from the responses. Youve got a design here thats not too flashy, but makes a statement as big as what youre saying. Great job,children health indeed.

user-pic
Facebook

Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!

Best regards, Mary CEO of youtube downloader free

Facebook

Madison believed that we should have separation of church and state throughout the land, federal and local. There was a fascinating moment during the congressional debate over what became the First Amendment. How could the beloved First Amendment be harmful to religion? Huntington feared that it would overturn or interfere with Connecticut’s approach, which was to have state-supported religion.
Chat | Chat

Facebook

religious sect may degenerate into a political faction,' wrote James Madison, but the new American nation would nevertheless be protected against the ungovernable combination of religious fervor and political power as long as the Constitution prohibited the federal government from establishing any particular creed as preeminent.
Egitim | Chat

Facebook

This informayion is very useful! Thanks!
Best regards, Katya, CEO of 2008 hyper v, iscsi initiator for windows server 2003

Facebook

Si vous etes interesses par le dossier, ou desirez en savoir plus, contactez-moi par mail, et je vous mettrai en contact.
Best regards,Jane, CEO of high availability computing

Leave a comment

Advertisement
Please disable your adblocker!
Ads are how we pay the bills!

Subscribe

The Coffee House
TPMCafe's regulars

House Brew
From Your Cafe Editor

Special Guests
Big names and big brains

Special Features
Pressing topics and trends

Table for One
An expert's week-long talk.

All Reader Posts
TPM readers discuss.

Advertise Liberally
Share
Close Social Web Email

"To" Email Address

Your Name

Your Email Address