Cross-posted on liberal street fight.
Here's a chance to record for posterity the lowest of the highs of 2004. There are just so many from which to choose that it seemed to make the most sense to open it up to everyone to post their own personal favorite. BushCO alone could fill tomes. Hell, just Rumsfeld's numerous missteps would suffice. But don't limit yourself to politics; everyone and everything is fair game, from Paris Hilton to Bill O'Reilly.
More from me below the jump.
Here's my choice, mostly because it's just so telling and because it's one of my special soapbox issues: money in politics. This year special interest groups will break all records for money spent on lobbying. Lobbying groups spent $1.1 billion (yes, that's a "b" as in BILLION!) in just the first half of 2004.
Political Money Line predicts that lobbying at just the federal level will easily surpass $2 billion for the entire year. The full report for the year will come in February, but considering that the big money legislation happened at the end of this session, it's pretty likely the second half of the year will see more money spent than the first.
Let's break it down a little. The average monthly spending by lobbying groups (again, just at the federal level) was $176 million. One hundred seventy-six million dollars a MONTH. That's $5.9 million a day, counting weekends!
According to Political Money Line, here's where some of it went:
Lobbying during the first six months of 2004 coincided with several major legislative efforts and appropriation bills. These included the following efforts:
- Regulation of tobacco through the Tobacco Buy Out and FDA Regulation bill that passed the House in June.
- Overhaul of Class Action Lawsuits that passed the House in June.
- Consideration in the Senate of the Asbestos Claims Compensation bill.
- Overhaul of corporate taxes that passed the House in June.
- Consideration of stock option accounting rules.
- Energy policy overhaul that was adopted by the conference committee in June.
- Highway and Mass Transit Reauthorization that passed House in April and whose conference committee began in June.
The biggest spenders? Health "care" interests at $163 million in the first six months. Pharma led the way, spending $45.7 million. In second place, the communication and tech sectors, at $138 million; finance and insurance show at $135 million. Insurance carriers spent $41 million to make sure that they don't have to spend more on you.
And here's a fun note: the Asbestos Study Group was the client that shelled out the most money in the first six months of 2004. They paid their lobbying firm, Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman $5.5 million. I'm sure all that is going to make sure that asbestos claims by America's workers are treated fairly.
I suppose that Congress really should share this Dubious Achievement Award for 2004 along with the lobbyists. So it's a tie. Congratuations, folks, we've been screwed again, but this year more than ever!
Your turn.