To the Point
A Gold Rush on K Street
Jack Abramoff is becoming a household name as Tom DeLay's golfing buddy and the lobbyist accused of bilking Native American clients. But he's just part of a $3 billion industry that's growing faster than ever with Republicans in charge of both the White House and Congress. In 1998, corporations, labor unions and other interest groups spent $1.6 billion to influence Congress and the executive agencies; based on the latest registration figures, the number of Washington lobbyists has doubled since 2000 to almost 35,000 people. Critics say influence peddling is now going hand in hand with political partisanship. Who keeps track of the billions spent by lobbyists each year? Does the public interest have a chance? We try to follow the money with journalists, lobbyists and government watchdogs. Making News: One Year Since Iraq Transfer It's the first anniversary of Iraqi sovereignty, and in prime time tonight, President Bush will try to bolster the case for staying the course. Meantime in Baghdad, a suicide car bomber killed a Shiite member of Parliament, his son and two bodyguards. Aamer Madhani reports for the Chicago Tribune. Reporter-s Notebook: France to Host Experimental Nuclear Fusion Reactor Today, after 18 months of diplomatic wrangling, the EU, Russia, China, South Korea, Japan and the US decided to build the ITER nuclear fusion reactor in France. Winning the $10 billion joint project is a big political boost for President Jacques Chirac. Is it a promising energy source free of greenhouse emissions or an expensive gamble with unacceptable risks? Geoff Brumfiel, correspondent for the science journal Nature, has the pros and cons.
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenJack Abramoff is becoming a household name as Tom DeLay's golfing buddy and the lobbyist accused of bilking Native American clients. But he's just part of a $3 billion industry that's growing faster than ever with Republicans in charge of both the White House and Congress. In 1998, corporations, labor unions and other interest groups spent $1.6 billion to influence Congress and the executive agencies; based on the latest registration figures, the number of Washington lobbyists has doubled since 2000 to almost 35,000 people. Critics say influence peddling is now going hand in hand with political partisanship. Who keeps track of the billions spent by lobbyists each year? Does the public interest have a chance? We try to follow the money with journalists, lobbyists and government watchdogs.
One Year Since Iraq Transfer
It's the first anniversary of Iraqi sovereignty, and in prime time tonight, President Bush will try to bolster the case for staying the course. Meantime in Baghdad, a suicide car bomber killed a Shiite member of Parliament, his son and two bodyguards. Aamer Madhani reports for the Chicago Tribune.
France to Host Experimental Nuclear Fusion Reactor
Today, after 18 months of diplomatic wrangling, the EU, Russia, China, South Korea, Japan and the US decided to build the ITER nuclear fusion reactor in France. Winning the $10 billion joint project is a big political boost for President Jacques Chirac. Is it a promising energy source free of greenhouse emissions or an expensive gamble with unacceptable risks? Geoff Brumfiel, correspondent for the science journal Nature, has the pros and cons.
President Bush's address to nation on Iraq, war on terror
Madhani's article on violence in Iraq since last year's transfer of power