We haven’t read the book (we will) but have been reading some of the reviews of the book with interest.
K Street is a place we know pretty well. It used to be called Gucci Gulch after the type of shoes the influence peddlers fancied. Now the footwear has become more varied and there are fewer ties. But the street is a seat of considerable power and the new book from Brody Mullins and Luke Mullins examines how this came to be.
We’ll do another post after we read the book. In the meantime…
(From The Washington Free Beacon)
The book is an exhaustive account of how the incestuous business of K Street lobbying evolved from labor unions, environmentalists, and consumer pressure groups using "the federal government as an instrument to protect consumers from the excesses of capitalism," to the modern era, where Big Business rules. This phenomenon was bipartisan, as evidenced by Democratic president Bill Clinton’s neoliberal policies, such as the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and deregulation of the telecom and finance industries.
To tell the story, the authors focus on three dynasties that arose in the late 20th century: Tommy Boggs of Patton Boggs; Black, Manafort, and Stone; and Tony Podesta.
Here is a related (tragic) story of interest.
The mysterious suicide that rocked Washington: How drug lobbyist linked to the Clintons was found dead at an ultra-exclusive golf club frequented by presidents.
