"Society created its own organs to look after its common interests... [b]ut these organs, at whose head was the state power, had in the course of time, in pursuance of their own special interests, transformed themselves from servants of society into masters of society. It is precisely in America that we see best how there takes place this process of the state power making itself independent in relation to society whose mere instrument it was intended to be."-- Frederich Engels, March 18th, 1891 on the 20th anniversary of the Paris Commune.
Who knew the Tea partiers were actually heirs to libertarian socialists.
K Street
The K Street Project was launched in 1995, by Republican strategist Grover Norquist and House majority leader Tom DeLay to pressure Washington lobbying firms to hire Republicans in top positions.
Often referred to as the fourth branch of government, these D.C. lobbying firms have great influence due to monetary resources and the revolving door policy of hiring former government officials. "It is common practice for politicians to request money from lobbying firms for an exchange in better access to officials and to buy favoritism in policies."-- Source WatchBusiness Lobbyists Write Legislation.
From Mother Jones: On August 7, thousands of state legislators and corporate lobbyists were scheduled to descend on Orlando, Florida, for the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.
While other lobbyists focus on the federal government, ALEC gives business a direct hand in writing bills that are considered in state assemblies nationwide. Funded primarily by large corporations, industry groups, and conservative foundations -- including R.J. Reynolds, Koch Industries, and the American Petroleum Institute -- the group takes a chain-restaurant approach to public policy, supplying precooked McBills to state lawmakers. Since most legislators are in session only part of the year and often have no staff to do independent research, they're quick to swallow what ALEC serves up. In 2000, according to the council, members introduced more than 3,100 bills based on its models, passing 450 into law.
"Politicians pushing a bill that would ban municipal competition for broadband asked to clarify, and rather than answer themselves, the politicians "turned to a Time Warner staff member and an attorney who represents the industry to speak on their behalf."
Freedom Works
The Tea Party movement owes its prominence to Freedom Works. Professing to be an advocate for 'liberty' and 'smaller government' Freedom Works is a front for corporate interests. It is chaired by former U.S. House Majority Leader, Republican Dick Armey who in 2004 "spoke glowingly of 'Rx Outreach,' a national mail order program for low-income people that had just been launched by Express Scripts Inc., a pharmacy benefit management firm based in Maryland Heights, Mo." At the time, FreedomWorks "had been working with Express Scripts' public relations firm, and a week later issued a news release praising Rx Outreach. Express Scripts says it plans to donate money to Armey's group, though it won't say how much or when."
In early 2005, Radio listeners in 15 states heard a broadcast appeal from former House Majority Leader Dick Armey asking them to help scuttle a bill designed to contain asbestos litigation. But at no time in the ad - made in his capacity as co-chairman of FreedomWorks did Armey disclose that he is also working as a lobbyist for Equitas, a British insurer that has lobbied to thwart the asbestos trust fund legislation. -- Source Watch.
Asked later that year why his Republican comrades were consuming so much more federal pork than the Democrats ever did Dick Armey replied: 'To the victors go the spoils.'
And 'we the people' are left with nothing but a bunch of old teabags.
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