FRANK BERNHEISEL

Follow the (lobbying) money

The lobbying industry in Washington had another great year growing by 7.7 percent. (My 401K should do so well.) It is probably just a coincidence that since George Bush became President, lobbying expenditures have almost doubled from $1.5 billion to $2.8 billion last year.

So where did all the money come from? The Washington Post, the only paper with all the political scores, recently provided the following:

US Chamber of Commerce -- $52.75 M
General Electric -- $23.63 M
Pharmaceutical Research & Mfg. -- $22.73 M (push those drugs!)
American Medical Association -- $22.13 M (no, no...not health care for everyone)
American Hospital Association -- $19.73 M
AARP -- $19.54 M (I'm glad I do not belong)
Exxon Mobil -- $16.94 M (keep those oil subsidies flowing) AT&T -- $16.94 M Amgen -- $16.26 M (at least seven ex-Congressmen push these drugs)
General Motors -- $14.56 M
Southern Company -- $14.56 M
National Association of Realtors -- $13.86 M (you canŐt blame this mess on us)
Pfizer -- $13.80 M
National Cable & Telecommunications Association -- $13.02 M Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers -- $12.84 M
Verizon Communications -- $12.70 M
Northrop Grumman -- $10.88 M
American International Group -- $10.70 M
Boeing -- $10.64 M
Lockheed Martin -- $10.41 M