Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!microsof!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!iuvax!isrnix!tim From: tim@isrnix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Reagan"s Press Conference Message-ID: <268@isrnix.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Jul-83 06:59:01 EDT Article-I.D.: isrnix.268 Posted: Thu Jul 7 06:59:01 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 8-Jul-83 19:16:59 EDT References: cvl.452 Lines: 26 Cliff Shaffer suggests that Reagans succes in getting Congress to vote his way is evidence of his intelligence or at least lack of stupidity. There may be some grounds for that assessment. In which case then his public statements about the number of people employed or his administrations education spending are not a question of ignorance but of baldfaced lies. But there is another thing to be considered here: there is a vast array of corporate lobbyists in Washington who will push for their interests. Given the alliance of these forces and the executive branches forces (e.g. I believe the Pentagon has a force of some 1000 lobbyists just for itself) it is no wonder that Reagan gets what he wants when it invariably favors corporate interests over the public interest. Who funds Congressional campaigns? Who takes Congressmen out to dinner or for vacations in Bermuda or what have you? Most Americans would be amazed at the amount and type of stuff that is outright given to Congressmen. One of my friends worked in a Congressmen's office and he was surprised to find this Congressmen receiving all sorts of records from record companies, among them Frank Zappa! "we'll send him anything, and SOMETHING will appeal to his tastes" must be the record companies philosophy. I wonder how many other companies do that? Probably many....... So it is no surprise when Congress votes for corporate interests! It takes major struggles on the part of citizens to get Congress to vote against corporate interests. Tim Sevener decvax!pur-ee!iuvax!isrnix!tim