More About Lobbies' Threat to American Democracy?

In Paul Krugman's in today's New York TimesToward One-Party Rule he underscores the degree to which the Republican Party, especially a project by Pennsylvania's Senator Santorum is coercing corporations in the United States to hire only Republicans. Krugman writes in part: "The Washington Post explains, Mr. Santorum's colleagues have also used "intimidation and private threats" to bully lobbyists who try to maintain good relations with both parties. "If you want to play in our revolution," Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, once declared, "you have to live by our rules."

Lobbying jobs are a major source of patronage — a reward for the loyal. More important, however, many lobbyists now owe their primary loyalty to the party, rather than to the industries they represent. So corporate cash, once split more or less evenly between the parties, increasingly flows in only one direction.

And corporations themselves are also increasingly part of the party machine. They are rewarded with policies that increase their profits: deregulation, privatization of government services, elimination of environmental rules. In return, like G.M. and Verizon, they use their influence to support the ruling party's agenda."

Scary? Damn tooting!