Source:
Washington Post, May 17, 2005
The
Washington Post reports on how House Majority Whip Roy Blunt "has converted what had been an informal and ad hoc relationship between congressional leaders and the Washington corporate and trade community into a formal, institutionalized alliance." Blunt's "organization of whips and lobbyist vote counters ... has delivered more than 50 consecutive victories for the GOP leadership on tough fights over issues including tax and trade bills, District of Columbia school choice and tort reform." The "de facto 'executive committee'" of "the Republican leadership's
K Street lobbying arm" includes
Ed Gillespie of
Quinn Gillespie & Associates; Mark Isakowitz and Samantha Poole of
Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock; Tony Rudy of
Alexander Strategy Group and
Greenberg Traurig; Lyle Beckwitch of the
National Association of Convenience Stores; and Ralph Hellmann of the
Information Technology Industry Council.
