Change is coming also in K Street

Congressional Republicans aren’t the only ones bracing for big Election Night losses. Their partisan brethren in the business trade associations and corporate offices are, too.
Almost all of those high-paying jobs are held by Republicans — former Capitol Hill staffers and White House aides — whose influence will be significantly diminished if Democrats take over the White House and extend their majorities in the House and Senate.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National Association of Chain Stores, and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America are all led by Republicans. And the list goes on and on.
The same red hue hangs over big corporate government affairs offices. Disney, AT&T, Verizon, Visa, Time Warner, Pfizer, Lockheed Martin and BlueCross BlueShield all are paying big bucks to top lobbyists with ties to the GOP, which is expected to lose power Tuesday rather than gain it.

Is a K Street partisan bloodbath in the offing?
That’s what many Republicans expect, even if Democrats don’t systematically go after their heads.
“I think corporate America will be very risk averse on this stuff,” said one Republican lobbyist. “They will try to do anything they can to avoid getting smacked. I definitely think there will be some pressure. They are a bunch of wussies.”
Already, the signs of change are in the air.

Leggi tutto