... the same old same old, only worse, according to Steve Benen.
Republicans are putting the squeeze on corporations, assuming that the right will regain a majority and will be in a position to pass legislation which favors corporations. What the Party is telling the corporate world now is, "Be generous with your support in the run-up to the November elections or move to the back of the pack..."
Benen writes:
...We're starting to see hints of the old, ugly, corrupt machine when Republicans leaders not-so-subtly remind business leaders that the party is "keeping score." In other words, GOP officials expect to be back in the majority in 2011, and if corporate lobbyists want to start writing legislation again, the way they did before there was a Democratic majority, they'll have to buy that influence again.
When the NRCC's Greg Walden met with 80 corporate PAC leaders in March, for example, he said he wasn't making any threats. He simply said Republican leaders are "evaluating giving patterns," and in the next breath, he pointed to competitive congressional races where these lobbyists "can make an investment in a Republican candidate you will like."
I seem to recall subtle messages like these being featured on "The Sopranos." I can hear Boehner now, "That's a nice amendment you want in the appropriations bill. It'd be a shame if something happened to it."
If you think Boehner is bad now, wait till the creep gets some serious power. With grim humor Benen reminds us: "Republicans gave the American political system a bad name during their reign of error. There are already hints that the sequel will be more offensive than the original."
