1. K Street Project
Confessore and Drew

2. K Street Project Examples of GOP Control
Health Care: Clinton vs. Bush Medicare Reform Bill
Clinton Plan:
Staked presidency on Health Care reform (High Level White House Task Force)
Health Care reform was a popular issue
Democrats had unified government
…but the plan failed.

3. K Street Project Examples of GOP Control Bush Plan: (2003-2004)
  Did not make Medicare reform central to Presidency.
GOP had smaller margin in Congress
Privatized plan unpopular, (though prescription drug benefit was popular).
…but plan succeeded.

4. K Street Project Why the Varied Outcome? Clinton Plan:
Plan faced concerted opposition from lobbying groups, despite working to win their backing.
Bush Plan:
Did not face concerted opposition from lobbying groups, even though some objected to certain provisions, because of party’s K Street strategy.

5. K Street Project Why the Varied Outcome? Clinton Plan:
Plan faced concerted opposition from lobbying groups, despite working to win their backing.
Bush Plan:
Did not face concerted opposition from lobbying groups, even though some objected to certain provisions, because of party’s K Street strategy.

6. K Street Project
GOP Strategy: Target Government Programs by Privatizing Them.
It is a two-fold strategy:
1) Move Party to K Street
2) Then Move Government to K Street

7. K Street Project Delay School: (34)
1994 Republican Revolution: Objectives
1) Revolutionize Government
2) Take over K Street
K Street Strategy: Purge Street of Democrats
Data-base used to track partisanship, govt experience and contribution history of lobbyists.

8. K Street Project Delay School: (34)
Obstacles to GOP Control of K Street
GOP Push too Hard: Barbour 1996 Meeting with CEOs
Clinton appeal to Business Interests (control budget deficits, for ex.)
Clinton 1996 Reelections
Republicans 1998 Losses, and Gingrich resignation
Result: return of bi-partisan lobbying

9. K Street Project GOP Promotes Business Interests Examples:
FCC: Dropped Regulations on Ownership
Energy Policy:
1) Cheney work with lobbyists
2) Cut out party apparatus, including Bush’s Energy Secretary,
Spencer Abraham.
3) John Kelliher, a task office staffer directly consulted with energy lobbyists on legislative language.

10. K Street Project GOP Promotes Business Interests Energy Bill:
It benefited oil and gas industry:
1) Prevented law suits against MTBE, gas additive linked to cancer.
2) Exempted “Hydraulic Fracturing” from Safe Drinking
Water Act
Corporate Beneficiaries: Contribution
Exxon: $ 942,717
Halliburton: $ 243,946
  Average for Industry: (80% of Contributions to Reps)