In a series of recent stories that has gotten virtually no mainstream media coverage, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his fellow Democrats in both the Senate and the House seem to be saying ‘If you want to play, you've got to pay' to the CEOs of major companies and their lobbyists, contrary to their 2006 promises to eliminate just that type of conduct. An article from yesterday's edition of the Politico: Dem leaders pressure CEOs to buck GOP makes the point:The Senate Democratic leadership summoned the chiefs of 17 major trade associations to the Capitol on Wednesday to send a subtle but unmistakable message: If you want our help on your issues, stop helping the Republicans block our bills.Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who managed the meeting for the leadership, called in the CEOs of the city's most powerful trade associations to circumvent what Democrats consider their more partisan lobbyists - many of whom are Republicans with long-standing ties to the power structure...(Read Full Post)