Thought of the Week: You know it’s a warm day in February when a D.C.-based government affairs analyst feels that Washington, and national politics, may have finally “jumped the shark.” For those of you who don’t know, “jumping the shark” comes from the classic television series Happy Days. During a late episode in that show’s […]
Thought of the Week: My fourth grade teacher, Mr. Liu, used to say his favorite subject was Lunch and Recess. Unlike most of the staff, he ate lunch in the cafeteria with the students, not in the faculty lounge, and brought his basketball every day there was outdoor recess. Mr. Liu was famous for his
Thought of the Week: I used to love the Winter Olympics. I’ll never forget Franz Klammer’s gold medal run during the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics. A 10 year old at the time, the dramatic downhill race was what inspired me to learn how to ski. I’ll also never forget exactly where I was for the “Miracle
Thought of the Week: I’m on a text chain with a bunch of golf buddies. We generally talk about the important things in life—the PGA Tour, the NFL playoffs, and our Draft Kings lineups. As you can imagine, at times, the discussion turns to politics, the economy, and the pandemic. Earlier this week, one string
Thought of the Week: Have you made your New Year’s resolution yet? Wait, let me guess: eat better, get more exercise, and knock a couple items off your bucket list…oh yeah, and be more mindful of others. Right? Me too. This year, when cruising the Internet for a new, novel resolution, I came across an
Thought of the Week: My wife isn’t into politics. Like many Americans, she pays attention every four years during those crucial months between Labor Day and Election Day. As the Creative Director for a major health care company, a martial artist, and most importantly, a mother, she doesn’t have the time, nor the interest, to
Thought of the Week: Although, in some ways, it feels like we just went through a national election, as we end 2021 and head into 2022, all the talk in Washington is turning to next year’s midterm elections. The elections will determine which party controls Congress, and business analysts should recognize that the coming election
Thought of the Week: A business trip took me to Minneapolis in October 2008; a delayed flight and missed connection had me ordering off the late night dinner menu at a near empty hotel bar. It was a month before the presidential election between Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), and the
21 precise steps… CLACK …21 seconds facing east… CLACK …21 seconds facing north… CLACK …exactly 21 steps down the black mat…The Sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will repeat the process flawlessly for the next hour until there is a changing of the guard. After visiting my father’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery, witnessing the elaborate ceremony has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition for my daughter and me. A changing of the guard is not unique to military pomp and circumstance, however. Similar changes occur across business, sports, culture, and even politics. In fact, a new process for a changing of the guard is exactly what Andrew Yang has in mind.
Over the river and through the woods to the lobbying house on Capitol Hill? Although the stereotyped notion of a corporate lobby shop is a K Street office, expense accounts at The Palm or Charlie Palmer’s, and a PAC connected to downtown D.C.’s movers and shakers on the fundraising circuit, companies also use prime real estate to get face time with lawmakers. Among the subtler venues to engage in political advocacy are Capitol Hill townhomes; in fact, I attended an event with more than 20 other lobbyists at spirit and beverage giant Diageo’s property just a few weeks ago. Politico estimates that there are more than 20 properties in and around Capitol Hill that are owned by business groups and others who lobby Congress. The homes are used as workplaces, bases for lobbyists, and fundraising venues for members of Congress. More than anything, these swanky townhouses provide companies, trade associations, religious groups, and lobbying shops with a chance to meet lawmakers and their staff outside the bounds of government property. The townhouses have been a mainstay of D.C. lobbying for decades, and they provide a unique set of benefits to the lobbyists that own them and the lawmakers who attend events at them.