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Special K Street
The fantasy world of Washington meets the reality-based culture of Hollywood.
By Michael Kinsley
Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2003, at 8:42 AM PT

Microsoft, the company I work for, had almost no "Washington presence" (as it is euphemistically called) until just a few years ago. Like most other high-tech firms, Microsoft felt that it needed nothing from the government. Then lawsuits started raining down, and people started telling Microsoft it was naive. Rival companies were working hard to get the government on their side. Why should Microsoft refrain?

This made some sense. You live in the world as you find it, not as you wish it to be. It might be nice if the largest corporation in America (by some measures) could mind its own business and expect the government to do the same. But in reality, refusing to wallow like a reptile in the influence-trading swamp is almost a violation of a big company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders. Nice little software company you have here. Sure would be a pity if something legislative happened to it.

Naiveté was just the beginning of the indictment, though. The company was called arrogant: Who the hell do you think you are? Why should you be exempt from the tax that Washington's influence-peddling culture imposes on every other big corporation? Ultimately, there was even an implication that refusing to play the influence game was downright unpatriotic. Real American corporations hire lobbyists. They maintain big District of Columbia offices and throw lavish parties where Washington big shots can socialize with one another at the stockholders' expense. It's the American way! You got a problem with that, buddy?...