The Incumbent Party II

Crossing the Beams

Funny how wearing two hats -- lobbyist and strategic advisor -- never occurred in a corrupt state like Illinois (yea, right), but is common practice in Wisconsin.

It's all about getting close to the man in power. If one were to lay Tommy Thompson's campaign finance reports alongside those of Jim Doyle's, the number of overlapping donors would shock grassroots Republicans -- the ones currently busting their humps for either Mark Green or Scott Walker.

Under questioning by the prosecution, Cook said he had never simultaneously
acted as an adviser to and lobbied a public official. He also never asked a
vendor for a cut of a contract he helped obtain.

"Is that something that legitimate lobbyists ever do?" asked Assistant U.S. Atty. Zachary Fardon.

"I've never heard it before," Cook said.