Chicago Firms Spend Record Sums On Lobbyists

Chicago firms are racking up more spending than ever on Washington lobbyists this year, as Congress and the Bush administration grapple with a far-reaching economic crisis and a slew of hot-button business issues.

Ten Chicago firms with the biggest lobbying expenditures collectively spent $44.2 million in the first three quarters of 2008, compared with $42.9 million during all of 2007.

Boeing Co., far and away Chicago's biggest spender, nearly doubled its efforts last summer as it scrambled for congressional support to protest and later win back a $35-billion military tanker contract that unexpectedly went to a competitor in February.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[chulanow]

This certainly doesn't make Chicago look good or Senator Obama.

However, PRESIDENT Obama will be taking care of this mess in the near future,

[Softnsweet]

so true!

[Liberoservative]

Boeing is based in Washington State... so this part of the article is misleading.....

[OneLiberalLady]

Not any more, sadly. Boeing moved their corporate headquarters to Chicago in 2001. However, they still have a very large manufacturing presence in Washington State.