Washington Update --
Senate/industry negotiations to continue. Surprise! NAM coalition v. telecom "Ma Belle Ocean" & Co. Each hears something different. Surprise again. Manus Cooney, Chief of Staff of the Judiciary Comte. (works for Hatch) has indicated that the chairman and Grateful Dead fan Leahy, he from that gorgeous syrup state with the once and future "great lake," Vermouth, will drop a bill (lesson 1: jargon for introduce legislation) even if industry doesn't achieve unanimity. Good move. Message received loud and clear.
Justice Dept. (?) attorneys balk at NAM trial [egads!] balloons, but Lady JanA of NAM refuses to let go. Larry, son of EEI, energizes the discussions on behalf of the good guys (i.e., us of course). Charles nee Mayor Brown N. Platt expertizes on behalf of the chip set. Good team. Alas, the more rational and politically-astute John Koskinen indicates flexibility (verbally and through body english). His attractive ("In her chestnut eyes I found the moonlight...") and able colleague J.Abrams dittoes. The Administration wants/needs a bill. The NAM industry coalition wants/needs a bill. Key Senators and Congressmen want a bill (they need one, too, but may not recognize that yet -- election is still two months off. ggg). Da trial lawyers want easy pickings and lucrative settlements. What do the phone folks want? Gross negligence? Like the Magic Bus, ya can't have it. Too big a loophole for any half-way decent lawyer. NAM counters with reckless disregard. Ahem, still too easy to get around, at least for the litigator creme de la creme. [Guy comes into the room the other day riding a white horse. Psssst! he pssssts, pulling out a copy of the conference report (lesson 2: legislative compromise between House and Senate versions of the "same" bill) from the Securities Reform Act. It's in dare. Leaves copies and vanishes! Light bulbs and exclamation marks appear above the heads of the NAM noms de plume. Congress already passed it. Aye, good legislation. Hill even slapped down Clinton's veto. Hmmmm...].
Look for a Senate bill next week. Probably after Wednesday. Then look for possible NAM-sponsored TV ads (after the HUGE tin cup is passed around the coalition). Meanwhile, look for me enjoying a much-needed weekend. On Tuesday, the battle is rejoined, on Y2K and S. 2288, among other things. Ach du meine Gatorade, es ist schon spaet (oder frueh). Na ja. All tipohs mine. ggg.
Ken |
