The most common and effective method, in the jargon of Capitol Hill, is to “attach a rider.” The company persuades a congressman or senator, usually one who represents an area where the company has a large manufacturing plant employing thousands of voters, to “attach” quietly a special-interest bill as an amendment to completely unrelated and preferably popular legislation, such as a famine relief appropriation or an increase in social security benefits. Once attached, the fates of the two proposals become linked: if the president wants to veto the special corporate tax break, he will find
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