This Would Be Shocking If It Weren't So Predictable
In today's WaPost, Dan Morgan, Sarah Cohen and Gilbert M. Gaul report on how industry political clout managed to crush even a savvy, well-funded upstart who wanted to sell milk at market prices.
Hettinga, who ran a big business and was no political innocent, fought back with his own lobbyists and alliances with lawmakers. But he found he was no match for the dairy lobby.
"I had an awakening," the 64-year-old Dutch-born dairyman said. "It's not totally free enterprise in the United States."
Harry Reid does not come off well. Neither does John Kyl. But the crucial player turns out to be Devin Nunes, a Republican back-bencher from California and the dairy industry.
I wrote about another form of milk protectionism here.