With his every turn through the revolving door, the boundaries between Kies's role as a corporate representative and as a government official have grown less and less distinct. Today, as a private lobbyist, he continues to hold immense sway with Archer. It is because of this relationship that most reformers assume no reform bill will pass. But, then, Kies only provides rationalizations for things that Archer and his GOP colleagues deeply want to believe. Recently Archer assured the Tax Executives Institute that tax shelters are not a problem and, in so doing, summed up his entire worldview.
Corporations are very, very good.
Illustration by David Suter. Jonathan Zittrain and Rebecca Nesson offered a solution to the Internet sales tax quandary in TNR Online . Stephen Kotkin explains why Putin's biggest obstacle is Russia itself. Masha Gessen on Putin's war against the media. Jodie Allen on Alan Greenspan's battle with the metamarket.