Nobody blows smoke into the American political system better than the tobacco industry.
The CW operation, one of the most sophisticated corporate scams ever conducted, was exposed last September. One aspect of the industry's political power is well understood, that of campaign donations. During the 1996 campaign, the media gave ample attention to Bob Dole's long-standing ties to big tobacco, focusing on the huge financial gifts cigarette makers lavished on the former Senator and the Republican party. In public view, the industry was unabashedly purchasing political influence. But big tobacco's generous lobbying activities haven't shielded the industry from criticism and regulation.