Copyright 2000 The National Journal, Inc.
The National Journal
May 27, 2000
SECTION: INSIDE WASHINGTON; Pg. 1657; Vol. 32, No. 22
LENGTH: 541 words
HEADLINE:
Inside Washington for May 27, 2000
BODY:
Heads Up, UAL, K Street Is Mobilizing
The efforts of United
Airlines and US Airways to obtain a federal
green light for their
mega-merger will be met by an explosion of
lobbying from opponents of the
deal. The American Society of
Travel Agents worries about the potential for
reduced competition
and price inflation. The Business Travel Coalition, a
group of
frequent-flying corporations, hopes that small and midsize
airlines will coalesce against the deal, fearing that the
alternative-merging themselves to keep pace-could be expensive
and
messy. But the bigger carriers, sensing that United and US
Airways would
give ground on competitive-access issues to get the
deal done, may have
horse-trading on their minds. "A lot of
airlines would never try to prevent
the merger, but I would not
be surprised if they tried to profit from it,"
one lobbyist said.
"Everyone in town who represents an aviation interest is
looking
at it."
Al Gore and FDR; Is That a Ticket, or What?
Franklin
Delano Raines, a running mate for Al Gore? Despite a
resume most
overachievers only dream about, and the potential to
be the first
African-American to hold the job, Raines plays down
the possibility. "I look
at it as my friends playing a huge
practical joke on me," says Raines,
former Clinton Administration
budget director and now head of mortgage
wholesaler Fannie Mae.
The job would, of course, entail a major pay cut
(last year he
drew $ 4.3 million, plus stock options). But Raines, who has
three
young daughters, stresses family concerns: "As my wife has said,
she doesn't mind if I do it as long as I don't mind being
described as
'recently divorced.' "
The Rewards of Indecision on China
Look for a
snowballing of thank-you fund-raisers for key House
members who, brows
furrowed, announced-shortly before the big
vote-that, after deep
soul-searching and meditation, they'd back
normalizing trade relations with
China. Rep. Charles B. Rangel,
D-N.Y., a potentially pivotal undecided
member until several days
before the May 24 vote, will be recognized next
month for his
(eventual) clearheadedness. His campaign war chest will
presumably be topped off at the event, which is being
orchestrated by
Bergner Bockorny, a lobbying firm that represents
the Business Roundtable.
Separately, Rep. Martin Frost,
D-Texas, emerged from the undecided's den,
sniffed the air, and-
just before he publicly embraced China-called Motorola
Corp. to
see if they could help arrange a money bash for him. No promises,
but don't be surprised if Frost is accommodated, sooner rather
than
later.
Bill Daley's Giant-Panda Ploy
Now it can be told: In the drive to
win House backing for PNTR,
the White House considered
exploiting China's most welcome
export-the giant panda. Idea was to speed up
delivery of a pair
of panda cubs slated to replace the pair (now deceased)
given to
the United States after Nixon's history-making flight to Beijing.
Commerce Secretary William M. Daley even raised the ploy with
China. The
thought was that cuddly TV images of the pandas might
soften China's image
on Capitol Hill. No deal, but the cubs are
still due later this year.
LOAD-DATE: May 29, 2000 
