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It goes far deeper than that. Since at least the end of the Cold War Washington has morphed into something like the Grant Administration on steroids. It is difficult to estimate the depth and scope of corruption and hidden hand manipulation. The rot has grown exponentially with the ability of general and flag officers to routinely become corporate VP’s directly after retiring along with the emergence of the highly politicized ‘Senior Executive Service’ structure. These people represent the linkages between the upper levels of the influence peddling K Street lobbyist law firms and the professional fixers such as Kissinger and Baker and a host of former cabinet level or senatorial types. The traditional lobbying and influence peddling activities that have been around since the Washington administration have transformed themselves into something truly huge and ramifying into every corner of government where money can be made or an opportunity for political patronage can be found. I know this sounds hysteric but the depth and breadth of corrupt practice and manipulation is so great as to be unfathomable. Ask yourself one question as you read this, why has no one except fringe players like Dennis Kucinich tried to force the Treasury and the Fed to explain what did happen in 2008 and how TARP got transformed into a bank bailout and subsidy program with virtually no discussion and no established parameters. That is just one of the bigger ‘Beltway Secrets’. Washington today is akin to Jay Gould and the Gold Corner every day of every week.