U.S. courts have granted Bill of Rights protections to corporations. For example, tobacco advertising is granted protection under the 1st amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech. Licensed to Kill, Inc is grateful for these rights, but does not take them for granted. We realize that if our industry is not vigilant, our corporate rights could easily be eroded away.

We believe in democracy and take our corporate citizenship seriously. That corporate citizenship starts with the bankrolling of the election campaigns of political candidates who pledge to represent Licensed to Kill's business interests in the White House and Congress and in state and local goverments. It continues with intensive lobbying of these selected, er elected, officials once they are in office. Our message: we got you where you are, and now it's payback time!

The great thing about political campaign contributions is that they work. Any politician that denies this is lying or an idiot. It's common knowledge that "a dog doesn't bite the hand that feeds it." And we have our hands on the leash. For every dollar we donate, we expect something in return. During the 2001-2002 election cycle, the tobacco industry contributed more than $7.3 million in federal political contributions. Now that Licensed to Kill's on the scene, you can expect that figure to go up!

In return, we expect politicians to kowtow to our business interests and to ignore public health extremists who seek to sabotage our corporate way of life.

WHAT WE HAVE ON OUR SIDE: If a politician was to accept money from a convicted serial killer and then pardon him for his crimes, it would elicit a major political scandal. But if a politician accepts money from a corporation that has the blood of hundreds of thousands on its hands, no one blinks an eye, not even when the politician helps prevent or gut legislation that would significantly improve public health (and hurt our business interests). Ahh, how nice it is to be a corporation.