Clinton Cozies Up To Business

He campaigned as a Southern populist who railed against corporate greed and business as usual in Washington. But guess who's been coming to dinner--and lunch and breakfast--since Bill Clinton moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? After years of hobnobbing with Republican Presidents, blue-chip CEOs are discovering that they can do brisk business with a Democratic Chief Executive, too.

With an outreach campaign that transcends anything the Democrats attempted before, the Administration has gone to enormous lengths to cultivate a wary business community. Despite the fact that the President devoted his first year to deficit reduction and expanded trade, he still isn't making many business converts. But he's definitely winning some corporate wallets. Since Clinton took office, unprecedented levels of cash from Corporate America have poured into the Democratic National Committee. The Democrats have raised a record $60 million--the bulk of it from big donors. The party's Business Leadership Forum, which has an admission price of $10,000, has ballooned from 135 members