I brought up this topic on The Talk Show a couple of weeks ago but now Politico’s Steve Friess interviews a brave Washington consultant who declines to be identified when saying Apple needs to pay people like him to garner influence.

“It’s inevitable,” said a top Washington consultant who works with major tech brands. “Everybody gets a shot at being a fair-haired boy and that can keep the regulators away for a while. But nobody stays favored forever. That’s why you need friends.”

In other words, nice business you got here, it would be a shame if something were to happen to it.