Summary: <p>How would you feel being labeled "Dr. Evil" in <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/companies/2006-07-31-lobbyist-usat_x.htm">USA Today</a>, which is then repeated across national media including a <em>60 Minutes </em>interview? When you fight <em>against</em> drinking and driving laws, smoking regulations, tanning bed restrictions, motorcycle helmet laws, minimum wage increases and of course unions, you can be called many things and for the most part none of them kind.</p><p>Meet Rick Berman, a lobbyist public affairs advocate whose successful firm <a href="http://www.bermanco.com/">Berman and Company</a> most recently worked for the Trump Campaign (after working for Ted Cruz during the primary). If you haven't seen the 2006 movie <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3eeTjK0qZY"><em>Thank You For Smoking</em></a> you missed one of Hollywood's better films detailing (in a humorous and entertaining way) free speech, individual choice and libertarian philosophy. It's been said the movie, based on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thank-You-Smoking-Christopher-Buckley/dp/0812976525">Christopher Buckley's</a> book of the same name, portrays Rick Berman who has testified before numerous committees of various state legislatures, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. In this interview we discuss the issues Rick's firm works on to "change the debate", his role in the 2016 election and the media hits he's taken (and welcomes) including 4 straight nights of being attacked on <em>Rachel Maddow</em>'s program to which <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI68Jb07b_4">he responded </a>by flying up on his own dime and defending himself on live television.</p>
