Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Battle for Cato

The June 2012 edition of Washingtonian magazine has a long piece on the Cato Institute titled "The Battle for Cato" by Luke Mullins.  Following are some highlights:

On the young Ed Crane (who is president of Cato):
Ed Crane was first drawn to libertarian ideals as a boy growing up in Los Angeles.  The son of a doctor, he began reading the complete works of Ayn Rand in high school.
 On Ed Crane becoming head of Cato:
Crane was just 32 when he become Cato's CEO.  His management style was criticized by some as tyrannical, and he became known in libertarian circles as Boss Crane.  His allies were called the Crane Machine.
On how Cato tries to influence Washington:
Most Washington organizations try to shape legislation through lawmakers.  Cato focuses on influencing the public.
On why the Cato building is facing an odd direction:
Crane told a colleague that the entrance to Cato's building faced away from the Capitol "so Congress can kiss my ass."