I think you're right. Other commenters are forgetting that there's a lot of soft power in DC. Yes, employing lobbyists is one way to flex your muscle in DC.

I think you're right. Other commenters are forgetting that there's a lot of soft power in DC. Yes, employing lobbyists is one way to flex your muscle in DC. But owning a newspaper and employing lots of people in the area is another way. Imagine you're a mid-level bureaucrat facing a routine decision that could help or hurt Amazon. Now imagine that your spouse works at The Washington Post, your college-aged daughter is an intern at Amazon, and a local non-profit you care about just got a donation from Bezos. You can imagine how that could perhaps sway your decision.