A Word Of Thanks . . .

We're always thankful for Fridays, of course, but today ranks above others. Finally we can say goodbye to October 2008 -- a month that changed the world. We asked a friend for a favor last week. "What if I don't help you?" he said. "We'll tell everyone you're a banker," we answered. And he really is a banker, poor guy.

We're thankful too for the American political process. No kidding. However you vote, you have to admire what happens every four years. Our street-level democracy may be messy, tacky and shrill, but it's never dull. And the best part? It still works. How brilliant were the Founders?

With Bloody October over and the election passing into history next week, we expect a burst of news about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Some big names to look for are Siemens (it has 29 appearances in this blog), Panalpina (19 appearances), the orthopedic device makers (9 appearances as a group and countless appearances on their own, as Biomet Inc., Stryker Corp., Zimmer Holdings Inc., Smith & Nephew plc, Medtronic Inc. and Wright Medical), Halliburton (9 appearances) and Aon Corporation (5 appearances). John Ashcroft, by the way, the heavyweight titleholder of compliance monitors, has 13 appearances.

A big danka shern (Wayne Newton's preferred spelling) to everyone who has ordered Bribery Abroad in hardcopy or by download, especially those who've taken the time to tell us they enjoyed the book (yo back to you, Mom).

And not least, a salute to the sponsors of the FCPA Blog, who have been more than generous with their support. A warm welcome today, by the way, to our newest sponsor, Daylight Forensic & Advisory. It joins our other sponsors with tangible aid and comfort for our efforts to keep the blog free-to-air, as they say. (Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor can contact us here.)

Enjoy the weekend.

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