"Is there really a lobbyist problem" and if one exists what should the government do about it?

This is a question that panelists at a forum hosted by George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management plan to explore next week as part of an event on ethics and leadership in public life. Slated topics for the May 5th conference include "Crafting Appropriate Government Policies for Lobbying" and "Bringing Real Change to Washington Policy Making" and speakers include Bob Edgar of Common Cause, former Rep. Butler Derrick, D-S.C., George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley, Leo Wise of the Office of Congressional Ethics and Ellen Miller of the Sunlight Foundation.

An invite to the forum notes that both "presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain focused a significant amount of attention on the role of lobbyists and their potentially corrupting influence on the policy making process." The invite states that since taking office, "President Obama has severely restricted the ability of lobbyists to be appointed to positions in the administration and limited employment possibilities in the lobbying arena for former administration officials."

                                                                                           -- Winter Casey