Friday, July 10, 2009 11:55 AM
Eliza Newlin Carney: Rules of the Game
Lobbyists Shed The Scarlet 'L'
From this week's National Journal: (subscription)
- K Street denizens are abuzz with stories of colleagues who are either avoiding registering as lobbyists or are terminating their lobbyist status -- even as they remain engaged in advocacy, writes Bara Vaida. If the talk is accurate, ethics lawyers and some watchdog groups say, the result would be the exact opposite of the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act's intent, which was to increase the amount of information on who is working to influence public policy inside the Beltway. Click here for story.
- From The K Street Corridor: The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association may soon choose someone to run its Washington office. Names being floated include Ed Hill, Clarke Camper, and Scott DeFife; AARP, the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network, the Consumers Union, Families USA, and the Service Employees International Union have joined forces in six key states to bolster efforts by congressional Democrats to pass health care reform; A recent lobby disclosure statement tells an ironic tale: A group of outdoor and conservation enthusiasts, Trout Unlimited, has hired a former Bush administration official reviled by environmentalists to argue against President Obama's renewable-energy initiative.
- From On The Move: Oscar Ramirez has taken a new job recently -- he is joining the Podesta Group as a principal and will work with the firm's financial services, telecommunications, and health care clients. Ramirez was the Virginia policy director for Barack Obama's presidential campaign; Tami Overby has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as vice president for Asia. Overby succeeds Myron Brilliant, who is now the chamber's senior vice president for international affairs.
- This week's cover story, called "Obama's America," includes an excerpt from our newest version of the Almanac of American Politics, a key reference guide on lawmakers and politics published every two years.
Benjamin Cole
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association may soon choose someone to run its Washington office. Redirect Virus
Adam Logan
Thursday, February 3, 2011
K Street denizens are abuzz with stories of colleagues who are either avoiding registering as lobbyists or are terminating their lobbyist status -- even as they remain engaged in advocacy, writes Bara Vaida. If the talk is accurate, ethics lawyers and some watchdog groups say, the result would be the exact opposite of the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act's intent, which was to increase the amount of information on who is working to influence public policy inside the Beltway. Regards, Mary cna and free cna training
Aaron Grant
Friday, November 19, 2010
From On The Move: Oscar Ramirez has taken a new job recently -- he is joining the Podesta Group as a principal and will work with the firm's financial services, telecommunications, and health care clients. Ramirez was the Virginia policy director for Barack Obama's presidential campaign; Tami Overby has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as vice president for Asia. Overby succeeds Myron Brilliant, who is now the chamber's senior vice president for international affairs.Reverse phone number lookup - Background check
Bara Vaida
Friday, July 10, 2009
I received this email from an Under The Influence reader who didn't want to be named regarding my story this week on lobbyists deregistering.
Bara, in your story you say:
"Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, whose organization has raised questions about elected officials and other government employees with ties to lobbyists. "People used to register out of an abundance of caution, and now the opposite is happening. They aren't registering because they are embarrassed or worried about their job prospects..”
Embarrassed? Um. No. Many of the lobbyists I know are sick of the public persecution they have to endure for this fabricated problem. They are tired of the insinuations. Public interest groups make a living painting everyone with the same wide brush and make their own fortunes by tearing down others for doing honorable work. They should be embarrassed for perpetuating the myth that all lobbyists are Jack Abramoff and his cronies (who have been prosecuted by law enforcement). Lobbying is a constitutionally protected right.
And Norm Eisen’s declaration that they have ended the revolving door should have had a caveat: “We’ve closed the revolving door except for those lobbyist we deem worthy of passing through it.” And hasn’t lobbying been regulated for years? Am I wrong about that?
All this and I’m not even a lobbyist.