Ongoing criticism and media attention surrounding the Obama administration's ethics and lobbying rules this year have served to remind executive branch officials that they are working for the "public interest" and not the "special interests," Norm Eisen,  White House special counsel for ethics and government reform, told a standing-room-only crowd gathered at the Center for American Progress on Monday.

"All the press attention is a reminder that the president is committed to serving the public and while the rules may sometimes be an irritant, it sets a tone from the top," Eisen told the audience which had gathered to attend the lobbying conference co-sponsored with American University.

                                                                                         (Photo by Rick Bloom)

                                                                                       

On President Obama's first full day in office, he signed an executive order requiring staff to take ethics pledges and put limits on the hiring of lobbyists into his administration, as well as banned any of his staff from lobbying the executive branch once they leave the White House for the private sector for as long as Obama is president.

The rules drew grumbles from K Street and those sentiments turned into anger in March, when Obama laid out strict limits on lobbyist communications with executive branch officials regarding the stimulus package. The rules were swiftly challenged by lobbyists, unions and first amendment advocates and the administration has since modified the restrictions to include anyone seeking to influence how stimulus money is doled out.

But angry feelings still linger, as one question to Eisen from an audience member demonstrated.

"I believe the president is sincere with his desire to raise ethical standards, but when you raise the issue as one of lobbyists, then what you are doing is taking on the lobbyists, not the special interests [themselves] and don't you think you give fodder to critics by doing this?"

Eisen defended the president saying: "The president's analysis is couched in fighting the special interests and not the lobbyists and respectfully, I think the limits have been aimed clearly at the worst excesses of lobbying that we saw with [lobbyist Jack] Abramoff."

He also asked the questioner to wait to judge whether or not the administration took on special interests until the end of Obama's first term in office.

"Stick around, there will be more acts to follow," he said.