(UPDATE @ 4:52 pm to add reaction from Doug Pinkham, president of the Public Affairs Council)

President Obama has asked government agencies not to fill positions on federal advisory boards and committees with federally registered lobbyists, Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, wrote on the White House blog Wednesday afternoon.

Eisen wrote:

"The White House has informed executive agencies and departments that it is our aspiration that federally-registered lobbyists not be appointed to agency advisory boards and commissions. These appointees to boards and commissions, which are made by agencies and not the President, advise the federal government on a variety of policy areas. Keeping these advisory boards free of individuals who currently are registered federal lobbyists represents a dramatic change in the way business is done in Washington."

Eisen said federally registered lobbyists that currently serve on these agency boards and committees, may continue, but "when these appointments expire, it is our hope that agencies not reappoint anyone who is currently registered as a federal lobbyist at the time of their potential reappointment."

Click here to read Eisen's whole post.

"It makes no sense to stifle discussion about important issues like trade by keeping experts out of the conversation," said Pinkham. "Eisen's statement shows no respect for professionals who work for companies, unions and nonprofits and happen to devote part of their time to advocacy."

Another lobbyist asked why Obama's campaign bundlers and big donors weren't also included in this latest effort to reduce special interest influence on government agency decisions.

We'll update as we have more commentary.