Mohamed A. el-Erian, CEO of Pimco, stated the obvious to the Washington Post this past week when he said his financial services company has had to think more about the role of the government in this economy, says Doug Pinkham, president of the Public Affairs Council, in a recent blog post.

Says Pinkham:

"It seems that certain Wall Street firms have suddenly realized that federal policy-making not only affects their short-term profitability, it has become integral to their future business plans.

Though companies receiving federal assistance clearly have a reason to stay close to Washington, other financial firms have also awakened to the reality that government matters. Many banks and investment firms have had a presence in Washington for years, but some apparently only recently got the message."

Click here to read more of Pinkham's post on the importance of lobbying and his views on how to do it effectively.