Obama Discovers Lobbyists Are Hard to Get Rid Of
Lobbying is definitely a constitutionally defended activity and lobbyists are actually a permanent part of the Washington D.C. policy function.
The Washington Post had a story a short time ago, that is gaining some Internet buzz, detailing how frequent licensed lobbyists go to the Obama governing administration. It exemplifies both the intractability of the system as well the boundaries of strategy rhetoric. Maurice Aguirre Dallas
As mentioned in to the piece, by T.W. Farnham: The White House guest reports make it clear that Obama's senior representatives are granting that availability to a part of K Street's most authoritative representatives. On many occasions, the lobbyists have long-standing connections to the president or his aides. Republican lobbyists coming to consult with are rare, while Democratic lobbyists are frequent, whether they are standing for business enterprise and corporate clients or liberal causes.
Maurice Aguirre Washington DC - That is substantial mainly because, as Farnham writes: Significantly more than any president preceding him, Obama pledged to change the political culture that has sustained the effects of lobbyists. He barred recent lobbyists from joining his administration and banned them from advisory boards throughout the executive branch. The president went so far as to forbid what had been staples of political discussion - federal employees could no longer accept 100 % free entry to receptions and/or group meetings provided by lobbying organizations.
A single relevant matter which would be of help to answer but is very difficult to: So how exactly does that rate when compared to past administrations? We're not likely to get a firm number with that any time soon simply because Obama's is the first administration to reveal its guest logs. I suppose past administrations' activity logs have to be on data file at the respective presidential libraries, but the data is not downloadable.
However there's only so much Obama could do in this regard. Lobbying is, naturally, a constitutionally shielded function. And it's also true that for better or worse lobbyists became as permanent a part of the Washington policy process as elective officials and unelected bureaucrats. They have a tendency to have specialized knowledge or access to it, and know-how Washington works. "The president and the administration lost a great deal not being able to talk to people of both parties and of every persuasion that knew something about the industries and the questions and what was going on on the Hill," Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue told reporters this morning at a press breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. Donohue called the administration's original restrictions on meetings with lobbyists "Mickey Mouse." Maurice Aguirre Texas
To be sure Donohue and the Chamber are not followers of the Obama administration, but that hasn't kept them from cooperating where the opportunity occurs. "We've got very good relations where it counts," he said. "We work all the time with the guys at the NSC and at the trade office, and with the people at Treasury … We have whatever access we need. We don't spend a lot of time over there, you know, having tea. But whatever we have to get done we get done."
Maurice Aguirre DG Group LLP: On one level this is the kind of rhetoric and attitude that will make activists on both sides break out into hives and start sputtering about collaborating with the enemy. But on another level it reflects some of the pragmatic spirit that has permitted Washington to function (necessity being the mother of cooperation) in a way that the prevailing congressional ethos of compromise means getting more of what I want threatens. "I worry about the Congress … that we have lot of people that are more significantly on the right and significantly on the left," Donohue said. "What really worries me about that is that it's really hard to make a deal if there's no bridge to get there."
Lobbying is definitely a constitutionally defended activity and lobbyists are actually a permanent part of the Washington D.C. policy function.
The Washington Post had a story a short time ago, that is gaining some Internet buzz, detailing how frequent licensed lobbyists go to the Obama governing administration. It exemplifies both the intractability of the system as well the boundaries of strategy rhetoric. Maurice Aguirre Dallas
As mentioned in to the piece, by T.W. Farnham: The White House guest reports make it clear that Obama's senior representatives are granting that availability to a part of K Street's most authoritative representatives. On many occasions, the lobbyists have long-standing connections to the president or his aides. Republican lobbyists coming to consult with are rare, while Democratic lobbyists are frequent, whether they are standing for business enterprise and corporate clients or liberal causes.
Maurice Aguirre Washington DC - That is substantial mainly because, as Farnham writes: Significantly more than any president preceding him, Obama pledged to change the political culture that has sustained the effects of lobbyists. He barred recent lobbyists from joining his administration and banned them from advisory boards throughout the executive branch. The president went so far as to forbid what had been staples of political discussion - federal employees could no longer accept 100 % free entry to receptions and/or group meetings provided by lobbying organizations.
A single relevant matter which would be of help to answer but is very difficult to: So how exactly does that rate when compared to past administrations? We're not likely to get a firm number with that any time soon simply because Obama's is the first administration to reveal its guest logs. I suppose past administrations' activity logs have to be on data file at the respective presidential libraries, but the data is not downloadable.
However there's only so much Obama could do in this regard. Lobbying is, naturally, a constitutionally shielded function. And it's also true that for better or worse lobbyists became as permanent a part of the Washington policy process as elective officials and unelected bureaucrats. They have a tendency to have specialized knowledge or access to it, and know-how Washington works. "The president and the administration lost a great deal not being able to talk to people of both parties and of every persuasion that knew something about the industries and the questions and what was going on on the Hill," Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue told reporters this morning at a press breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. Donohue called the administration's original restrictions on meetings with lobbyists "Mickey Mouse." Maurice Aguirre Texas
To be sure Donohue and the Chamber are not followers of the Obama administration, but that hasn't kept them from cooperating where the opportunity occurs. "We've got very good relations where it counts," he said. "We work all the time with the guys at the NSC and at the trade office, and with the people at Treasury … We have whatever access we need. We don't spend a lot of time over there, you know, having tea. But whatever we have to get done we get done."
Maurice Aguirre DG Group LLP: On one level this is the kind of rhetoric and attitude that will make activists on both sides break out into hives and start sputtering about collaborating with the enemy. But on another level it reflects some of the pragmatic spirit that has permitted Washington to function (necessity being the mother of cooperation) in a way that the prevailing congressional ethos of compromise means getting more of what I want threatens. "I worry about the Congress … that we have lot of people that are more significantly on the right and significantly on the left," Donohue said. "What really worries me about that is that it's really hard to make a deal if there's no bridge to get there."
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