As Guard Changes in Congress, Lobbyists Scramble

[ckramer]

Democratic lobbyists are fielding calls from pharmaceutical companies, the oil and gas industry and military companies, all of which had grown accustomed to patronizing Republicans, as the environment in Washington abruptly shifts.

Take, for example, Vic Fazio, a California Democrat who rose through the ranks of Congress and reveled in the majority for all but 4 of his 20 years in office. In his second career as a lobbyist, Mr. Fazio did not experience the pleasures of Democratic rule — until now. Suddenly he is in demand.

For Mr. Fazio, who is close to Representative Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who is set to become House speaker, the power switch is, quite simply, good for business. Companies are scrambling to fortify lobbying teams with well-connected Democrats.

While Mr. Fazio declined to divulge his still-evolving list of prospective new clients at the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, he said he intended to bring in Democratic reinforcements to cover the load. “I’ll just have more to do and have a little more help to do it,” he said.

The Republican Party lost its grip on Congress and is now bracing to lose its hold over K Street, the bustling corridor that has become synonymous with the lobbying industry. The so-called K Street Project, an effort engineered by Republicans to dominate the trade, is unraveling, and Democrats say they intend to pass sweeping reforms rather than reverse the project for their benefit.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/15/us/politics/15lobby.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1163566800&en=5fbf713dbe86c602&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin

[msongs]

1. meet the new whores, same as the old whores (apol. to the Who) nt

[orleans]

2. can we just get rid of all the lobbyists? please?

let the government listen to the voices of the american people...not the voices of these people who used to work with them

[Orsino]

3. If we don't demand that our fighting Dems legislate the lobbyists away...

...we will be right back where we are now within a few years. Money is a powerful inducement, and the sheer amounts have proven more than most can resist. Big Money is trying right now to tame us; don't let them succeed.

Let's keep the new majorities as honest as we can, for as long as we can!

[dkofos]

4. I hope they are scrambling for the rock they crawled from

[Selatius]

5. God damn these lobbyists. The Dems, in the past, have proven weak with these corporate servants.

Big Oil, Big Business, Big PhRMA, etc.

They should all be tossed out on their asses.

I guarantee at least a few Democrats will be bought off by corporate cash.