NYT: New Rules on Fund-Raising Bring Lobbyists to the Fore

[DeepModem Mom]

New Rules on Fund-Raising Bring Lobbyists to the Fore
By GLEN JUSTICE

Published: April 20, 2004


WASHINGTON, April 19 — A central purpose of the sweeping new campaign finance law was to limit the influence of special-interest money in politics.

But by a twist of legislative fate, lobbyists say that under the law they are being pressed by politicians to give and raise far more than ever.

"I'm getting killed with fund-raising requests everywhere," said Robert L. Livingston, a former Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, now a lobbyist.

Before the law took effect in late 2002, political parties and candidates were fueled by six- and seven-figure soft money donations, which totaled hundreds of millions of dollars. Now that those have been banned, lawmakers and their parties are being forced to compensate by raising money in smaller increments. As a result, both are turning to a reliable source: lobbyists, who have always been an integral and interested party in the process.

While lobbyists have always been swamped with solicitations from politicians, many say they are being asked to give more and organize more fund-raising events, where they invite their clients to contribute....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/20/politics/campaign/20LOBB.html