Huffington Post: Even In Recession, DC Influence Industry On Track To Shatter All Spending Records

[Amerigo Vespucci]

HuffPo home page headline links to story on Politico, so my suggestion for those of you who have an issue with that is "don't read it."

:patriot:

WINTER WONDERLAND FOR LOBBYISTS
Even In Recession, DC Influence Industry On Track To Shatter All Spending Records

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/



links to:

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=B41E9106-18FE-70B2-A8C96E940F1F48D1

Lobbyists on pace for record year
By: Victoria McGrane
December 22, 2009 04:38 AM EST

Main Street has had a tough year, losing jobs and seeing little evidence of the economic revival that experts say has already begun.

But K Street is raking it in.

Washington’s influence industry is on track to shatter last year’s record $3.3 billion spent to lobby Congress and the rest of the federal government — and that’s with a down economy and about 1,500 fewer registered lobbyists in town, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Many lobbying firms have escaped the worst of the corporate belt-tightening, thanks, in large part, to the ambitious agenda set out by President Barack Obama — who, ironically, came to Washington with a pledge to break what he considered the undue influence of special-interest lobbyists.

[chill_wind]

1. K & R n/t

[Larkspur]

2. The status quo that Obama won't change

[Larkspur]

3. Delete