Can government ban PAID lobbyists?

[Union Yes]

Just my opinion..

No person should be allowed to receive pay or any compensation for lobbying.

No bought and paid for opinion/person should be allowed to petition our government for the redress of grievances.

No corrupting influence should ever be allowed to petition our government for the redress of grievances.

Paid lobbyism is pure corruption.

Is it possible to ban PAID lobbying?

Is it time to ban the practice?

Changing all that is wrong with our failing nation will require change at the fundamental level.

Lawmaking is as fundamental as it gets.

Lawmaking will never change unless we stop allowing lobbyists to write our legislation.

PAID lobbyists are killing..

Health Care Reform.
Single Payer. Killed by lobbyists.
PO. Killed by lobbyists.

Employee Free Choice Act. Killed by lobbyists.

Peace. Killed by lobbyists.

"Free Trade" reform. Killed by lobbyists.

ANY PROGRESSIVE POLICY. KILLED BY LOBBYISTS.

The GOP. Owned by lobbyists.

The GOPLC. Owned by lobbyists.

When will it end?

[babylonsister]

1. You're gonna hate this-from November...

WaPo: New Obama Policy Bars THOUSANDS of Lobbyists

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x20952

[CynicalObserver]

6. Money talks. Big money moves government more effectively than almost anything

You aren't going to change an equation that is as old as time itself unless you have a government that takes all the money and property from everyone.

Ban lobbying, fine, the money will get to where it needs to get, whether it be from China, Saudi's, or any number of fortune 100 companies.

[wtbymark]

2. Lobbying was known as bribery and illegal until approx 1870

[anonymous171]

3. Good idea. Just ban compensation for lobbying.

Good way to bypass the Constitutional objections.

[Union Yes]

5. That's exactly what I'm talking about! +1000 nt

[msongs]

4. the problem is the politicians who refuse to say no to lobbyists' payoffs nt

[CynicalObserver]

7. The problem is a population that doens't understand the main

reason people run for legislative office is to make themselves rich(er).

Most countries seem to have a good grasp of this (laws preventing any prosecution of a legislator for corruption are one of my favorite examples) The principle is as old as legislative bodies themselves. Reality says that this is the way humans act.

Do people here think the Jefferson 100k frozen cash or the cunningham bribe list were isolated events? These people were just sloppy/.unlucky/flagrant.

Please tell me there are people here who understand that almost by definition legislators act in their own interests nearly always, including their monetary interests.