Eisen lays out case for limiting lobbyists role-lobbyists whine

[babylonsister]

Eisen lays out case for limiting lobbyists role
By Kevin Bogardus - 10/22/09 06:40 PM ET


The White House’s top ethics cop on Thursday defended the Obama administration’s lobbying restrictions that have much of K Street up in arms.

Norm Eisen, counsel to the president on ethics and government reform, told attendees of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) fall conference that President Barack Obama was trying to fundamentally change how Washington works, which gives an outsized influence to lobbyists.

“It is not intended as a personal affront. Our focus has been on the way in which the system has become broken,” Eisen told the group of lawyers and lobbyists at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The White House attorney described the four initiatives that the administration has undertaken so far to fulfill Obama’s campaign pledge to increase transparency and limit influence-peddling.

The administration is slowing the revolving door between the private and public sectors, restricting lobbying on the $787 billion stimulus package, banning lobbyists from serving on advisory boards and commissions and releasing records of who is visiting the White House.

Eisen partly credited what he said was one of the most scandal-free starts to an administration in modern history to Obama’s conviction regarding the tough new rules.

He said ethics compliance officers say “tone at the top” is vital to keeping everyone from senior aides to mid-level staffers on the straight and narrow.

After his speech, Eisen faced tough questions from a crowd that included a number of lobbyists. Dave Wenhold, president of the American League of Lobbyists and co-founder of Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies, and Tom Susman, director of government affairs for the ABA, quizzed the White House counsel on particulars of the rules.

more...

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/64423-eisen-lays-out-case-for-lobbying-limits

[and-justice-for-all]

1. LOBBYING SHOULD BE BANNED! nt

[newfie11]

2. Yes they should be banned

It is nothing more than buying votes and screwing the people that voted to put politicians in office.