Lobbyists Dodge Regulations Through Reinvention

By The Huffington Post News Team, Huffington Post

So, if you happen to have read a recent study by the Center for Responsive Politics and OMB Watch entitled "Lobbyists Terminating Their Federal Registrations at Accelerated Rate", you might be under the impression that finally, lobbyists are being run out of town, in droves. WOO-HAH, BARACK OBAMA'S GOT YOU ALL IN CHECK, maybe? And also, according to the Wall Street Journal, there's this thing called "the recession," which is bringing down lobbyist firms at a slightly slower rate than its bringing everybody else down. Yeah, uhm...woo!

But, as the report points out, it's best not to get ahead of ourselves and form cheering crowds on the sidewalk as your beloved K Street whores scuttle away. That's because lobbyists are reinventing themselves under new names, and sticking around to stick up for various well-monied interests. Back when we reported on this study, our own Jenna Staul noted:

The decline in registered lobbyists, however, doesn't necessarily translate into fewer people working to influence policy. At the federal level, many lobbyists avert disclosure requirements under the Lobbying Disclosure Act by working under titles such as "senior adviser."