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At a time of budget cuts, Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter's administration last year paid employees and outside contractors $1.1 million to lobby Colorado lawmakers on legislation ranging from renewable energy tax credits to increasing motor vehicle license fees.
Few members of Congress are disclosing that lobbyists are helping them raise campaign cash despite a new law that was supposed to shed light on the ties between lawmakers and the capital's influence brokers, an Associated Press review found.
Facing the toughest re-election fight of his nearly 30 years in the Senate, Sen. Christopher Dodd boasts about snubbing lobbyists.
General Motors says it has terminated contracts with the dozen lobbying firms it has used to help make its case in the capital.
Lobbyist Elizabeth Moeller knew Energy Department officials wouldn't let her press them for an economic stimulus project for a California company hoping to turn algae into energy.
Newly disclosed correspondence between Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and lobbyists from last year shows he received particular pressure regarding a property assessment bill he eventually vetoed and a stalled proposal to extend health coverage to more of the uninsured.
Lobbyists and public interest groups asked White House officials on Friday to drop their ban on lobbyists discussing economic stimulus projects with Obama administration officials, but got no promises the policy would change, participants said.
Excerpts of a memorandum from President Barack Obama to top department and agency officials restricting lobbying on the economic stimulus package, formally called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The White House released the memo March 20:
Lobbyists and two public interest groups asked the White House Tuesday to rescind its ban on lobbyists discussing stimulus package projects with Obama administration officials, saying it violated free speech and would still allow access for others seeking money from the measure.
Excerpts from invitations to fundraisers for members of Congress e-mailed in recent days to lobbyists and other potential contributors in Washington:
Here's a peek at e-mails popping into lobbyists' inboxes these days offering quality time with members of Congress:
President Barack Obama challenged the nation's vested interests to a legislative duel Saturday, saying he will fight to change health care, energy and education in dramatic ways that will upset the status quo.
The White House on Wednesday defended Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's choice of Mark Patterson — an ex-lobbyist from Goldman Sachs — to be his chief of staff.
Munching on shrimp, oysters and beef tenderloin with a perfect indoor view of where President Barack Obama would pass on his way to the White House, David L. Thomas Jr. got a taste Tuesday of what it means to have a high-powered lobbying firm working for you.
President-elect Barack Obama got much — but not all — of what he wanted Thursday when the Federal Election Commission approved compromise rules for how federal candidates and campaign committees will report large contributions packaged together by lobbyists.
A lobbyist with ties to Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty Friday to helping supply congressional aides an all-expenses-paid trip to the World Series in hopes of gaining favorable treatment for legislation helpful to a client.
Two former congressional aides-turned-lobbyists with ties to Jack Abramoff lost their jobs in recent days as federal prosecutors signaled interest in them in court papers.
President-elect Obama, who campaigned against lobbyists' influence, on Tuesday opened the door for them to work for him if they sign an ethics code that restricts their role in and out of government.
Lobbyists for restaurants, the solar power industry and other businesses hunted votes Wednesday for the $700 billion financial industry bailout package, touting new provisions that leaders added in hopes of finally pushing the bill through Congress.
Democrat Barack Obama had harsh words for Republican John McCain on Wednesday, saying McCain once wanted far tougher lobbying reforms than those he has imposed on his own presidential campaign.
John McCain's campaign angst over his lobbyist ties is putting the Republican in conflict with his carefully honed reformer image. It's also giving Democratic rival Barack Obama an opening to paint him as nothing more than a Washington creature.
A former Paxson Communications president said Saturday he never met with John McCain about the Arizona senator writing letters to the Federal Communications Commission regarding the regulatory delay of a Pittsburgh TV station sale.
Hillary Rodham Clinton says lobbyists are leading Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama's South Carolina campaign.
Republican Mitt Romney said Thursday he could govern in the country's best interest because "I don't have lobbyists running my campaign," although Washington insiders are on his senior staff and registered lobbyists are top advisers.
Sen. John McCain, rising in the polls as a Republican presidential candidate, defended his integrity Thursday, declaring he had "never done any favors for anybody — lobbyist or special interest group."
Why AARP supports government healthcareIt might surprise people to know that the American Association of Retired Persons, the nation's largest representative organization for seniors, is activly calling for government-run healthcare.
Obama Pushes Lobbyists Off Federal Advisory Boards - White House initiative to limit influence could affect thousandsIn a little-noticed blog post published on the White House website in September, President Obama's special counsel for ethics and government reform Norm Eisen announced that the administration no longer wanted federally-registered lobbyists appointed to agency advisory boards a …
5 Energy, Mining, Rail, and Manufacturing Lobbyists for each member of CongressFor a long time, the climate change debate in Washington took place along predictable lines: industry on one side, environmentalists on the other.
In House, Many Spoke With One Voice: Lobbyists' Who is running this country? In the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident.
NYT: 22 Republicans, 20 Democrats Used Lobbying Firm's Statements In House Health Care SpeechesIn the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident.
White House Meets With, Tells Off And Then Blogs About LobbyistsThere is a gem of a blog post over at the White House website.
The Most Important Supreme Court Decision for Homeowners and Our Economy In DecadesAnd if we don't let our elected representatives know that we are watching and will not tolerate our elected officials blindly voting according to the wishes of the banking lobby, then our economy will not begin the recovery we're hoping for, and frankly, we will deserve every …
Why Do We Need a Public Option Anyway? | Health Care | Change.orgPatients are not pawns in a giant profit mill. Now, does this sound like the situation in the US? It seems like the banks and the healthcare industry own Washington, D.C.
A Bad Way to Spend MoneyCongress threw good money after bad this week when it voted to extend and expand a wasteful home buyer's tax credit set to expire at the end of the month.
Obama to Lift HIV/AIDS Travel BanIt appears that President Obama is doing everything in his power to enforce laws against the majority of Americans.
Democratic Donors Rewarded With White House PerksDuring his first nine months in office, President Obama has quietly rewarded scores of top Democratic donors with VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings.
Michael Moore's Action Plan: 15 Things Every American Can Do Right Now1. Declare a moratorium on all home evictions. Not one more family should be thrown out of their home. The banks must adjust their monthly mortgage payments to be in line with what people's homes are now truly worth -- and what they can afford.
Report: Big Pharma has 2.3 lobbyists for every lawmakerDrugmakers' victories in Washington could keep health costs high, trade office warns.
Bribe, Vote, RepeatI don't have a sex scandal for you. The foibles of politicians and celebrities titillate. But ultimately, they have little to do with the most enduring and corrosive scandal of our civic life. It unfolds out in the open, day after day.
Disease Mongering for Fun & Profit"Perhaps a most disturbing trend brought up in the film is the wacky, wild world of "things just ain't right" disorders.
Pelosi's Sinking In the Swamp. by Andrea Tantaros. FOXNews.com October 09, 2009.When she became Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi assured Americans she would "drain the swamp" and clean up ethics violations. To this day, she still boasts about that notion as an accomplishment. Sadly, the swamp is winning.
Rachel Maddow: John Ensign Did Have Contact With Doug Hampton on Lobbying Mattersexcerpt: "" From The Rachel Maddow Show Oct. 7, 2009. Yet another shoe drops on Sen. John Ensign. We just had the news on Tom Coburn apparently negotiating bribes for Sen. Ensign, and now this.
People seem to love murder mysteries or "whodunits." For the past few years, programs like CSI have dominated network television - I never watch those shows though.
Wellpoint Nations Largest Insurance Company Sues Maine in Order to Guarantee ProfitUntil this morning I was a stockholder of Wellpoint. It has been a top performer in an otherwise dismal portfolio, but today I see that Wellpoint's CEO Angela Braly makes $9.8 million a year, and that the company pays lobbyist $10 million a year.
Lobbyists Angry After Obama Kicks Them Off Federal CommitteesA tide of anger and dismay is rippling down K Street as the Obama administration implements a new policy limiting the roles of lobbyists on federal advisory committees.
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