Obama boots lobbyists from government panels

[bascule]

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003216413

 

Obama continues his trend of doing something that annoys me followed by dome something totally and completely awesome. After immense frustration over the effect of lobbying on the healthcare bill, this is really, really nice to see.

 

Now granted, these seem to be executive panels. This certainly doesn't spell the end of lobbying in Washington. But it's a very nice step in the right direction.

[Mr Skeptic]

“The White House has informed executive agencies and departments that it is our aspiration that federally-registered lobbyists not be appointed to agency advisory boards and commissions,” Eisen states. He goes on to say that “it is our hope” that lobbyists already on the panels not be reappointed.

 

I suppose that's what unregistered lobbyists are for...

[john5746]

It sounds a bit overdone to me, I mean can't lobbyist be of some use? Don't lawyers in government need some input from people in the business world? Couldn't they try to limit the number or was that already in place?

[iNow]

John - My impression is that this is more about where they exercise that influence, not that they be prevented from exercising the influence altogether.

[bascule]

It sounds a bit overdone to me, I mean can't lobbyist be of some use? Don't lawyers in government need some input from people in the business world? Couldn't they try to limit the number or was that already in place?

 

Sounds like a false dichotomy to me. That's not what's going on here. Obama is peeling back some of the influence of lobbyists. It's not like he just declared lobbying illegal.

[Mr Skeptic]

Hm, I bet the insurance companies are particularly pissed about this.