Door still revolving between Capitol, lobbyists

[DainBramaged]

Despite congressional pledges to stop the revolving door between Capitol Hill and the lobbying industry, 16 of the 62 lawmakers who left Congress last year have landed jobs with groups that seek to influence policymakers, a USA TODAY analysis has found.
Former House members are barred from lobbying their former colleagues for a year after leaving office and former senators must wait two years. But nothing prohibits former lawmakers from immediately starting to advise clients on how to navigate the congressional process, having contacts with administration officials, or working as a state lobbyist.


LAWMAKERS TO LOBBYING FIRMS: A look at who made the switch

Those who found work include former Oregon senator Gordon Smith, a Republican who is a senior adviser at the law and lobbying firm, Covington & Burling; former Maryland representative Albert Wynn, a Democrat and senior adviser at Dickstein Shapiro; and former GOP representative Tom Feeney, who is lobbying in his home state of Florida.

Craig Holman of the non-partisan watchdog group Public Citizen said the moves reflect "an utterly failed revolving-door restriction."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-21-lobbying_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Republican Retirement Plan = Lobbying and Faux News n/t

[DainBramaged]

2. WOW, I should have included the singing boil in my title.

We know what interests DU.