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Where will Obama draw lobbyist line?
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama addresses supporters during Iowa caucus
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Kai Ryssdal:
Barack Obama's made the first hire of his new administration. Democratic officials confirmed today that Chicago Congressman Rahm Emanuel has signed on as Obama's chief of staff.
That makes it one down, hundreds of top jobs left to fill and 10 weeks to do it. Which poses a distinctly political question:
Some of the best-qualified applicants for those jobs -- people who've been around Washington for a long time and know how it works -- are lobbyists or they have ties to them. But since Obama spent all that time bashing lobbyists while he was out on the campaign trail, how's he going to turn around now and hire them?
From Washington, Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.
Nancy Marshall Genzer:
Lobbyists were a convenient political football for Obama during the presidential campaign. He served up some anti-lobbyist rhetoric just last month, to a cheering crowd.
Tape of Barack Obama:
They will not run my White House. You'll help me run my White House, when I'm president.
Obama has said he'll restrict the role of lobbyists in his White House. Is that realistic? New York University professor Paul Light says probably not. He's an expert on presidential transitions.
Paul Light: You can't throw a rock in Washington and not hit somebody who isn't benefiting in some way by lobbying within their organization.
But do you want them a stone's throw away from the Oval Office? Steve Elmendorf says maybe. He's a Democratic lobbyist.
Steve Elmendorf: There are labor lobbyists, there are environmental lobbyists, that have substantive expertise on the issues that you're trying to deal with.
Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution says, if you exclude lobbyists, you'll have a hard time getting anything done.
Stephen Hess: You could bring in all sorts of terrific people. But they don't necessarily know, let's say, how to get a bill through Congress.
What's the solution? NYU's Paul Light says Obama is likely to use a narrow definition of who's a lobbyist. He would exclude only those who formally registered as lobbyists with Congress. Light says Obama isn't likely to broaden the definition to include, say, lawyers who aren't registered lobbyists themselves but whose firms lobby. If he did:
Light: He probably wouldn't be able to recruit an administration.
And that would be a problem.
In Washington, I'm Nancy Marshall Genzer for Marketplace.
The clear check on lobbyist influence is transparency and candor, something Obama has promised (and is already practising - see transition ethics rules).
It is no wiser to ignore people versed in specific subject areas JUST because they are lobbyists, than it is to hide their expert consultations and assistance from the American public. We should know who to thank, or tank ?
Obama often quoted that "sunshine is the best disinfectant".
I listened carefully for the past 20+ months as candidate Obama promised change. Continuing the same tired old way of conducting business in Washington is NOT change. I cannot believe that lobbyists are the only people who can figure out how to run this country (if you can count the past 8 years successfully run). We can only hope that President Obama will seek out capable people from a variety of sectors to serve in his administration. Lobbyists? Who needs 'em?
Stephen Hess says that, without lobbyists, "You could bring in all sorts of terrific people. But they don't necessarily know, let's say, how to get a bill through Congress." With his background, he certainly should know. Conclusion: as presently constituted (forgive the ironic pun), the federal government would grind to a halt without lobbyists.
In all honesty though -- call it idealism if you must -- should we accept that as an argument for continuing to rely on lobbyists to run an Administration? Isn't it equally an argument for getting rid of lobbyists, for letting our elected representatives and their staffs do the work?
Just wondering.
I was stunned by your story regarding the perceived need to hire lobbyists in the Obama administration. You imply that there are no capable people who have made careers working for the people of this country, and that lobbyists are the only people who understand how government works. The truth is that President Obama would be well-served by choosing people with public sector experience, since they often are highly principled, dedicated, and intelligent individuals devoted to the public's interest. The corruption we have been subjected to for the last eight years is founded on a complete lack of respect for government, a cynical view that government is good for little more than distributing taxpayer dollars to wealthy friends and corporations, and a rejection of the notion that effective (and efficient) government is essential to the well-being of this nation. To suggest that lobbyists hold the key to advancing our new President's agenda is absurd, and highly insulting to the thousands of dedicated public employees in this country. In case you're wondering, I am a circuit court judge in Florida, and have proudly worked in the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of state government for the last 30 years. If talking to a REAL government employee would help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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