Citizen K Street

April 8, 2007 11:56 AM

Citizen K Street: How Lobbying Became Washington's Biggest Business The story will begin in the newspaper and on the Web on March 4, with an overview of Cassidy's career. Then, beginning March 5 and running Monday through Friday for five weeks exclusively at washingtonpost.com/citizenkstreet, Kaiser will tell the story in a serial narrative that will chart Cassidy's path and the transformation of the lobbying industry in Washington.
posted by srboisvert (5 comments total)

It's so slimy and corrupt. And this kind of thing should not be allowed: Frist and Hastert Let Vaccine Industry Write Its Own Multi-Billion Dollar Giveaway
posted by amberglow at 12:05 PM on April 8, 2007

this is a phenomenal website. Great design and VERY detailed. Nice post. Thanks
posted by willie11 at 1:35 PM on April 8, 2007

This is great, but will take some time to slog through. Thanks srboisvert. Lobbying is an incredibly important aspect of government, but we have let the lobbyists have too much power over the legislators. It's one thing for voices to be heard, another for them to influence in ways which essentially amount to bribery.
posted by caddis at 7:11 PM on April 8, 2007

Great story, thanks! I'm looking forward to following this.

If it whets anyone's appetite for finding out more about the companies/people who lobby, how much they are getting paid, and more specifics about the system, I recommend checking out the Lobby Filing Disclosure Program that the Senate Office of Public Records maintains of registered lobbyists who specifically work on influencing Congress.

For a more detailed look at the foreign governments and other foreign entities that pay to lobby the U.S. government, check out the filings at the Department of Justice's FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) unit.

And I'll second what caddis said about lobbying. It is an important way for companies and private citizens to have their voices heard on issues that impact them. Nevertheless, perhaps the lobbyists have been given too much power over the people who make important decisions on policy issues.
posted by gemmy at 9:37 PM on April 8, 2007

At this point there is no way to stop the lobbying process what we really need to do is form a second Congress that vows not to take a single dime from a corporation and this way citizens will have equal representation. Yeah, I'm advocating revolution...
posted by any major dude at 6:24 AM on April 9, 2007