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Trivia Tidbit of the Day: Part 524 -- Lobbying Up More Than 25% Since Republicans Lost Congress.

Lobbying Dollars Now Stand At Record Levels-

In 2006, Democrats took Congress away from Republicans largely on the back of the "culture of corruption" issue, with Mark Foley somehow as the symbol of GOP misbehavior. Democrats promised to clean up Washington, to end the undue influence of lobbyists, and end the culture of corruption.

Not surprisingly, look what actually happened:

WASHINGTON--While companies across the board were losing record amounts of money and laying off employees last year, at least one industry seemed to weather the recession: lobbying. Special interests paid Washington lobbyists $3.2 billion in 2008, more than any other year on record and a 13.7 percent increase from 2007, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has found.

Analyzing 4th Quarter disclosure reports filed Jan. 20, the Center calculated that interest groups spent $17.4 million on lobbying for every day Congress was in session in 2008, or $32,523 per legislator per day.

Lobbying is dead. Long live lobbying!

Previous Trivia Tidbit: Mandatory Spending Swamping America.

Posted by Will Franklin · 30 January 2009 09:20 AM

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