Visitor
logs for January 17, 2012 show that the lobbying industry that Obama had vowed
to constrain was nonetheless a regular presence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.[1] That's the address of the White House. Even
though the president barred recent lobbyists from joining his administration or
even serving on its advisory boards and forbid federal employees from accepting
free admission to receptions and conferences sponsored by lobbying groups,
records suggest that lobbyists with personal connections to the White House
enjoyed the easiest access. The principle of fairness (not to mention
consistency) seems to have been sacrificed for political (and campaign finance)
expediency.
The full essay is at "'Real Change' Belied."
1. T. W. Farnam, “White House Visitor Logs Provide Window into Lobbying Industry, The Washington Post, May 21, 2012.
