Re: How about being on the level
"Lobbyists" are a lot like lawyers. They are employed to promote the employer's interests.
Lawyers do it in court, lobbyists originally did it in the "lobby" of Congress.
Some big differences, though. Lawyers are tightly restricted in what they may do, and if they are caught violating laws or ethics they are banned from practicing or severely punished. Lobbyists face few restrictions of that sort. They are not licensed, not subject to a code of ethics and usually not monitored or supervised.
Because they are both "mouthpieces" for others' interests they both are viewed by many as dishonest, scheming prostitutes. Some people, of course, point out that elected government officials are also representing others' interests and deserve the same "scarlet letter".
So much for negativism.
There is a place and a need for them. Our system would be far less effective without the good ones who are, in my opinion, the majority .
