Geez I really hope this doesn't influence America into thinking that Obama is just another "Coporate Owned & Operated" Stooge!!!

I work in the lobbyist industry (but I am not a lobbyist myself), and this current administration has the industry pretty much on lockdown when it comes to dealing with the administrative branch of the government. What it's done is make some potential lobbyists take a close look at the registration guidelines so they can make sure they stay below the registration required thresholds, so where otherwise they would have registered, they are not anymore and are now flying under the radar with no reporting rules. This while the registered lobbyists I work with on a daily basis have to report if they so much as sneeze in the direction of the White House.

The real issue isn't whether registered lobbyists show up for events with the President. It's the Executive Order (EO) that is so rigidly applied by the White House. People who went beyond the law and registered as lobbyists(public interest people) are kept out of government and people who don't register, and are well heeled, get in.

Obama's effort to deal with the harmful revolving door is commendable and overdue. However, it's been rigidly and mindlessly applied to keep public interest people from serving in government.

The EO needs modification. It can be, without being wrecked, and still be effective on revolvibg door abuses. If modified it would allow diverse communities to serve in government. So far the Obama Administration is not bending though senior officials have been apprised of the problem and have verbally recognized it.

Unless the Administration makes amends it will have effectively limited people's ability to engage in public service. That was not the President's intent but that is its effect.

Oh, that's right: so that no one would notice.

Obama didn't do any fundraising from lobbyists for the Democrats, period. He did fundraising from everyone else, and the Democrats added a no-President event for fundraising from lobbyists. This is a model of probity compared to previous administrations.

change must come from the the bottom; meaning a requisite mass of voters willing to support, donate to and vote for, a canidate who will promise (by written agreement) not to accept any donation larger than $100 per quarter.

assume a congressional has a population of 646,952 (2000 u.s. census) and 2/3 are eligible to vote, then a candidate running for house of representatives would need a commitment from a minimum of 215,000 voters.

as unrealistic and unachievable this strategy appears, we've no other way of bringing about the change this country deserves.

Never!