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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNYT: Tired of ‘Tainted’ Image, Lobbyists Try Makeover
Howard Marlowe was speaking a few weeks ago to a government relations class at the University of California, Berkeley, about his work as a federal lobbyist when several students voiced their deep mistrust of his profession and their misgivings about ever considering it themselves.
As president of a Washington lobbying association, Mr. Marlowe had no real answer. Once a Washington insider becomes identified by the scarlet letter of lobbyist, he acknowledged afterward, youre a leper if you ever want to run for office or work for the government.
Were tainted, he said.
Remaking the image of an industry as battered as that of Washington lobbying might seem like a fools quest for even the most battle-tested public relations person. And it may be difficult to dredge up much sympathy for an industry that earned $3.3 billion last year for helping oil companies, drug makers, Wall Street firms and others get access to Washingtons elite.
full: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/us/politics/tired-of-tainted-image-lobbyists-try-makeover.html?pagewanted=all
Well, at least those students get it.
aquart
(69,014 posts)eppur_se_muova
(36,317 posts)not the actual misdeeds themselves.
JHB
(37,163 posts)Stop. Go make your living doing something useful.
Being a well-paild lickspittle still makes you a lickspittle.
marmar
(77,109 posts)tech3149
(4,452 posts)For Gods sake, do something useful, productive, or at least not harmful and you won't have to worry about "image"