Lobbyists pushed off advisory panels.

[elleng]

White House initiative to limit influence could affect thousands.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists are likely to be ejected from federal advisory panels as part of a little-noticed initiative by the Obama administration to curb K Street's influence in Washington, according to White House officials and lobbying experts.

The new policy -- issued with little fanfare this fall by the White House ethics counsel -- may turn out to be the most far-reaching lobbying rule change so far from President Obama, who also has sought to restrict the ability of lobbyists to get jobs in his administration and to negotiate over stimulus contracts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/26/AR2009112602362.html?hpid=topnews

[napi21]

1. I love it that few noticed this. Obama knows just how to do it.

Keep it under the radar and nice an quiet, then when it happens it's just too late to change it!

[chill_wind]

4. Actually many are noticing.

We have lots of responses-- they are spread out among multiple dupe threads-- this is the 4th one on the GP today.

[waiting for hope]

2. It a first step - but not law ..

Administration lawyers determined that they couldn't ban lobbyists from advisory committees directly because most of the panels are overseen by individual agencies rather than the White House; so Eisen encouraged -- rather than ordered -- the prohibition. Nonetheless, administration officials said, most Cabinet secretaries have implemented the recommendation, usually by barring renewals or new appointments for lobbyists.

I'm more concerned with conflicts like Senator Bayh's - whose wife is a board member for Wellpoint and instances like William J. Lynn, who at the time of his appointment to Deputy Defense Secretary was just fresh off a stint as senior vice president for government operations at Raytheon.

[Vidar]

3. Good move, Obama.

[glitch]

5. As long as it's even handed, this effort I fully support. K & R nt