The Daily Background

Today’s Washington Post has a front page article suggesting that many lobbyists are scared that Democrats will take over Congress in January. Instead, environmental lobbyists and other types of special interest groups like labor etc are getting more face time with Congressmen than ever before.

Labor and environmental representatives, once also-rans in congressional influence, are meeting frequently with incoming Democratic leaders. Corporations that once boasted about their Republican ties are busily hiring Democratic lobbyists. And industries worried about reprisals from the new Democrats-in-charge, especially the pharmaceutical industry, are sending out woe-is-me memos and hoping their GOP connections will protect them in the crunch.

“Change is in the air,” said Melinda Pierce, a senior lobbyist for the Sierra Club. She had never even been invited to meet with Republican House leaders, but since Election Day incoming Democrats have welcomed her advice.

The Post also notes that Democrats are hoping to push through tough new lobbying reform in the House particularly which will ‘break the link between lobbyists and legislation’ as Pelosi puts it. But here’s the greatest part… They got a leaked memo from a big pharmaceutical corporation fretting about Democratic gains. If only it had been written before the elections, Democratic candidates could practically have used it in their campaign ads:

“We woke up the day after the election to a new world,” said Ken Johnson, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. “We’re going to have tough days ahead of us.”

A post-election e-mail to executives at the drug company GlaxoSmithKline details just how tough. “We now have fewer allies in the Senate,” says the internal memo, obtained by The Washington Post. “Thus, there is greater risk over the next two years that bad amendments will be offered to pending legislation.” The company’s primary concerns are bills that would allow more imported drugs and would force price competition for drugs bought under Medicare.

The defeat of Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) “creates a big hole we will need to fill,” the e-mail says. Sen.-elect Jon Tester (D-Mont.) “is expected to be a problem,” it says, and the elevation to the Senate of Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) “will strengthen his ability to challenge us.”

Oh man. You just can’t make this up.

Filed under: oh six midterm Elections, Abramoff Scandal, Z-TDB Blog