-Caveat Lector- Hungry Lobbyists Gnawing Away At Democracy Filed August 19, 1999 Imagine my surprise last week when I read an article about lobbying as an indicator of a healthy democracy. The picture of health turned out to be Mexico, where the end of one-party rule has led to an outburst of lobbying. South of the border all this activity is seen as a barometer of greater democratic openness. But if that's how it feels at the dawn of democracy, back in the States it must be twilight. The founding democratic principle of ``one man, one vote'' has been replaced by the new math of special interests: thousands of lobbyists plus multi-millions of dollars equals access and influence out of the reach of ordinary citizens. From 1997 to 1999, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the number of registered lobbyists in Washington grew by a whopping 37 percent to more than 20,000, while the amount of money spent reached $1.42 billion. Crunch the numbers and it works out to roughly 38 lobbyists for each member of Congress. It's no wonder the last few years have produced a succession of designer giveaways, like the one specially crafted by Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.) for Nordstrom, headquartered in her district, which would provide department stores with tax-exempt subsidies from mall developers. One hundred thirty-eight of Washington's registered lobbyists are former members of Congress, two-thirds of whom left the Hill after 1990. Democrats? Republicans? It really doesn't matter. As legendary lobbyist J.D. Williams once said, ``I'm prepared for anything except a Communist takeover -- and I could get ready for that in 24 hours.'' Exiting pols are, in growing numbers, going through Capitol Hill's revolving door, quickly reappearing as glad-handing, arm-twisting lobbyists. Under current law, former members of Congress cannot directly lobby their colleagues for one year after leaving office, although they can set up their lobbying shops and start peddling their influence. When Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) recently tried to make it a two-year ban, you would have thought he was taking on God, country and Mom's apple pie. ``The speaker is opposed to it,'' said Denny Hastert's spokesman. ``In his view, it is unfair to members and staff.'' This is one area where bipartisanship reigns. ``Our leadership will be against it,'' echoed Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.). The truth is that former members can get plenty done long before their year on the sidelines is up. Look at ex-congressman Bob Livingston, who took that short stroll from Capitol Hill to K Street in March and is already using the expertise and power he amassed as chairman of the Appropriations Committee to recruit clients for his Livingston Group -- among them defense contractors seeking some of the taxpayer dollars Livingston used to dole out. So Livingston is on the go, building his client list, organizing trade shows to lobby Congress and schmoozing over golf with erstwhile colleagues like Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.). ``The pay is a little better,'' Livingston concedes. ``I'm eating in all kinds of restaurants I'd never heard of before.'' On the other side of the aisle, former New York congressman Thomas Downey, who was defeated in 1992, is well into the lucrative game. Last year alone, his firm collected $1.8 million in lobbying fees from 47 clients. They will all be well positioned should his pal Al Gore become president. Of course, politicians never admit that their votes are on the trading block. ``I am involved in so many issues,'' said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), ``I could almost not accept a contribution from anybody.'' But the lobbyists who influence senators are not just anybody. They are players in the same political game, just fielding different positions. And if you keep your eye on the legislative scoreboard, you'll see just what All-Stars they are. For instance, last year, Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) introduced a one-year pilot program requiring meatpackers to reveal the prices they pay for livestock. But lobbyists hired by the American Meat Institute -- including heavyweights like former House Minority Leader Bob Michel, former Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter and former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour -- sprang into action and persuaded lawmakers to kill the provision. Lobbyists don't always get their way, but even in their failures we get a picture of the magnitude of the abuse. In 1997, Barbour was hired by Big Tobacco to help shepherd through Congress its $368 billion settlement with state attorneys general. The deal fell through, but in the process Barbour managed to convince his GOP cronies to give the industry a $50 (ital) billion (unital) tax break. This Beltway bounty was slipped into the final conference report, away from prying eyes. And it would have become law had Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) not blown the whistle. Once the tax ploy was exposed in broad daylight, there was no one willing to defend it, and it died a quick death. While the public won a victory here, there are 20,000 lobbyists hard at work every day. Like a swarm of ravenous termites reducing a house to sawdust, they are making a meal out of the foundations of our democracy. It's time to throw a tent over Washington and fumigate. 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