Readers of The Lang Report are aware of our belief that campaign financing and , also known as “” are major contributors to the sad demise of our democratic process. Now influence peddling is nothing new and could probably be found in every civilized society since the beginning of time wherever one person or group sought favor with another in power; however it has grown so big that it could now be described as “the tail wagging the dog”!

It is frightening that influence peddling  (or pimping as I call it) is now being hailed as a growth industry, with registered lobbyists in Washington doubling since 2000 to more than 34,750 and fees increasing as much as 100%.

This growth can be attributed to three (3) factors: 1) explosive growth in government, 2) Republican control of the White House and Congress, and 3) Corporation’s acceptance of the need to hire professional lobbyists

The mecca of the lobbying world is on “K Street” in Washington D.C. where lobbying firms have their headquarters and is oftentimes referred to as the “4th branch of government”. That’s easy to understand as K Street hires top ex-politicians from both major parties luring nearly half of all lawmakers who return to the private sector when they leave Congress.

Starting salaries have risen to $300,000 a year with well-regarded top officials commanding employment packages worth over $1 million a year.

This prostitution of our elected officials reached a new low in 1995 when Republican strategist Grover Norquist and House majority leader Tom Delay launched, the now infamous, K Street Project which is a Republican Party plan to pressure Washington lobbying firms to hire Republicans in top positions and to reward loyal GOP lobbyists with access to influential officials.

Robert L. Livingston, a Republican former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and now president of a thriving lobbying form said, “There’s unlimited business out there for us…..companies need lobbying help….industry better have good lobbyists or they’re going to get rolled over”.

Corporate executives and insiders say they have no choice but to hire lobbyists who are deeply rooted in official Washington as it is, “part of the system these days”. Part of the system? ,,,,,,IT IS THE SYSTEM! The growth of lobbying widens the already sizable gap between those with resouces and those without resources.

In the early day of our Republic, American citizens would serve their stint in Congress as a representative of the people and then return to their original vocation. America was designed to be “of the people and by the people”…..not professional politicians looking for a meal ticket!

I am certain that the “votes for sale” lobbying system is not what our Founding Fathers had in mind as they authored the Constitution, framing it  to protect us from ourselves and our baser nature.