Posts Tagged ‘National Journal’

May the Least Worst Site Win

Monday, April 28th, 2014 by Geoffrey Lyons

IMAGINE IF YOUR organization’s website received an award for showing “signs of improvement.”  Though “still weak,” it’s beginning to provide “basic” information.  This less-than-cheering diagnosis comes from the Congressional Management Foundation’s 113th Congress Gold Mouse Awards, which recognizes House and Senate offices (including committees) for effective websites and citizen engagement on social media.

The awards shine a welcome spotlight on an abysmal set of sites, some of which are utterly unnavigable.  The issue would be hilarious were access to lawmakers anything less than elemental to a healthy democracy.  By praising those few Hill offices who work hard to ensure their websites are functional and inviting, the CMF brings us a step closer to a day when they’ll all be like that.

In future editions of the awards, it would be nice if the CMF could draw attention to those sites in most need of repair (National Journal has since taken down its list of the worst committee websites).  That ought to really get people talking.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on May the Least Worst Site Win

Retailers Request More Regs

Friday, January 24th, 2014 by Geoffrey Lyons

IN WASHINGTON, pressure to regulate big business is no novelty.  But things seem rather topsy-turvy when the source of that pressure is big business itself.

The National Journal explains why retailers have concluded that more federal intervention is a good thing.  At least, that is, when it comes to data.

In the wake of the holiday data breaches, Target and others are “begging Congress to tell them what to do.”  That’s because they’re currently subject to 47 different compliance standards for 46 states plus D.C.  They’d much rather have just one.

But building support for a “unified standard” isn’t easy.  As the Journal notes, “educating conservatives” is the most daunting obstacle. Those with purist laissez-faire sentiments have a visceral dislike for all regulations, so it takes some convincing to disabuse them of the idea that a single standard is “just another nanny-state intrusion into companies’ private affairs.” Even Mary Bono, a former Republican Congresswoman from California and supporter of the standard, admits that the whole thing is “sort of counterintuitive.”

And so it may be. Yet it remains perfectly logical for a behemoth like Target, with 1,797 stores in the U.S. alone, to want to answer to the State and not the states. Another giant, Amazon, has faced a similar challenge with regard to state sales tax.  It seems that for the mega retailers, more government can actually mean less.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on Retailers Request More Regs

Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up

Friday, September 10th, 2010 by Vbhotla

Eliza Newlin Carney of National Journal writes an article on the future of the FEC in a “hostile” campaign finance environment. “Whither The FEC?”

The Senate’s newest member, Sen. Carte Goodwin (D-W.Va.) turns out to have had some lobbyist clients. “New Senator Had Clients Among K Street Heavyweights.” (The Hill)

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) took money from ex-earmark specialist Paul Magliocchetti, now indicted on fraud charges. Some (the Huffington Post) call on her to return that “shady” money.

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) is not a huge fan of the way the OCE handled an investigation of him. “GOP lawmaker rips ethics office after case dismissed”. Politico discusses the heavy case load that the OCE tries to sort through, while The Hill reports on whether the GOP would try to disband the unpopular extra-Congressional organization if given the opportunity.

And now, a word from our neighbors to the North: the Canadian Lobbying Code – a professional ethics code which “sets forth three basic principles (integrity and honesty, openness, and professionalism) and eight specific rules.”  (h/t Point of Order blog)

Remember that Congressional Cigar Association that got some press from the Huffington Post in July? HuffPo now publishes a follow-up piece on Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.)’s involvement with the organization.

The buzz in D.C. was about whether Rahm Emanuel would quit his job as President Obama’s chief of staff to run for Chicago mayor. The Washington Examiner looks at a potential replacement for Emanuel – Tom Donilon, a former Fannie Mae lobbyist.

Sharron Angle was raising money amongst D.C. lobbyists, according to this report from Politico, “Sharron Angle heads to D.C. for lobbyist money.”

The U.S. Chamber, always a lobbying heavyweight, is throwing a lot of money into 2010’s mid-term elections. Story from The Hill, “Chamber ups its stakes in midterm election.”

Quote of the Week:

“We’re seeing a premium for Republicans … They’re the new ‘It’ girl.” – Ivan H. Adler, a headhunter who specializes in placing lobbyists, New York Times, 9/9/2010

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up | Comments Off on Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up