As the average US citizen drags his wounded semi-corpse of a body across 2009’s finish line, it is heartwarming and life-affirming to know that the bloodsucking lobbyists are raking it in like never before down in Washington D.C.

From Politico via the CATO Institute:

K Street is raking it in. Washington’s influence industry is on track to shatter last year’s record $3.3 billion spent to lobby Congress and the rest of the federal government — and that’s with a down economy and about 1,500 fewer registered lobbyists in town, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics.

One giddy veteran lobbyist exclaims, “It is the most active time that I have ever seen in the advocacy business — from 1973 on.” The “advocacy business”…lol, that’s like “efficiency expert” or “downsizing consultant”. Gross.

With every new social program, bailout, industry overhaul, regulatory takeover and bureacracy’s birth, the influence peddlers see another opportunity to move and place their chips as though they’re at a roulette table in hell.

It’ll be Kristmas on K Street for the foreseeable future. In the words of David Boaz, “If you put out a picnic, you’re going to get ants.”

Sources:

Lobbyists On Pace For a Record Year (Politico)

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/12/23/boom-time-on-k-street/