A member of the American Nazi Party has joined the ranks of lobbyists on Capitol Hill.

John Bowles, 55, said his official status as a lobbyist was something the 53-year-old party planned to "try out for the first time and see if it flies."

"I always tell my fellow Americans that they need to practice their constitutional rights or their rights will one day be eroded," he said. "Lobbying is one way to do that, to try to get your point across to the elected officials in Congress."

Bowles said some of the key issues he hopes to speak with lawmakers about include ballot access, unemployment, immigration and budgets.

"I'm not going to go in and shove a swastika in their face," he said. "I use a very careful and objective approach. There might be some congressmen who crumple up the paper and some who say 'this is interesting.'"

The newly minted lobbyist said he won't use derogatory language and was open to working with all members of Congress.

"If they don't hold my politics against me," he said, "I won't hold anything against them."