Breaking...Obama finalizes anti-lobbyist regulations - National Council of Chain Restaurants hosts commodity prices summit - Firms lobbied for troubled association - AFL-CIO joins Wall Street fray Presented by Philip Morris International

BREAKING … OBAMA FINALIZES ANTI-LOBBYIST REGULATIONS: Our own Abby Phillip reports that the Obama administration today issued its final guidance on highly anticipated rules to ban federally registered lobbyists from serving on federal boards and commissions.

As expected, the regulations ban federal lobbyists from being appointed to federal advisory boards or commissions unless they become “de-registered” or “de-listed” as a lobbyist, or they do not report lobbying activity for three consecutive quarters. It prevents board appointments from engaging in lobbying activities after they have been appointed to a federal commission, and it also applies to workgroups or commissions that do not require a formal appointment process.


Obama last year directed his agencies to develop rules that would prevent or reduce the “undue influence of special interests” on the numerous advisory boards associated with the federal government. The directive is part of Obama’s larger lobbying reform goals that he kicked off on his first day in office.

“It’s clear that the president has begun his reelection campaign by resurrecting professional lobbyists as his punching bag,” Howard Marlowe, president of the American League of Lobbyists, wrote in a statement to PI. “His actions reflect a disdain for open government based on transparency and the free flow of information. It is political hypocrisy to say that those lobbyists who are not registered are welcome within the inner circle, while anyone who for whatever reason has registered as a lobbyist is shut out. This is not only bad public policy, it is shameful.”

Meg Reilly, a spokeswoman for the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, shot back in her own statement to PI: “The president has taken steps from the start to close the revolving door between the federal government and special interests, to end the culture of powerful lobbying influence, and to dramatically expand the level of transparency in government. This guidance is an important step in those efforts, but we will continue to identify new ways to expand transparency and accountability and look forward to working with the public on this.”

PI SCOOP … BET THE FINGER FOODS ARE GREAT: The National Council of Chain Restaurants will this afternoon host a summit “to discuss commodity prices, health care legislation and job creation,” an official familiar with the meeting tells PI.

In attendance will be top executives from Burger King, Domino’s pizza, Wendy’s and Brinker ( Chili’s, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Romano’s Macaroni Grill). House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and White House deputy chief of staff Nancy-Ann DeParle are slated to speak to attendees. National Journal and Fox News alumnus Major Garrett is also scheduled to speak, our source says.

The National Council of Chain Restaurants is part of the National Retail Federation, which has ramped up its federal lobbying presence of late — it’s on pace this year to spend more than $3 million on lobbying efforts, which is more than it’s spent during any other previous year, federal records indicate.

CANTOR AIDE TO FORM SUPER PAC: A top aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is leaving Capitol Hill to open a super PAC. John Murray, the Virginia Republican’s deputy chief of staff, will leave the majority leader’s office Friday and begin raising money to start a “Young Guns” super PAC, which may raise and spend unlimited sums to money in order to advocate for or against political candidates. This isn’t Murray’s first time in the private sector. Before joining Cantor’s office, he had many downtown posts including a stint at AHIP, Burson-Marsteller and co-founded his own firm AB+M Partners. Jake Sherman has the details here: http://politi.co/nLZP4N

Meanwhile, a super PAC designed to support the reelection of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) last night formally filed its organizational paperwork with the FEC. Called Strong Utah PAC, the Salt Lake City-based committee has named Michael D. Edmonds its treasurer and Kelly Casaday as its manager, according to federal filings.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! As you can well tell, there’s no dearth of influence action today, but that’s no reason whatsoever to keep your powder dry for days ahead. Send tips, tidbits, hints, fundraiser invitations and the like to us at [email protected] and [email protected]. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, too, at @ apalmerdc and @ davelevinthal.

Now, back to the crazy amount of news we have for you today …

FIRMS LOBBIED FOR TROUBLED ASSOCIATION: John Bresnahan and Anna report on how a seemingly innocuous trade group, the National Association for Behavioral Health, has caught the ire of federal investigators. The group had firms like Patton Boggs, Alston & Bird and Polsinelli & Shughart on retainer. Read the full story here: http://politi.co/rh47Yv

AFL-CIO JOINS WALL STREET FRAY: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka joined progressive groups like Moveon.org in formally putting the national union’s support behind the “Occupy Wall Street” protests popping up in major cities like New York and Los Angeles reports PI colleague Abby Phillip.

Abby notes that in a conference call today, Trumka said that the AFL-CIO will launch a “week of action,” beginning on Oct. 10 featuring “hundreds of thousands of people” all over the country including in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Today, they are also launching a new online feature that will map potential infrastructure projects across the country, aimed at creating support for President Obama’s American Jobs Act.

Trumka indicated that the AFL-CIO’s support of “Occupy Wall Street” dovetails with their effort to boost Obama’s jobs bill, particularly by highlighting what has become known as the “Buffett Tax” on the rich.

“Like the protesters on Wall Street are saying, we have an economy and a political process that isn’t serving 99 percent of the country,” Trumka said. “We must make decisions that help the 99 percent of people by asking the top one percent to pay their fair share.”

PI SCOOPLET … HEALTH CARE LOBBYIST BACK TO GOVERNMENT: It’s back to Capitol Hill — in a non-lobbying capacity — for former congressional staffer and current Universal American Government Relations Manager Courtney Austin, who will become a health policy legislative aide for Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a medical doctor.

Thursday night, colleagues intend to fete Austin at the Top of the Hill Club with RSVPs being directed to Mike Adelberg of Universal American and America’s Health Insurance Plans’s Jeremy Allen, the group’s vice president of federal affairs. An invitation to the event passed along by a PI tipster features a picture of a brimming mug of suds and a note joking that beer is “the only thing” that will get Austin to ditch her beloved Georgia Bulldogs for the Louisiana State University Tigers.

MINNICK TO TOUT FIRM: Former Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho) is hosting an event for his firm the Majority Group tonight, according to several K Streeters. Minnick is joined at his firm by his former chief of staff Rob Ellsworth, attorney Chris DiAngelo and managing director Hadley Sosnoff.

WOLF NOT LONG FOR CAPITOL HILL? Rep. Frank Wolf’s (R-Va.) extended comments on the House floor Tuesday evening blasting Americans for Tax Reform and its President Grover Norquist have created quite a buzz downtown. While Norquist didn’t take long to hammer back that Wolf’s comments show he’s for tax increases, K Streeters have been speculating that Wolf’s scathing comments could come as he’s taking a second look at whether he wants to run for reelection.

But, the congressman’s spokesman Daniel Scandling told POLITICO that his plans haven’t changed. “He’s running. Filed papers last February,” Scandling said. Here’s more on Wolf’s comments: http://politi.co/qGMp79

POTOMAC, MEET COLORADO: D.C.-based Potomac Strategy Group, a political consulting, corporate communications and analysis shop led by Matt Mackowiak — one of the most Twitter-happy political consultants inside the Beltway, FYI — has opened an office in Austin, Texas, his native state (or republic, as some Lone Starrers might argue). “Texas is going to be a growth industry in terms of politics,” Mackowiak tells PI. “My goal is to remain engaged in both the smaller pond of Texas and the larger pond of Washington.”

HOBERMAN JOINS MPAA: The Motion Picture Association of America is bringing on entertainment industry lawyer Henry Hoberman as the trade group’s new senior executive vice president and global general counsel. Hoberman, who starts his new gig in early November, will oversee all “legal, content enforcement and rights management programs within the MPAA, both domestically and abroad,” according to the release. He previously has been executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of RHI Entertainment.

ML STRATEGIES HIRES TWO: Jordan Collins, a former Energy Department policy and regulatory analyst, is joining ML Strategies as its director of government relations. Meanwhile, former IBM security and privacy consultant Rachel Sanford, is joining the firm as a government relations manager. “Jordan and Rachel both have unique backgrounds and their experience in policy development and consulting in the energy and telecommunications industries will add important breadth and depth of expertise to the firm,” Stephen P. Tocco, president and chief executive officer of ML Strategies, said in a statement.

KENNAN TO MCGUIREWOODS: Former Alston & Bird senior policy adviser Stephanie Kennan will join public affairs firm McGuireWoods Consulting on Oct. 17 as the firm’s senior vice president of federal public affairs. “Stephanie’s arrival coincides with our strategic plan to add depth and experience to our growing health care team,” said L.F. Payne, president of McGuireWoods Consulting and a former congressman. Kennan is also a former health policy adviser for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

CNN HIRES PROMINENT DEMOCRAT: Maria Cardona, who runs the Democratic public affairs practice at Dewey Square Group and formerly worked as a Hillary Clinton presidential campaign spokeswoman, has joined CNN as a political commentator for the 2012 election season, the network announced today. She is also a former Democratic National Committee communications director.

PI ON AM: Dave chats with KSRO-AM 1350 in California about lobbying, the congressional supercommittee, Chris Christie’s non-presidential run and one of Anna’s recent stories. Listen to the audio here: http://bit.ly/p1ddBR

NEW POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE FILINGS:

Letter Global of Durham, N.C. — Treasurer: Leonard Akajo

IndyAmericans.com of Bastrop, Texas — Treasurer: Linda J. Curtis (independent expenditure-only committee)

New Hope PAC of Los Angeles — Treasurer: Devin Smith (independent expenditure-only committee)

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS: Nada.



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