Beyond The Big Bs

LOBBYING in the US means petitioning the government or advocating a position or a policy. As the American League of Lobbyists points out: "Although lobbying is an ancient art—as old as government itself—it is still frequently misunderstood and viewed with suspicion. It is, in fact, a legitimate activity protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution."

바카라 웹사이트In the wild old days, as Robert A. Caro points out in The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power, the tools of the lobbying trade were hardly subtle. At the turn of the century lobbyists roamed the floor of the Texas Legislature and freely dispensed what were known as the Three Bs: 'beefsteak, bourbon, and blondes' to greedy legislators.

In the early 19th century, the hired guns who hung around in the lobbies of Congress and state legislatures, attempting to sway lawmakers to support the interests they represented, came to be called lobby-agents. The caricature was as familiar and as sinister-sounding: portly, cigar-smoking men who wine and dine lawmakers while slipping money into their pockets. A plaque in Washington's grand old Willard Hotel recounts how former US president Ulysses S. Grant escaped the pressures of the presidency with a "brandy and cigar in the Willard lobby". He was besieged there by would-be power brokers who he began calling people lobbyists. Virtually every mom and apple pie interest in the US now uses lobbyists—a fact little known by the public, according to the American League of Lobbyists.

Over the years, lobbying evolved into a sophisticated and—despite the occasional scandal—respectable profession. Modern-day lobbyists are mostly experienced lawyers, many of whom have served in government or worked in campaigns—sometimes repeatedly walking through the revolving door between making public policy and influencing it. In place of the Three Bs, today's lobbyists give out Political Action Committee (PAC) money, raise funds for parties, organise extensive grassroots and public relations campaigns, and circulate the findings of customised public opinion polls.

Lobbying involves much more than persuading legislators. Its main components include researching and analysing legislation or regulatory proposals; monitoring and reporting on developments; attending congressional or regulatory hearings; working with coalitions interested in the same issues; and then educating not only government officials but also employees and corporate officers as to the implications of various changes. The actual communication with government officials accounts for the tiniest portion of a lobbyist's time; much more is devoted to preparation, information and communication, several industry professionals told 바카라.

India has had a ubiquitous one-man lobbying operation here for several decades. The late Janaki Nath Ganju, a Washington institution, served as India's on-again, off-again lobbyist with his unique blend of urbane charm and wit. He knew Washington and its바카라 웹사이트 old-style politics inside out and he knew the strengths and foibles of the Indian government and its position. Ganju wouldn't suffer fools gladly and the government babudom, whether Indian or American, was often riddled with pretenders, if not fools.

More US Congressmen and Administration officials had visited Ganju's small but elegant home tucked away in a posh neighbourhood in north-west Washington for private dinners (Ganju's dum aloo was a hit with US lawmakers) and animated conversations about US-India ties than the huge mansion on McCombe Street that is the home of the Indian ambassador. Former Congressman Stephen J. Solarz, whom India recently signed up to represent Indian interests, was a frequent visitor to the Ganju home. Top columnists and foreign affairs writers and editors were regular guests as Ganju or the Indian envoy subtly pushed India's point of view on various issues. It was lobbying as fine art.