ABSTRACT
Federal regulations governing lobbying since have consumed enough paper to fell the Amazonian rainforests, but the basic problem can be discerned with crystalline clarity. David McIntosh predicted that "Americans will be shocked to know that taxpayers are paying special interest lobbyists to walk the Halls of Congress, executive branches, and even local town halls, trying to influence their lawmakers". Rep. McIntosh kicked off the hearings in fine style as he announced his intention to expose "one of Washington's best kept little secrets— welfare for lobbyists. Rep. Henry Waxman, who never met a regulatory hassle he didn't like, chided McIntosh for ignoring the lobbying activities of those corporations that receive federal grants. When Rep. Istook sought to ban political advocacy by organizations subsidized by the federal government, he ran into a hailstorm of abuse. The gravy train rolled right over Congressmen Istook, Hayworth, and McIntosh.
