In his penultimate “In the Loop” column, nearly four years ago, Jeffrey Birnbaum told readers that that Washington’s lobbyist community would withstand the brickbats coming at it from presidential candidates.
Attacks from the presidential wannabes and the likelihood that Congress will become even more Democratic – read: more activist – means that many corporate interests will face increased danger next year and will have to employ more of the people whose job is to protect them – lobbyists.
I forgot all about this until Ryan Grim’s story about the BGR Group – specifically, the divorce proceedings of Ed Rogers, the “R” of the lobbying firm.
“There was a spike in people thinking that Obama was going to be dictator and to get a fair hearing, which is all you’re ever really going to get or all you literally want, you had to be close to the Obama administration. We were not,” Rogers testified.
“Well, was that just a perception or is that reality?” he was asked.
“It’s a perception more than anything. Washington is becoming a town of what you know, not who you know,” Rogers said.
Jeffrey Birnbaum, a spokesman for BGR Group, declined to comment.
Knowing not to comment is the sort of thing a reporter-turned-lobbying flack would know to do.
