There’s A Difference
Posted on | June 11, 2007
Say what you will about Washington corruption as a bipartisan phenomenon, in the words of one Republican lobbyist, life is harder inside today’s Beltway.
Several Democratic and Republican lobbyists agreed GOP consultants often get it wrong with Democrats because their corporate pitch is such an easy sell in Republican offices, which already are ideologically sympathetic to businesses’ concerns.
Meeting with Democrats, some Republicans neglect to factor in a much wider array of constituencies that hold sway with the new majority, including labor, environmental and consumer groups.
“Republican lobbyists are used to walking into an office and just saying, ‘I’d like you to do this,’” said one Republican operative who regularly lobbies across the aisle. “With Democrats, you really have to hone your arguments, and you really have to sell them on policy.”
This was surely an unguarded moment, for a lobbyist to come right out and say that the Republicans were more easily bought. If we watch our Dems carefully, could we keep them from sinking so low?
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