'Green' Lobby Outnumbers Congress 4 to 1

More than 770 companies and interest groups hired an estimated 2,340 lobbyists during the past year to influence climate legislation on Capitol Hill, a Center for Public Integrity report shows. The huge hiring increase means climate lobbyists on K Street seeking to influence President Barack Obama’s administration to carve out of a piece of the $787-billion stimulus package for the clients they represent now outnumber lawmakers in the U.S.Congress by a margin of more than 4 to 1. The number of lobbyists in the federal policy on climate change business began its upward climb in 2008, analysis of Senate lobbying disclosure forms shows. The trend took off just prior to Obama taking office...IBD