www.msnbc.msn.com

White House issues new lobbying rules
Changes affect restrictions on lobbying for projects in stimulus package

updated 8:11 p.m. ET, Fri., May 29, 2009

WASHINGTON - The White House issued new rules Friday broadening some of its restrictions on lobbying for projects in the economic stimulus package, but retreating on others.

All people will now be forbidden to have oral conversations with administration officials about some of the projects they are seeking from the $787 billion package. Under rules that President Barack Obama imposed in March in an effort to curtail lobbyists' influence, the prohibition on such conversations only applied to registered federal lobbyists.

thehill.com

Lobbyists and government watchdogs are applauding revisions made by the White House on Friday to lobbying restrictions on stimulus funds.

After completing a 60-day review last week, the administration modified the rules to extend a speaking ban not just to lobbyists but to others who contact government officials about specific stimulus projects. But that ban only occurs now after a grant application has been filed for the project...

...One concern of the coalition was that lobbying by those not registered as lobbyists, such as lawyers or consultants, was not being disclosed under the restrictions. That seems to be answered by the amendments, though.

"With this new restriction, the White House has leveled the playing field to ensure that corporate bigwigs and major donors who do not register as lobbyists do not benefit from an inside track unavailable to those less politically influential," said Melanie Sloan, CREW's executive director.

www.rollcall.com

Of course, the restrictions are still much tougher than under Bush, and require on-line transparency for any contact.