How not to lobby Congress

It seems that a trade association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, told Congressman Pete Stark that a trio of TV reporters were on its speaker list. The only problem: it wasn't true.

From Representatives Stark's office:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- “On Friday I sent a press release suggesting that three journalists, Nancy Snyderman and Robert Bazell of NBC News and Susan Dentzer of the PBS' NewsHour, participate in America’s Health Insurance Plans’ (AHIP) Speakers Network,” said Stark. “According to these journalists, AHIP and/or the Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau added them to this network without their approval and without their knowledge. I therefore apologize to each for suggesting that they contracted with the insurance lobby.”

“Again, my apologies to the three journalists for associating them with this reprehensible lobby. But as is often the case, AHIP’s actions speaker louder than my words. That the insurance lobby would add journalists to their speakers network without approval smacks of the kind of dishonesty they regularly employ. Not only does AHIP lie about health care policy, they also besmirch the reputations of journalists.”

Brillant AHIP, not only have you offended the chair of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over legislation affecting your members, you have also offended three very high profile journalists. How do you justify the dues your members pay?

Scheunemann: coin operated expert

McCain Adviser Was Lobbyist for Georgia

John McCain's top foreign-policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, is a leading expert on U.S.-allied Georgia -- and was a paid lobbyist for the former Soviet republic until March, in the run-up to what has become a major battle between Georgia and Russia.

This is just plain crude. Most of the time a lobbying firm will advise their clients to contribute to a think tank who will then recruit a sympathetic scholar, thus preserving a patina of expertise. This is just plain foreign policy payola.

Open Letter to APCO and Cassidy & Associates

It is time to embrace transparency and engage the blogosphere on a consistent basis. I have not had a chance to read the now famous article by Ken Silverstein, I will be saying more when I have had a chance. Right now I want to talk to APCO, Cassidy & Associates, and all those who have not worked out that the rules of PR engagement are shifting. The era of front organizations and astroturf is over. The era of crony journalism is ending. Only those who make change their friend rather than their enemy will be able to protect their clients' interests.

This is a good thing, and should be embraced. Money not spent on crony journalism and crony politics is money that is freed up to do legitimate community outreach. This is a good change for our industry and our clients.

As for Ken Silverstein and Harper's, I can only say that what goes around comes around. If you do not want to live in a world where Matt Drudge or some similar character can insert a mole into your organization for the purpose of collecting information with which to embarrass you, then it would be better not to sail under false colors.