Lobbying

Implant Flacks

by Bob Burton — November 23, 2006 - 5:55am

On November 17 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved silicone breast implants manufactured by Mentor Corporation and Allergan. PR Week reports that the PR firm MS&L "began working with Inamed Corp.

Main Source:

PR Week (sub req'd), November 21, 2006

Oiling The Wheels For the New Congress

by Bob Burton — November 20, 2006 - 3:46am

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is planning to launch a major "educational advocacy" program in January 2007 to influence the incoming Congress. The API represents 400 major oil and gas producers. According to PR Week, the program will include increased television advertising, speeches by economists and industry executives and tours of oil and gas operations for think tank staff and politicians.

Main Source:

PR Week (sub req'd), November 16, 2006

U.S. Lobbies Against U.K. Drug System

by Bob Burton — November 15, 2006 - 12:26am

US Deputy Health Secretary, Alex Azar, is lobbying the Britain's Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, to ease restrictions on the drug industry. In particular, the U.S. drug companies want the ban on direct-to-consumer advertising dropped and to increase the prices the government pays for drugs.

Main Source:

Guardian (UK), November 14, 2006

Tobacco Lobby Aims To Stub Out Safer Cigarettes

by Bob Burton — November 13, 2006 - 4:43am

The Tobacco Manufacturers Association (TMA), a U.K.-based trade association, is lobbying against a European Union proposal to require companies to manufacture cigarettes that reduce the chances of causing a fire if not being smoked.

Main Source:

The Observer (UK), November 12, 2006

Degrees of Dependency: Drug Companies & Patient Groups

by Bob Burton — November 7, 2006 - 10:38pm

In a survey of 29 U.S. patient groups, New Scientist found only two ruled out drug company funding. Seven of the patient groups surveyed received less than 5% of their income from drug companies, while others were reliant on them for over one-third of their budget.

Main Source:

New Scientist, 27 October 2006

Imagining A World Without Lobbyists

by Bob Burton — October 30, 2006 - 8:15pm

The President of the American League of Lobbyists, Paul Miller, told PR Week that the controversy over Washington D.C.

Main Source:

PR Week (sub req'd), October 25, 2006

European Brewers Aim to Derail Alcohol Strategy

by Bob Burton — October 30, 2006 - 2:46pm

The European Commission "may be the victim of a carefully planned attack by representatives of the alcohol industry" to derail the adoption of a strategy to reduce the health effects of alcohol, warns Martin McKee, professor of European public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Main Source:

British Medical Journal, October 28, 2006

Ex-FDA Commissioner Turned Lobbyist Pleads Guilty

by Bob Burton — October 20, 2006 - 5:19am

The former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Lester Crawford, has pleaded guilty to breaching conflict of interest rules. Crawford and his wife held between $188,000 and $336,000 in shares in four companies that he was required to have sold, under FDA rules.

Main Source:

Washington Post, October 17, 2006

Straight from the source: "Ask a lobbyist"

by Conor Kenny — October 18, 2006 - 2:33pm

Topics: U.S. Congress, Lobbying

Wonkette, for those of you who don't read it, is a proudly low-brow and juvenile blog that focuses on the more salacious escapades of our representatives in Washington. For those of us who have to deal with the over-starched, self-important Washington crowd (Congresspedia headquarters is just off the K street lobbying corridor), it often provides a dose of needed levity.