The Blade

The Toledo Blade has been spearheading much of the BWC/rare coin scandal reporting since the story broke several months ago. Bert is correct in his analysis that certain elements of the Blade's reporting haven't been stellar. However, newspapers often reflect the sentiments and thinking of their age or time. The truth is, the public does have a negative view of lobbying because most people think that much of the lobbying that is done plays to much to pocketbooks, special interests and narrow conclusions. In the public eye, lobbying, for the most part seriously undermines participatory democracy. We send Representatives to the Statehouse or to D.C. to represent our interests, not the interest of lobbying firms. Hence, the Blade is only really reflecting popular sentiment, and that is often what newspapers should, in fact, do.

Additionally, when lobbyists earn large amounts of money, that can cast aspersion (due or undue) on the entire political process. People don't like to think that indiviuals profit from their influence over legislators. My basic point is, lobbying can be a lucrative and rewarding position. But it does carry certain negative connotations in American society which aren't entirely a bad thing, which can help keep things in check. Whether or not your former employer profited largely or legally isn't the point, I don't think, at least to the Blade, but the fact that he lobbies for the highest bidder is the Blade's real beef.