Wrong! Lobby Shops Are Doing Fine

The early reports of second-quarter revenue numbers, due at midnight on Wednesday, had lobbyists bemoaning how a slumping economy and a deficit-obsessed Congress were hurting business. But that downturn in lobbying revenue is more than offset by the regulatory work, political intelligence, investigation prep, and agency lobbying that is part of the unreported influence economy, insiders say.

“Lobbying is the tip of the iceberg,” said Mark Ruge, cochairman of K&L Gates’ policy group.