LobbyBlog: Six lobbyists for every lawmaker on healthcare

LobbyBlog: "Six lobbyists for every lawmaker

No fewer 3,300 lobbyists have signed up to influence health care reform, Bloomberg reports.

That's six lobbyists for each of the 535 members of the House and Senate, according to Senate records, and three times the number of people registered to lobby on defense. More than 1,500 organizations have health-care lobbyists, and about three more are signing up each day. Every one of the 10 biggest lobbying firms by revenue is involved in an effort that could affect 17 percent of the U.S. economy.

'The sheer quantity of money that's sloshed around Washington is drowning out the voices of citizens and the groups that speak up for them,' said Larry McNeely of U.S. Public Interest Research Group."