Lobbyists Reap Rewards From Obama

Here is a table of the 20 companies and organizations that spent the most on lobbying in 2010:

Client 2010 Total 2009 Total Difference % Change

U.S. Chamber of Commerce $132,067,500 $144,496,000 -$12,428,500 -8.6%
PG&E Corp. $45,460,000 $6,280,000 $39,180,000 623.9%
General Electric $39,290,000 $26,400,000 $12,890,000 48.8% FedEx Corp. $25,582,074 $16,370,000 $9,212,074 56.3%
American Medical Association $22,555,000 $20,720,000 $1,835,000 8.9%
AARP $22,050,000 $21,010,000 $1,040,000 5.0%
PhRMA $21,740,000 $26,150,520 -$4,410,520 -16.9%
Blue Cross/Blue Shield $21,007,141 $23,646,439 -$2,639,298 -11.2%
ConocoPhillips $19,626,382 $18,069,858 $1,556,524 8.6%
American Hospital Association $19,438,358 $18,347,176 $1,091,182 5.9%
Boeing Co. $17,896,000 $16,850,000 $1,046,000 6.2%
National Cable &
Telecommunications Association $17,710,000 $15,980,000 $1,730,000 10.8%
National Association of Realtors $17,560,000 $19,477,000 -$1,917,000 -9.8%
Verizon Communications $16,750,000 $17,680,000 -$930,000 -5.3%
Northrop Grumman $15,740,000 $15,180,000 $560,000 3.7%
AT&T Inc. $15,395,078 $14,729,673 $665,405 4.5%
United Technologies $14,530,000 $8,100,000 $6,430,000 79.4%
National Association of Broadcasters $13,710,000 $11,090,000 $2,620,000 23.6%
Pfizer Inc. $13,330,000 $25,819,268 -$12,489,268 -48.4%
Southern Co. $13,220,000 $13,450,000 -$230,000 -1.7%

And $3.47 billion in lobbying expenditures in 2010, when divided by 173 days, equals $20 million per day that either chamber of Congress was in session -- a 15 percent increase above a similar calculation for 2009, when Congress was in session for 201 days.

Furthermore, congressional records show 4,604 bills and resolutions were introduced during 2010. Therefore, $3.47 billion translates into $753,885 per piece of legislation introduced in Congress -- nearly double the similar calculation for 2009, when Congress introduced 9,071 bills and resolutions.

Oh look - GE increased lobbying expenditures by 48%. GE CEO Jeff Immelt- a big time Obama supporter - recently was promoted from a regular deficit commission member to top economic adviser to the President. How cozy, in light of all the federal grants GE receives for the 'green' energy initiatives and all.

All these subsidies explain why GE invested an average of $19.5 million each year from 2000-2010 not in creating affordable energy, but in lobbying the government for more subsidies. $300 million in energy grants (in addition to the millions in subsidies its other divisions receive) is apparently not enough for Immelt—it’s no wonder he prefers communist China’s energy policy where the government has no limits on how much they can redistribute wealth from productive to unproductive companies.

Imagine if this was Halliburton or maybe ExxonMobil during the Bush administration. No outrage from the left on cronyism or rewarding friends now. How hypocritical of them. Predictable, but hypocritical.

Where is all that change we were promised? It's status quo with this administration.