Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/29/2006 | Editorial | Santorum and the Lobbyists

Philadelphia Inquirer | 01/29/2006 | Editorial | Santorum and the Lobbyists: "Posted on Sun, Jan. 29, 2006
Editorial | Santorum and the Lobbyists'K Street? K Street? Never heard of it'Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) is trying to do an extreme makeover, in broad daylight.
He's trying to paper over his central role in a now-infamous program to boost Republicans' clout among Washington lobbyists.
As the huge and seedy Jack Abramoff scandal unfolds in Congress, Santorum has discovered a newly urgent desire to restrict lobbying. Well and good, all willing hands welcome.
But no voter should fall for the senator's attempt to obscure his ties to the so-called "K Street Project," named after the street that is home to many lobbying firms.
Santorum was an enthusiastic, high-profile supporter of the project, which sought to install movement conservatives in top lobbying jobs. It also sought to ensure that lobbyists and trade associations supported only Republican issues and candidates.
That's not illegal, per se. When Democrats dominated Congress, they threw their weight around, too. But the K Street Project took the practices to a new level of blatancy.
Santorum wouldn't be distancing himself from the project were it not for Jack Abramoff. The former lobbyist, and former close friend of the former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R., Texas), has pleaded guilty in an expanding federal probe of bribery and influence-peddling in Congress.
Abramoff rose to prominence in the Republican-friendly climate fostered by the K Street Project. But now Abramoff is radioactive politically and, by extension, so is K Street.
When he became the third-ranking Senate Republican in 2001, Santorum began hosting weekly meetings with lobbyists in Washington. They discussed issues, political strategy and, at times, job openings for Republicans at Washington lobbying firms.
But pressure anyone to hire Republicans? The senator is shocked, just shocked that anyone would suggest such a thing.
The official story line from the GOP, post-Abramoff, is that there were two K Street projects. One, led by top conservative activist Grover Norquist (a close friend of presidential adviser Karl Rove), actively pressured lobbying firms to hire Republicans. The other K Street project, says Santorum spokesman Robert Traynham, consisted of Santorum's weekly meetings with lobbyists to "get the Republican message out." Sort of a bad cop, good cop routine.
Santorum told a reporter last week that he "didn't even know what Grover Norquist was up to." But in 2002, Norquist told a reporter for the Inquirer's Washington bureau that Santorum had invited him to speak to Santorum's group.
"He [Santorum] has gotten me in to talk to all those guys," Norquist said, adding that he had access to most of them anyway. In the article, Santorum said he merely allowed Norquist to speak to the group, but added that he supported the push for more "transparency" as to the political affiliation of Washington lobbyists.
"Sen. Santorum has never pressured anyone to accept any type of job," Traynham said. "That is Grover Norquist's function."
It's a distinction without much of a difference, given Santorum's clout in the party. He set the table, and Norquist cleaned up.
Now, in the midst of a tough reelection race, Santorum is trying to distance himself from all things K Street. His leadership office said last week it would stop handing out lists of lobbying job vacancies at the weekly meetings.
If Santorum now wants to be in the vanguard of lobbying reform, fine. But his conversion is far more dramatic than he's willing to admit."