Lobbyists to Be Banned From Government Advisory Panels

News like this is unequivocally good in my view:

Nearly all of this work is done below the radar, but dozens of government agencies hear from hundreds of official advisory committees, featuring tens of thousands of unpaid members. In general, the panels are made up of people with a certain expertise in obscure areas of public policy, representing companies, trade groups, or advocacy organizations.

It's a fairly standard practice for these advisory committees to include plenty of lobbyists. It's a practice the Obama administration is changing.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists are likely to be ejected from federal advisory panels as part of a little-noticed initiative by the Obama administration to curb K Street's influence in Washington, according to White House officials and lobbying experts.

The new policy -- issued with little fanfare this fall by the White House ethics counsel -- may turn out to be the most far-reaching lobbying rule change so far from President Obama, who also has sought to restrict the ability of lobbyists to get jobs in his administration and to negotiate over stimulus contracts. [...]

Under the policy, which is being phased in over the coming months, none of the more than 13,000 lobbyists in Washington would be able to hold seats on the committees, which advise agencies on trade rules, troop levels, environmental regulations, consumer protections and thousands of other government policies.

One always wonders how things would be different in this country if everyday people (qua everyday people) were represented by some kind of a lobbying group, a group that worked to advance policies that benefit the American people as a whole -- which would serve as a counterbalance to the corporate, monied interests who wield 90%+ of the clout on Capitol Hill...

Oh wait, the people's interests are supposed to be represented by their elected representatives.

Riiiight...

Oh, and cue the waaaahmbulance:

But lobbyists and many of the businesses they represent say K Street is being unfairly demonized by a White House intent on scoring political points with scandal-weary voters. They warn that the latest policy will severely handicap federal regulators, who rely heavily on advisory boards for technical advice and to serve as liaisons between government and industry.