Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) took to the House floor on Friday afternoon to come to the defense of that beleaguered band of First-Amendment exercisers operating from their K Street redoubt.
"Yes, lobbyists do a very effective and useful job on this hill," King promised. "Somebody needs to stand up for the lobby. It is a matter of providing a lot of valuable information."
King qualified that if a lobbyist lied to him, he'd end the relationship. "If anyone gave me information that wasn't accurate or honest, if they found out about it, they would bring it back and correct it to me first. If I thought they were doing so intentionally, they would not come back to talk to me ever. There is a credibility there in that arena," he said.