Or, pots denouncing kettles

LOBBYING in America is at least as old as the countrya€™s constitution. In 1792 veterans of the American revolution hired William Hull to petition Congress for more compensation. These days fat-walleted lobbyists get much of the blame for gridlock and corruption in Washington, and both presidential candidates have made fighting a€œspecial interestsa€ a central theme of their campaigns.

Barack Obama does not let his audiences forget that he will not hire or take money from lobbyists. But he cheerfully collects donations from lobbyistsa€™ relations, lobbyists can volunteer to advise his campaign, and he rakes in tens of millions of dollars from lawyers. Mr Obama has certainly taken cash from lobbyists in the past; in a recent ad, John McCain cites Mr Obamaa€™s previous connections to influence-peddlers such as the disgraced Tony Rezko in Chicago. He also accuses Mr Obama of taking more money from executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two giant mortgage companies that have just been taken over by the government, than any member of Congress save one. ...