Integrity Top Tool of Top Lobbyists
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Integrity. Accuracy. Straight-talk.
These are the characteristics that set apart good lobbyists. They should be the characteristics that animate all lobbying.
State legislators in Oregon aren't full-time politicians, and they don't have professional staffs or a lot of resources to assist them in understanding a wide range of issues on which they must vote. Lobbyists, for better or worse, fill the role of providing information and insight into issues.
Experienced lawmakers come to know whose view they can depend on in the lobby corps. They may or may not agree all the time, but they know certain lobbyists will give them the whole picture and accurate information. The best lobbyists can explain the other side of the story as well as their own.
Straight talk, accurate data and fair depiction of issues build integrity.
However, integrity runs deeper. It also means a fidelity by a lobbyist to the legislative institution and the democratic principles it reflects. Lobbyists with integrity believe it is part of their job to protect and preserve the institution where they carry out their craft. It means recognizing when advocacy stops and the prerogatives of an elected official to make his or her own decision begin. It means respecting the outcome of the legislative process without malice.
And it means lobbying on the up-and-up. Good lobbyists rely on good arguments, not big campaign contributions or political considerations. They don't bribe people or make threats. If they are any good, they make their case better than their opponents. Lobbyists with integrity have terrific win-loss records - session after session.
The best lobbyists exceed compliance with ethics and campaign reporting rules. Changes in those rules have little bearing on their success. They win votes by the quality of their arguments, not by back-slapping or log-rolling.
The curves and bumps on the road to legislative decision-making may disturb many people who want to see immediate action and instant results. Lobbyists realize the process has its own rhythm and takes it own time. The legislative process never was intended to be efficient; its purpose is to be deliberate.
Good lobbyists do some of their best work in the offices of their clients, guiding them to a practical and realistic understanding of what is politically possible. Integrity starts when a lobbyist tells an existing or potential client the truth about what can be accomplished. If a lobbyist dissembles to a client, he or she is already on the road to fudging the truth in representations to lawmakers.
Talking straight and dealing in real facts isn't always comfortable - or popular. But these are the traits of lobbyists with integrity. These are the tools that produce trust.
A lot of people think lobbying is all about who you know. In fact, relationships are important and do matter. But being someone's buddy only goes so far. Lawmakers like to help their friends. But they also want to discharge their responsibility to their voters, so they expect to get the real lowdown on an issue from every lobbyist.
Clients who want a yes-man should avoid lobbyists with integrity. They won't tell you what you want to hear; they will tell you what you need to hear.
Legislators listen to lobbyists with integrity - and many times cast their vote that way, even in the face of a friendly lobbyist in opposition. For most lawmakers, straight talk and accurate facts trump cronyism any day of the week.
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