Number of Black Lobbyists Remains Shockingly Low

Nonetheless, African American lobbyists have banded together in both loose and formal ways for 25 years. According to the WGRG's new Web site, http://www.wgrginc.org/ , a group of 20 regulars who represented DuPont, Mobil and Westinghouse (among other big companies) began meeting consistently in 1981. In the mid-80s, the lobbyists named themselves the Second Wednesday Group because they tended to gather on the second Wednesday of each month.

In the mid-90s, the group went dormant. But it was revived in its current form in 1997 by John Chambers of the law firm Arent Fox. These days, the nonpartisan WGRG helps lobbyists network with congressional staffers and each other. It also promotes charitable works and educational activities with an eye toward promoting lobbying as a career for African Americans.

There are so few black lobbyists in town that some of them try to take a jocular view of the situation. "Ain't but two of us," joked Fred McClure of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, when asked how many African American lobbyists there are -- "one Democrat, one Republican." McClure would be the Republican in that formulation, and that can be lonely, he said.

Patrice Webb, a lobbyist for Free Press, a nonprofit media reform organization, has noted with regret that blacks often are directed into social policy rather than corporate-type lobbying roles. Michael J. Frazier, an independent lobbyist and former Transportation Department official, agrees. "I can't figure out why the Fortune 500, which generally has been good on diversity in other areas, isn't as good at having diversity in their government affairs offices," Frazier said.

But Drummer, the WGRG's president, believes that the situation will gradually improve. "That's our hope and expectation," he said. We'll see.

BellSouth, Whistle-Blower Part Ways

Last December, Vicki A. Taylor handed a set of documents to The Washington Post that revealed the then-common practice of lawmakers and their staff members of accepting meals and other gifts from lobbyists that exceeded congressional limits. Taylor, a clerical worker, provided proof that lobbyists at her employer, BellSouth Corp., frequently exceeded the limits.

After The Post's story appeared in January, Taylor was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into her actions. Now, said BellSouth spokesman Bill McCloskey, "She is no longer working for the company." Taylor's attorney, Melanie Sloan, explained in an e-mail, "She settled with BellSouth in a confidential agreement." Neither McCloskey nor Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, would elaborate.

CQ Buys PoliticalMoneyLine.com

PoliticalMoneyLine.com is one of Washington's indispensable utilities. I used some of its information in today's column.

Now the million-dollar Web site has a new owner, Congressional Quarterly, which is good news for anyone who cares about following political money. PoliticalMoneyLine's indefatigable founders, Kent Cooper and Tony Raymond, both graduates of the Federal Election Commission and the Center for Responsive Politics, have maintained the gold standard of public disclosure for the past 10 years. Now with CQ's help, Cooper wants to go for platinum.

"I'm extremely pleased about this new relationship," Cooper said. "We hope to get even better at what we do."

Jeffrey Birnbaum writes about the intersection of government and business every other Monday. His e-mail address iskstreetconfidential@washpost.com. He will be online to discuss lobbying, lawmaking and diversity on K Street at 1 p.m. today athttp://www.washingtonpost.com.