Want to know who is lobbying Congress on behalf of which corporations or on what issues? The Sunlight Foundation has unveiled a great new tool for doing just that,which can be found on the group's web site, Reporting Group.
Not only does the site provide data that is updated weekly on who is registering to do what for whom, it takes data on registrations going back through 2009 and presents it in graphical formats that allow users to pick and choose what data is to be used.
With the convening of the 112th Congress, split as it is between a Democratic Senate and a Republican House, the task facing lobbyists is doubly difficult. Many firms are likely to find it necessary to employ former senators and representatives from both parties, and former staffers identified with both parties.
The site also includes a blog that currently features multiple posts by veteran investigative reporter Bill Allison, who is the inspiration behind Sunlight's Reporting Group.