Democrats trash lobbyists in their speeches, but party with them at convention

“If you give up on the idea that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void: lobbyists and special interests; the people with the $10 million checks who are trying to buy this election and those who are making it harder for you to vote,” President Obama said as he accepted his party’s nomination Thursday night. …

But by the time the 2012 convention launched this week, the goal of a convention free from lobbyist money had been significantly watered down. One of the major sponsors donating to an entity formed to help pay for the festivities was McGuireWoods LLP, a firm registered to lobby for Duke Energy, the NBA, and others.

Lobbyists were an even greater presence outside the official convention events — at restaurants and other party venues around town. Lobbyists for electric utilities rented out the historic Duke Mansion in Charlotte’s oldest residential neighborhood, and entertained Democratic governors with a string quartet and open bar. Casualty insurance lobbyists held court at a nightclub called Tilt, where drinks flowed and music pounded.