In 2009 alone, it had 10 different organizations with a total of 49 lobbyists working on its behalf.

"This gives them a few more days to let the lobbyists work members of the conference and the Hill," one aide said.

While the lobbyists worked behind closed doors, the industry financed citizens' groups to bring its message to the public.

His experience is not at all unusual because these days that is how lobbyists work.

Corporate lobbyists have been working feverishly to stop efforts to change the rules.

Berman's company was too small to employ an army of lobbyists working on its behalf in Washington.

There are hundreds of lobbyists working in Westminster telling their clients that they can influence government policy.

Ten or 12 years ago, he said, lobbyists working for foreign interests could make a few phone calls to well-placed officials and sway an issue.

The battle is so contentious that the companies involved do not even agree on how many lobbyists are working on the issue.

In her practice, she became a lobbyist, working mainly for non-profit organizations, before the state legislature.