Success of President Obama's crackdown on lobbying questioned

The Washington Post reports:

President Obama is escalating his war on K Street, proposing a series of tough restrictions a year after he first issued policies aimed at tamping down the influence of lobbyists.

But changing the way business is done in Washington is slow and difficult, underscored by the fact that spending on lobbying reached record levels last year despite the president's reforms and a down economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $144 million on its lobbying efforts -- a 60 percent increase over 2008's expenditure -- leading industry opposition to health-care reform, financial regulations and climate legislation.

Although White House supporters say the number of registered lobbyists has declined, some public interest groups say that power has shifted to other Washington insiders and business executives, who do not have to register their activity.