Washington’s latest pariah: The BP lobbyist

There are few Capitol Hill jobs more thankless today than that of BP lobbyist. Thankless except for the whopping fees, that is.

As we wrote last week, lobbying expenditures for energy companies are expected to soar in the wake of the Gulf oil spill.

BP has brought in Hilary Rosen, a managing partner at Brunswick Group. Rosen is former CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America and an editor-at-large for Huffington Post.

Other hired guns include some of the biggest players in the influence business - including Arnold & Porter and the Podesta Group.

At Arnold & Porter, former U.S. Rep. Jim Turner and his former aide on the Hill, David Pore, are arguing BP’s case.

At the Podesta Group, Tony Podesta, brother of Obama insider John Podesta, represents the company’s interests. Podesta told the Wall Street Journal that BP had asked its lobbyists not to talk to the press.

Other shops representing the besieged company include:

• Stuntz Davis & Staffier - Partner Linda G. Stuntz is a former deputy secretary of the Energy Department.
• Alpine Group - Lobbyist Jason Schendle is a former legislative counsel to Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.
• Duberstein Group - Chairman & CEO Kenneth Duberstein was chief of staff to Ronald Reagan. He is currently a director of ConocoPhillips.
• Laxalt Corporation - Michelle Laxalt, the firm’s president, is the daughter of former U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada.

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