Monday, May 11, 2020

Robert Olen Butler is an author born in Granite City,...

Robert Olen Butler is an author born in Granite City, Illinois who won a Pulitzer Prize. In writing this short story, â€Å"Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot†, Robert Olen Butler writes about a character whose life revolves around his wife and is a compulsively jealous husband. In this story, the main character was a very jealous husband who dies because of the way he decided to deal with his wife’s cheating ways by climbing a tree and falling to his death, only to come back in life as a parrot and still have very strong feeling for his wife. The jealousy and suspicion that took over his human life has now taken over to his life as a parrot. The tone of the story is frustration and jealousy at which you can tell the tone from the very†¦show more content†¦The husband seemed very helpless without her in his life â€Å"When we held each other, I had no past at all, no present but her body, no future but to lie there and not let her go.† (Butler, 19 95, pg189). He was aware that his wife engaging in an affair with another man, but he accepted it because he was more fearful of losing her, even though he wanted to know he would never confront her with the truth. He knew he was a fool for her because he had to remind himself how he is not stupid and how he has to lock himself into the bathroom in order to hide his rage. His life was similar living as a human and a bird. As a human he locked himself inside the bathroom and as a bird he was locked inside a cage and in both situations he was unable to express how he feels because there was something always holding him back. The last thing he wanted was for his wife to hate him by bringing up other men she is having affairs with. The husband’s Behavior is what eventually leads to his death in both lives, he falls from a tree in his human life and dies and when he was a bird he had that same jealousy so when he seen his wife bring in multiple men he could not stand to see it an ymore so he tries to fly away from the house his wife and him once shared but end up falling and dying towards the end. As a result of the husband’s

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Nursing Shortage And Nursing Turnover - 1719 Words

Nursing Shortage and Nursing Turnover Introduction Nursing shortage and turnover is an issue that has constantly and continually bedeviled the nursing leaders and managers. Without sufficient numbers in nursing, patient care and safety is considerably compromised, with lapses in service delivery, overworked and overwhelmed nurses more prone to making mistakes and across board dissatisfaction. Nursing shortage lads to nurse turnover because of the ones carrying our nursing duties are finding it hard to meet the demand and they eventually burn out. This paper critically examines the issues of nursing shortage and turnover and how the nurse leaders and managers can tackle the situation, easing the outcomes (The Truth About†¦show more content†¦One of the ways that nurse leaders and managers are handling this is by offering sign in and retention bonuses for nurses as well as relocation coverage. This may very well motivate people to pursue nursing. Older nurses also come with their own unique challenges, needing re alignment of patient care for them to operate at their best. There are a lot of physical requirements in nursing, requirements that older nurses may not meet, thus requiring the need for technologies in nursing. A clear and workable solution to tackling the issue of an aging nursing population is nurturing the desire to enter into nursing at high school level. There are professions that groom potential employees right from high school, this can be quite beneficial since with the right motivation, the students will go on to study nursing, increasing the nursing population eventually. This can be done through outreach programs where registered nurses travel to high schools and detail all the good nursing does, to the patients and to the nurse (Huber, 2010). These high school kids who show an interest can be taken in hospital rounds to see firsthand what nurses have to offer. Nursing turnover is a great contributor to the shortage of nurses being experienced. It is believed that about 18% of new nurses leave their jobs within the first year with a national average registered nurseShow MoreRelatedNursing Shortage and Nursing Turnover1354 Words   |  6 PagesNursing Shortage and Nursing Turn Over Nursing shortage and turnover is an enormous issue affecting nurses in the delivery of patients’ care. Nursing shortages have been shown to cause unfavorable effects which include decreased job satisfaction, decreased access to care, and can lead to increased turn over. This paper is about nursing shortages and nursing turn overs, and how the author would expect nursing leaders and managers to approach this issue. The writer’s rational would be supported byRead MoreNursing Shortage and Nurse Turnover1031 Words   |  4 PagesNursing shortage and Nurse Turnover The ongoing instability evidenced from the high mobility of qualified nurses in the nursing workforce has raised many questions about the issue of nursing shortage and nurse turnover (Gates Jones, 2007). The paper below discusses the issues of nursing shortage and nurse turnover. The paper also describes how leaders as well as managers in the nursing fraternity and other leaders can resolve those problems effectively and the different applicable principlesRead MoreNursing Shortage : High Level Of Nurse Turnover1433 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction For many decades, the nursing field has been experiencing numerous problems and amongst them is high nursing turnover and nursing shortage. Without a doubt, this problem is not unique to just a few countries, but has been affecting the entire world, bearing in mind that new diseases are cropping up day in day out and hence the need to have more nurses attending to the ever increasing number of patients. As Feldman (2010) clearly explains, the issue of nursing shortage is largely attributed byRead MoreApproaches of Nursing Leaders and Managers to Issues in Practice: Nurse Shortage and Nurse Turnover1288 Words   |  5 PagesApproaches of Nursing Leaders and Managers to Issues in Practice: Nurse Shortage and Nurse Turnover Background In the healthcare field, nursing leaders and managers face consistent issues in their respective practices that force them to alter the way they work and the way they think. In taking on a role as a leader within the field, nursing leaders and managers also take on the role of ensuring that work within an organization runs smoothly regardless of new issues that may arise in the healthcareRead MoreNurse Turnover And Nurse Retention1315 Words   |  6 PagesNurse Turnover and Nurse Retention Stephanie Williams NURS- 411.01 Issues and Leadership in Nursing Delaware State University The nursing shortage in healthcare has been a highlighted issue for many years. With the ever-growing health care system, hospitals and healthcare facilities often find themselves searching for ways to acquire new nurses and retain their very own. Throughout the years, the number one solution to this problem remains the same: decreasing nurse turnover, and increasingRead MoreThe Issue of Nursing Shortage in the United States1102 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Nursing Shortages Introduction The shortage of nurses in the United States has been discussed often and has been fully reported in the media over the past several decades. There have been reports of shortages so critical that they actually have become †¦a national security concern (Nelson, 2002). Moreover, the reasons for the shortages and potential solutions for this crisis are extremely well covered in the scholarly literature. In this paper, an article in the peer-reviewed Health MarketingRead MoreLeadership And Management Approaches For Nursing1228 Words   |  5 PagesTurnover is defined as the movement of employees from being hired to leaving the current position voluntarily and not staying with the organization (Reference.com, 2013). According to Booyens 64% of turnover can be avoidable compared to 36% of turnover considered to be unavoidable due to marriage, pregnancy, and other life events. (Booyens, S. (2007). Turnover. Cape Town: Juta Co, Ltd.). Nursing shortages and turnover continuous to presen t critical challenges in the all levels of healthcare. SeveralRead MoreNursing Shortage : A Difference Between Supply And Demand Of Registered Nurses1608 Words   |  7 Pages Nursing shortage refers as a difference between supply and demand of registered nurses (RN) and turnover refers to the loss of an employee due to transfer, termination, or resignation (Huber, 2014). Worldwide, Hospitals are experiencing nursing shortage despite of intervention and innovation attempt. Nursing shortages can lead to longer working hours under stressful situation that can result in fatigue, burnout, medical errors, mistake, and job dissatisfaction which can endanger patients’ safetyRead MoreEffective Approaches in Leadership and Management Essay1487 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership and Management in Nursing Shortage and Nurse turn-over Nursing Shortage and Nurse Turn Over: Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management. Nursing shortage and nurse’s turnover becomes the worsening problem in the health care industry in United States. Studies show that, by 2020, it may get more worsened approximately 30%, if no measures are taken to resolve the problem. In this essay the author is discussing the issues about the nurse turnover and nursing shortage. And also narrates aboutRead MoreSample Resume : Nurse Retention Strategies883 Words   |  4 Pagesending nurse shortage looms constantly as a reminder in the healthcare setting that with the increase of human population, superior medical technology, major changes to the nation’s medical healthcare, that this nursing shortage is predicted to worsen. The past four years have seen a steady rise in hospital turnover rates. More than 40% of the currently working registered nurses (RNs) will begin to approach retirement age in the next 10 years. (Pellico, 2009) This in addition to the turnover rate will

Expressionism Free Essays

I drove to SST Louis with a couple of friends on a warm day ND when we got to the ml_Assure, all I could say was ‘WOW’. â€Å"Is this a white house replica kind of a building’ asked one of my friends. It was so beautiful, never seen or have never been in a building so huge like that. We will write a custom essay sample on Expressionism or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was quite an honor and would have something to share with people back in Africa. I might not have been a big fan of art but since that day all has changed. We went in and were given a museum map to locate specific areas we wanted to visit. Modern art section was our main priority. We took the elevator to the upper level of the museum where modern art painting was displayed. We walked around sections 327, 335, 334 and 333. The painting that mostly caught my attention was that of Marc Chloral, a French man born in 1887 and died in 1985. The Temptation painting was painted by Marc the cubist in 1912. He painted Adam and Eve flanking the tree of knowledge. He painted Eve as a green figure holding the forbidden fruit that she was about to offer Adam, who poses in blissful ignorance of the consequences to come. The cubism concept of split face allows Eve to look at both the apple and its destination. Marc paints this picture in relations to what we have always been reading bout in the bible. He also painted animals around staring at them, he did this to really show and tell how the fruit changed the world today. Another painting just on the other wall on my left as I turned to my left, there hanged an amazing piece of art called the blue Mandolin, 1 930 by George Baroque. He was a French man born in 1882 but died in 1963. He used oil painting with sand on canvas. This painting looked so real unlike the ones I saw in class on slideshows. He used a paint comb that created imitation wood grain to which he added a heavy application of sand in order to set off the eel effects of texture against artificial ones. The use of sand here really gives this painting a very strong texture. I even felt like I could touch it but could not do so. He conveys his love for music here by painting the blue mandolin very closer to the eye. As moved around exploring the beauty Of art, then came across the Picasso painting of his wife. Pablo was a Spanish cubist born in 1881 and he died in 1973. His painting of a seated woman dated July 1 953 portraits his lover Francoise Gilt. He shows of his skills and extreme exploration of pubis by using facets of creamy grays, whites, pinks, and browns form mosaic of color and tone across the body of Francoise. In this painting the young woman’s face contains a strong right profile as well as a left eye that gazes forward. He also uses a dark background to show the viewers exactly what his painting is all about. The painting looks more like 3 dimensional because of the use of mosaic concept. It’s really one of the greatest pieces of art by Pablo Picasso. As was walking around I then saw this other two paintings that looked like I child was playing With a paint brush, but as I paid more attention to them hen I realized how some people were talented. These were paintings by Emil Molded, a German born in 1867 but died in 1956. How to cite Expressionism, Papers

The Problems Defining Genre Literatures Lite Essay Example For Students

The Problems Defining Genre Literatures Lite Essay rary CriticismThe Problems Defining Genre Genre denotes a systematic way to categorize literature. The term might be considered academic jargon; however, it produces up a set of expectations that allow us to judge literature. These expectations or criteria also allow us to compare with other literature in the same as well as different genres. In spite of these expectations, genre does not dictate a set of rigid rules; in fact, genre is more descriptive than prescriptive. Problems in defining genre often arise because there are frequently sub-genres: romantic comedy might be considered a sub-genre of comedy, revenge tragedy of tragedy and gothic horror of horror. It becomes increasingly difficult to see where one sub-genre ends and another begins. Also these categories are seldom pure. For example, Hamlet, a revenge tragedy, includes aspects of romance and even a comic scene or two. Our popular culture makes defining genre challenging because what is vital one day might disappear the next. An example of this is the current insistence upon a happy ending. Since tragedy is often characterized by an unhappy or right ending, according to Aristotle, popular culture no longer welcomes the tragedy with the relish it did at other times in history. Our Town being the exception that comes to mind, as well as the one-man shows. Poetry makes frequent use of this voice. In Daddy by Sylvia Plath, the author address Daddy throughout the poem. Shannon Chamberlains use of Aesops fable The Parrot and his Cage was another example of this single voice narrative. A second voice option is the drama or dialogue that involves talking between two characters with no narration. All of the plays we are reading in class fit this category as well as Stacy Burlesons example of Merlin as a legend in film. Finally, the combination of the narrator plus dialogue is just as it seems, a narrator talks to the audience (or reader) but the characters talk to each other. The TV shows The Fugitive, Dragnet, and Twilight Zone come to mind as examples of this. Narrative genre, by contrast, focuses on the storyline or plot. Tragedy frequently introduces a problem, there is struggle for control, finally a realistic and often unhappy ending that resolves the problem. Examples of this include: Romeo and Juliet (Sylvia Duncans presentation), the recent Academy Award winner American Beauty and Moby Dick (Doris Herrmanns presentation). Comedy is another plot or storyline that usually deals with a less significant problem, there is an attempt to solve it, but the ending often brings people together. Examples of comedy are: Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Ernest, A Marriage Proposal by Anton Chekhov, and the movie Sixteen Candles shown in class by Laura Peterson. Romance may center or conclude on a transcendence where the problem often includes separation, a journey or adventure might be included. The plot of romance would be the struggle to achieve this transcendence or goal. Characters are more predictable and are frequently good or bad with very little complexity. The excerpt of Sleepy Hollow shown by Cara Skinner is an example of this. true Pygmalion and Shakespeare in Love might fit her; however, these characters do show considerably more depth than the norm. This is a good reminder of how good any genre can be. Satire pokes fun at a social situation or institution and assumes the audience is familiar with what is being satirized. There is usually a less serious tone than with the original. Examples are seen in the play within a play in MidSummer Nights Dream. good Political cartoons and Molieres The Misanthrope also display elements of a satire. .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b , .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .postImageUrl , .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b , .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b:hover , .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b:visited , .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b:active { border:0!important; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b:active , .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background : url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left: 18px; top: 0; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5717947de32bb36e86b0a5f113acec4b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Self Esteem Essay

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Working Girl Essay Example

Working Girl Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on Working Girl specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Working Girl specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Working Girl specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Working Girl The motion picture, Working Girl, is a romantic comedy movie produced in 1988. The picture, whose director was the talented Mike Nichols, recounts the stirring account of a stockbroker’s secretary with big dreams and aspirations. The secretary works in the Mergers and Acquisition subdivision in an investment bank. She is called upon to fill the shoes of her immediate boss, who injures her leg during skiing, and begins developing and creating novel business opportunities. The movie was nominated for the role of Best Picture during the 61st session of the Academy Awards that took place in March 29, 1989. Tess McGill is an astute, formally employed individual having just graduated from university with a Business Degree. From Staten Island, Tess dreams of becoming an executive in a company. However, she finds herself in trouble when she insults her colleague and finds that she is given a different assignment. She thereby becomes the assistant to a different financial executive who is known as Katherine Parker. Coming off as a supportive person, Parker persuades Tess to contribute her ideas actively. However, Katherine Parker fractures her leg while on a skiing trip in Europe and requests Tess to fill in for her while she is recuperating. Later, she accidentally finds out that Katherine plans to steal one of her ideas. Consequently, she finds her boyfriend sleeping with another woman. Afterwards, she decides to organize a conference with another executive, Jack Trainer, whom she unknowingly sleeps with after taking alcohol and valium while suffering a panic attack. To her advantage, Tra iner is positive with her idea and helps Tess have a meeting with another executive, Trask. Additionally, she discovers that Trainer was in a relationship with Katherine. A scuffle erupts between Katherine and Tess after arriving on the day of meeting. She lays the blame on Tess, arguing that Tess has stolen her idea. However, Trask confronts Katherine after being convinced by Jack and Tess that it was Tess’ idea. Katherine stumbles and is fired by Trask who offers Tess an executive job in the company. There are various themes that the movie exalts especially pertaining to issues affecting women. In the past, women never had any right to work; instead, they were discarded as homemakers and mothers without any involvement in financial matters and decision making in the family. Consequently, men were the ones responsible for discriminating women. According to John Stuart Mill, men hindered women from taking part in jobs believing that they were protecting them from hurting themselves. He further asserted that, in real sense, men were afraid of what women could accomplish if allowed to pursue other opportunities (Mill, 54). The discrimination of women further accentuated the rise of women civil rights movement. The movements characterized feminism, which championed the rights of women. Despite the movements taking place in different time eras, they similarly advocated for economic equity, equal political power, sexuality freedoms, reproductive privileges, family issues, equity in educ ations and employment equality as brought out in the film (Flexner and Fitzpatrick, 201). The film is an interesting piece to watch especially the calculative and manipulative nature of Katherine Parker and the resilience. However, it should be noted that the movie does not only connect with women’s intricacies in the job sector, but also on upward mobility. This is indicated by the appraisal of Tess McGill’s status from an ordinary secretary to a corporate executive. Furthermore, the movie portrays the competitive nature in companies and businesses in order to move up the social ladder. This is indicated by the manipulation of Tess McGill by her former figurehead, Katherine Parker, by stealing her ideas and causing her failure, which will eventually lead to a disastrous outcome. There have also been instances of sexual connotations, which have mostly ensued between McGill and another figurehead, Jack Trainer that still portrayed the use of manipulative techniques to ensure upward mobility. Works Cited Flexner, Eleanor, and Ellen F. Fitzpatrick. Century of Struggle: The Woman’s Rights Movement in the United States. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard Univ. Press, 2000. Print. Mill, John S. The Subjection of Women. Lexinton, Kentucky: CreateSpace, 2012. Print.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Class Lecture essays

Class Lecture essays What were the differences between the environments faced by the Romans when the characteristics social and political institutions of their state were forming and those of the Greek world when the polis was taking form? How did the Romans react differently to the conditions they faced? What social institutions formed in Rome as a result, and how did these help Rome to create a large and stable empire? Romans created a civilization that has shaped subsequent world history for 2,000 years. The remains of vast building projects, including roads and bridges, enormous baths and aqueducts, temples and theaters, as well as entire towns in the North African desert, still mark Rome's former dominion. Cities throughout Western Europe stand on Roman foundations. Rome grew from a tiny settlement to an emerging empire while developing from monarchy to a republican form of government. The land and environment of Italy provided the Romans with a secure home from which to expand. Roman republic started with their conflict against the Latins, who tried to break away from Rome and fought a war. At that time Romans feared the Samnites, another group of people and they stopped fighting with the Latins and offered them to join in. In doing so Romans came up with the idea of latin citizenship, and then gradually as the Romans expanded their territory to the whole of Italy after some internal conflicts everyone in Italy was granted Roman citizenship, slowly as the Romans defeated other lands in the Mediterranean basin, they never tried to impose their rule on captured lands but made them states, which were allowed to rule under the Roman umbrella by paying taxes and provide services to the Roman Army accepting the Roman superiority. And as time passed by at one point in history everyone under the Roman Empire got Roman citizenship. The Roman aristocrats provided the leadership for the establishment of the Roman Republic, and they continued to dominate ...

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

The Controversial Role of Lobbyists

The Controversial Role of Lobbyists The role of lobbyists is controversial in American politics. Lobbyists are hired and paid by special-interest groups, companies, nonprofits, groups of citizens, and even school districts to exert influence over elected officials at all levels of government. They work at the federal level by meeting with members of Congress to introduce legislation and encourage them to vote in ways that benefit their clients. Lobbyists work at the local and state levels as well. Debate Over Their Influence What makes lobbyists so unpopular with the public? Their work comes down to money. Most Americans dont have the funds to spend on trying to influence their members of Congress, so they view special interests and their lobbyists as having an unfair advantage in creating policy that benefits them rather than the common good.   Lobbyists, however, say they simply want to make sure your elected officials hear and understand both sides of an issue before making a decision, as one lobbying firm puts it. There are about 9,500 lobbyists registered at the federal level, which means about 18 lobbyists for  every member of the House of Representatives  and  U.S. Senate.  Together they spend more than $3 billion trying to influence members of Congress every year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C. Who Can Be a Lobbyist? At the federal level, the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 defines who is and who isn’t a lobbyist. States have their own regulations on lobbyists regarding who is allowed to seek to influence the legislative process in their legislatures. At the federal level, a lobbyist is defined by the law as someone who earns at least $3,000 over three months from lobbying activities, has more than one contact they are seeking to influence, and spends more than 20 percent of their time lobbying for a single client over a three-month period. A lobbyist meets all three of those criteria. Critics say the federal regulations arent strict enough and point out that many well-known former lawmakers perform the functions of lobbyists but dont actually follow the regulations. How Can You Spot a Lobbyist? At the federal level, lobbyists and lobbying firms are required to register with the Secretary of the U.S. Senate and the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives within 45 days of making official contact with the president of the United States, vice president, a member of Congress, or certain federal officials. The list of registered lobbyists is a matter of public record. Lobbyists are required to disclose their activities of trying to persuade officials or influence policy decisions at the federal level. They are required to disclose the issues and legislation they attempted to influence, among other details of their activities. Biggest Lobbying Groups Trade associations and special interests often hire their own lobbyists. Some of the most influential lobbying groups in American politics are those that represent the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Realtors, the AARP, and the National Rifle Association. Loopholes in Lobbying Law The Lobbying Disclosure Act has been criticized for containing what some feel is a loophole that allows some lobbyists to avoid having to register with the federal government. For example, a lobbyist who does not work on behalf of a single client for more than 20 percent of their time does not need to register or file disclosures. They would not be considered a lobbyist under the law. The American Bar Association has proposed eliminating the so-called 20 percent rule. Portrayal in the Media Lobbyists have long been painted in a negative light because of their influence over policymakers. In 1869, a newspaper described a Capitol lobbyist this way: â€Å"Winding in and out through the long, devious basement passage, crawling through the corridors, trailing its slimy length from gallery to committee room, at last it lies stretched at full length on the floor of Congress- this dazzling reptile, this huge, scaly serpent of the lobby. The late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia described what he saw as the problem with lobbyists and the practice itself: Special interest groups often wield an influence that is greatly out of proportion to their representation in the general population. This type of lobbying, in other words, is not exactly an equal opportunity activity. One-person, one-vote does not apply when the great body of citizens is under-represented in the halls of Congress compared to the well-financed, highly organized special interest groups, notwithstanding the often plausible objectives of such groups. Lobbying Controversies During the 2012 presidential race, Republican hopeful and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was accused of lobbying but not registering his activities with the government. Gingrich said he did not fall under the legal definition of a lobbyist, even though he did seek to use his considerable influence to sway policymakers.Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty in 2006 to charges of mail fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy in a broad scandal that implicated nearly two dozen people, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. President Barack Obama came under fire for taking what appeared to be contradictory approaches to lobbyists. When Obama took office after winning the 2008 election, he imposed an informal ban on hiring recent lobbyists in his administration. Obama said later: A lot of folks see the amounts of money that are being spent and the special interests that dominate and the lobbyists that always have access, and they say to themselves, maybe I don’t count. Still, lobbyists were frequent visitors to the Obama White House. And many former lobbyists were given jobs in the Obama administration, including Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Do Lobbyists Do Any Good? Former President John F. Kennedy described the work of lobbyists in a positive light, saying they are expert technicians capable of examining complex and difficult subjects in clear, understandable fashion. Added Kennedy: â€Å"Because our congressional representation is based upon geographical boundaries, the lobbyists who speak for the various economic, commercial and other functional interests of the country serve a useful purpose and have assumed an important role in the legislative process. Kennedys ringing endorsement is just one voice in the ongoing debate about the perhaps undue influence wrought by monied interests. Its a contentious debate, contentious as democracy itself, since lobbyists play such a central role in the forging of policy and expression of varied groups interests.