It’s Hard Out Here for a Lobbyist, what with all the ethics reform in the news these days.  They’re trying to take all the fun out of being a big Washington or Raleigh lobbyist, so I guess I’ll stick with my PhD program.

At least I have ONE chance to give away special favors:
Traction just got a box of slick stuff from THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, the great new black comedy about slick lobbyists (starring William H. Macy, Katie Holmes, Robert Duvall, Rob Lowe) and I get to give it away!

I’ve got about seven very slick black T-SHIRTS, twelve bizarre plastic babies who smoke (their brand: Li’l Smokes), and about 25 FREE PASSES for two to an advance screening on Monday night in Raleigh. 

The passes go to the first 25 people to ask.  But the T-shirts, well, those are harder to come by so YOU gotta lobby ME.  Why should you get one?

Inside tip: I’m likely to be swayed by…
- Tales of your own lobbying efforts
- Tales of your activism, whether hardcore or novice
- Clever ideas for future Traction events and offers to volunteer
- Recruiting new Tractivists (CC: carole@getTraction.org b/c seeing is believing.)
- other creative ideas

Make your case by Friday at 5pm, and by Sunday, I’ll do my best Abramoff and hand out some special favors.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is getting positive reviews from such wildly divergent sources as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Rolling Stone, the LA Times and Entertainment Weekly.  I can’t wait for the advance screening, which is 7:30pm on Monday at the Regal Cinema (Brier Creek Stadium).  I’ll be out front between 7 and 7:15pm with passes.  Coffee or a beer afterwards?