Holy K Street Project, Batman! Do you suppose there are a lot of black lobbyists in the new Washington? (Answer: Uh, not exactly)

Jeffrey H. Birnbaum reports in today's Washington Post:

Robert G. Drummer [seen at right] has been a lobbyist for a long time. He represents the American Moving and Storage Association and the City of Atlanta. But one thing has not changed since he first left Capitol Hill as an aide in 1995: the number of African American lobbyists like himself has remained remarkably small.

"The number has risen, but it's been a slow growth," he said. As president of the Washington Government Relations Group (WGRG), a trade association of black lobbyists, Drummer should know. The organization has about 100 members and a database of black federal lobbyists that tops 200.

The database probably doesn't capture every African American registered to lobby in the District. But even if it includes only half of the real total--or even a quarter--the number is still minuscule. According to the nonpartisan PoliticalMoneyLine.com, the total number of currently registered federal lobbyists is 29,702. . . .

Could we have a quick show of hands? All those who are surprised . . . .