I never knew this factoid, and I find it very interesting. The term lobbyist or lobbying came from well, people pitching things in the lobby of a hotel. Neat huh? From Wikipedia.

The supposed origins of the term “lobbyist” varies. The BBC holds that lobbying comes from the gathering of Members of Parliament and peers in the hallways (or lobbies) of Houses of Parliament before and after parliamentary debates.^[2] One story states that the term originated at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, where it was used by Ulysses S. Grant to describe the political wheelers and dealers frequenting the hotel’s lobby in order to access Grant who was often found there, enjoying a cigar and brandy.^[7]

Once again… everything’s a pitch, especially in politics and policy.

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