Howard Marlowe thinks disclosure is important. Technically, the longtime lobbyist will tell you, he didn't even have to register on behalf of the American League of Lobbyists (ALL), since his position as president is on a volunteer basis. But register he did, on behalf of his own lobbying firm Marlowe & Company, a few months after taking over ALL in January.

Marlowe says he decided to register because starting this summer, he will be actually lobbying for changes to lobbying laws, with an aim to "improve the effectiveness" of disclosure requirements. He says some of the suggestions of watchdog groups like the Sunlight Foundation just wouldn't work.

"In some cases what they're proposing is just unrealistic, even if it's well intended," Marlowe told TPM in a phone interview. "Generally speaking, people who want every lobbyist to sign in when they go into an office, or there's another proposal out there that lobbyists should report every contact they have with a member... it's just not realistic."

Marlowe says it's difficult for lobbyists to track exactly what percentage of their time is actually spent lobbying -- an important question because according to the letter of the law, registration isn't required unless more than 20 percent of an individual's time is spent lobbying.

"Most of us, believe it or not, do not spend 20 percent or more of our time lobbying," Marlowe said. "If you try to tighten up on that, there's more disclosure, which we think is good," he said. "Members of Congress, some will love it and some will be uncomfortable, but we don't know until we get to talk to them."

"I'm not saying that we want to have more regulation just for the sake of saying that's better, because I'm not sure that's necessarily the case," he continued. "But the issues of definitions and thresholds are important, and that's something we're taking a look at."