Bangladesh, Sept. 15 -- Washington's political swamp does not drain simply because Congress leaves town. Lawmakers may return to their home districts, congressional offices may grow quieter and the marble corridors of Capitol Hill may temporarily empty out. But the ecosystem surrounding Washington politics remains very much alive - particularly the sprawling network of lobbyists, trade associations, consultants, government contractors and media organizations that feed off one another.

A recent Politico article about proposed Medicaid regulations offers a revealing example of how that ecosystem can work.

The story warned that hospitals could suffer hundreds of billions of dollars in additional losses because of regulations being develop...