IF THIS GETS OUT, CONGRESS MAY RISE IN THE POLLS: The Hill: Washington’s long debt-ceiling debate hits K Street in the wallet.

Washington’s all-consuming focus on the debt ceiling has eaten away at K Street’s revenues.

Several of Washington’s prominent lobby firms reported declines in their lobbying earnings for the first half of this year compared to the same point in 2010, according to forms filed Wednesday under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA). . . .

Several pieces of legislation that generate work for lobbyists have stalled since divided government took hold in January. The surface reauthorization transportation bill, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, the patent reform bill and the long-wanted trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea are just a sampling of what’s been stuck in Congress.

This year’s inactivity stands in stark contrast to the last Congress, when a flurry of legislation from Democrats had companies flocking to K Street for help.

As Bob Dole said, sometimes a little gridlock can be a good thing.