WASHINGTON INSIGHT

BEACHED LOBBYISTS: Could alligator shoes (the footwear of lobbyists, according to Ross Perot) be on the run? One corporation planning a mid-March health care conference for members of Congress and key staff aides in Santa Monica has decided to call the whole thing off. In bygone days, lawmakers leaped at the chance to go someplace warm at lobbyists’ expense. But this time, according to a spokeswoman for CNA Insurance Companies, very few wanted to junket when President Clinton is attacking lobbyists as “defenders of decline” and news organizations are scrutinizing financial disclosure reports to detect such perks. As one indignant Senate staff aide said: “If they want to learn about health care, they can have a hearing in Washington or go to a seminar here. They don’t need to go to a beach with their wives to study health care.” . . . Like all insurance companies, CNA may be profoundly affected by sweeping health care changes that Clinton is expected to propose. CNA has a special concern because it offers insurance for federal workers under a law reviewed by Congress.