Disaster-response companies enlist K St. to find buyers

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, numerous homeland-security and defense companies are tapping top D.C. lobbying firms to help them shop around their solutions to problems the initial disaster relief brought to light.

But in the first two weeks after the disaster, some of the lobbying shops, and the companies they represent, have been facing an uphill battle in their dealings with the beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Some, such as Andr