Stephen Walt's Non-Existent Saudi Lobby

Stephen Walt seems to believe that the Arab states have no lobbying presence in Washington. Is he serious?

Steve Walt describes himself as "a realist in an ideological age." And then he writes the following:

Saudi Arabia and the other Arab states have no meaningful lobby in Washington,

It's kind of staggering to imagine how much you have to not know about Washington to believe that Saudi Arabia has no lobby here.

Where to start? How about p. 3-4 of Bob Woodward's State of Denial, the third part of his Bush at War series.

It's 1997. Texas Governor George W. Bush has not even been re-elected to a second term. Yet already his thoughts are turning to national ambitions. And guess to whom he turns as one of his very first confidants? Why it's Saudi Arabian ambassador, Prince Bandar bin Sultan:

"I'm thinking of running for president," said Bush, then 52. ... Bush told Bandar he had clear ideas of what needed to be done with national domestic policy. But, he added, "I don't have the foggiest idea about what I think about international, foreign policy."

"My dad told me before I made up my mind, go and talk to Bandar. One, he's our friend. Our means America, not just the Bush family. Number two, he knows everyone around the world who counts. And number three, he will give you his view on what he sees happening around the world. Maybe he can set up meetings for you with people around the world."

Ok obviously Bandar is the source here. Obviously he is self-serving. And obviously the quotes cannot possibly be verbatim: State of Denial was published in 2006, the conversation cited is supposed to have taken place in 1997. Still: no lobby? Really? I doubt Bush ever described Benjamin Netanyahu as a friend of the Bush family's.