They had spent years fighting such requirements, but they were slowly losing the battle.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is fighting the requirements in court, and the Bush Administration, which California asked for help in implementing the rules, has instead come down on the side of the carmakers.
The insurance industry, in particular, has been fighting the requirement.
But Lev D. Gudkov, Levada's director, was far darker in his assessment Monday, saying just the distraction of fighting the requirement would effectively shut down the center, which pioneered American-style polling after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In Minnesota, where both sides are preparing for a vote next year on a constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage, conservatives are fighting financial disclosure requirements that they say would expose donors to intimidation.
And the industry continues to oppose limits on multiple gun sales to a single buyer, a major theme of the lawsuits; it is in court fighting a new requirement that dealers report such rifle sales under certain circumstances.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation president Michael Weinstein, who introduced the measure, has been fighting for the requirement of condoms in porn throughout the past decade.
The Justice Department has been fighting discriminatory voter ID requirements and other ballot-blocking measures around the country, with some success.
In Louisiana, for example, a group of monks is fighting back against state requirements that they must obtain a funeral home director's license to sell caskets, a license that must be obtained from a board where nine of the 10 sitting members are from the state's largest funeral homes.
Koch Industries has long been the most aggressive lobbyist fighting against chemical safety requirements.
