Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Reform, Republican Style

Dennis Hastert outlined the republican reform plan yesterday. Typically, this legislation isn't about reform at all. From the Washington Post:


According to lobbyists and ethics experts, even if Hastert's proposal is enacted, members of Congress and their staffs could still travel the world on an interest group's expense and eat steak on a lobbyist's account at the priciest restaurants in Washington.

The only requirement would be that whenever a lobbyist pays the bill, he or she must also hand the lawmaker a campaign contribution. Then the transaction would be perfectly okay.

That isn't reform, that's a shakedown. Are they serious? For lobbyists to buy a meal or fly someone for free, they now also have to get extorted for some campaign cash as well? That's ridiculous. This only will stand to make the problem worse, it's laughable.

So, if I want to buy a dirty politician, I also have to help him get re-elected. Makes sense I guess, saves time on trying to find other dirty politicians to buy.

This goes back to what I said earlier. Lobbyists aren't the problem, unethical politicians are, and they all seem to be republicans these days.

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