Jack Abramoff, the infamous Washington super-lobbyist
who slipped on his own sleaze, was sentenced recently to four years in
prison for corruption. How appropriate that his denouement came on the very
day that John McCain was nominated by Republicans to be their presidential
standard-bearer, and only one week after the Democratic Party convention.
The timing is appropriate because it puts the
corrupting power of corporate lobbyists back in the news, even as both
parties were chanting that they will be the agents of “change”
in Washington.
In St. Paul and Denver, Republicans and Democrats
alike were posing as ethical purists who would take on the special
interests. Yet, out of camera view, those very interests were honored
guests at both gatherings!
What neither party wants you to know is that their
presidential nominating conventions were paid for by the latter-day Jack
Abramoffs, who were sipping cocktails and schmoozing with elected officials
in those corporate suites. More than 100 corporations, from AFLAC to Xerox,
pumped in about $1 million each to finance the shows below, including some
25 corporate swingers that sponsored both events.
Last year, when Democrats took charge of Congress,
there was a loud pledge by the new House leaders to reform the culture of
corruption that had become pervasive under GOP leader Tom DeLay. Sure
enough, in the Democrats’ first month, such crass practices as
letting lobbyists pay for members’ junkets and rides on corporate
jets were banned. But there’s a loophole. While a lobbyist can no
longer put a key Congress-critter on a client’s jet and pay for a
golfing getaway in Bermuda, the lobbyist can simply give $5,000 or so to
the critter’s campaign fund, so he or she can “pay their own
way.”
As Lily Tomlin puts it, “No matter how cynical
you get, it’s almost impossible to keep up.”
To learn more, including how you can help bring this
reform to your state and to Congress, go to www.publiccampaign.org.
Jim Hightower is a
national radio commentator, columnist, and author.
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2008.
