Ethical Choice: Bribery or Fraud
Just as another politician has his home searched based on his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, stories about the unsavory connections between two campaigns and dirty lobbyist cash surfaces. Perhaps only because of previous actions or statements made by these two candidates do they find themselves singled out for this report. But it is fair to say that except for the missing statements, every other politician on the planet is somehow beholding to special interest money.
That is why ethics reform in Congress is such a ludicrous proposal. This is not the first time the issue or legislation has come up on the Hill. Once should have been enough to either write effective legislation and enact it into law or simply use the available laws to take enforcement action against those who defraud the public in acting solely on behalf of benefactors who pay for influence. How is this any more than bribery and fraud? There are plenty of laws to cover that. These actions are proof enough of the obvious failure of politicians by violating their oath.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
“Reformers” Compromising For Cash
April 17, 2007(The Politico) By The Politico’s Jeanne Cummings.
Donning the white hats of campaign finance reformers, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are positioning themselves as the presidential candidates least likely to be bossed around by special interests if they win the Oval Office.But the reality of presidential-level fundraising is driving both camps into the arms of the very lobbyists who are the agents of those interests. McCain, whose disappointing first-quarter fundraising total has rocked his standing in the GOP primary lineup, abandoned all pretense of being the untainted one after assigning an overhaul of his campaign finance operation to two well-connected Washington lobbyists, including one who has been singled out for helping clients secure the very budget earmarks that the senator rails against on the campaign trail.
Obama’s moves have been more subtle. He has vowed not to take money from federally registered lobbyists. But that leaves wide latitude for his lobbyist friends in Illinois to pony up cash, and his campaign is informing Washington lobbyists that they’d be happy to take checks from their spouses or clients.