Surprise! Surprise! NYT reports Congress Finds Ways to Avoid Lobbyist Limits

[flpoljunkie]

This is why we need public financing of Congressional and Presidential campaigns, and we need it NOW! Nothing has changed with the "sweeping new rules" to clean up the way business is done in Washington. It is the same old "pay to play" legalized bribery.

February 11, 2007

Congress Finds Ways to Avoid Lobbyist Limits

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 — The 110th Congress opened with the passage of sweeping new rules intended to curb the influence of lobbyists by prohibiting them from treating lawmakers to meals, trips, stadium box seats or the discounted use of private jets.

But it did not take long for lawmakers to find ways to keep having lobbyist-financed fun.

In just the last two months, lawmakers invited lobbyists to help pay for a catalog of outings: lavish birthday parties in a lawmaker’s honor ($1,000 a lobbyist), martinis and margaritas at Washington restaurants (at least $1,000), a California wine-tasting tour (all donors welcome), hunting and fishing trips (typically $5,000), weekend golf tournaments ($2,500 and up), a Presidents’ Day weekend at Disney World ($5,000), parties in South Beach in Miami ($5,000), concerts by the Who or Bob Seger ($2,500 for two seats), and even Broadway shows like “Mary Poppins” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” (also $2,500 for two).

The lobbyists and their employers typically end up paying for the events, but within the new rules.

Instead of picking up the lawmaker’s tab, lobbyists pay a political fund-raising committee set up by the lawmaker. In turn, the committee pays the legislator’s way.Lobbyists and fund-raisers say such trips are becoming increasingly popular, partly as a quirky consequence of the new ethics rules. By barring lobbyists from mingling with a lawmaker or his staff for the cost of a steak dinner, the restrictions have stirred new demand for pricier tickets to social fund-raising events. Lobbyists say that the rules might even increase the volume of contributions flowing from K Street, where many lobbying firms have their offices, to Congress.

much more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/us/politics/11trips.html?ei=5094&en=e1bbc0cbbdc25f89&hp=&ex=1171170000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

[Dr.Phool]

1. The more things change....

The more they stay the same.

The best democracy money can buy.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Steny "K Street" Hoyer sided with John Boehner when questioned about this article on MTP.

This, sadly, is no surprise. Hoyer agrees with Boehner that all that's needed is disclosure, and that neither the American people or Congress would support taxpayers' money being used to fund Congressional campaigns.

These corrupted politicians like the system the way it is. They have the upper hand when lobbyists are legally allowed to fill their campaign coffers, making them less vulnerable to challengers. It is a rigged game, and the American people are the losers. A Congressman enthalled to a lobbyist who serve as his campaign fundraiser is one compromised legislator.

What is legal in our system of campaign fundraising is truly astounding. If the American people understood this, they would demand public financing of federal campaigns. Unfortunately, they do not.

[Le Taz Hot]

3. And the progressives were correct

AGAIN. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.