Congress sucks; lobbyists are smiling.

[Lionel Mandrake]

An article by Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Today's Financial Times:

"Two years ago, Barack Obama, eager to win the Pennsylvania primary and the Democratic nomination for US president, launched an advertisement with a simple message: if elected, he would end Washington’s corrupt ways. ... But little has changed in the way Washington works or the way the game is played. Despite attempts by the president to institute reform in the executive branch, lobbyists are spending more than ever to push their agenda on Capitol Hill. In 2009 the industry spent more than $3bn, breaking all records. It has played a significant role in slowing the passage of two major initiatives in Mr Obama’s domestic agenda: reform of healthcare and of Wall Street. It is likely lobbyists will step up their campaign as lawmakers engage in a final push to pass the financial services reform bill unveiled on Monday. While the White House has won praise from advocates of campaign finance reform and greater transparency in government, some argue that Mr Obama has not used enough political capital to push the agenda in areas where it could make a significant difference. ...

"Though the administration took steps early on to make the White House more transparent, such as publicising the names of the president’s visitors, it has deferred fights with Congress over serious ethics reform. Critics point, for example, to the fact that it has made little or no attempt to bolster the Federal Election Commission, which regulates money in politics and is still seen as a largely toothless federal agency. ...

"By the end of 2009, the sums spent lobbying lawmakers on healthcare and insurance reform – roughly $430m, according to the Center for Responsive Politics – outpaced lobbying on any issue in the history of Congress. Indeed, total lobbying figures for 2009 increased by 5 per cent year-on-year to an unprecedented $3.47bn. In an interview last weekend on ABC News, David Axelrod, Mr Obama’s chief strategist, compared insurance industry lobbyists to “locusts” descending on Capitol Hill to put lawmakers under pressure to vote against the upcoming healthcare reform bill."

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dbb420c0-3069-11df-bc4a-00144feabdc0.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. HCR, or lack thereof, has made it clear that Congress and the WH are all bought off. nt

[Echo In Light]

2. +1000 ...twas ever thus

[MsLeopard]

4. We have lost

We, as a nation, have lost our capacity to reform. Anything. Congress has their corporate masters, and they demonstrate daily that our government does not worked for We the Peasants. Hasn't since St. Ronnie, if then. Everything that's done is done for the corporate elite, and until people take to the streets it will not change.

[Lionel Mandrake]

5. I'm not quite that pessimistic.

I think it's just possible that campaign finance reform will take place without violence. But I have no idea when that might happen.

[Hun Joro]

3. Indeed. K&R