And the Beat Goes On

Thanks to the folks at Crooks and Liars dot com for this heads up on a story in the New York Times (Free subscription may be required) on one of the methods being employed to continue the marriage of politicians and lobbyists. As we have been told more than a few times now, the new Democratic majority chose “lobby reform” as one of their priorities in their first 100 hours. Well, as this story reminds us, one person’s reform is another person’s reward.

It seems that the “reform” in question has to do with the new restrictions on a lobbyist’s ability to pick up the tab for meals, trips, or social events for legislators. How does the “reform” work? According to the article by David Kirkpatrick of the NY Times:

”The 110th Congress opened with the passage of 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.”

The piece comes with a list of specific events and legislators who are taking full advantage of this “reform”. A couple of examples:

Montana Democratic Senator, Max Baucus’ PAC is hosting skiing/snomobiling in February or golfing/fly fishing in the summer for a $5000 contribution.

Florida Democratic Senator, Bill Nelson’s PAC offered a Super Bowl party in Miami for a $5000 contribution.

Florida Republican Senator, Mel Martinez’s PAC is offering a President’s Day Weekend at Disney World for a $5000 contribution.

California Republican Congresswoman, Mary Bono’s (widow of Sonny) PAC is offering two tickets to a Who concert for $2500.

Finally, as if to poke a couple of fingers in the eyes of those who might see this “new” practice as a bit questionable South Carolina Republican Senator, Lindsay Graham offers this:

” Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who sometimes invites lobbyists to join him for fund-raising hunting trips, called such events an innocuous fact of life.
“If you are not going to have publicly financed elections and you are getting your support from private individuals — which I believe in — I don’t see any problem with having events where private individuals who give you money can talk to you,” said Mr. Graham, who like the other senators quoted in this article voted for the ethics reform…””

And the beat goes on, yes the beat goes on......

[UPDATE] I just caught this from David Postman on yesterday's exchange between Democrat Steny Hoyer and Republican John Boehner over this story when Tim Russert brought it up on "Meet the Press."

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue