In the midst of a political scandal that threatens to erode whatever trust the American people still have in their elected representatives, Congress has passed its much-anticipated lobbying reform bill. Finally the U.S. Senate can stand before the American people and proudly proclaim it is no longer for sale!
No?
Okay, so it is still technically for sale. But don't you worry about that. At least now, it should come with some sense of shame. While critics might deride the bill as the equivalent of putting makeup on a black lung, Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., is vouching for it, telling the Washington Post, "This legislation contains very serious reform."
You heard it here, folks. This is serious reform we are talking about. This is in no way some softball bill passed in hopes that the public will pay more attention to the title of the bill than the contents. So it does not ban free meals, gifts or all-expense-paid travel by lobbyists. So what exactly does the bill do?
That is a good question. Allow me to help you understand the comprehensive reforms Mr. Lieberman is raving about. Essentially, members are still allowed to do whatever seedy activities they deem necessary to help them best represent the interests of their district, except now they have to tell us about it all … electronically. Oh yeah, and instead of biannual reports, lobbyists must file the dreaded quarterly report!
The bill doesn't create a bipartisan ethics office, leaving one to wonder how successful Congress will be at enforcing even these weak reforms. Meanwhile, the House ethics committee still refuses to investigate anything at all because each party is afraid of the possibility of investigations into the ethics of congressional members. And that kind of partisan bickering has no place in government.
I for one am glad to see our Congress take a page from Nigerian soccer referees, who are allowed to take bribes from clubs, but only if those bribes do not influence decisions on the field. If we know anything at all about the people we elect, it is that they are never influenced by the massive sums of money contributed to their campaigns.
If the legislative branch really wanted to change the way it does business, it would appoint a panel of retired circuit court judges to help reform our cash-driven political system. There is a simple reason few would sign onto this, because those in power are merely the ones who have mastered the manipulation of our political system.
It's the same thing at the state level. Scott Walker's recent decision to drop out of the Wisconsin gubernatorial race is a frightening indication of the problems in state politics. Anyone who has read my column knows I'm not exactly the biggest Scott Walker fan, but when an ego as boundless as his feels no choice but to quit after raising (only) $1.6 million, one must wonder how representative our government truly is. The Milwaukee Republican was at the very least an option for Wisconsin's many urban fiscal conservatives. Now they must choose between rotten ham and spoiled milk.
Here is a wild suggestion for the state parties: instead of spending countless late nights figuring out new ways to accuse the other of shady practices, the Legislature should brainstorm ways to regain some semblance of accountability. And no, I don't mean to the teachers unions or Right to Life Wisconsin.
Voters aren't stupid, just easily frustrated. Here's a piece of advice for Mark Green and Jim Doyle for the upcoming campaign: implicating the other side of the aisle in ethical lapses isn't going to get you anywhere with John Q. Public. To this point, each has been more than complicit in our 'pay to play' political culture.
Mr. Green's congressional chief of staff got concert, wrestling and NBA skybox tickets from lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He first denied the claims, then pointed out that while that is illegal in Wisconsin, anything goes in Washington. (I'm sure a touching note for his constituents.) Meanwhile, Mr. Doyle has kept his travel-gate money despite another successful test of highly advanced American scandal naming technology by state Republicans.
At this point it seems as if the only way the people of Wisconsin will be represented by their representatives is if everyone writes in their own name. Just tell your mom not to file that report bi-annually. It is quarterly now.
Bassey Etim ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and journalism.
