Monday, June 29, 2009

So Damn Much Money

Cover of "So Damn Much Money: The Triumph...Cover via Amazon

The Triumph of Lobbying and the Corrosion of American Government

By Robert G. Kaiser

A frank description of how Lobbyists have come to run Washington – Representative (Ca – Dem) Leon E. Panetta

Lobbyists are destroying America by turning our political processes into an auction.

Jack Abramoff (the worst of the worst lobbyist) – “I was participating in a system of legalized bribery. All of it bribery, every bit of it.”

 “There is no shame anymore. We’ve blown past the ethical standards.” – Senator Chuck Hagel (R/Ne)

 “Members of the House and Senate rarely legislate, they basically follow the money.” – Representative (Ca – Dem) Leon Panetta

 Lobbyists propose entire bills.

 Our political process is distorted by dollars.

 A unanimous Supreme Court decision decided the lobbying case of Trist v. Child in 1875 – “The theory of our government is, that all public stations are trusts, and that those clothed with them are to be animated in the discharge of their duties solely by considerations of right, justice, and the public good. They are never to descend to a lower plane Any departure from the line of rectitude in such cases is not only bad morals, but involves a public wrong.” – Justice Swayne

 When it comes to the corruption of lobbying, only public opinion can check and destroy it.


Let’s lobby against lobbying!

Let’s go to Washington D.C. and “Shut her down” to force our politicians into doing their duty as elected representatives.


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

No comments: