On lobbyists, new majority leader a lot like the old one

House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, got his baptism on the Sunday morning news shows, leaving mixed first impressions. His best feature is his long refusal to do earmarking — other members’ costly practice of inserting funding for pet projects into bills with no scrutiny or accountability. Otherwise, though, Boehner didn’t even try very hard Sunday to discount his reputation for being cozy with lobbyists. At least 14 of his former aides now work as lobbyists, and he still supports lobbyist-funded congressional travel, which House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., wants to ban. "We can’t lock members up in a cubbyhole here in Washington and never let them see what’s going on around the country and around the world," Boehner said on "Fox News Sunday." Perhaps not, but Boehner’s lobbyist-paid junkets to such cushy destinations as Boca Raton, Fla. (six times), Scottsdale, Ariz. (four), Rome, Venice and Paris hardly seem essential to inform his work. Let lawmakers pay their own way, I say, or keep their travel government-funded and only when necessary.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

8 Comments

  1. Ian Santiago
    Posted February 6, 2006 at 1:11 pm | Permalink

    This is all just a shell game to keep the sheeple from getting too restive. The ugly truth is that wall street and the zionists have a death grip on our government. The only for America now is Civil War II!!

    Viva La Raza Blanco!!

  2. ID
    Posted February 6, 2006 at 1:32 pm | Permalink

    You are using lobbyist like it is a low-life good-for-nothing profession like used car salesmen, lawyers, politicians and op-ed writers. BUT, there are good reasons for their existence and I would challenge you to list both good and bad. THEN FIX THE BAD.

  3. Ian Santiago
    Posted February 6, 2006 at 1:35 pm | Permalink

    You are a fool if you think that the crroks in DC will ever really police themselves or reform the system!

    Viva La Raza Blanco!!

  4. CF
    Posted February 6, 2006 at 3:31 pm | Permalink

    Huh-huh, huh-huh.

    Ian Santiago said ’sheeple.’

    Huh-huh, huh-huh.

  5. Jed
    Posted February 6, 2006 at 3:56 pm | Permalink

    No ID,Lobbyists are there for one purpose- to give their clients an advantage. Congress represents all of the people. The rich should get the same shot as the rest of us!

  6. Ben Huie
    Posted February 6, 2006 at 4:07 pm | Permalink

    That’s right jed. Like Phil Journey said; “you want to talk to us you buy us a banquet!”

  7. grayfox
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 8:14 pm | Permalink

    My mother always said “we have the best politicians, MONEY CAN BUY”.

  8. Uncle Sam
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 8:53 pm | Permalink

    Your Mama was right: We do have the best politicians money can buy! But, …… just think how many politicians EXXON can buy!