House GOP shocked, yes, shocked, at ethical lapses
Wow, now here’s a shock, kids…Republicans in Congress are furiously dogpaddling in an effort to look as if they’re actually dealing with the problem instead of trying to wish it away. All the horses are long gone, and yet Republicans are busily engaged in trying to shut the barn door. Too little, too late? Udamnbetcha….
In 1994, the Republicans became the majority party in Congress, and they stormed into power with a flourish and a raftload of promises. Newly-minted House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich and his “Contract On With America” promised that things would be different. A new sheriff was in town, and Washington was going to be cleaned up. No more corrupt, career Democratic politicians living off the largesse of lobbyists and selling favors and legislation. Nope, things in Washington were going to be DIFFERENT! Indeed they were; now we have corrupt, career Republican politicians living off the largesse of lobbyists and selling favors and legislation. I guess the more things change, the more they stay they same, eh?
Before you knew it, Gingrich was exposed as just another corrupt, venal, and power-drunk politician willing to sell himself out to the highest bidder. Thus have Republicans done business for the past 12 years…except for them, it’s not “corruption”, it’s “taking care of business”. Whatever….
“To effectively address the scandals in Washington, which revolve around the multiple ways lobbyists use money to buy influence, Congress must reform the lobbying, campaign finance and ethics rules, and create new means for enforcing these rules,” Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, said in a statement Tuesday.
Yeah, like THAT’S going to happen in this lifetime….
