Why Corruption is Epidemic in Washington:
John McCain was interviewed on Terri Gross the other day, and he said that Washington is in an epidemic of corruption because of the way legislation is being handled on the hill. its been open season on earmarks and line items being inserted in bills, that are then passed with no time for anyone to actually read them, not to mention no hearings . Its the Republican Way, although McCain stopped short of blaming the Republican leadership. However, as McCain pointed out, when it is possible for one powerful legislator to put in a specific line item in an appropriation bill, then it is open season for lobbyists who have the ear of these Congressmen and can sell access to their clients for a price. This is exactly the pattern we have seen with both the Abramoff Scandal, and the Cunningham corruption scandal.
Yet, no one wondered who was in charge when Don Young crafted that famous Christmas tree of a transportation bill which even embarrassed the Republicans. The truth is, that this is the governing policy and style of the Republican leadership: DeLay, Hassert, Frist, et al.
Can't bring myself to actually read Arianna, but here is what she has to say, courtesy of Howard Kurtz.
Media Notes Extra: "Arianna says the guilty plea of Duke Cunningham highlights 'the corrupting role that money continues to play in our politics, and the overly cozy relationship between those in power and those in the media whose job it is to cover them.
'I mean, where was the Washington press corps on this story?
'Here you have a Congressman making $158,000 a year, living (and partying with lobbyists) on a yacht docked at the Capital Yacht Club and driving a Rolls-Royce -- and not a single Washington journalist thought this worth looking into? If one of them had followed the spoils, it would have quickly led to a defense contractor buying the yacht, christened the 'Duke-Stir', while at the same time receiving massive government contracts authorized by the defense appropriations subcommittee Cunningham sat on.
'But, instead, the Beltway Gang turned a blind-eye -- so jaded and accepting of how the game is played in Washington that the corruption didn't even register."