A Growing Wariness About Money in Politics

[hang a left]

A Growing Wariness About Money in Politics

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 29, 2005; Page A01

For several years now, corporations and other wealthy interests have made ever-larger campaign contributions, gifts and sponsored trips part of the culture of Capitol Hill. But now, with fresh guilty pleas by a lawmaker and a public relations executive, federal prosecutors -- and perhaps average voters -- may be concluding that the commingling of money and politics has gone too far.

After years in which big-dollar dealings have come to dominate the interaction between lobbyists and lawmakers, both sides are now facing what could be a wave of prosecutions in the courts and an uprising at the ballot box. Extreme examples of the new business-as-usual are no longer tolerated.


Republicans, who control the White House and Congress, are most vulnerable to this wave. But pollsters say that voters think less of both political parties the more prominent the issue of corruption in Washington becomes, and that incumbents generally could feel the heat of citizen outrage if the two latest guilty pleas multiply in coming months.

No fewer than seven lawmakers, including a Democrat, have been indicted, have pleaded guilty or are under investigation for improper conduct such as conspiracy, securities fraud and improper campaign donations. Congress's approval ratings have fallen off the table, in some measure because of headlines about these scandals.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801697.html?nav=hcmodule

[NVMojo]

1. I think there's been so much of this on both sides of the fence that

they will all be crying "UNCLE" in Congress to fix things before investigations go any further.

[lovuian]

2. A "growing wariness" can we say totally pissed off!!!

I just can't believe the double speak and the use of words in these headlines!!!

[keopeli]

3. WP, the Woodward Rag, is so biased! Look at this:

"No fewer than seven lawmakers, including a Democrat, have been indicted, have pleaded guilty or are under investigation..."

So, with 6 Republicans and 1 Democrat, the WP points out the Democrat. How about a little more fairness, like

"No fewer than seven lawmakers from both parties, though mostly Republicans..."

That's still balanced and fair.

[Mind_your_head]

4. Yep, another example of the so blatantly obvious UNfair & UNbalanced

media - that supports the Republican agenda and disses Democrats AT-EVERY-FREAKIN-OPPORTUNITY....and if the media doesn't have a good shot, then they manufacture one. It's old, it's totally dishonest, and EVERYBODY's F-N-SIC-N-TYRED of it. No wonder ad sales, readership, and just demand for 'fish-wrap' is waaaaaaaaaay down...pfffft.

Btw, this sentence for the article really 'gets me' too:

Congress's approval ratings have fallen off the table, in some measure because of headlines about these scandals.

NO, not because of the HEADLINES about these scandals. It's because of the SCANDALS (and the lies and the corruption) that creates those headlines in the first place.

Doesn't the original sentence sound like: "If there were no headlines about these issues, than it just "didn't happen". Does the media really now believe that they are MANUFACTURING the news, rather than just reporting it? That sentence seems to suggest that's exactly what the media think.

[keopeli]

9. The two things that must be fixed FIRST are elections and the media

I've said that all along. However, I think we may see a revolution before that happens.

Welcome to DU!

[AlGore-08.com]

6. IMNSHO, your suggestion sounds like about half were Dems, rather than one

What's wrong with:

"No fewer than seven lawmakers, six Republicans and one Democrat... "?

It's factual.

[keopeli]

8. I like it! NT

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. Well let's see, when did the really big slide start?

1994 - The "Contract" GOP generation. Sure there was plenty of graft before then, but this gang made it an art form. This is when they started passing legislation written by lobbiests without even reading it. And now with the GOP in complete control of the government and corporate control of the media, any balance, checks or restraint is completely gone. It's like a giant smash and grab robbery.

[OneBlueSky]

7. US politics IS money . . . sum and substance . . . n/t

.

[BlueManDude]

10. this is a "both sides are doing it" whitewash story

yeah dems take money but show me the dem abramoff or cunningham or ney etc...

it's not illegal to take money - it's illegal to take bribes.

[gratuitous]

11. What a pantload

No, Mr. Birnbaum, "both sides" are not facing a wave of prosecutions, unless you count one out of hundreds as a "wave." When you're talking about dozens of folks on the GOP side facing prosecution for everything from corruption to the potentially treasonous, I'd say that just one side is facing a wave of well-earned prosecution.

The major reason Birnbaum can say that voters "think less of both political parties" is because of partisan reporting by the likes of Birnbaum in this very piece.

Stick with the facts, report it straight, and people will get a very clear picture of just who is corrupt, how widespread it is in each party, and how far up the corruption goes. If some minority party back-bencher is being investigated for some garden variety nodding and winking, how does that stack up to the multiple charges against the House Majority Leader?

Nice try, Jeffrey. Your corrupt masters will reward you handsomely for trying to paint an "everybody does it" portrait that lets them off the hook.