International Herald Tribune Editorial - Congress and self-reform

International Herald Tribune Editorial - Congress and self-reform
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: February 14, 2007


American taxpayers have been slowly discovering the bad, the ugly and, lately, a touch of good in Congress' tight relations with the lobbying industry. Last November's candidates promised all manner of reform, and the good was the enactment of a long-overdue ban on lobbyists' currying insider clout by taking lawmakers on free vacations and other junkets. But the bad remains to be dealt with: the practice of lawmakers' creating secondary "leadership" kitties to sock away extra money from lobbyists and other special-interest donors beyond the usual campaign committees.

What's ugly are the crass ways members routinely press lobbyists for leadership donations. They use the money to cross-pollinate fellow politicians' campaigns and as a slush fund to pay for extra trips and other indulgences that are hardly the stuff of leadership.

Critics in Congress know the free- flowing PACs, or political action committees, should be banned under campaign finance law. The leaders of the House Democratic campaign committee, in fact, have already canceled the committee's annual ski weekend for lobbyists. Members should follow suit and ban the grossly misnamed leadership PACs as a step toward serious campaign finance reform.

"Only a moron would sell a vote for a $2,000 contribution," said one typical House member preoccupied with fund-raising. The comment unfortunately raises the question of what more tempting price might emerge.