How a bill REALLY becomes a law
Nov 7, 2011, 8:47 AM | Updated: 8:53 am
Listen to Dave Ross Commentary: How a bill REALLY becomes a law
You remember Jack Abramoff, the super-lobbyist who spent three and a half years in jail for corrupting members of Congress…
That was the Kevin Spacey version — but the seeing REAL Abramoff on 60 Minutes last night was even scarier.
He just matter-of-factly explained to Leslie Stahl how easy it was for him to buy Republican Congressmen and their staffs — all you do is sit them down, look them in the eye and say:
“You know when you’re done working on the hill, we’d very much like you to consider coming to work for us. The moment I said that to them, that was it. We owned them,” said Abramoff.
And suddenly that staffer was like the guy who remodels your kitchen:
“Everything that we want, they’re going to do, and not only that, they’re going to think of things we can’t think of.”
Except Abramoff wasn’t expanding the breakfast nook, he was writing legislation —
“We probably had strong influence in 100 offices at a time.”
Takes your breath away. And you’d think his scandal would have ended such nonsense:
“But it is done everyday, and it is still being done. The truth is there are very few members who didn’t at some level participate in that,” said Abramoff.
Sure you can’t provide us a few more of the names before the next election, Jack?
In the meantime he says we need a law to forbid members and top staff from taking ANY lobbying job when they leave Congress.
Which based on what I heard last night would be like outlawing gravity. And the one guy I know who COULD get that law passed is out of the business.
-
Tune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.
