In wake of the various lobbying scandals in Washington, D.C., most notably involving Abramoff, both houses of Congress and both leading political parties vowed reform.
That is, up until they had a chance to think what it would mean to them. They seem to be changing their tune now:
Lawmakers reluctant to give up free meals, tickets to sports events and other lobbyist-provided perks may need to see more indictments before agreeing to move forward, said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group.
"Right now, a number of members are betting on the public losing interest and getting away without any new reforms," Noble said.
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, an advocacy group for lobbying and campaign finance reform, said lawmakers have entered what he calls "the reality stage" of the fight as they begin to realize what they would actually have to give up.
"I just think we've reached a stage here where the blowback from people who want to maintain the status quo of lobbyists paying for the pleasures of their life is now out on the table," Wertheimer said.
Isn't that nice? They're greedy bastards who think we're a bunch of ass-scratching morons with a 20-minute attention span. Don't you feel well-represented right now? They really care about us.
So, are we going to focus on Brangelina and ice dancing and "What's In for Spring?" or are we going to remind our Congressmen and Congresswomen for whom they work?
