REAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

 

 

   The dictionary defines "BRIBE"  as, anything given or promised as an inducement. How often have our elected officials told us the large campaign contributions, they receive do not effect their votes? Why, then, do their votes almost always benefit the contributor? I will focus on Washington, where the largest BRIBES take place, but state and local officials can be equally guilty.

    A Congressman is appointed to a particular committee and suddenly the industry regulated, by that committee, starts making contributions. Are we to believe they, just then, realized what a fine person the Congressman is? A campaign committee, with a finance chairman receives the money and many in Congress claim they were not aware of the contribution. Is this plausible? An executive a large corporation bundles many small contributions and they claim it does not influence their votes in favor of the corporation.  I am reminded of a Louisiana Congressman who claimed $10,000 dollars that was given to his wife, by a Korean businessman was unknown to him. If your wife received $10,000 dollars, do you think she wouldn't tell you? Members of both political parties engage in this practice, however, due to recent events, I will focus on just one.

   Trial lawyers are one of the largest contributors, if not the largest, to the Democrat party. The independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) states $54 billion dollars could be saved by "TORT REFORM" yet no pending legislation on health care includes any reform. Do you believe this is just a coincidence? Former Congressman Jefferson, of Louisiana was caught with $90,000 dollars in his freezer, for this he was convicted of accepting a BRIBE. Former Congressman Cunningham is in jail and Congressman Traficant was just released for similar offenses. It is obvious that the Congress will do nothing to cut off this funding source unless the people demand prosecution for this practice. The ethics panels do nothing, probably do to the members being as guilty as those they investigate It is almost amusing that so many members of Congress are former prosecutors, and yet they see nothing wrong or illegal in accepting money from those they oversee, as long as it's kept in a campaign account. To my mind this is a distinction without a difference.