The New Reformers

"An all-expense-paid trip to a glamorous locale is another matter. We were pleased to see Speaker Dennis Hastert come out for a ban on privately funded travel by congressmen Tuesday. Congressmen's travel should be funded either by the taxpayers (for official trips) or themselves (for vacations). Some congressmen have expressed the worry that their colleagues will not take serious fact-finding trips abroad for fear that voters will resent the expense. But the vast majority of lobbyist-paid trips aren't serious business: How many facts are really being found on the world's golf courses? Voters will be able to tell which trips were worth their expense. . . .

"Reformers in both parties should pick up two important reforms proposed by Congressman Frank. There should be disclosure of which congressmen, and which lobbyists, wanted which earmarked spending projects in budget bills. In many cases, the congressmen will be happy to boast about those projects to their voters. Pork gets some members reelected (and gets some meritorious legislation enacted). If the congressmen are not willing to stand up for the projects, on the other hand, they shouldn't put the earmarks in.

"And the length of the congressional work week should be extended. We know, we know: No man's life or liberty is safe while the legislature is in session. But the current Tuesday-to-Thursday congressional schedule hasn't exactly ushered in a golden age of laissez faire -- and hasn't made for improved deliberation or oversight, either."

Work five days a week? Now you're really getting radical!

On HuffPost, former recording industry honcho Hilary Rosen says what everyone knows but few admit: that all that cash is buying something:

"How strange to be a former lobbyist sitting back watching the hand wringing debate over lobbying reforms and ethics. To date nothing I've seen from Capitol Hill makes sense to me and the media is too consumed with ethics and revelation to talk about the real problem.

"Damn straight when I gave a $1,000 or $2,000 to a lawmaker I wanted him to listen to my business proposition.

"And when I helped organize an event that raised $50,000 or $100,000 you bet I expected their vote. Why else do it? Now you can argue that the Member of Congress already took that position and I and my colleagues were just showing our support for their position. But how can the public really be sure of that?

"The proposed reforms that everyone is talking about limit relationships between lobbyists and lawmakers -- no trips, no lunches, no ball games, etc. EXCEPT FOR ONE THING! It turns out that when you limit access to lawmakers for all of these things, the only time a lobbyist can talk to a lawmaker is at fundraisers. Any kind of fundraiser by the way.

"A lobbyist friend told me yesterday that enacting these reforms is like creating a 'restraint of trade' on behalf of current lobbyists. Only those who already know members of Congress are sure to succeed. Anyone else coming in -- forget it, no new relationships. The old school will be raking it in.

"Members of Congress are CONSUMED with raising money for their re-elections (or if they have a safe seat, they raise money to give to colleagues to increase their internal power). It has become a burden. And no matter how cavalier they are about it in public, their hand wringing in private is certain. And anyone, including lobbyists, who lessen that anxiety, is considered a better friend than those that don't. It is just a fact. No lobbying reforms will change that fact."

Bloomberg columnist Andrew Ferguson quakes in anticipating a ban on privately funded Hill travel: