An AP article that was published yesterday, says a lot about the pervasive spending and earmarking culture that exists here in Washington D.C.
Frank Cushing, former Staff Director for the House Committee on Appropriations under Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-CA), and now a lobbyist for the National Group stated in the article,
"I know a bunch of members that if you go in to see them, somewhere in the conversation they somehow say, 'Well, we were looking through our list of campaign contributors and didn't happen to see you there…is there a quid pro quo? No, not directly, but you'd have to be pretty dense not to figure it out."
Another lobbyist who declined to be identified said:
"You can ask any lobbyist in town. You bring a new client in to see a member and everything is nice-nice and you have a good meeting and everybody's exchanging business cards, within 48 hours, the clients and their lobbyist - me - will get a fundraising phone call."
Obviously, this is a bi-partisan problem, but this sort of devil may care attitude is ridiculous and needs to stop. Taxpayers are sick and tired of this subversive and counterproductive brand of politics.