Yellow Dog

Under Bush--the CEO of the US--it's government by the corporations, of the corporations, and for the corporations. And never before has so much money changed hands between government officials and corporations.

Josh Micah Marshall explains:

The Republicans are running the most corrupt Congress in any of our lifetimes. I don't care if you're a hundred years old. Still applies. I'm not just talking about law breaking -- just as much, it's the practices that are actually legal but no less corrupt for that.

On Wednesday, the Post's Jeff Birnbaum had a story on the explosion in the lobbying trade since 2000. If the Dems want their knock-out campaign cudgel for 2006, Jeff provided it: "The number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 34,750 while the amount that lobbyists charge their new clients has increased by as much as 100 percent."

In explaining these developments Birnbaum writes: "The lobbying boom has been caused by three factors, experts say: rapid growth in government, Republican control of both the White House and Congress, and wide acceptance among corporations that they need to hire professional lobbyists to secure their share of federal benefits."

In Washington today, everything is for sale so there are a lot more salesmen. And there's so much to sell they're all getting higher commissions.... That's why there are so many more lobbyists. The whole place is corrupt to the core. It's Tammany on the Potomac.

Bush might as well put an ad in the newspaper: FOR SALE: YOUR GOVERNMENT.

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: June 19, 2005 - June 25, 2005 Archives