This Will Make You Sick

You just have to read it to believe it:

But barely a week passes when at least one out-of-town fundraising event doesn't entice contributors with golf, a boat excursion or skiing. The House Republicans' event list between mid-July and mid-August advertises 12 golf outings, four baseball games, a musical show and a night of "champagne and caviar."

The competition for donors is so intense that lawmakers try to outdo each other with innovative fundraising come-ons. Four members of the House Ways and Means Committee held what they called a "block party" to make it easier for lobbyists to drop off checks. The lawmakers, who live on the same block on Capitol Hill, each offered a different alcoholic beverage to donors as they stopped by on the same evening this spring.

OK I'll assume you read the article and know about the "legal" vacations, golf outings and the parties....errr I mean "Joint Legislative Conferences". Like say this one for 400 members of Congress hosted by the Beer Institute in April, 2005.

"After a day of Hill office visits, the conference ended with
the popular Congressional Reception attended by over 400
Members of Congress and Capitol Hill."

And what did the Beer Institute want:

Rollback of the 1991 increase of the federal excise tax on beer
Permanent repeal of the death tax.

But I don't mean to pick on the brewers only. There are plenty of others. Check out this list of sponsors for various events.

And lots of activities. There are Shoot-Outs:


Hey that's the Duke Stir (Rep. Duke Cunningham R-CA) who was Top Gun at the 2005 Congressional Shoout Out. He scored 65 clays out of 75----(This was in May though before all the nastiness so he may not be shooting so straight now) He said of the event that pits Dems vs. Rep......“I am thrilled to have shot so well and to share this victory with the rest of my party, however this event has nothing to do with partisan politics and everything to do with banding together across party lines in defense of sportsmen.”

(Yeah they'll wait til they are back on The Hill to shoot at each other as now there's a bunch of lobbyists from "a gun manufacturer, a sporting-goods association, a defense contractor, a tobacco producer, a cable company, an electric utility and a forest products giant" to do business with.)

But you don't even have to shoot. Rep. Katharine Harris (R-FL) just stopped by to visit. (Guess it didn't help in getting that nod for a Senate bid)

And oh the Golf Outings. They do loooove to golf. Just check this list of events .......

It may be legal but it is still corrupt. Uber Lobbyist are buying access with Congress's complicity. I call on Congress and K-Street to Stop the Corruption.
Now Watch this Drive.....