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Some snippets from this WSJ story ought give you a sense of the scope ... and of revulsion.
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Federal investigators are deep into a criminal investigation of PMA
Group, a now-defunct lobby shop founded by a former aide to Mr. Murtha,
Pennsylvania's 18-term star appropriator.
The suspicion is that some members of Congress may have peddled
lucrative earmarks to PMA clients in exchange for campaign
contributions.
... consider that last year alone more than 100 members secured earmarks for PMA clients.
Murtha, in the past two years alone directed $78 million to PMA companies
Indiana Rep. Peter Visclosky, had disclosed he'd received subpoenas in
connection with PMA, while the Navy said it had suspended Kuchera from
doing business with it because of "alleged fraud."
Republican Rep. Jeff Flake this week gave notice he was introducing his
ninth resolution calling for an ethics committee investigation into
PMA.
Pelosi has demanded her party protect Mr. Murtha, a man hugely responsible for her ascent.
The result is growing dissent among Democrats, on full display this
week. (Well, dissent among the 156 Democrats not being investigated
wot?)
As political cover goes this is pretty scant, and Democrats are in
control. If and when this train derails, the exposure could be huge.
[Nancy's Pork Problem]
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In the midst of excerpting this I remembered the 1992 book Hill Rat (A depressing and infuriating book about the U.S. Congress), written by John Jackley, a Democrat staffer to three different U.S. Representatives. You can read all of chapter 6 , The Favor Factory, here.
Energy chairman John Dingell, for one, viewed his
committee as as a gold mine. It didn't matter what legislation he threatened ,
people affected on both sides ponied up to influence the vote. A win-win for every committee member. For
what it's worth, two years later the Democrat's 40 year stranglehold on
the House would end. Nothing changed, congressmen still peddle
influence. Yeah, they're all crooks, but the traitors are all found in the Dem caucus. Here's hoping for a similar shakeup.
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