Abramoff Scandal and Calls For Reform
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As Scandal Spreads through the Nation’s Capital, It’s Time to Address the Underlying Problem: Our Pay to Play Campaign Finance System Summary: With scandals swirling around disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), likely to spread to dozens of members of Congress and aides, official Washington’s reply is to offer lobbying reform proposals. While lobbying reform is important, these proposals lack the crucial element needed to restore public confidence in our political system: addressing the pay-to-play campaign finance system that puts lobbyists and other special interests ahead of ordinary voters. In contrast, Connecticut, Arizona, Maine, and other states and localities are passing and implementing practical, proven full public financing systems that allow candidates to run for office without being in the pocket of well heeled donors. Background With disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with federal investigators, official Washington is running scared. And no wonder: as many as 60 lawmakers and aides may be vulnerable to charges of trading official actions for campaign money and other ethical and legal lapses, according to some news reports. The blooming scandal has forced Rep. Tom DeLay, with his many ties to Abramoff, to give up his plans to regain his leadership position. (Of course, DeLay also faces criminal charges for laundering campaign funds in his home state of Texas.) Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) is clearly implicated in the Abramoff scandals, and many more names are likely to be revealed in the months to come. We do not know yet how far this investigation will take us, but already, the Abramoff affair is the worst political corruption scandal in a generation, worse than Abscam, the “selling†of the Lincoln bedroom, or the Jim Wright book deal. This new set of scandals revolving around money, politics, and power will likely leave a permanent stain on our history on the order of Watergate and Teapot Dome. With scandal comes the cry for reforms. Trial balloons are being sent up by members of Congress from both parties, but, as yet, none touch the issue of pay-to-play politics that is central to the current crisis. In our current money-laden system, it is virtually impossible for a politician to run a successful campaign for office without climbing into the pockets of lobbyists and special interest donors. Jack Abramoff may represent an extreme in the universe of lobbyists, but he is a product of the current corrupting system. Without the help of pay-to-play politics, Abramoff would not have been able to rise to his notorious success any more than Al Capone could have become king of Chicago’s underworld without that city’s bribery-fueled political machine. Take, for example, Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), recently designated by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) as his caucus’ point man for reform proposals. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Santorum ranks as the top recipient of lobbyist money during the current political cycle. Since 2001, he has raised $182,470 from lobbyists. But that’s just slightly more than two percent of the $11.5 million total in campaign cash during that period. In contrast to his lobbyist money, Santorum’s taken $1.3 million from finance, insurance, and real estate companiesâ€"the very sorts of interests that hire these lobbyists. What is true for Santorum is true for all. In the 2004 elections lobbyists contributed $26.9 million, a sizable chunk of change. However, this amount is dwarfed by the $1.5 billion contributed by other business interests. Reforms, if they are to have teeth, cannot ignore this deeper issue of a Washington, D.C. political and policy system marinated in special interest money. Deeper Reform: Cities and States Leading the Way In sharp contrast to Washington, DC, a number of states and localities around the nation are forging forward and passing bold but common sense reform that provides full public financing for candidates running for public office. Full public financing of elections puts ordinary voters in charge and takes power away from well-heeled lobbyists and other special interests.
National Reforms with Teeth In the face of the burgeoning Abramoff/DeLay scandal, Congress has an opportunity to take up reforms that change the way Washington does business, reducing the influence of lobbyists and the vested interests that hire them. Most importantly, Congress must squarely address the inherent conflicts in our system of privately financing campaigns by taking up the issue of publicly financed elections. The current presidential partial public financing system is broken; it must be fixed. Further, full public funding should be available to congressional candidates who agree to limit their spending. Any reform plan that does not include elements providing an alternative to the special interest funding of federal campaigns will not effectively deal with the most troublesome core issues facing our political system In addition, Public Campaign supports proposals that will:
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Public Campaign is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to sweeping reform that aims to reduce dramatically the influence of special interest money and big contributors on America's elections. Public Campaign is laying the foundation for reform by working with citizen organizations and other groups around the country that are fighting for comprehensive change. Together, we are building powerful national force for state and federal reform. |
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