Cynicism is the proper lens through which all political activity should be viewed–particularly by incumbents—so pardon my skepticism but this latest legislative effort by Paul Hodes strikes me as a bit hollow.
CONCORD — Members of Congress and federal regulators would be barred from working as lobbyists for a minimum of two years under a bill that U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes said yesterday he is sponsoring.
Hodes, D-N.H. is a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg. Hodes said his proposal would "stop the lobbyists’ revolving door" in Washington. House members would have to wait two years before moving to a lobbying firm, Senate members would have to wait six years. Regulators over the banking, securities and oil industries would have to wait six years.
Digesting? Good, let’s think this through.
The only barrier to passing anything in the house is democrats. No number of Republicans can stop anything at all, and Nancy Pelosi has gamed the House rules so that the GOP can barely even offer to amend anything, not that any amendment can or has survived the Borg-like opposition of the liberal majority. So passage of anything the left values at all is guaranteed. This begs at least one question–why introduce it now? Why suddenly the interest in the revolving door?
Next, we are nearing the end of an election year in which even the left is predicting losses, and what could well be one of the biggest swings in power between parties in history. More democrats than ever are going to be out of office. And what’s one of the most popular destinations for former congressman? …working as a lobbyist. You can still live in DC, there’s the Georgetown mixers, you get to throw around other peoples money, and you get to play power politics. It’s a lot like being in congress but you can make more money, without having to listen to or appease those dumbass, Country Class voters. That makes it the perfect lateral move professionally for any democrat relieved from public office come November.
Yet given all this we are meant to take seriously representative Paul Hodes call to prohibit members of congress from entering their preferred post-public-service career move now, near the eve of what portends to be a massive democrat decruitment at the hands of the American Electorate?
Who is stupid enough to believe this is anything but legislative fluff? This is nothing more than a desperate deception and populist sandbagging. It has as much sincerity as swearing off earmarks after all your appropriations requests have been filed. (Who did that again?)
Hodes is acting like the mean old man who starts acting good on his death bed because he thinks it will win him points and get him into heaven. Except Hodes wants to get into the US Senate, and he knows full well this bill has no chance in hell of going any further than his press page, a recycled "look here" in the net roots, and a blurb in the local papers.
What’s next, a bill to repeal Obamacare? You gonna defend the constitution instead of violate it? Wait, you’ll meet with actual constituents instead of just a select group of democrats. Or maybe you’ll return every dime of PAC money you’ve received from donors with connections to SEC violators like Goldman Sachs or the ethically challanged Charlie Rangel?
Oh look a flying pig!