The Best Little Whorehouse in Washington

D.C. is a town teeming with corporate brothels. You've got your non-profit bordellos like Third Way, your for-profit massage parlors like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and, of course, K Street is the single biggest red-light district in the world. But bar none, the best little whorehouse in definitely the New Democratic Caucus, and this Bloomberg News story could serve as its advertisement:

The New Democrats got Rep. Barney Frank to drop provisions that would have required banks to offer so-called plain vanilla products like 30-year mortgages or low-fee credit cards. The lawmakers were also influential in excluding non-financial companies such as accounting firms, auto dealers and retailers from the agency's oversight...

Now the group is turning its attention to brokering a more difficult compromise over whether the proposed consumer agency should have the power to enforce its rules over banks that already answer to federal regulators, and whether states should be allowed to enact consumer-protection rules for nationally chartered financial institutions that are stricter than federal standards.

The coalition hasn't taken a public position on either issue, though its members are wary of the administration proposal that gives the new regulator policing power and allows states to enforce tougher rules. Those concerns are shared by the banking industry.

The story goes on to note that in just the first six months of 2009, the 15 New Democrats on the relevant Financial Services committee "received about $1.9 million in contributions from the finance, insurance and real estate industries." They may be high-class hookers - but that's a pittance when considering their work will result in billions of dollars in higher consumer fees - and thus an orgasmic happy ending for bank executives.

What's so hilarious about these harlots is the public justifications they offer up for their prostitution. They insist their lascivious behavior has nothing at all to do with the cash their clients throw at them, citing everything from "good policy" to personal experience. This is my favorite:

"We're pro-growth, innovative Democrats with real-life experience," said New York Representative Joseph Crowley, who is the coalition's chairman and also was invited on Air Force One after the president's speech. "Many of us come out of the business world."

Of course, Crowley, the group's pimp, has no "real-life experience" if (as he asserts) "real-life experience" means "coming out of the business world." As you can see in his Roll Call biography, his "previous occupation" before machine politicking his way into a congressional seat representing working-class Queens was "public official." That's right, from the instant he graduated college he's been a career politician.

But then, Crowley and the New Democrats are as serious about their public explanations as other run-of-the-mill prostitutes are in insisting they're only asking you if you are free for "a date." We're all supposed to know it's code for something much more lucrative.

 

 

Comments

[codycap]

Any serious effort to restore rule by the people would HAVE to be campaign reform

We just have to pass one thing to get our government back. Campaign Reform. If we had campaign reform our representatives would remember who they are supposed to represent - really I think that one item would be all we need to fix our government.

Corruption is not a problem in our government – it has become our system.

I believe that it is a populist cause that we could get all of the public behind.

I see on the liberal, republican, and libertarian sites voters like ourselves all cry for campaign reform. It is the one thing that voters of all ideologies recognize that is essential for honest government.

We need a grassroots movement that combines all ideologies to come together for the one thing we all agree on and pass campaign reform. We will never get it otherwise because big money will always make sure it will not ever come to a vote unless ALL the people come together to FORCE their hand.

[Senzasord]

Here is a contract with America that is worth making our legislators sign.
I propose that we start a movement requiring legislotors to institute rules in their respective houses barring anyone from accepting contributions in excess of $5,000 from any entity that would benefit from their consideration of pending legislation. Conflict of interest must not be tolerated by the people nor the legisltors themselves. A legislator would be obliged to recuse himself from any participation including drafting, sponsorship, floor debate, committee negotiations, and voting on any such bills. Failure to follow this rule would result in expulsion from their respective house. It can be done. We must make our canditates pledge that they will do it and then strike them down if they renegge on their pledges. Drive the money changers from the people's house and stamp out graft and greed and corruption once and for all. Legisltors who run for office to get wealthy are doing it for entirely the wrong reasons.

[johnsopinion]

And the best song, my favorite because it is so accurate, from the
movie of the 'similar' name, went something like....

"Ooooh, I love to do the side-step!"

... as sung by the 'guv nr' of Texas.

[OgreDaddy]

Love the article, so true.

We have a Congress of Corporate Concubines

[vlm1948]

I work in the Medical field and it is illegal for a salesman to even give us a box of donuts because it might influence us to buy their products, but these jerks can take 1.9 million from lobbyists and that's ok? What in the world has this country become? We are soon to be a third world country because of these greedy people.

[Spesabsquemetu]

Great reporting by David Sirota.

Can Dillan Ratigan invite Barney and company on to ask HOW dropping provisions that create controlled financial security for the consumer should be deemed as not being in the public's best interest?

Can someone ask President Obama how invites for Mr. Crowley onto air force one - helps MAIN STREET recover from unscrupulous, and CONTINUING MONOPOLIZATION of the middle class and their ability to gain financial security over their own lives?

THIS IS ROBBERY, MR. FRANK.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?
It is scandelous. WHERE IS THE BANKING COMMITTEE, the SEN. FINANCE COMMITTEE in providing LEADERSHIP that HELPS MAIN STREET?
THIS IS CORRUPTION.

[Konnie]

for the first time in history there is a tsunami of information, and VIDEO of our law makers in action.
they are everywhere. 24/7 news cycles on every outlet imaginable. and i don't think that our
officials realize that there are millions of eyes on them watching their every move and listening
to their daily mis-statements, badly thought thru ramblings, and how closely they dance with
the ones that brung em'. they appear to be woefully unimformed on the issues, totally out
of touch with their electorate, and actually quite clownish. perhaps the "whips" no great shakes
themselves, could set up an office where they could re-run their "game films" like coaches do
for their players to review just where they went wrong, and how to do better in the next game.
cause what ever they are doing now - just ain't workin' i got the whole sausage metaphor
for law being made - but that is predicated on the sausage makers knowing the recipe.

[BARRISTER]

The American Empire is no more.

[ncmom54]

and the DNC is the Madam

[Helzapoppin]

Spot-Freakin-on

[EvanRavitz]

Buying Congress is the world's best investment, paying off at 1000 to 1 or better. See Jack Abramoff's self-advertisement in the 3rd para of http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043000783.html Other refs available on request.

When people get serious about stopping our country going down this toilet, we'll take the responsibility of checking and balancing Congress OURSELVES. The model is Switzerland, which has had NATIONAL ballot initiatives since 1848. One result is the highest news readership in the world, because people can DO something with what they learn. The Swiss vote 4-7 times a year on local, cantonal and federal ballot issues. It keeps their Parliament more honest and representative. By now it's a complementary relationship they call "co-determination."

By far the best project for better and national ballot initiatives here is the National Initiative for Democracy led by famed former Senator Mike Gravel: http://Vote.org It's endorsed by folks like Patch Adams, Daniel Ellsberg, "Granny D," Julia Butterfly Hill, Ralph Nader, Pete Seeger and Howard Zinn.

The few problem initiatives which get all the attention can be exposed BEFORE they get voted on with deliberative process like all legislators get: hearings, expert testimony, amendment, reports, etc. Oregon's governor recently signed a bill mandating this there: http://HealthyDemocracyOregon.org This is the first serious improvement to the initiative process in their century of existence!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"In just the first half of 2009, the 15 New Democrats on Financial Services committee 'received about $1.9 million in contributions from the finance, insurance and real estate industries.'"

True.

But isn't it unfair to single out these 15 new Democrats for criticism for taking $1.9 million while not giving the same attention to a particular individual in D.C. who received $39,480,169 in the relatively recent past from the finance, insurance and real estate industries?
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/sectors.php?sector=F

Could it be that these new Democrats on the Financial Services Committee actually have our best interests in mind no matter how much money they've taken? Isn't this an argument that they and their supporters can make?

Could it be that they are brilliant? That they are chess masters? And we just need to give them more time?

[Helzapoppin]

ROFL Excellent

[research]

It's such OBVIOUS BRIBERY, that I can't believe the FBI can't get these traitors.

[mamalisa38]

This has been going on for a very long time. I guess these people have never heard of conflict of interest.

We arrest street walkers for taking far less than our elected "representatives" do. I have more respect for the street walkers.

Until we get corporate money out of our elections the American people will always lose.

[ksyellowdog]

good catch David!