The Democratic Culture of Corruption

A little more than a year ago, Ari Berman penned an article for The Nation about the culture of corruption seething inside the Democratic Party. He focused in on Montana Sen. Max Baucus (D), who he labeled "K Street's favorite Democrat." Now the hometown papers in Montana have taken Berman's analysis to the next level:

Since 1996, one-fifth of U.S. Sen. Max Baucus' highest-paid staff members have left their jobs to become lobbyists, usually for industries regulated by the powerful committee that Baucus heads, a Missoulian State Bureau analysis shows...The analysis by the Missoulian's State Bureau shows Baucus is not immune to what is becoming standard fare in Washington, D.C.: high-ranking staff quitting to lobby for industries likely to do business before their former boss' committee...The State Bureau analyzed the employment records of Baucus' Senate staff between 1996 and early 2007. Of that group, the analysis identified 58 of his highest-paid staff. Of those, 12 left to become lobbyists and 11 of those lobbied for banks, insurance companies, hospitals, nursing homes, drug companies and, particularly, PhRMA, the prescription drug lobby...Baucus also had staff working for him on the Senate Finance Committee, and some of them left that job to become lobbyists...The path to PhRMA isn't a one-way street for Baucus staff. At least one Baucus staffer -- Michelle Easton, the current chief health and welfare lawyer on the Senate Finance Committee -- was a vice president at PhRMA immediately before Baucus hired her...With 20 former staff now working as lobbyists, Baucus ranks No. 5 on the center's list of lawmakers who have either hired from or lost staff to lobbying.

This is the kind of story that adds credence to the concept that when it comes to core economic and corruption issues, America is governed by one party with two separately named wings.

Oh yeah, Baucus is one of the key figures on trade policy. Big shocker that he's been one of the guys maneuvering to find a way to pass the lobbyist-written Colombia Free Trade Agreement for the murderous Uribe administration.

Comments

[outnow]

There is only one war party - but it has two wings; the Democrats and the Republicans.

Reading American history it can be determined that the "free trade" issue is a British plan. The use of slave labor in the colonies was central to cheap agricultural raw materials (such as cotton) and domestic cheap labor was essential to the British manufacturing. American fought the issue of the protective tariffs ever since John Adams. Finally, Abraham Lincoln was able to reinstate the tariff. Lincoln was able to preserve the Union in order to eliminate slavery. The British continuously plotted with Aaron Burr and others to undermine the United States.

America is no longer a "reluctant empire" as John S. Galbraith suggested in his book of that name in 1963. As suggested by Chalmers Johnson and other writers, the United States has shouldered the burden of empire along with its sorrows. The Unified Executive is a necessary evil for empire because an empire is incompatible with a domestic democracy. President Madison warned against such dictatorial powers. The Democrats go along with the Anglo-Dutch financiers who run the majority of both parties. Globalization on the "grand chess" board and the establishment of the New World Order are proof of the existence of this empire. The Columbia Free Trade deal is about drugs and fascism and the New World Order as much as it is about commerce. As with Afghanistan, the cocaine and opium money is being laundered somewhere. Guess where?

[shamrocker54]

I'm hearing of late that Obama has taken campaign contributions from Abramoff. I've yet to find anything substancial to confirm that, so if anyone could help me rebutt that, I'd be grateful.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I hear ya.

But I am concerned about getting into a "moral equivalency" debate with Repukes over ethics.

There is too much money in politics, and granted, corrupt politicians on both sides of the aisle.

HOWEVER. The degree of graft and Constitution-trampling gleefully indulged in by the Bush Crime Syndicate is unmatched in our nation's history. I dare say the Dems would have done, and will do, better.

[Think4myself]

I don't understand why Dems aren't calling a spade a spade. It is so obvious that Hillary and her pals are corporatists. Obama, not as much. That is why us values voters (freedom, liberty, and justice for the PEOPLE) are so drawn to Obama.

It's so clear that Hillary's "errors"are in her calculations and posturing. Obama's "errors" happen when he chooses words poorly when speaking authentically off the cuff.

We should just start calling Hillary, 'the more corporate friendly Dem candidate". I am just as sick of the Dem corporate crap as I am the Repub. No, more so because at least the Repubs aren't pretending to be my ally.

[racetoinfinity]

See Arianna's recent post detailing Hillary's Colombian connecion.

I have a theory - possibly true, possibly partly true, possibly false. Granted, this kind of corruption has been going on since the beginning of history. Nevertheless, it seems to me that with the impending (if not within our lifetimes, within our children's lifetimes) disasters of global warming, including famine, wars for food, drought, global pandemics (think MSRA [antibiotic-resistant staph that kills 19,000 people already every year [this figure was for 2005] in the U.S.), new strains of flu, growing inequealtiy due to free market globalization, reactionary imperialist tendencies in the U.S., Russia, China, fundamentalist madness in the Middle East and the U.S. --- on and on, people are turning very selfish and grabbing theirs while the grabbing is good out of fear. The impulse is immoral and makes things much worse, but I believe it is one explanation, why it is so rampant. The heroes among us are the ones who resist this egocentric selfish fear-based temptation to grab and create fortresses of wealth (that, ironically offer only illusory protection against all these disasters, or most of them.)

The other motivation is the age-old false equation between wealth and immortality (whereas true immortality is only found inside the individual uncoiled and re-membered as the Divine Essence). (See Ken Wilber's "The Atman Project" for more on this.

[dreamsmasher]

The Democrats threw up this smokescreen of this "culture of corruption" and used it successfully against the Republicans and when the Democrats took over Congress they themselves became exactly what they called the Republicans but even worse. This sitting Congress is the most corrupt in the history of this country, they have the lowest approval rating in history and pork barrel spending is totally out of control yet Democrat supporters see nothing wrong with this unless a Republican is involved, you people need to take off your blinders and wake up to reality, it's not going to get any better until we vote them all out!

[RRonin]

Lobbyists are defininitely the root of all evil, at least in this country. The problem is that the rules governing the relationship between lobbyists and the Congress are written by the Congress. This is like letting drug dealers and addicts write drug laws.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

for two years now, since the '06 elections, i've been reading huffpo headlines about reid and/or pelosi making some big announcement about opposing the republicans and then they never do - they ALWAYS "cave" after they've gotten the bounce from the headlines and the ensuing "thank god" subliminal reaction from the electorate - there has been no real opposition from the democratic party leadership, just more and more of this political kabuki scam to keep "them" (the voters) from figuring out that our entire government is being corrupted, from the top down, by those whom we have "elected" on both sides of the aisle

hillary should be called shillary because that is exactly what she is - a republican shill who is so far up the defense industry's butt that we will NEVER get out of the war business - you know?... the one where the few get richer every day while the rest of america gets $4 gas and goes to hell in a handbasket

"WE THE PEOPLE" and The Constitution of the United States of America are being systematically disenfranchised and fed into the iraq war shredder by an unofficial third party of greedy, corrupt politicians in washington d.c.

[personalpolitical]

It sounds like another corporate Democrat that needs to be upgraded to a progressive Democrat.

[Imabachi]

As Ralph Nader, Gore Vidal and other realists have said umpteen times, and which, predictably, MSM, Democrats and their supporters ignore, marginalize, and demonize. Democrats realistically can no longer be called "the opposition party" as they don't really oppose. It continues to amaze and perplex me that Americans haven't, don't understand this fact.

[JohnTalbutt]

Actually millions do. The problem with Ralph Nader is not that he elected Bush, he didn't, but that he is a litagator and muck raker but not an organizer. If we can bring about a movement which will elect honest leadership the millions like yourself can move them to take on the power of the corporations.

I believe that the last hope that the Democratic Party can be a part of such a movement lies with the supporters of Obama more than with Obama himself. But if Hillary were to be nominated the python grip of corporate control will tighten.

[sufi66]

It's been obvious for years. Pelosi casually tossing aside the needs of the unemployed in the "stimulus" package is a good recent example. She's a Democrat in name only.

Forget the Democrats. They get the same money from the same interest groups as the Republicans. Is there any other explanation why things don't change?

Ignore this fact at your peril. On the front page of the New York Times this morning is an article on how the drug companies are getting away with charging more money to the most sick and vulnerable. All this under the blind eye of the Democratic majority in congress.

[SteveClements]

And I'll bet he supports Hillary.

[Disparaged]

Baucus and Bill Clinton must be working in the same lobbying firm - Baucus and Clinton - working extremely hard to pass the Columiban Free Trade Agreement especially since Clinton is so buddy, buddy with Uribe after receiving 800k from Uribe. How much more corrupt can these congressional (who are elected by the people and are supposed to be representing the people of the U.S.) officials be? They need to be "kicked" out of office and either become the lobbyists they support or apply for a corporate position. They have screwed the public mush too long now. There should be term limits for all of congress and if they are not a " TRUE PUBLIC SERVANT," who actually serves we the people, then get them the hell out of congress by impeaching them on conflict of interest grounds. Since when did it become so much more profitable to be a "public servant" rather than work for any corporation? This has to stop - NOW! Do not vote for these types in congress or we will continue along the path of corruption we have seen now for decades! Get rid of these lame ducks because they are getting richer and stealing taxpayer money by the minute!