To: jbe who wrote (6242 ) 9/30/1998 1:50:00 AM From: Dwight E. Karlsen Read Replies (1) | Respond to
jbe, Newt is a deal-maker, much like Clinton. He does things by "dealing" individually with House members: "you support me on this, and I'll support you on that". "I will support you on that, if you support me on this." "If you support me on this, I'll back off promoting X until XX date at minimum"."Smith points out, for instance, that Congress actually schedules some votes on the same night that lobbyists affected by those votes are invited to fund-raising parties on Capitol Hill. The roll isn't called until the money rolls in. It's a blatant shakedown. Members of congressional committees accept campaign contributions from interests with business before those committees. What a judge would be jailed for, members of Congress keep technically legal and use to perpetuate themselves in offices. Smith opposes that. Few in Congress do. Most consider her a goody-two-shoes. She riles the regulars. They want her and her noisy reform movement out of Congress. And the urge to do her in is bipartisan, widespread and frantic. This is the measure of how mired in the old ways this Congress has become." A piece of legislation detrimental to tobacco company interests was coming down to the night of the vote, and by headcounts, a majority had committed to voting for it. But that night, when the vote was taken, tobacco company lobbyists mingled on the floor of Congress, and Linda actually witnessed checks being passed from lobbyiests to Congressmen, right on the floor of Congress. When the vote was taken that night, the bill failed to pass.
