G.O.P. Moderates Rebuff Lobbyists, Then Woo Them

[Rose Siding]

After appearing to falter Thursday, the House of Representatives is once again poised to pass a new package of lobbying restrictions, thanks largely to the efforts of an alliance of Republican moderates. Nothing in the bill, however, would stop those same Republican moderates from continuing to court corporate lobbyists with some unusually explicit invitations to lunch.

For $5,000, a lobbyist can join lawmakers and staff members of the alliance, the Republican Main Street Partnership, for a lunchtime policy briefing by an outside expert. For $15,000, the lobbyist can attend four lunches, two of them with briefings by an outside expert and two with briefings from members of Congress.

And for $25,000, the lobbyist can have three lunch briefings with lawmakers, not to mention V.I.P. seating for eight at a black-tie dinner for the moderates' coalition.
....
Its fund-raising tactics are especially notable because the group includes Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, and Representative Christopher Shays, Republican of Connecticut, two lawmakers who have led the calls to tighten lobbying and campaign finance rules.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/30/washington/30mainstreet.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[rodeodance]

1. Hastub rides to photo-op in light car, then jumps in SUV--same thing.

[ShockediSay]

2. McCain & Shays have turned hypocrites - - they didn't start that way

Culture of Washington corruption seems to metastasize