I wrote this not long before heading up to Washington in 2009 for the inauguration of Barack Obama. I had this fantasy of a long line of rats scurrying from the capitol building as the Junior Mob cleared out, lonely little lobbyists finding themselves suddenly personae non grata.
I suppose I must have known even then how quaint that vision was, because, by the end of the song, the protagonist had already reasserted himself, reminding his congressional or senatorial listener how vulnerable he might be. Not just to the loss of campaign dollars, but to the kind of information a lobbyist might acquire over the years.
Influence paddlers supply more than "weekends at the posh resorts, all the plane rides, the single-malt quarts." They help a busy lawmaker find all sorts of things to help them through their hectic days--and nights. And don't think that knowledge doesn't buy just as much on as a nice, big PAC check.
What? Oh, dear. "Blackmail" is such an ugly word, senator. Let's just call it "mutually-advantageous discretion."
Lunch, then? Old Ebbett Friday? Done. There's an interesting amendment to the appropriations bill I'd like to discuss with you...
Except for the three stills lifted from wikimedia and the shot of the capitol up East Cap Street, which was shot on Inauguration Day, this was shot "on location" Tuesday. I like the way it came out, so much so that I'm thinking about putting up the HD version Thursday night, if bandwidth permits.