Both ends of the political spectrum have come to view our political system as corrupt, a system that no longer works for the average american. The right sees the problem as Washington itself in the naive belief that government is the cause of their problems, and not a symptom of something deeper, more troubling. The left takes the critique beyond Washington and lays blame at the feet of corporations, and hopes that government can rescue the situation. Regardless, whether we are talking Tea Party or OWS, we all sense that something wicked this way comes.
Lately I've had a nagging memory about a ruling by the U.S. Senate Select Committee On Ethics back in the 1990's, something that really bothered me at the time, but was soon overshadowed by impeachment, the Bush Era, and now the great recession.
Now that I've found and re-read that ruling, I think I may have stumbled upon the fulcrum upon which our government has pivoted from of the people, by the people, and for the people, to corporate takeover. I'm dumb stuck pondering how ruthless and deliberate the right has been over all these years.
Read on if you'd like a pre-Halloween, spine-tingling chill.
The ruling of interest was handed down on June 22, 1995. Members of the committee (see page CRS-23) are familiar to us all and include some the major players in today's political drama:
- Mitch McConnell, R-KY (Committee Member: January 11, 1995 January 2, 1997)
- Robert Smith, R-NH (Committee Member: January 11, 1995 January 2, 1997)
- Larry (wide-stance) Craig, R-ID (Committee Member: January 11, 1995 January 2, 1997)
- Richard Bryan, D-NV (Committee Member: January 11, 1995 January 23, 1996)
- Barbara Mikulski, D-MD (Committee Member: January 11, 1995 January 23, 1996)
- Byron Dorgan, D- ND (Committee Member: January 11, 1995 January 2, 1997)
I've highlighted the illustrious Senator from Kentucky, he was the
Chairman. (Note that Harry Reid, D-NV, and Patty Murray, D-WA, were also members of the 104th Congress' Committee, but did not join until January 23, 1996, which was after the fateful ruling was handed down.)
INTERPRETATIVE RULING NO. 443
Date Issued: June 22, 1995
Applicable Rule: 38
QUESTION CONSIDERED:
How does Senate Rule 38 apply to the relationship between a Senate office and a non-Senate organization or individual participating in the legislative process?
(emphasis added)
What the ruling addressed specifically was whether or not 3rd parties could participate in the legislative process without violating Senate ethics rules. (think ALEC ... or rather)
Their RULING (See Appendix A, p. 297) found that:
... no Senate rule prohibits a Senator from seeking advice on legislative issues from individuals or organizations outside the Senate. Nor does any Senate rule prohibit any individual or organization outside of the Senate from voluntarily providing to a Senator or his or her staff research, memoranda, legislative language, or
draft report language for the Senator’s or staff’s consideration.
...It does not, however, prohibit a Senate office from receiving from the public information, ideas, comments, or proposals about legislative or other matters of public policy or interest being considered by the Senate.
(emphasis added)
Since then we've seen the repeal of Glass-Steagall and its replacement which was crafted by the banking industry under the guise of Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) and signed into law by Bill Clinton (D). That precipitated Enron, and the banking collapse of 2008. We've seen "free trade" after "free trade" bill, each crafted by and for specific industries, but not for the benefit of working americans. (President Obama just signed three more the other day). We saw how the tax code doubled in size during Bush's presidency as lobbyist after lobbyist crafted a new loop hole for fat cats and industries. We've seen how Obama's health care overhaul was co-opted by the health insurance industry as the single payer plan was killed off and any real attempt to curtail abusive practices was watered down. We've seen how the re-regulation of the banking industry was kept toothless in the Dodd-Frank act.
Let's face it, bills are no longer written by our elected representatives but by moneyed interests. That was a quaint and naive approach to government. It has been relegated to the American past. History, and legislation will be written by the victors, or rather, by the rich.
Somehow, I think Mitch McConnell's main goal isn't to ensure that Obama is a one-term President it is the completion of the facist corporate takeover he set in motion back in 1995.
"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
Benito Mussolini