Sometimes it takes something like the recent defeat of SOPA/PIPA to rip the mask off of the corrupt "pay-to-play" system that rules Congress. To wit, Chris Dodd last week re those public officials who dared to vote against his new employer's (MPAA) self-interested legislation:
Those who count on quote 'Hollywood' for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who's going to stand up for them when their job is at stake. Don't ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don't pay any attention to me when my job is at stake.
http://thehill.com/...
This is how it works folks, plain as day. If you want to be invited to the party, when they play the tune, it's time for you to get out there and dance. If you don't, expect not to be invited to the party next time. And nobody wants to be sitting at home, when everyone else is out having a good time.
In my opinion, there ought to be a law against a statement like that. A law that says simply, "trading votes for campaign contributions is illegal." No, I'm not dumb enough to think that it would stop just because you passed a law against it, but at least making it illegal would drive that sort of activity somewhat underground, instead of loudly broadcast from the pages of the Hill!