GOP lobbying reform Bushit..I have an idea

[serryjw]

OK, now we don't allow military leaders ( Wes Clark)to become SecDEF for 10 years why can't we have the same restrictions on all others. Their ability to leave the government and then lobby their previous connections is causing most of these problems. Ashcroft is the latest DC registered lobbyist.

quote.....
As Jonathan Cohn points out in The New Republic, when Medicare
began 40 years ago, things went remarkably smoothly from the start. But
this time the people putting together a new federal program had one foot
out the revolving door: this was a drug bill written by and for lobbyists.

Consider the career trajectories of the two men who played the most
important role in putting together the Medicare legislation.

Thomas Scully was a hospital industry lobbyist before President Bush
appointed him to run Medicare. In that job, Mr. Scully famously threatened
to fire his chief actuary if he told Congress the truth about cost
projections for the Medicare drug program.
end quote......
READ both articles
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/opinion/20krugman.html (Requires
subscription)

A report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research has just issued a
report on this issue. http://ceprnews.c.topica.com/maaepgbabnCwrciXGsYbafpNFx/

[ShockediSay]

1. Billy Tauzin - a major symptom of the corruption problem

As reported in the linked article
"Meanwhile, Representative Billy Tauzin, the bill's point man on Capitol Hill, quickly left Congress once the bill was passed to become president of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the powerful drug industry lobby."

I guess we did say that Mr Tauzin's lobby - PhRMA - wrote the critical provisions of the Medicare prescription drug legislation in question.

Did we say that Mr. Tauzin's quid pro quo (IMHO) amounts to TWO MILLION DOLLAR$ ANNUAL COMPENSATION A YEAR for his position as president and ceo of this lobbying group?

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2004-12-15-drugs-usat_x.htm

Did we say that if we really wish to achieve reform from Abramoff/Rowland (2 Republican convicted felons) type corruption Connecticut

BANNED ALL LOBBYIST CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS?!

Are we serious about reform or are we vying for the prettiest window dressing with the Republican crooks in office?