Abramoff

In the 1970s, Gallup began polling to see what Americans think of honesty and ethics in various professions. Generally speaking, nurses have toped the list. And towards the bottom have been business executives and stockbrokers (each with a 32% low or very low rating), advertising practitioners (37%), car salespeople (44%) telemarketers (56%), and members of Congress (58%).In 2007, they may have been looking for a profession with even less regard than members of Congress, so they added lobbyists.

I was shocked to learn that Jack Abramoff is still working as a DC lobbyist. I thought he was selling kosher pizza for a living. Who would be seen with him? Who would even take his call? He was involved with so many scandals that Wikipedia has a unique page called Jack Abramoff Scandals, not a topic... its own page. A couple of reminders.

As we've been saying lately, Chuck Grassley's policy of naked and hyper-partisan obstructionism against President Obama's SCOTUS nominee has changed the dynamics of the Iowa Senate race. Once thought a safe seat, Iowa is now in play. Remember, Obama beat McCain there 54-44% and then beat Romney statewide 52-46%.

James Otto is a prominent civil rights attorney based in Northridge, CA. He served as an officer in the Marine Corps from 1976 to 1980 and later worked for the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, prosecuting violators of California's civil rights laws in both employment and housing. Presently, he is developing new legal theories to protect American workers and green-card holders from national-origin discrimination. Recently he filed a law suit against Disney, whose preference for foreign workers over U.S. workers resulted in over 700 competent U.S.

House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Conaway (R-TX) -- a fine ethicist who grasps the evil of "duplicative paperwork""These kinds of backroom deals and changing of the rules in the middle of the night is exactly why Congress has a lower approval rating than cockroaches and traffic jams."-- Rep.

Republicans got rid of their head of corrupt practices; the Democrats haven'tSomeone-- or a few someones-- must be responsible for the rules change that allows Members of Congress to take bribes in the form of lobbyist-sponsored travel without reporting it on financial disclosure forms. I read about the "rules change" and how "it happened" and how it has "occurred behind closed doors." But nowhere does it say who was behind those closed doors.

Neo-fascist extremist and deranged "pastor," Bryan Fischer wasn't trying his hand at stand-up comedy this week with his demon hunter routine (above). Fischer is an annoying crackpot but Satan has higher-placed surrogates to do his work Inside the Beltway. In his brilliant book, The Machine, investigative journalist Lee Fang introduces us to the Koch Empire's chief political operative, Tim Phillips, one of the sleaziest and most destructive lobbyists in the history of K Street.