Their real God is money

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Their real God is money

By ROBERT WHITCOMB

Providence Journal

Dec 13, 2005, 06:01

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It's interesting how, in the end, it all comes down to money. Assorted

" Christian fundamentalists " such as Tom DeLay and Ralph Reed, not to

mention many other Washington power brokers, turn out to a large

extent to be fanatical worshippers of Mammon. In America's most

intense money lust since perhaps the Gilded Age, high-level

public-sector work in Washington is increasingly seen as simply

another way to strike it rich. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be the J.P.

Morgan of this world.

 

There are, of course, many honest individuals in Washington. But in a

culture that increasingly values wealth and its accoutrements, we

shouldn't be surprised at the recent scandals in the capital, mostly

connected with Congress and mostly associated with the Republicans,

because they control Congress.

 

There are numerous happy highways for corruption these days. There are

the old-fashioned ones, such as bribes for obtaining vast defense

contracts. Then there are the newish ones, such as the inevitable

influence peddling that goes with the disastrous Indian Gaming

Regulatory Act, which has led to an explosion of Indian casinos and

hence more corruption. (But then, gambling is, as they say, a " cash

business " . . .)

 

Then there is the more indirect sleaze wherein someone like former

Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., writes legislation favorable to the

pharmaceutical industry, then swiftly goes to work for millions for

same. This is why so many former congressmen and senators don't return

to their home states after leaving public office. The big cash is in

the capital.

 

Increasingly, campaign contributions are used to bribe officials. They

don't call it " bribery, " of course _ rather, " contributions to obtain

access. " But bribery is often what it is, and the Supreme Court's

stance that campaign contributions are " free speech " looks more and

more awkward as spreading congressional scandals reveal just how

brazen K Street lobbyists and some of their employees on Capitol Hill

can be.

 

(Robert Whitcomb is The Providence Journal's editorial-page editor.)

 

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