In an editorial titled "
Lobbyist Reform as a Shell Game," the New York Times skewers Rick Santorum and his role in the current effort to reform Congressional ethics rules. Here's an excerpt:
Enter Capitol reality: As Congress drifts through a lobbying debate that leans toward cosmetic evasions, Mr. Santorum has been as avid as ever in wooing power lobbyists. The Washington Post reported that the senator had maintained his elite meetings with special-interest brokers.
The senator exemplifies the ultimate scandal in the reform debate: that the subversive money nexus between lawmakers' campaigns and opportunistic lobbyists is not even on the agenda. An honest run at the problem would stop lobbyists from bundling together maximum campaign donations from their clients. Many lawmakers have dropped any arm's length pretense and enlisted big-time lobbyists as formal treasurers for their political kitties.
