The Primaries and related symptoms of Dysfunctional Politics

Rick Santorum is a symptom of our current dysfunctional political process, one of many.  He's also representative of the results of our failed social value system that places money in control of election results, literally, in the USA. 

Examples?

The "K Street Project" and related exposed corruption represents just such an example of the "worst case" of that ruinous behavior, shows the corruptive influence of unregulated campaign finance from virtually unlimited resources.  

And demonstrates the results of our lack of regulatory oversight, neglecting to correct or control that behavior.  Political offices "For Sale" to the highest bidder.

Complicit "Bought" politicos (Yes you, Mr. Santorum) have relied on the lack of "Transparency" related to current campaign finance methods, taking advantage of flaws inherent within our system, betraying public trust.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/rick-santorum-and-the-k-street-project-fact-checker-biography/2012/01/05/gIQAbqwgjP_blog.html

[Rick Santorum and the K Street Project (Fact Checker biography)]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/rick-santorum-lobbyists-k-street-project_n_1186606.html

[Rick Santorum Tried To Turn Lobbyists Into Cogs Of GOP Machine With K Street Project]

So what's been the purpose of “Lobbyists”, Historically?

Lobbyists are “Managers” of specifically allocated “Accounts” for candidates to draw funding out of (indirectly), accounts that originate with Moneyed Interests like the Koch brothers and assorted Corporate/Special Interest representatives.

So the purpose served by Lobbyists has essentially been that of “Broker”, they provide an interface between Politicians and Special Interests.

As most of us are aware. 

But the relationship between Lobbyists and connective, familiar politicians isn't quite that simple, there are detailed methods and constraints to consider, especially since politicians are beholding to Moneyed Interests EVEN BEFORE accepting donations to the extent that Lobbyists are former office holders.

So while in office elected officials are basically leveraged into compromising their positions for FUTURE EMPLOYMENT as Lobbyists, "Feathering Their Nests" as it were.  A "Relationship" develops between Lobbyists and their clients, a very personal one.

Based on future employment provided by Moneyed Interests.

Functional Lobbyist Behavior

Lobbyist have “Clients” on both sides of the equation, they're promoting or “Selling” funding resources to eager interested parties, politicians who can't LEGALLY reciprocate for said funding resources. So they'll never admit to any resulting (confirmed) “Quid Pro Quo” exchange taking place. EVER.

Technically, lobbyists represent legal "Loopholes", removing Elected Officials from engaging in what would otherwise be literal "Bribery, payoffs, graft" under legal definition, insulating them from what's commonly referred to as “Conflict of Interest” related to functions of Political Office. Yeah, right.

Other provisions apply, of course. Funding can't be drawn on directly by a candidate or his/her representatives, money held by Corporate Donors and other resources is necessarily transferred to “Campaign Funding” coffers first. That's in compliance with the “Rules”.

Tho many of these de facto Special Interest Shills are barely operating within the framework of what's technically "Legal" much of the time.

Just ask Tom Delay.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/01/10/former-majority-leader-tom-delay-gets-3-years-in-prison

Or Jack Abramoff.

http://www.politicalcorruption.net/2009/03/06/abramoffs-trial-ends/

Both directly implicated in "K Street" corruption, both guilty of criminal behavior in the extreme.

Secondary to that "Brokering" of funding resources, lobbyists broadly Insulate politicians in terms of public perception, providing politically significant “Plausible Deniability” for their client candidates.

This concern for “Insulation” (as perceived by “We the Public”) is maintained under “Citizens United”, candidates never handle “Super PAC” funds themselves, aren't subject to regulatory review under those conditions.

So the candidate is assured that the facade of "Complete Independence" from funding sources is maintained in the public arena.

Regardless, when caught in marginal activities, perhaps without question Immoral yet technically Legal, once exposed, current candidates appear to be not much concerned about "Public Perception" since it's essentially Business As Usual.  We the “Public Entity” have become jaded and unresponsive, we're unperturbed.

So Rick Santorum can easily run for office as a Primary Candidate without "We the Public" being the least bit concerned about his "K Street Project" pedigree.

 What's different under the "Citizens United" environment? 

"Citizens United" further Insulates politicians, ostensibly removes them from even indirect association with Moneyed Interests under current standards.

"Super PAC" funds and their parent organizations Broker Themselves, their representatives contact media resources and purchase airtime directly thru those outlets, a process that doesn't require third party (Lobbyist) involvement. 

Lobbyists  loose their value, are diminished in this context since "Super PAC" purchased media implicitly operates independently, outside of "Candidate Campaign" influence.

Recipient Politicians are NOW relieved of any obligation to expose those funding resources, the public has no further "Need to Know" under these new rules, the threat of public "Exposure" no longer prevails. 

We "The Public" are no longer entitled to know where campaign money originates, however "tainted" by special interests that resource may be. 

Better yet for them, candidates have been given a valuable new tool, the pretense of being "unaware" and "removed from" the actions of Super PACs, however nasty the campaign methods may become. 

So candidates can conduct their campaigns with a clear conscience, with pristine moral integrity, washed clean of past corrupt practices and "Dirty Campaign" methods. 

Free of perceived "Special Interest" influence and associated "Quid Pro Quo" expectations, apparently "Conflict of Interest" is a thing of the past ;-)

Again, "Yeah, Right".

Wink wink, nod nod, say no more.  Pythonesque, right?

The perception that "buying" a political office today is completely acceptable, that poorly regulated campaign money has no corruptive influence once a candidate takes office is an absurd but broadly implied concept, sold to the public with a conspiratorial wink and a nod across the political spectrum by those who benefit.

"Citizens United" amplifies that corruptive, toxic monetary influence to an extent most of us are only beginning to appreciate.

END

Solutions? Campaign Finance Reform, of course.

The influence of "Super PAC" funding saturates our current primaries, yet another enormous financial "Loophole" provided by the SCOTUS.  Thanks to “Citizens United”, courtesy of the touted “Judicial Activism” the Republicans claim to find so abhorrent.

That influence WILL increase with time, the process has only just begun.  5 SCOTUS justices have in effect revised our entire political landscape with the rhetorical stroke of a pen.

On this particular issue, immediate corrective "Reform" measures amount to REPEAL of that decision, and SCOTUS influence over our elections system must be greatly diminished or removed entirely. 

 Showing Lobbyists the Door

For the immediate future the "Revolving Door" process is here to stay, won't be revised under "Citizens United" since Corporate Influence STILL wants their political connections to remain in place to assure full cooperation for their legislative agenda. 

So retiring politicians are STILL assured of Corporate job security based on their cooperative efforts, not to be confused with practices of "Reciprocation", of course.  That wouldn't be LEGAL or morally correct, you understand ;-)

"Insider Trading" isn't just for Wall Street, after all ;-) 

Lobbyists are becoming increasingly less effective relative to their historic significance since National Chamber of Commerce representation largely controls the "Super PAC" resources flooding our current political landscape. 

Necessary Reform Measures

That uncontrolled flood of campaign finance money continues to gain momentum, as stated by our President "The floodgates have opened".

Because of that, "K Street" has lost much of their value in terms of "Fronting" for Corporate money, are becoming effectually obsolete for that particular purpose. 

But being functionally diminished is not the same as operating under restraint, within bounds of necessary reform.  Lobbyists have entirely too much influence under current conditions of "Regulatory Oversight", as the "K Street Project" demonstrates.

We need to legislate new Campaign Finance policies and enforce regulatory compliance under those policies.

These regulatory policies should remove the hold of Special Interest influence on elected officials, reform measures should (for that purpose) dissolve and disallow the "Revolving Door" policies in place today.   Lobbyist influence needs to be severely restricted.

More specifically, new regulatory controls should disallow (Industry/Corporate/Contractor) hiring of retired politicians who've benefitted from that relationship while in office, at least where "Conflict of Interest" is apparent.  Campaign Funding being an obvious example of "Benefitting from that relationship while in office", as is the implied Conflict of Interest.  

In support of that, of course, campaign funding from those same Special Interests should be tightly controlled or better yet disallowed, tenure while in office shouldn't be tainted by the need for sustained election funding.

BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION?

Campaign funding should not be allowed to effectively dictate behavior of public officials, EVER.  So let's summarily remove that problem, let's render the issue resolved by changing the campaign environment.

PUBLIC FINANCE of elections would be the optimal solution, would level the playing field for candidates while removing the need for dependance on "Tainted" resources generating "Relationships" that compromise the integrity of an Oath of Office.

Until ethics standards are reformed, those well paid lobbyists and their resulting influence on Government will continue to purchase cooperative (Special Interest Driven) legislation, our public programs will continue to be compromised for their private enterprise profits.

Our legislation, our Politicians, neither should be "For Sale".  Let's Reform this broken system.

 What's in the immediate future?

Our first mistake was misplaced trust. 

Our entire Political System is eroding away, being placed in the hands of Special Interests who rely on complicit Lobbyist influence (See Above!).  Cooperative officeholders are enabling this, trading their obligations under "Oath of Office" for what's essentially a stake in the Corporate game. 

They're selling our public trust to the highest bidder.

Moneyed interests are BUYING the mechanisms of Democracy thru legislated "Loopholes", loopholes which were also PURCHASED thru direct influence of "Political Capital" in the context of our above described flawed system. 

Eventually, Supported Reform will Prevail, Right?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57317459/lobbyists-can-skirt-ethics-reform-says-abramoff/

http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2012/01/25/close-lobbyist-reporting-loopholes-first/

Hopefully.  But under our current campaign environment what's painfully obvious is that finance reform is absolutely necessary.  "Citizens United" amplifies the corrupting influence of $ as applied to our political system, further, it firewalls Corporations and other donors against exposure of what's essentially Payoffs, Bribery, outright BUYING of election results.

And international influence is obviously implied, conditions of complete anonymity assure that vast NEW campaign funding resources WILL corrupt our system further, even from sources completely independent from our national election system.

Foreign influence "buying" our election system.  Elected officials in the USA beholding to foreign governments, just a question of WHEN.

Unfortunately, supposing we overturn "Citizens United" in the near future we'll still be stuck with the inherent corruption allowed for under our current system unless broad measures of reform are applied.

Why has it taken so long for many of us to recognize these obvious issues?  For we "99%" to call attention to that obvious Dysfunction? 

Public awareness is yet another related issue to be adressed, implied MSM coverage needs to be brought to bear.

Suppose the MSM will become less hesitant?  Up 'til now they've generally been silent on this issue, media management is tilted, skewed in favor of the 1% for the most part.

But "Damage Control" concerns are emerging, our broken economy has driven "Occupy" influences to the streets against our current DYSFUNCTIONAL election process, among other things. 

 Perhaps the tides are turning ;-)