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>>>Yeah, but telling the truth as in "I have no intention of raising your taxes" or even "I did not have sex with that woman" is on a different level from not reporting a blatant attempt by a foreign agent to bribe a congressman. Makes you wonder how many other people may have approached this guy (the FBI sting didn't approach everybody - so they may have had some idea who might play) that didn't get on tape because the approachers weren't Feds.
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>>Ok, yes. I have to concede the probable truth of that. I don't really know much about him, so I don't know what he might have been up to beforehand that might have put the FBI on his tail - unless they were just targeting randomly.
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>>>I have a pretty good instinct that if they had approached Dan Moynihan, Bobby Kennedy, Barry Goldwater, Orin Hatch, Al Gore (unless speaking Chinese), Rudy, Newt, and maybe even Teddy Kennedy it would have been a very different story. And Bill Clinton would have insisted they go through Hillary's brother, like everybody else.
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>>You might be right. But it's sad to feel sure about such a small handful out of the entire system. Don't forget to add Larry Pressler to your list - I'm pretty sure he'd turn it down (ain't hindsight great). The one that killed me was Pete Williams. Imagine arguing that he didn't really accept a bribe because the titanium stock he accepted turned out to be worthless. You gotta give him an 'A' for chutzpah.
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>"I'm not a prostitute - the check bounced ! "
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>Actually, I think there is a lot of quid pro quo in regard to campaign donations and access, but I suspect the legislator who is flat out bought for cash is the exception rather than the rule.
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>But as PJ O'Rourke - our modern Mark Twain - has said "When legislation controls buying and selling the first thing bought and sold will be legislators."

The passage of each bill is a matter of buying and selling. Stick that little project in for me and in the next bill I'll sign off on yours. The bill only passes because those capable of selling their vote do so. When pork barrels are stopped (if ever), it will interesting to see how many votes a bill actually gets. It will also stop almost all projects at the state level. What will the govt do with all those extra tax dollars?