Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation

by BooMan
Mon Nov 26th, 2007 at 12:27:56 PM EST

If the quagmire in Iraq was the main reason that the nation tossed Congress to the Democrats in 2006, ethical lapses certainly had a strong secondary role. Senate law number one this year was the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007. The bill was unenthusiastically signed into law by President Bush. Lobbying reform was one of the main areas of focus. Look at this:

SEC. 101. AMENDMENTS TO RESTRICTIONS ON FORMER OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES.
(a) Very Senior Executive Personnel- The matter after subparagraph (C) in section 207(d)(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking `within 1 year' and inserting `within 2 years'...
...(A) SENATORS- Any person who is a Senator and who, within 2 years after that person leaves office, knowingly makes, with the intent to influence, any communication to or appearance before any Member, officer, or employee of either House of Congress or any employee of any other legislative office of the Congress, on behalf of any other person (except the United States) in connection with any matter on which such former Senator seeks action by a Member, officer, or employee of either House of Congress, in his or her official capacity, shall be punished as provided in section 216 of this title.

That's legalese for 'it's illegal for a Senator to retire and then become a lobbyist'. It's now against the law to do that. You have to wait two full years after you retire to take a job as a lobbyist. The intent is clear. They don't want Senators trading legislation for lucrative jobs in the private sector. It's never ethical, but now it comes with criminal penalties. Except for one thing...the law doesn't take effect until 2008. And that explains some startling news in today's Politico:

Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) plans to resign his seat by the end of the year, a senior Republican official told Politico...
A Lott friend said part of the reason, and a factor in the timing, is a new lobbying regulation, signed by President Bush in September, extending the existing lobbying ban for former members of Congress from one to two years. The lobbying ban takes effect at the end of this year.

Trent Lott just ran for reelection. He said he was doing it to help with Katrina-related Gulf Coast reconstruction. Now he is abandoning the seat he just retained after just one year. And he is doing it for a transparently unethical reason. He plans to do something so unethical that it will be criminal on January 1st.

What better symbol could we ask for of the Republican Party?

Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation (none / 0)

Moreover, he's telling the people of Mississippi straight up that being their Senator for four years is nowhere near as lucrative as the lobbying job he wants to line up and start working in 2009. "Stupid hicks, I want my turn at the trough. That's why I ran for Senator in the first place, you morons."

Public service? Fuck that. Politics is a gateway drug, and it leads to lobbying and consulting. Ladies and gentleman, the GOP in action.

Imagine the stink from the Village if a Democrat did this.

More at Zandar vs. The Stupid.

by Zandar1 on Mon Nov 26th, 2007 at 12:53:29 PM EST

Re: Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation (none / 0)

"It's time for us to do something else," Lott said,

Maybe, like.......spending more time with family?

Or maybe fixin' that front porch of his in New Orleans?

Nope, guess not.

Lott, who said he wanted "to be able to leave on a positive note," said he began thinking about retiring in August. His term runs through 2012.
He said he doesn't have a new job lined up and that new restrictions on lobbying that take effect after Dec. 31, 2007 "didn't have a big role" in his decision to retire. The regulations extend the "cooling off" period for lobbying by former members of Congress from one to two years.

"NOT A BIG ROLE", huh? Man that is rich!!! Heard any more good ones recently, Trent??

Trent Lott, Republican poster boy.

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity"

by MikeInOhio on Mon Nov 26th, 2007 at 01:12:04 PM EST

Re: Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation (none / 0)

I'm torn.

On the one hand, clearly this is an unethical move by Lott. And if he doesn't have a lucrative lobbying job after the one-year cool off period is over, I'll eat my hat. With no condiments to choke it down. He's a sleaze and slime and he always has been.

On the other hand - it removes Trent Lott from the halls of power and puts him into at least a slightly less influential role. Lott is a good politician - in the sense that he's able to navigate the complexities of forming coalitions and enforcing discipline on his party members. I'm not sure who might be up for the Minority Whip job, but it's likely to be someone less capable than Lott.

by nonynony on Mon Nov 26th, 2007 at 02:00:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation (none / 0)

It's Kyl. Or maybe Lamar.

by BooMan on Mon Nov 26th, 2007 at 02:01:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation (none / 0)

Trent Lott, heck of a job-snow job...he's following in all kinds of illustrious footsteps. Just read that good old boy Ashcroft and his lobbying firm was given a 52 million dollar paycheck to monitor some company..gee guess who hired him? The Dept. of Justice, one of his former employees hired his firm saying he saw no conflict of interest or anything going on with his hiring of Ashcroft-what else could he say right. I'd prefer for this eagle to be grounded not soar off with 52 million of taxpayer money.

'Poverty is the worst form of violence'--Gandhi

by chocolate ink on Mon Nov 26th, 2007 at 05:01:31 PM EST

Lott's Unethical, Barely Legal Resignation | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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