JANUARY
22, 2006 --
The
Washington Post in a front page story, January 17, reported
that House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert is now "leading a
push to tighten rules on lobbying."
For LPR, rule-tightening is no more than tinkering for public relations effect.
LPR would prefer to hear our national leaders commit themselves to the counsel
in Federalist 57 that they serve "the common good" and stay close
to the people.
Reform implies a change of heart.
Washington lobbyists, as Brit Hume suggested on Fox News, have a First Amendment
right to petition government. Lobbyists do not, however, have a constitutional
right to get preferred treatment.
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LPR
wonders why our national leaders have difficulty in reaffirming
the good government principles in Federalist 57.
Unless, of course, the political culture in Washington has yet to reform -- to
change its heart in the direction of our legacy of liberty, equality and justice
and a political system where officials are elected to serve the people, not lord
over them.
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