on Skinnydipping in Galileegate: Is paying for congressional travel a form of bribery?

[yurbud]

That is really the only outrage I felt when I read about the congressman skinnydipping in the Sea of Galilee.

If someone pays for you to take a trip, that creates a debt as much as a campaign donation, an insider stock tip, a job for a layabout relative, or the promise of a job after they leave office.

And that debt creates access (at a minimum).

I don't know about you, but I can't afford to buy airfare for a planeload of Congressmen to come investigate my issues.

Maybe I'm missing something, but what's wrong with this rule:

• If it's official business, the government should pay.
  
  
• If it's campaign related, donors should pay.
  
  
• If it's skinnydipping in the Sea of Galilee, they should pay their own fucking way.

What do you think?

5 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	YES--letting others pay for congressional travel is a form of bribery
	5 (100%)
	NO--it's all on the up and up.
	0 (0%)
	SOMETIMES--if there are no hookers and cocaine, it's on the up and up.
	0 (0%)
	OTHER
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[Skittles]

1. YES

ESPECIALLY when they take their families with them

[dballance]

2. There is NO such thing as something for nothing

There are always expectations attached.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Galileegate

[patrice]

4. Even more than an end to corporate personhood, we NEED total transparency in lobbying &

in campaign finance.

.............................

on a related issue:

Q. People want to get at collusion amongst Democrats with corporate persons???
A. Transparency.

[patrice]

5. We need to know Kevin Yoder's interest in Israel. TRANSPARENCY ... just like his underwear. nt

[patrice]

6. Please!! Don't forget that END TIMERS started the War on Iraq & have an interest in War on Iran or

any place else in SW Asia that they can get it going.

[hfojvt]

7. but if we didn't let congresspeople get $20,000 trips to Israel for free

then we'd never get quality people to run for office.

[RC]

8. We..., or Them?

[loyalsister]

9. No

Neither are the dinners served at advocacy events, coffee cups, bottles of wine, and other gifts....
Lobbying and policy education efforts do not necessarily result in vote trading. There has to be a very clear quid pro quo to constitute bribery.

[yurbud]

10. I'm talking about ethically, not the laws that lobbyists wrote about bribery

which boil down to "buying votes in an unprofessional manner."

Bags of cash are SO déclassé.