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JUNE 12, 2015 -- Now we know that soccer is a lot like politics - both are controlled by money. The President
and Congress (both Republicans and Democrats) are bought and paid for
by Wall Street, the Big Banks and Corporate America who want to keep the
China profits flowing. They contribute to President Obama and Congress
to do nothing to irritate China - no enforcement of laws against China's
closed market; subsidization of its manufacture; predatory practices and
devaluing its currency. The President and Congress do nothing. The U.S.
public shows no embarrassment at the force of money in politics. Money once
embarrassed us politicians. In 1968, Maurice Stans, the Financial Manager
for Nixon for President, operated on a "cash and carry" basis.
Stories of Stans' conduct caused us embarrassment. As a result, we limited
spending in campaigns by a bipartisan vote in 1971. There was a flaw in
the '71 law, so again in 1973 we limited or controlled spending in federal
elections. President Nixon signed the law. The Supreme Court reversed
the law in Buckley vs. Valeo by equating spending with speech in
political campaigns. Hiring a consultant is spending, not speech. Taking
a poll is spending, not speech. Walk into a TV station and tell them you
want your free speech and you'll soon find yourself out on the sidewalk.
In Congress,
it pays for the Republicans and Democrats to get along, be friends. You
never know when you'll need a vote from the other side. Elected to the
U.S. Senate in 1966, several Republican and Democrat Senators met every
Wednesday night at one of our homes, coats and ties off, drinks and giving
each other hell. We became fast friends. I never had better friends than
Republican Senators Howard Baker, Mark Hatfield, Bill Saxby and Ted Stevens.
We traveled together, partied together. No Senator would think of raising
money against a fellow Senator. But when Buckley removed the limit on
spending, Senators stepped up their fundraising; the Republican and Democrat
Senate Campaign Committees took over the fundraising and partisanship
set in. In 1993, President Clinton submitted an energy tax but Senators David Boren and Tom Daschle killed it. Senators were left on the Floor with Gene Sperling cobbling together an increase of all taxes - even Social Security. Vice President Gore broke the tie and we Democrats cut spending $250 billion and raised taxes $250 billion. Congressman Gingrich prohibited a Republican vote in either the House or Senate to support our initiative. We gave President George W. Bush a balanced budget in 2001. But he cut taxes, started wars, added prescription drugs to Medicare, stimulated and bailed out - all without paying for them. When I tried to get Democrats to pay for the wars, prescription drugs, etc., Democrats said Republicans wouldn't give us a vote in 1993 and they weren't about to give Republicans a vote to balance the budget. Gridlock! The U.S.
paid for all its wars, depressions, recessions and it took over two hundred
years for the United States to incur a $1 trillion debt in 1981. President
Bush increased the debt $5 trillion in eight years and now President Obama
increases the debt $7 trillion in six years. The richest country is borrowing
more than $400 billion each year to keep the government doors open. But
there is no embarrassment. No one mentions it. Lobbyists with money from special interests have taken control of Congress. That's why you can't get a vote on immigration, gun control, budget, etc. They even tell the Speaker or Leader when to call for a vote. No embarrassment.
Congress
has tried for thirty years with McCain-Feingold, public financing, etc.
to get around the Supreme Court. But Congress will have to amend the Constitution:
"To empower Congress to limit or control spending in federal elections."
In my last years in the U.S. Senate, Republicans had control and wanted
to amend the Constitution to prevent flag burning and they asked me to
withhold my spending limit amendment. I refused and no Constitutional
Amendment was considered in the Senate in 2002, 2003 or 2004. The Senators
want to keep their advantage for six years of fundraising. When money
is limited by a Constitutional Amendment, a later Congress can determine
how to limit or control spending. When money is limited, fundraising by
Congress is limited; partisanship is limited; gridlock broken! Lobbyists
lose control of Congress and the buying of politicians in ended. The voters continue to complain about the do nothing Congress in Washington. Corporate America can make more profit offshoring its production and jobs so it pays the President and Congress to do nothing. The voters show no embarrassment about Congress being bought to do nothing. Senator Fritz Hollings of South Carolina served 38 years in the United States Senate, and for many years was Chairman of the Commerce, Space, Science & Transportation Committee. He is the author of Making Government Work (University of South Carolina Press, 2008). © 2015, Ernest F. Hollings. All rights reserved. Contact us for republication permission. |
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