[lapster]

This one is kind of close:

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.
Alexis de Tocqueville

[El Gato]

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.

Then we are truly and completely screwed. The Republic is dead. That's what "earmarks" are all about, as are "welfare", "publicly funded healthcare", and even FHA guaranteed loans. (VA loans are different, you have to do some thing, like risk getting your A$$ shot off, to earn those).