What do they get in return?
(1)Campaign Funding from big donors and RNC Technical Help
(2)Pork for their pet projects
(3)The inside track on the lobbyist deals that make ALL three-term Congressmen multi-millionaires. (On Wall Street it's called "Insider Trading")
(4)Plum Committee Assignments, better offices, more staff
(5) Contracts for companies run by their associates and especially relatives.
(6) "Jobs" and "Consulting Contracts" for friends, girlfriends, contributors, their girlfriends, relatives ... even their girlfriends. This influence runs downhill from the federal government, through the states, and even unto counties and cities. This goes as far as the Conyers Auto Dealership Empire (brother), Jesse Jackson's Beer Distributorship, etc. etc. etc.
"Republicans?" Sometimes a bit classier, but the same inside deals. Check out the "Hatch Empire." The "McConnell Fortune."
Need more? How about the "Campaign Fund Left-Over" trick? Every Congressman uses it. Donated funds, and even matching funds supplied by the government: any leftovers after the campaign is over belong to the candidates who take considerable care to not spend them. John Kerry creamed about $20 million! Even Pat Buchanan's laughable "campaign" (with Ms. Fulana as VP, remember?) netted him about $9 Million, thanks to his sister's adroit management. Unspent election funds? Campaign over? Could be yours, all yours!
For this kind of power and riches, even Mitch McConnell and his fellow geriatric Thad Cochran, are surely willing to mouth a few "conservative" clichés. Now, it may well be that this particular jig is up ... maybe. But all that means is that these very rich and powerful fellows will work all the harder to make their last years in office all the more lucrative! Get themselves set up for life in the dreaded private sector, etc. Do not think they are going to roll over and die just because we are angry with them.
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