by Jim Hightower & r & & r & KING OF QUID PRO QUO & r & Tom DeLay is giving sleaze a bad name. In addition to his two indictments for money-laundering, his five formal reprimands from the House Ethics Committee, and his numerous entanglements in the low-life (but high-priced) lobbying scandals of Jack Abramoff, the deposed Republican leader of Congress has also been butt-deep in the Washington swamp of quid pro quo-ism -- which is Latin for, "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." The backs that DeLay chooses to scratch are those of the corporate powers, which funnel campaign funds to him in exchange for receiving legislative favors.
For example, Tom's a traveling man ... and he likes to travel in style. His political jaunts have taken him to such luxury digs as the Ritz-Carlton in Jamaica, the Prince Hotel in Hawaii and the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico. On such trips, he has spent $290,000 on golf outings, $390,000 on lavish meals and -- get this -- $1,930 on cigars! Monied interests wanting his help in Congress paid for all these extravagances. To get to these exotic destinations, DeLay has taken at least 100 flights on corporate jets -- including those of U.S. Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris. Now guess who has been the No. 1 Congress critter protecting the tobacco giants from regulation by the FDA? You got it.
You don't even have to be a U.S. corporation to play quid pro quo with Tom. One of his political fronts, for example, took a million bucks from two Russian oil executives to win DeLay's opposition to a bill that would've raised their taxes. Tom's group also took half a million bucks from Asian textile companies to win his opposition to wage laws affecting them.
A DeLay spokesman says that it's "absurd" to suggest that such donations affect Tom's legislative actions. No, what's absurd is that this sleazeball is still in Congress ... instead of jail.
For more nuggets of wisdom from America's No. 1 populist, check out & lt;a href="http://www.jimhightower.com" & his website & lt;/a & .
For example, Tom's a traveling man ... and he likes to travel in style. His political jaunts have taken him to such luxury digs as the Ritz-Carlton in Jamaica, the Prince Hotel in Hawaii and the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico. On such trips, he has spent $290,000 on golf outings, $390,000 on lavish meals and -- get this -- $1,930 on cigars! Monied interests wanting his help in Congress paid for all these extravagances. To get to these exotic destinations, DeLay has taken at least 100 flights on corporate jets -- including those of U.S. Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris. Now guess who has been the No. 1 Congress critter protecting the tobacco giants from regulation by the FDA? You got it.
You don't even have to be a U.S. corporation to play quid pro quo with Tom. One of his political fronts, for example, took a million bucks from two Russian oil executives to win DeLay's opposition to a bill that would've raised their taxes. Tom's group also took half a million bucks from Asian textile companies to win his opposition to wage laws affecting them.
A DeLay spokesman says that it's "absurd" to suggest that such donations affect Tom's legislative actions. No, what's absurd is that this sleazeball is still in Congress ... instead of jail.
For more nuggets of wisdom from America's No. 1 populist, check out & lt;a href="http://www.jimhightower.com" & his website & lt;/a & .
