Crooked lobbyist Jack Abramoff explains in 60 Minutes how he "owned" Congress for years, and how such corruption continues today despite ethics reform. Must be said that even before #Occupy Wall Street, we actually had #Occupy Congress. Except unlike #OWS where everybodys welcome, Occupy Congress was a nice get together for the deep pockets and their lobbyists, for the buyers and the bought, for the owners and the ownee-- who could not admit they were owned and paid for (just listen to Mr. Nye).
At the end of the interview, Abramoff says: "If you make the choice to serve the public, public service, then serve the public, not yourself. When youre done, go home. Washingtons a dangerous place. Dont hang around."
You think our elected public servants in Congress would listen to that advice given their 9% approval rating?
You want to keep tabs of our reps and their staffers, check out LegiStorm. Launched five years ago, the site provides a variety of important information about the US Congress including a database of congressional staff salaries as well as a comprehensive database of all privately financed trips taken by members of Congress and congressional staffers.
Now, if only they can start a database of dangling job offers, well know whos been shopping and whos been bought before they go through the revolving door.