The
Rational Argumentator
Lobbyists as Fundraisers
On May 31, 2010, The Washington Post ran an article about fundraising
by Washington's lobbyists. Lobbyists are able to evade restrictions on
individual giving by "bundling" contributions of their clients and
delivering the contributions in mass to poltical parties and
officeholders. The article quotes Merideth McGehee, policy director at
the Campaign Legal Center, as saying: "This (fundraising) is one of the
most critical functions that many lobbyists play in this town. It's
what gives them access and, in some respects, their power."
New FEC records show about 160 registered lobbyists have raised at least $9 million for political parties and federal candidates in just the past year. We should not be surprised that this is the case. It is a natural outcome of a government that has no limits. In 1850, Fredric Bastiat wrote that once a govenrment engages in what he called "legalized plunder," taking from one person and giving to another or putting one person at an advantage over another, those who are being plundered will attempt to engage in making the laws, by violent or other means. In today's United States violent revolution is not the preferred method of changing the law. Instead, we use lobbyists and campaign contributions to influence the outcome.
Every campaign finance and lobbying reform bill will be circumvented by those who are in power. This is because they have every incentive to do so. Bastiat pointed out that if govenrment was constrained to the reason we formed government in the first place, that is to protect ourselves and property against violence from another party, that it would matter little who was making the law. But our government has grown massively beyond this, and so it really matters who is writing health care legislation, or cap and trade legislation, or finance regulations.
The way to reduce influence of special interest groups and firms well off enough to hire lobbyists to represent them is not to write laws restricting the petitioning of our government, but to reinstate a government that was envisioned by the Founders. This would be a federal government that is bound by the Constitution--a government with only enumerated powers.
New FEC records show about 160 registered lobbyists have raised at least $9 million for political parties and federal candidates in just the past year. We should not be surprised that this is the case. It is a natural outcome of a government that has no limits. In 1850, Fredric Bastiat wrote that once a govenrment engages in what he called "legalized plunder," taking from one person and giving to another or putting one person at an advantage over another, those who are being plundered will attempt to engage in making the laws, by violent or other means. In today's United States violent revolution is not the preferred method of changing the law. Instead, we use lobbyists and campaign contributions to influence the outcome.
Every campaign finance and lobbying reform bill will be circumvented by those who are in power. This is because they have every incentive to do so. Bastiat pointed out that if govenrment was constrained to the reason we formed government in the first place, that is to protect ourselves and property against violence from another party, that it would matter little who was making the law. But our government has grown massively beyond this, and so it really matters who is writing health care legislation, or cap and trade legislation, or finance regulations.
The way to reduce influence of special interest groups and firms well off enough to hire lobbyists to represent them is not to write laws restricting the petitioning of our government, but to reinstate a government that was envisioned by the Founders. This would be a federal government that is bound by the Constitution--a government with only enumerated powers.
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