Scarcnet News Summaries (Advocacy Institute)
USA TODAY Editorial Criticizes Congress, Private Interest Groups
Length: pages
Abstract
An editorial in the USA TODAY argues that 1998 was a year when both parties of Congress were influenced by large contributions from private interests: "As 1998 ends, one celebration is as inevitable as it is deplorable. The folks who want government to serve their private interests capped off a banner year with a seedy carnival of pre-holiday gift giving. Tobacco giant Philip Morris presented its largest donation of the year, $250,000, to the Republican National Committee, just late enough to keep the public from finding out before the November election. The company had reason to be generous: The GOP congressional leadership blocked tobacco legislation. Over the year, the company and its executives funneled more than $2.3 million to the political parties, more than 80% to Republicans. . . . In a democracy, elections are too important to be auctioned to the highest bidder. Let 1999 be the year the sale comes to an end."
Source: Editorial, "Sold: '98 Congress," USA TODAY, December 31, 1998, p. A14.