Lobbyist give gifts to elected officials.

You're not kidding, a double standard! I worked for the Post Office for 18 years and "technically" we weren't allowed to take gifts at Christmas time from our patrons. Annie

Then why don't we as American citizens who vote and pay these people pay checks stand up and demand it. We are the ones in charge. Not them. It is time they were reminded of that.

I say instead of outlawing gift giving, out law the lobbyist and special interest groups. They are a bunch of corrupt people bribing the government to do what is in there best interest instead of what is in the peoples best interest. Not to mention we need to start electing people who actually will not take the bribes and tell them to go to you know were. It would go a long to stopping the problem if we have elected officials that had a good sense of what ethics were. The Senators are just as guilty as the lobbyist because they take the bribes and vote how they want.

I agree that citizens should let their elected officials know how they feel about issues and bring up things that may not be getting enough attention. But I do feel that bulling, bribes or blackmail should not be part of it. It is unethical. They system is being corrupted and not used properly. You have to agree that the system of lobbyist and special interest groups is currently very broken. It needs a severe overhaul at the least. But honestly I do not think that they should get speical treatment. They already have a voice, they get to vote and write or call their elected officials to tell them what they think. When you add in "gifts" like these it just makes it a game of whoever has the most money gets the laws they want passed, no matter what is right or wrong. The American public may pay our elected officials salaries but they are bought and paid for by lobbyist and special interest groups. They no longer work for us, they work for who ever gives the best gifts.

There is a law that says they have to wait a year after leaviing office to become a lobbyist but no one is enforcing it. I complete agree. I do not know how it got this point but it needs to stop. I am sure there are good lobbyist groups out there that are following the rules and honestly trying to bring issues that help the people to our governments attention, but unforunately the majoritity is making them all look bad. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac hired a lobbyist a few years ago (about 4 or 5 years ago)to stop a bill the put regulations on them and the rest of the mortgage companies. THey spend millions on this lobbyist to make sure the bill did not go through. Now look at this mess we are in with the mortgage crisis all because the lobbyist got a huge majority of both sides not to vote for the bill. I wonder what they gave these senators not to vote for it. If that would not have happened the bill would have passed and we might have been spared a lot of nightmare we are in now. I can find the article on it so you read it yourself if you like.

I just think that if you level the playing field, then you select the best person for the job, not person that is the best a raising money.

That is a great idea. Both sides gets the same amount and free air time. THen the public decides who they want. Right now it is whoever has the most money gets to buy the election.