I often joke about running for office.

Now I'm beginning to wonder. Would holding an office be the quick way to riches?

That said, I love what is happening in Washington.

The same thing could be happening in every city and town in America where there are elected officials.

Where there is an elected official, there is sure to be a lobbyist with a wad of cash or some fun lunches, dinners or even a golf trip or two not far behind.

I love the snipping about the Abramoff scandal. Is it just the Republicans who took Abramoff's money? The Democrats appear to have taken money from Abramoff's clients, not Abramoff directly. Is there a difference? Smells like the DeLay defense! It wasn't the same money.

Let's face facts. When you have idiot Congress people using the excuse that the legislation being put forward in the House and Senate is too complicated to understand without a lobbyist being there to simplify it, you have to wonder who are these people we elected. What can be so complicated?

Hello, who is writing the legislation? Hello, if you are not writing it so that it can be understood, who is writing it so that it can not be understood?

We have no viable health care. Tell the insurance companies it's over. Tell their stock holders to suck it up, just like Big Biz tells every retiree that....oh too bad, we decided not to honor your pension program.

Is it time to socialize medicine? Make a quick study of the various systems currently in place, improve on those systems and voila. Viable coverage, doctor's making viable livings, citizens being cared for. Citizens being employed by their fellow citizens, not by Big Biz, to run the program.

OK, so maybe it isn't so easy, but it can't be what it is today. Is all legislation being written by Big Biz? Is this true in the city or town where you live? I have not paid close enough attention in my city but I'm going to now. I want to know who is paying for what and what they are getting in return.

It is all about access and I guess always has been.

I went to hear a local politician speak last year and aside from some rather tepid programs to combat graffiti, the gist of what she had to say what that she needed money to win. Five minutes on the issues, 20 minutes on the money.

We know something is rotten. We just don't want to know how rotten.

So now the Republicans are scrambling. They want to add more layers, more government. They want the "ethics" rules strengthened. Guess they better call in their pals from K street and get some rules written!

AND........

Betcha Tom DeLay gets re-elected!