Yesterday, the Congress sent an "ethics reform" bill to the president for his signature.
It was "supposedly" intended to "clamp down on insider trading by lawmakers" to their friends on Wall Street.
It passed the Senate by a vote of 96 to 3 after the House had approved it last month, BUT not before that House had already gutted the bill of its most significant provision involving "political intelligence-the practice of selling the inside scoop of legislative action to traders on Wall Street i.e. using their political positions for personal financial gain.
So in the end what the final bill does it "prohibits members of Congress and staffs from using non public information for investment and trading decisions." Wow!
Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi acknowledged shortcomings in the final legislation noting, "We know more must be done." Really!
The fact is using Congress and ethics in the same breath is an oxymoron, a paradox and a complete contradiction. It's readily apparent with Congress' approval ratings barely above single digits, their attempts to rein in their abuses and corrupting practices with "ethics reform" laughable.
Everyone knows they are beholden to big moneyed and special interest largesse so presenting a fig leaf of "ethics reform" only further exposes their hypocrisy as the masquerade it is.
Two years ago, while interviewed on a local Chicago radio station, Senator Dick Durbin D. ILL., literally let the cat out of the bag declaring, "And frankly, they own the place", referring to the big financial interests hold on the Senate.
So this latest gambit of "ethics reform" was apparently done in an election year to "improve" the public's low opinion of Washington.
If anything, it just highlights and puts a spotlight on their crassness and corruption. Except for the few who haven't sold out their integrity to the highest bidder, the overwhelming majority in Congress ought to look away hiding their face as a convicted felon would when his picture is being taken by the press.
They're just handmaidens to the oligarchs that have usurped and control this plutocracy of ours. They're no better than the "Duma", the Communist party hack legislators during the reign of the Soviet Union.
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