GSPM Blog

Today's first panel on The Lobbyist Problem discussed issues of perception, politicking, and policy at the GSPM's forum on Special Interests and Public Policy.  

Professor Jonathan Turley (GW Law) gave what turned into something of a rebuttal. Like the first set of panelists, Turley is interested in addressing the whole problem, for which lobbying represents a part.  

Turley finds the roots of corruption and the problems our country is facing within the corridors of Congress -- not along the corridors walked by lobbyists but within the Members of Congress themselves.  

The last eight years have been disgusting to watch because of the level of corruption ... This city is floating on a sea of corruption, and it's killing our political system ...  

The first step on the road to recovery is to admit you have a problem. I honestly am terrified of what has happened in the last eight years. This city is no longer functioning. There is an incredible amount of disconnect between this city and the rest of the country. People around the country feel that the system no longer serves the interests of the majority and our elected officials are destroying the country. The system has no interest but the interests of the politicians in their own future. We've never seen so many problems in this country. We're digging into the marrow, and lobbying is part of the problem ...  

We can't address the problem in symbolic ways. We complain about the rain, but we don't look at the levee, which is Congress. Congress holds our Madisonian system together. It's designed so that those things that divide us go through an implosion. We encourage factional interests to come forward, and they implode inwardly before Congress ...   

There is a tendency to deal with things in more insular ways, instead of addressing the problems ... 

 Total transparency will only get you so far. The lobbying rules are ridiculous, and frankly the Obama plan is ridiculous. It's not going to solve anything ...  

 The problem is that Congress is captured by the industry and they owe their allegiance to something other than their constituents and they know that. . . . and lobbyists are part of that. Unless lobbyists come forward and say they're part of the problem, the last eight years were a mistake, then I don't know why we're here.  

Turley's suggests that we:

• Put 75% of the responsibility of the current political crisis on the members of Congress.
• Go back to core principles of what we are trying to achieve in order to fix the system. Go back to Madison's idea of democracy. Force the factions that divide us into the open. Create systems that prevent back room dealing and special deals that are hidden from the public. Part of the solution is to reform Congress, instead of trying to reform lobbyists.  
• Force Congress to get rid of the things that cause temptation. Get rid of all gifts, other than symbolic gifts donated to the office they serve. Get rid of earmarks. Require total disclosure of all family members who work for lobbyists.
• Address the fact that the system is too detached from its constituents and that incumbents have all the power. This city loves the fact that Congress doesn't change, but it's killing this country. This includes allowing other parties to rise in the political system, changing the electoral college, and reforming the way primaries are held.   

Join us in person the rest of the day at GW's Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st Street, NW. We'll be here until noon. Or follow @JulieG and @GSPMgwu on Twitter. We'll make sure the panelists, like Turley, hear your questions.