Stomach turning - a lobbyist's story

The NYTimes has an article on Brent Wilkes, telling his version of the "lobbying process." It's absolutely disgusting how corrupt this has become.

Mr. Wilkes had set up separate meetings with the lawmakers hoping to win a government contract, and he planned to punctuate each pitch with a campaign donation. But his hometown congressman, Representative Bill Lowery of San Diego, a Republican, told him that presenting the checks during the sessions was not how things were done, Mr. Wilkes recalled.

Instead, Mr. Wilkes said, Mr. Lowery taught him the right way to do it: hand over the envelope in the hallway outside the suite, at least a few feet away.....

The culture of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee is one of great power and little scrutiny. Mr. Wilkes said every member appeared to have a personal allowance of millions of dollars to disburse without public disclosure.......

Sometimes, Mr. Wilkes said, lobbyists offered him an earmark if he could come up with a project. In 2004, he said, (former top Delay aide) Edwin A. Buckham, another lobbyist for Mr. Wilkes, reported that the House Appropriations Committee wanted to make a “going-away gift” in the form of an earmark to Representative George Nethercutt, Republican of Washington, who was leaving his seat on the panel to run for the Senate.

Mr. Wilkes suggested a shipboard communications project in Washington State and got $1 million for it. Mr. Nethercutt said he thought the technology was promising.

It's all about earmarks. (and it looks like Rep. Lewis (R- Ca.) is toast.)

House Majority Leader Boehner isn't making changes. Neither is the presidency eyeing McCain. I don't know if a Speaker Pelosi would necessarily be any cleaner, but at least it would stall the process for a few years as the Republican K street project fell out and another construct formed.