Building A Bigger And More Powerful Swamp In The Age Of Señor Trumpanzee

Yesterday Politico began the day with couple of paragraphs detailing how normalized corruption has become in The Swamp. And, yes, of course there's never been as huge and as toxic a swamp as the Trump swamp. "YES, guys like Michael Cohen routinely get paid amounts like $1.2 million to offer insights about their boss or former boss. Yeah, it’s crazy. But many readers of this newsletter would not have their McMansion in McLean, their BMW, their membership at Army Navy, second homes in Delaware, cigar lockers and endless glasses of Pinot Noir at BLT Steak and Tosca if that kind of stuff didn’t happen. Newsflash: $1.2 million is not even a rounding error for massive corporations. (The smart companies route these deals through law firms.) A scintilla of information gives a company an edge. That price tag would be completely worth it for a member of Hill leadership-- and intel on Trump is worth much more than that. It seems like Cohen offered squat.

•YES, people work for years on the Hill for $60,000 to make three times as much money on K Street to work much shorter days. And, guess what, random 24-year old Hill aide: they don’t like you for your personality. You’re boring and green. They want to know what your boss is talking about, what he’s worked up about and what he’s thinking about on random bill X.
• YES, people pay for access. It’s called a fundraiser. Why do you think many restaurants in D.C. have five private rooms? Why do you think some companies buy massive townhouses on Capitol Hill? Why do you think members of Congress hold PAC retreats at swanky resorts, and lobbyists go in droves? It ain’t for the camaraderie.
• YES, all of the people who say they are against the system participate in it. Yes, the people who rage against the machine are greasing the skids. Watch cable TV, look for a lawmaker who says the system is broken and then take a gander at their campaign finance report. Bet you they have tons of PAC contributions, and tons of lobbyists giving them dough.
• AND NO, the swamp is not drained. Give us a break. We’re not defending the status quo-- but welcome to reality. This is the campaign finance/lobbying/government system Congress created and D.C. fostered.

Gilbert McSwampy Cisneros (DCCC-CA)

So why bring more people like the creeps who have normalized this kind of behavior into Congress? We don't have to, especially not now, in primary season. See that guy up top-- Jared Golden? He's proven as a leader in the Maine legislature that he's not part of the swamp mentality. His two opponents are-- super wealthy Republican Bruce Poliquin and super wealthy Democrat Lucas St. Clair, two swamp creatures. And go straight across the country as far as you can from Maine and you get to-- Orange County, where immensely rich fake Democrats are literally trying to buy congressional seats. No one is worse than lottery-winning carpetbagger and "ex"-Republican briber Gil Cisneros, who has lined up an amazing number of congressional endorsements... each and every one from someone he has paid off. Bringing people like Cisneros and St. Clair into Congress makes the swamp stink even more than it already does. Oh, did you think it was only Republicans who stink up the bog?

Is it just St. Clair and Cisneros? Of course not. In between Maine and Orange County you find budding swamp creatures everywhere. How do you know which ones? Almost every candidate endorsed by the DCCC. EVERY candidate endorsed by the New Dems and by the Blue Dogs-- the swamp creatures of the future... just waiting for your vote. Tell me if even ONE candidate ever puts it on his or her campaign website that they've been endorsed by the Blue Dogs or the New Dems. Of course not. I wonder why that is. Candidates endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus always want everyone to know. Candidates endorsed by DFA or the Justice Democrats always want everyone to know. So why are candidates endorsed by the Blue Dogs and New Dems hiding it? What are they ashamed of? Each of them should have a big banner that says: CERTIFIED FUTURE SWAMP CREATURE. Funny how not even MSNBC ever mentions that aspect of electoral politics when they interview candidates... and incumbents. That ActBlue congressional thermometer on the right? A list of anti-swamp candidates. Take a look.