ABC news is on the party watching case, reporting on holiday parties being thrown for members of Congress and staffers by the likes of the Nuclear Energy Institute, Southern Company, Lockheed Martin, the Air Transport Association, and the the U.S. Telecom Association:

One day after the U.S. officially acknowledged it was in a recession, it was party time in Washington for lawmakers and their staff, courtesy of the nation’s corporate lobbyists.

For weeks, invitations and event lists have been circulating on Capitol Hill, carrying promises of open bars and free food. Though some organizations say they have cut back on events in the wake of the sharpest economic downturn since the Great Depression, many of 2008 ’s parties are shaping up to look a lot like the parties of earlier years.

These parties appear not to be fundraisers, but rather gatherings designed to fall under ethics rules pertaining to receptions (food must be limited to hors d’oeurves, beverages, i.e. the “toothpick rule”).

Yours truly is quoted in the story. I’d add to my comments there that the problem with these events is that they are hidden from the public eye. While these parties may be publicized in lobbyist circles around town, the only way the general public hears about them is because of the enterprising reporters at places like ABC News and the efforts we make here. So while it’s true ordinary people don’t get invited to these events, what’s even worse is that they don’t even know they take place.

1 Comment